cover image A Drop of Scarlet

A Drop of Scarlet

Jemiah Jefferson, . . Leisure, $6.99 (342pp) ISBN 978-0-8439-5724-2

The fourth installment in Jefferson's contemporary romantic vampire saga, set in a world where the undead live largely undetected among the human population, will appeal to dedicated vampire fans and readers looking for more Anne Rice–style bloodsucker angst (now that the master has hung up her cape). Following the death of her love and sire, the vicious Daniel, returning vampire heroine and acclaimed molecular biologist Ariane Dempsey is living in Portland, Ore., with a new vampiric lover, a brilliant but unbalanced physicist whom she reluctantly made undead. While synthesizing a drug that she hopes will stave off his bouts of madness, Ariane attracts the attention of old friends, and soon the power of her drug is drawing vamps from across the globe—not all of them friendly. Jefferson switches narrators frequently, a choice that may jar readers, and makes identifying with any of the large cast of characters difficult; fortunately, Jefferson's elegant prose illuminates the inner experience of each with beautiful precision ("His thoughts folded in on themselves like an origami box"; "I could turn my memories over and over like a piece of hard candy in my mouth"). Despite a preponderance of gore, Jefferson fails to scare or shock, but red-hot love scenes and complex relationships make this a worthy read. (Jan.)