Cirrus@Austlit

'Private Investigator Nikki James grew up on the tough streets of Lyndhurst and believes there's nothing left to surprise her. All that changes the night she follows teenager Monica Trevgard into the shadows - and becomes a pawn caught in a war between two very different men. One fills her mind with his madness, the other pushes his way into her life - and her heart. Nikki knows how dangerous love can be, but if she wants to survive, she must place her trust in a man who could easily destroy her.

'Michael Kelly has come to Lyndhurst determined to end the war between himself and another brother of the night. For 300 years he has existed in life's shadows, gradually learning to control the life from death cravings of a vampire. Nikki not only breaches his formidable barriers with her psychic abilities, but makes Michael believe he may finally have found a woman strong enough to walk by his side and ease the loneliness in his heart. But will his love be enough to protect her from a madman hell-bent on revenge? Or will it drive her into his enemy's deadly trap?

'Only together can they overcome the evil threatening to destroy them both. But the secrets they keep from each other might prove to be the greatest threat of all.' (Author's blurb)

'Life has never been so insane for Nikki James. There's another teenager missing. She has another vampire to contend with. Her partner and best friend Jake is in the hospital dying. And a madman is kidnapping the wealthy.

'Just when it seems nothing else could possibly go wrong, Michael returns - but not for her. This time, however, Nikki has no intention of running from either the case or from what still lies between her and Michael. And she isn't going to let him run, either.

'The last thing Michael Kelly needs is a confrontation with Nikki - especially when his control over his bloodlust is still so tenuous. But when a kidnapper steps up his agenda to murder, he's forced into a partnership with Nikki to keep her safe. Soon Michael discovers the biggest danger he faces may not be from his need to 'taste' her, but from his desire to make her a permanent part of his life - a life that is sure to get her killed.

'Nikki is determined to make Michael see that life apart is worse than death. But before she can make him see the light, a specter from Michael's past rises that could destroy any hope she has of a future with him. Because this time the threat isn't physical. It's a matter of the heart.' (Author's blurb)

'Nikki James is in San Francisco at the request of her partner and best friend, Jake. The wife of an old friend is missing, and Jake intends to find her - whatever the cost. While the authorities believe the kidnapping's to be the work of a sick mind, Nikki knows it is something much worse. Vampires. Six of them. And they who she is, and why she's there.

'Michael Kelly has just returned from a vampire hunting expedition in his homeland, wants to spend some much-needed relaxation time with Nikki. But when he discovers she's gone to San Francisco to pursue the vampire gang currently terrorising the city, he has no choice but to follow. Not only to keep her safe from the gang, but because he fears the psychic talents she's beginning to develop. Abilities she should not have and cannot control.

'The chase takes them through the sewers and tunnels of San Francisco. As the body count begins to rise, so too does the danger. Michael isn't the only one aware of Nikki's new abilities, and she becomes a target. But Nikki has no intention of obeying Michael's demands that she leave. She's tired of playing it safe, and wants him to realise it's all or nothing. She's either a full partner in his life, or she's out.

But nothing prepares her for the price she has to pay for her stubbornness - the life of someone she loves.' (Author's blurb)

'Sometimes the past not only haunts, but destroys...

'One hundred years ago, Michael Kelly hunted down and killed the sorcerer responsible for murdering his lover. Now the brother of that man is out for revenge, and he intends to destroy all that Michael holds dear in the process.

'Nikki James wants nothing more than to pass the Circle's strict entry exams so she can get on with the business of planning her wedding to Michael. But when one of the testers attempts to kill her, she realises buying a wedding dress is the least of her worries.

'Especially when Michael is shot and kidnapped.

'The trail leads her to the ghost town where Michael had once killed a madman. She's not surprised to discover that Weylin Dunleavy, the brother of that long ago murderer, has set in place events that will mirror the past in order to raise his brother's spirit from hell. Nor is she truly surprised to discover that a barrier of magic surrounds the old town, leaving her to battle Weylin with only her wits, strength and the one psychic gift she cannot fully control.

'The one thing that does surprise, the one thing she cannot accept, is the fact that Michael no longer remembers who she is...' (Author's blurb)