Blood Maidens

Fans of historical vampire fiction will not be disappointed by Hambley's long-awaited third James Asher tale (after 1995's Traveling with the Dead), which features a lush and gorgeous whirlwind tour through wintry 1911 Russia. Vampire Don Simon Ysidro comes in dreams to Asher, a former member of the British Secret Service, to recruit him and his brilliant scientist wife, Lydia, to help solve the mystery of the sudden disappearance of fellow vampire Lady Eaton, Asher's old flame. Their investigation sends them into the high society world of the Theosophists to halt experiments on vampire blood that could lead to the kaiser using vampires as an unstoppable weapon of war. The spying and intrigue wrap neatly around the beautifully unfolding mystery. Hambly's political, passionate vampires are deliciously inhuman while still suffering from human flaws and aspirations, producing plenty of emotional drama. (Jan.)