Dead Sexy
Ashley falls short in her attempt to transcend old-fashioned vampire  romance in her jumbled new near-future romp. On the trail of a murderer whose  victims include mortals and the undead, ex-vampire huntress Regan Delaney is  forced to team up, against her better judgment, with the vampires' Master of  the City, Joaquin Santiago. As the case develops and the leads grow closer,  Joaquin's werewolf nemesis takes advantage by kidnapping Regan to make her his  werewolf mate. After Joaquin's daring rescue, the author introduces a dose of  Indian mysticism when the two venture into the wilderness to locate a shaman  who can cure Regan—only to see Regan kidnapped again, this time by a tribe  still living as if in the 19th century. Despite some genuinely warm and clever  moments between the partners, the book lacks heat and would have benefited  greatly from a more modern sensibility. As it is, the odd juxtaposition of  Ashley's old-school romantic voice and damsel-in-distress plotting with  paranormal and futuristic elements makes for a frustrating misfit.(Feb.)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.