In the Blood
Rick R. Reed
Published by Quest Books
Reviewed by Sarra Borne
“The one thing in the lives of you mortals you can
never
change, no matter how hard you try to deny it, is your desire for love”
Switching back and forth between present day and fifty years
in the past In the Blood tells
the parallel stories of Elise and
Edward. Both are talented artists, both
are struggling to survive, and both looking for that one thing that
will push
them over the edge into recognition.
By night Elise sells her body on a seedy street corner, a
dangerous occupation in which nightly
she faces the possibility of death. But
never so closely as when she is picked up by Terence, one of a trio of
vampires. He is all set to devour her
when he discovers the brutal images of death and dismemberment that she
paints
in chilling detail. Terrence is
immediately captivated by her talent and allows her to live so that he
can
introduce her to the rest of his menage a trois – Maria and Edward.
Maria, exotic and impossibly beautiful, winds Elise around
her little finger. Elise thinks of
nothing but Maria, and when offered a place at her side for eternity,
she must
choose between immortality and the very real possibility of losing her
artistic
spark. Is her love for Maria strong
enough to surpass dreams of making it as an artist?
Edward has been the one most recently converted to the
vampire lifestyle, and is still human enough to remember what he has
lost, as
well as what he has gained by his transformation. He
attempts to counsel Elise but is she
listening or is she simply too besotted to comprehend?
In the Blood is a
love story, albeit a dark and foreboding one.
Suspenseful and gripping, it will keep the reader turning page
after
page until the surprising climax.
Erotically charged and also containing detailed accounts of
gruesome
murders, this book isn’t for the faint of heart.
Highly recommended to the reader who wants a
different and refreshing take on the vampire story.
Author Rick R. Reed has been called the “Stephen King of gay
horror” by Unzipped magazine. His
previous works include the serial killer/horror novel IM, which has
recently
been optioned for film by Panic Productions.
Author Web Site
Review: IM
Review: Deadly Vision