Runaway Vampire

Sands's 23rd Argeneau paranormal romance (after About a Vampire) features a somewhat nontraditional heroine who meets her hero in an unusual way. With all of the spark of a low-speed chase in a traffic jam, 62-year-old widow Mary meets the younger-looking Dante when he comes bounding along through the woods like a deer in flight and runs into her RV on a lonely back road. Mary was taking one last trip to say goodbye to her husband's memory before returning to her beloved Canada. Dante's arrival does quite a bit to upend those plans. Unfortunately, Dante is a hunted man with a desperate need to find his twin brother, which means Mary's life isn't the only one changed by that chance meeting. The opening sets an unfortunately implausible tone for the remainder of the story, which focuses more on the interplay between Dante and Mary than any deeper plot. Readers who are excited to read paranormal romance with a senior citizen heroine will be disappointed when Mary is turned into a vampire and ends up looking like Barbie, and Sands never really makes her sound as mature as her age would imply. At its best, this installment has the feel of a transition book, paving the way for future stories wherein the deeper mystery alluded to will finally be addressed. Mostly, readers will suspect that Sands had a contract to fulfill. Agent: Jenny Bent, Bent Agency. (Mar.)