Crimson City by Liz Maverick (2005, Paperback)

CRIMSON CITY
Liz Maverick
Love Spell, July 2005, $6.99
ISBN: 0505526220

Ever wish someone would write a romance where the heroine kicked ass and got her ass kicked as well every now and again? I don't know about you, but I am not impressed with characters who never feel pain. I like to see a character that grows.

Fleur feels pain. She gets it in spades in this book. In the heart because of past decisions and present company. In the body when she learns that her training needs to be stepped up a bit after she almost loses her life to a mech. Her physical strength is pretty impressive. After all, she is a vampire and soon-to-be-leader of one of the strongest families. If she can get it together.

When we first meet Fleur, she seems quite willing to let others lead her family for her. Her tastes run to playing dress up games with her girl friends. Then two people are murdered, but she is left to live. Now she has questions that need to be answered.

Can Fleur team up with a human cop to solve the crime? She has a lousy track record with men. Dain, the cop, isn't much into fangs, but this vamp is one sexy lady.

In this first book of the CRIMSON CITY series, you are introduced to the idea of an alternative Los Angeles where demons, werewolves, and vampires exist along side of humans. There is ethnic prejudice galore. For me, Maverick makes a good case of how racial stereotyping makes us look.

If you like futuristic, cutting edge fantasy, take a look at the CRIMSON CITY series that starts with this book.