WHEN TWILIGHT BURNS

Author: Colleen Gleason ISBN: 9780451224750 8/2008 HISTORICAL/PARANORMAL Publisher: NAL
Time Period: 1821 London

Vampire hunter Lady Victoria Gardella Grantworth de Lacy "stakes the undead with the best of them" (Detroit Free Press). After narrowly escaping from Rome, she returns to London, where not even sunrise can stop a vampire's carnage... Ruining Victoria's homecoming, a vampire stalks the streets of London—during the daylight. Not only is Victoria unable to detect the vampire with her heightened senses, but she's being framed as the prime suspect behind the killings. Meanwhile, her heart is still divided between the enigmatic Sebastian Vioget and her fellow slayer Max Pesaro. The battle is made even more difficult by the legacy of a vampire's touch—a vampire who left in Victoria's veins boiling blood that forces her to fight evil on two fronts: against the new breed of undead threatening London, and against the darkness within herself.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

With larger-than-life characters, edge-of-your-seat action and intense romance, WHEN TWILIGHT BURNS is all a vampire novel should be. It brings to life the cold, calculating world of the undead while showcasing the hot, sexy talents of those who hunt—and kill—vampires.

I was completely sucked into Victoria's world. Every detail is so vivid, I could see and hear the story so well that I felt like I was right there on every page. When Victoria searched the sewers, I wrinkled my nose. When she staked vampires, I cringed. When she battled the evil threatening to overtake her, I willed her to stay strong. This story encourages the reader to interact with the action, which is easy since it's all brought so clearly to focus

This story isn't only about action, though. Lady Victoria isn't just stalking vampires. She is very clearly coming to grips with what she's experienced with her dead husband. There are issues of love and trust she must resolve before she can pursue another romantic encounter. And all the while, with vampires killing during the day, lingering husband emotions to consider, a growing attraction to someone who's always at hand, she's intent on getting past the evil that is trying to grow within her. Really, this is a lady who has a lot on her plate! The reader is pulled into all aspects of Victoria's life, and the story's style is so engaging her issues become very important.

With endless rich details, a coronation, a comet and bone pickers as well as an unlikely love story, WHEN TWILIGHT BURNS is a knockout. I enjoyed it so much I'll be picking up copies of the rest of Ms. Gleason's books. I'll also be eagerly awaiting her next release. Well done!

Kay James