Monday, February 7, 2011

The Sweet Scent of Blood-Suzanne McLeod

The Sweet Scent of Blood
Suzanne McLeod
Ace, Apr 27 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9780441018710

In London where the paranormal is part of the normal where vampires even pose for celebrity calendars. Genevieve Taylor is the only known Sidhe Fae in town and she works for Spellcrackers.com run by the Witch Council to insure “making magic safe”. The headlines involve the arrest of Mr. October Roberto taking one pint too many from his human girlfriend Melissa.

The father of the accused, financial reporter Alan Hinckley knows her boss Stella Raynham from an article he did on the firm and that Gen is not bound by the Witch Council’s mantra to never get involved with a vampire. Alan pleads with Gen to investigate the homicide of the waitress as he believes his Bobby is innocent; starting with checking whether magic was used on the victim. Reluctantly because of Bobby’s message of regards to Gen, who had a teenage marking by a vampire, she agrees to investigate. Her inquiry leads from the corpse to the popular Soho vampire clubs. However, as her friend Sergeant Hugh the troll warns her to stay out of the case, the divided upper elite of the vampire hierarchy follow her with a strange interest as she now believes the accused was framed, but by who remains unknown.

This is an exhilarating investigative urban fantasy starring a delightful tough heroine swimming in a sea of vampires while working her case. The story line is fast-paced form the onset yet makes this alternative London filled with witches, Fae, vampires, trolls, goblins and one sidhe seem genuine due to the Soho scene and other similar references. Fast-paced with a terrific twist, fans will be reminded of Dresden the only listed wizard in the phone book.

Harriet Klausner

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