The Watcher Anna Strong lives a double life, dividing her time between being a cop among humans and a member of the Watchers, a society that handles vampire problems. She only recently discovered the existence of such beings as vampires, witches, and lycanthropes, when she was turned into a vampire herself. Fortunately, like her, the chief of police is a vampire, which makes her day job a tad less complicated, albeit not much. Though Anna is no longer human, one thing has not changed about her, unless it is to become more intense. She is loyal to her friends, and when one needs her to rescue him, she will do whatever it takes... Action fills every page, making this a novel that flies by. We finally learn a little more about the mysterious voice that Anna dubbed Caspar, but it only adds to the questions. Dynamic relationships blend complex mysteries in this thriller that well deserves the label; it will thrill fans... The Watcher The Anna Strong Chronicles: The Watcher by Jeanne C. Stein After a brutal attack in The Becoming, bounty hunter Anna Strong has been having her fair share of difficulties while attempting to adjust to life as a vampire, not the least being the need to find a human companion for reliable source of sustenance. It is becoming increasingly difficult to hold on to what remains of her humanity while keeping a working relationship with partner David who is seriously considering his girlfriend’s advice to scrap their business partnership. Anna finds her life as a Watcher, an enforcer charged with dispatching rouge vampires growing harder to live with as it cuts into her work as a bounty hunter. Her resolve to break up with DEA agent Max, her human lover from the pre-vampire days disintegrates as Anna becomes enmeshed in the plot against his life spearheaded by FBI agent Foley working as a mole for Martinez the drug lord Max tried to bring to justice. It will take every bit of Anna’s abilities to overcome the sort of evil only a couple deranged humans can muster to save Max, David and maybe herself, but at a cost. Anna is the kind of vampire that will leave readers cheering, she’s smart enough to embrace the change without wallowing in self-pity or looking for ways to become human again. The difficulties that come with trying to maintain working relationships with friends and coworkers without revealing what she has become are believable yet don’t take center stage away from the snappy action and plot twists that will hold readers interest to the last page. The Anna Strong Chronicles: The Watcher by Jeanne C. Stein As the series continues, Stein builds upon the characters already established, adding texture and emotional connections. Anna Strong is strong in her belief in justice and fairness and her willingness to put her life at risk for a friend. The supernatural underworld doesn't see things that way and wants Anna out of the way when it looks like one of her friends maybe at the heart of a problem they need to have cleaned up. But Anna never did, even as a human, follow society's rules and doesn't think this is a good time to start. There's a lot of plot threads that seem to be totally separate, but as the story winds around the clues and people, the threads begin to knot together. Stein lays out the interactions and allows us to experience Anna's dilemma as she once again tries to find a way to live with her changed nature, but hold onto her humanity. The theme here is friendship and loyalty, and it's not simply a human concept even though it seems rare in the supernatural community. There are some hard lessons learned and some surprises that will cut deep for fans of the series. With each book the story moves forward and the characters and their interactions gain depth and solidity. Highly recommended. Romantic Times Magazine-- December The Watcher When a bounty pick-up went wrong, Anna Strong became a vampire. That’s something she’d prefer that her partner, David Ryan, will never realize. Bounty hunting is a part of Anna’s human life that she hasn’t been willing to give up. She’s been encouraged by Warren Williams, San Diego’s chief of police, to take on a new job as a Watcher. Williams is an old vampire, and Anna is doing her best to keep the peace with him, but it doesn’t take long for her to discover that policing the vampires and being ordered to destroy them for intolerable crimes isn’t really a job she’s comfortable with. Someone is sending Anna threatening messages and referring to her boyfriend. Thinking it has to do with Max’s DEA undercover work, and the man Martinez whose operation he infiltrated, Anna is sure that it’s connected to the FBI agent, Foley, who has suddenly appeared asking questions. Foley is claiming that Max has gone rogue, but Anna is sure there’s more going on. When she heads over the border to Beso de la Muerte to see Culebra, a shape-shifter that provides her with willing blood donors, her fears are soon confirmed. A powerful witch has plans to unleash a demon, Max’s life is being threatened by a madman, and Culebra is missing. Time is running out, and Anna may be their only hope. The Watcher is the third installment in the Anna Strong, Vampire series. Anna’s new life as a vampire grows more complicated by the day, but this sassy heroine has no intention of slowing down or giving up, especially when it comes to the safety of the people she cares about. Ms. Stein dazzles readers with action-packed paranormal adventure, love and friendship. With many wonderfully executed twists and turns, this author’s suspenseful writing will hold readers spellbound until the very end. Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews
Saturday, October 13, 2007 She sees her lover Max there but he looks frazzled because of the bounty on his head by a Mexican drug lord. When she returns to San Diego, a FBI agent tells her that Max, a DEA agent, has gone rogue. She believes the agent is lying; and assumes the agent has a personal and evil vendetta. She intends to find Max but when she returns to Beso dela Muerte she discovers the witch Ms. Burke and her coven are going to summon a demon in the one minute window of opportunity on Halloween. She has to stop her not only because the demon will kill all the good supernaturals and because she intends to sacrifice Culebra. While she is battling the forces of darkness the drug lord kidnaps Max and intends to abduct Anna in order to torture her in front of him. Everyone has plans for Anna but she has her own ideas of what she wants to do with her life and she is strong enough and independent enough to choose her own destiny. No human, including Max, knows Anna is a vampire and she fears if Max finds out he will leave her. This action paranormal thriller is full of unexpected twists, red herrings and the occasional wild goose chase. Jeanne C. Stein writes an enthralling vampiric mystery that has a lot of suspense, a touch of magic and a bit of romance so that readers of multiple genres are satisfied. |
|
|
|