Her Cincinnati is very different from the one we know. About a generation ago, a disease wiped out most of the human population. It came to them through tomatoes.

Paranormals were all immune. So now the roles are switched - humans are very much in the minority, and paranormals control most everything.

And it's very much a "separate but equal" pretense, wherein each group has their own law enforcement, and they even live in separate areas of the same city.

Also, only paranormals will eat anything with tomatoes or tomato sauce, so all the pizza joints are pretty much run by the vampires these days.

This is the fifth book in the series, and elements from previous novels do carry over, but generally each book can stand alone. However, I'll warn you, once you're hooked on the series, you'll want to read them all.

Rachel is a compelling character. She broke with the branch of law enforcement that controls the paranormals to go independent. She had a human lover who, at one point, used her to bargain with a demon, which ended up causing her to become a demon's familiar for a while.

Now she's involved with a living vampire, Kisten, and has become a pack member to a lone wolf alpha werewolf so that he won't be forced to join another pack.

She's discovered secrets about two of the most incredibly powerful men in her community, Piscary the ruling vampire, and Trent, a wealthy and supposedly human businessman.

In the book previous to this, Rachel had to rescue a were-artifact that the vampires wanted (since it would allow them to wipe out the weres) and which the weres wanted (because it allows them to make weres), which had been stolen by her human ex-boyfriend. Oh, and she had to save his life while doing it.

Now the artifact is in hiding with the alpha were David (for whom Rachel makes up his "pack"), but it's not finished causing trouble. Suddenly human women are turning up as partially turned weres and very, very dead - and the artifact may be the cause.

Worse still, Trent's getting married to a wealthy and manipulative woman, and he's insisting that Rachel be in the wedding party because someone wants him dead. So Rachel finds herself a bridesmaid that the bride doesn't want, in a wedding she wants no part of.

And, as if things couldn't get more complicated, the former church she lives in has been de-sanctified because a mad (as in totally loony) and very powerful demon showed up in it by possessing Rachel. Rachel manages to survive the possession, but it once again finds her involved with demons far more intimately than any sane person wants.

If it seems there's a lot going on in the story, there is. It's lively, quick, and entertaining.

Personally, I'm a huge fan of Jenks, the gorgeous pixy with 28 children, a loving wife, and a habit of swearing. Well, pixy swearing - things like "Tink's dildo!" I adore him.

The mysteries are always complex, and the solutions are not always good. Bad things do happen in these books, but Rachel and her friends are survivors, and they are making their way in a world that is full of danger and magic and very bad sorts on every side.

The humor is bountiful, and the relationships touching and real.

This is a wonderful series, and anyone who enjoys paranormal mysteries should enjoy these. They are a true treat.

Reviews of other titles in this series