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The Blackburn & Scarletti Mysteries Volume II | 
 enlarge | Author: Karen Koehler
Publisher: KHP Publishers
Category: Book
List Price: $14.99
Buy New: $10.58
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Avg. Customer Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 1818677
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 284
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8
ISBN: 0979988101
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780979988103
ASIN: 0979988101
Publication Date: October 1, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New. Delivery is usually 5 - 8 working days from order, International is by Royal Mail Airmail
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Product Description
THE DANGEROUS DUO RETURN IN TWO NEW BLOODTHIRSTY MYSTERY TALES... LEGION On an old Southern plantation in the Deep South, beneath the shade of sleepy willows and perpetual shadow, an ancient and malevolent force has been unearthed. Left unchecked, it will devour the hearts and souls of all those it encounters. January Blackburn and Dorian Scarletti are quickly drawn into a mystery of ancient rites and black magic rituals, demonic high priests and a snake cult as old as time itself. But will they have time to unravel the secrets of the mysterious Legion before it claims them as its newest victims? THE PHANTOM OF THE SOAP OPERA A mysterious woman from Scarletti's past summons him across the sea to her side, a woman who perhaps holds the key to unlocking his frozen heart-and destroying his relationship with Blackburn forever.So of course Blackburn has tagged along to aid her partner in unraveling a web of lies, deceit and dark magic. But there are forces afoot and powers unseen which are moving to break the dangerous duo's blood bond forever, and phantoms so dark they may leave Scarletti change, and Blackburn helpless to save her partner.
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| Customer Reviews:
 X Files meets Urban Fantasy April 10, 2008
"Ten years ago she looked like a dead gothic beauty queen, at least; now she just looked dead--like a ghoul. Thanks very much, Jackal, may you rot in hell."
The Blackburn and Scarletti Mysteries will be familiar to urban fantasy fans. There are certainly some aspects that can be found elsewhere; vampires, mysteries to be solved, a sexy but forbidden male, and a strong female lead character who has to save the day.
Fans of the early Anita Blake books among others might recognize some of these elements. But Koehler's books aren't heavy on the erotic, or the political manipulation. Her lead, January Blackburn, is strong, but not a stubborn, uncompromising tough-gal. Koehler's vampires aren't wet dreams come to life, always out to manipulate poor humans out of either their blood or other bodily fluids. The undead here are inhuman creatures, alien and bizarre who are occasionally sexy.
There's a definite tinge of the X-Files chemistry of Scully and Mulder to the tales, as well as an aloof involvement of the Catholic church reminiscent of John Carpenter's Vampires or the more recent film version of Constantine. The Judeo-Christian mythology isn't overwhelming, and not defining, but the concept of a family of vampires and their ghouls protected by and working for the Catholic hierarchy is an intriguing aspect of the tale.
There are two novellas in volume two.
The first, "Legion", is part Christian mythology, part voodoo. Blackburn and Scarletti are called in by their employers, the FBI and the Catholic church respectively, to investigate the brutal killing of Fairy Boudreau. If the cruelty of her death wasn't enough there's also the matter of what she was last seen doing, floating and babbling into the night. Her hysteria seems to have been contagious, passing from Fairy to those who came in contact with her just before and just after her death. But the thing that's actually being shared from human to human is far worse than either investigator suspects.
The second story in this volume, "The Phantom of the Soap Opera", focuses more on Scarletti. A year after the first novella this one gets into the very heart of the mix blooded priest as he and Blackburn sign on to help a "Dark Shadows" like soap that seems to be dealing with a badly haunted set. Witchery of the truest kind is afoot and by stepping onto the set to help Blackburn and Scarletti not only have to deal with a killer witch on the loose, but the bitter backbiting of Hollywood as well.
Koehler's style exposes her characters both absolutely and with a tenderness that coaxes the reader to like these people, without piling on overbearing super drama. There's a truer feel to this book than one might find in other urban fantasies, which in a way makes it strange because the paranormal aspect is less "normal" and more traditional. This leads to an interesting blend of prose that, at times, is nearly impossible to put down.
 Karen Koehler always provides great horror tales as these two mystery novellas affirm December 8, 2007
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
"Legion". January Blackburn is a ghoul made that way by the vampire the Jackal whose acolyte is Father Dorien Scarletti a dhampire. Her FBI boss asks Blackburn to go to New Orleans to investigate what looks like otherworldly activities. Fairy Boudreau was last seen by the priest of St. Catherine's Cathedral floating in the air. The priest spoke in a strange language to the police officer called to the scene, but the cop vanished. Blackburn and Scarletti find him and he collapses into the arms of the dhampire. Something evil enters Scarletti and no one knows how to exorcise it, which means certain death for the host.
"The Phantom of the Soap Opera". Scarletti has spent months in the Vatican Gardens when he receives a call from soap opera star Canary in the States. Someone or something otherworldly is causing accidents on the set and if it continues the show will close. Scarletti calls his partner Blackburn; they meet up in Los Angeles where lethal scorpions not native to the area appear on both of them. A pack of Dobermans run amok on the set injuring people and causing much damage. When Scarletti contacts his superiors in Rome, he learns from them that a witch might be on the set. Now they need to find out who and why and especially how a ghoul and dhampire fit in the picture.
Karen Koehler always provides great horror tales as these two mystery novellas affirm. Her protagonists are flawed especially mentally as each has a ton of emotional issues, but they are tough fighters and make an excellent team always there for one another. Both tales are thrilling frightening chillers filled with action and a strong support cast, who make the paranormal, seem normal. Ms. Koehler has a fantastic knack for creating sympathetic monsters and vile villains.
Harriet Klausner
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