cover image Left for Undead

Left for Undead

L.A. Banks, St. Martin's Paperbacks, $7.99 (320p) ISBN 978-0-312-94302-8

Dense with character backstory and paranormal quirks, this complex sixth Crimson Moon paranormal romance (after March 2010's Never Cry Werewolf) is no place for newbies to start. Newly retired from the military, Shadow Wolf Sasha Trudeau and her mate, Hunter, are on a well-deserved holiday in New Hampshire when word gets out that very powerful vampires are being sun-murdered. The vampires accuse the Unseelie fae, who deny all involvement and gain the rare support of the Seelie and their allied wolf clans. Evidence soon emerges that the enemy they all face comes not from the earthly realm but from the depths of hell. Sasha and Hunter must grapple with family distractions as they seek to contain the demonic force that threatens the world. Angsty dialogue ("She's made like porcelain... and I'm a goddamned Werewolf!") trumps action and plot, and only longtime fans will really care what happens or to whom. (Oct.)