COUNTDOWN TO CRISIS
A serial killer strikes every twelve hours. A vampire takes lives at random. At first glance, these tragic incidents seem unrelated. But Special Investigations Unit agents Sam Ryan and Gabriel Stern trace them both back to a military base known as Hopeworth. Is the murder spree part of a cover-up? And are the vampire killings less by chance and more methodical?
The investigation takes an eerie, personal turn when Sam discovers a connection between herself and the victims—and a clue to her own mysterious origins. With the violence escalating and the danger drawing closer to home, the stakes are raised and the mission changes from seeking justice to ensuring Sam and Gabriel’s own survival. And the one person who seems to hold all the answers—about Hopeworth, about Sam’s past—is a mystery man she isn’t sure she can trust. They share a psychic link through her dreams, and he once saved her life, but he may just be the greatest enemy humankind has ever known.
Generation 18 is the second in this trilogy by one of my favorite paranormal romance writers, Keri Arthur. Ms. Arthur’s books are usually(in my experience) full of romance with an exciting adventure/thriller as a backdrop. This book is pretty much that, but I was disappointed that although we know there is a romance brewing, it stays in the background-again.
Sam Ryan is now working for the Special Investigations Unit that deals with the bad supernatural element in the world. Her supervisor(and love interest), Gabriel Stern is busy keeping her from doing any real work, because he really doesn’t want a partner, due to losing his last few partners to death. Sam is not happy, as she is not the type to sit in an office doing busy work. She’s used to being a kick ass investigator in her previous job as a police detective. To top is all off, he is keeping his distance from her. This time around, there’s a serial killer at work in the city, vampires are ripping off blood banks, and someone is having new, sheet like, supernatural creatures, known as kites, do their horrific killing for them. To make things even more interesting, Sam’s powers are getting stronger, and some of the evidence found during the investigations, is pointing at Sam being part of a secret government agency that has been engineering births of children, and giving them supernatural abilities. Since she still has holes in her memory, Sam really wants to figure this all out. Is she human with special abilities, or is she something else entirely?
I liked Sam as a character. She is strong, smart, and as I mentioned before, pretty kick ass. Gabriel bothered me a bit this time around. I got tired of him denying himself the chance to love again. He had lost one of his previous loves(and partner)and just doesn’t want to go through it again.Sam does a lot of wondering why Gabriel isn’t wanting to get closer. Gabriel does a lot of telling himself he can’t get involved with Sam. Eventually I just wanted them to get together already!
This book is full of suspense, violence, and near deaths at every turn, and it was a pretty exciting read for the most part. I haven’t read the third book yet, but I do have it to read. I am really hoping for more of a romance in that book. I just think it would have balanced this book out a bit more, Instead, I kept waiting for something to happen, and in the end I was pretty frustrated. I know it’s supposed to be urban fantasy. I know this. But still. You know that’s where it’s heading, I just wanted it to get there.
Don’t let my wanting a romance(romantic at heart here), keep you from this read. It really was well written as always with this author, with well realized characters, and a good, solid, and intricate plot. I would recommend it to urban fantasy readers, 16 plus.
CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR COPY OF GENERATION 18 TODAY!
