Blood Trail [Mass Market Paperback]

Victoria "Vicki" Nelson became a private investigator after her eye disease (Retintis Pigmentosa) forced her off the Metro Police. Her best friend of over four years is Detective-Sergeant Michael "Mike" Celluci. Though Vicki is no longer with the Metropolitan Toronto Police Department, she and Mike still help each other blow off steam. Doing so often leads them to the bedroom. Their relationship is loose. They each see other people. Recently Vicki met Henry Fitzroy. Mike has no idea that Henry is a vampire or that the creatures even exist. Mike only knows that he does not like the man.

When Henry asks Vicki to help some of his friends with a problem, she knows that the problem may not be what most would call normal. Vicki and Henry travel to a sheep farm just north of London, Ontario. The sheep farm belongs to a family of werewolves. Vicki's job is to find the person, or people, involved in trying to kill them.

Between Vicki investigating during the day time and Henry during the night, good headway is being made. But then Mike shows up unexpectedly. Mike has been doing some background checking on Vicki's new boyfriend and he is convinced that Henry is involved in organized crime. Vicki is furious of course, but before she can get him to leave Mike learns what her clients are. Mike world not have believed it, except that he had seen a demon trying to kill Vicki only a month or so prior.

**** FOUR STARS! This is the second title in the Blood Series. Last story had a demon in it. This time it has werewolves. The love triangle finally finishes forming during this case. Mike and Henry realize that they both want an exclusive relationship with Vicki, and that neither are willing to give her up. As for Vicki, she is learning not to judge her clients by human standards, no matter how human they seem most of the time.

Huff has another winning story in this book. There are many typos (in the Kindle version that I purchased), but not as many as in the first story. Well done! ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

BLOOD TRAIL is the second book in the thoroughly enjoyable Blood (Ties) series. As a fan of the TV show I was thrilled to discover this 5 part series of books and except for the absence of cell phones you won't be able to tell they were written in 1991. Once more I was impressed by author Tanya Huffs writing as she expertly weaves together multiple storylines and POV's creating a fun, action filled paranormal mystery. We even get a little romance this time (although it remains fade-to-black) as ex-cop turned P.I Vicki Nelson again joins forces with 400 year old romance author and vampire Henry Fitzroy. Throw in Vickie's jealous former partner Mike Celluci, a family of sheep farming werewolves and a crazed sniper with religious issues and you've got yourself the makings of a great story.

Vicki is a strong willed and very likable character who lives in the real world with the rest of us however ever since she met Henry and battled a demon in the last book she has also come to accept the world of the paranormal. It doesn't take much for her to accept a family of werewolves as her next case. It seems someone has discovered the Heerken's secret and has been hunting and killing pack members while they attend to their flocks of sheep. Of course they can't go to the police so investigator Vicki Nelson is their only hope. Huff's descriptions of Wer behaviour are well done here to the point that I felt she must have done research on real werewolves as she gives us often hilarious look at their possessiveness issues, politics, pack hierarchy and other social behaviours. All the while the neighbours just assume they're nudists with lots of big dogs to keep strangers away.

Because of Vicki's night blindness she takes Henry with her to the Ontario farm. This works to her advantage as Henry can patrol nights while she finds clues and tries to discover the sniper's identity during the day. Henry and Vicki continue to have an aura of sexual tension which eventually reaches a breaking point after Henry is injured and forced to feed. Vicki is more than willing to accommodate him and this only gets further complicated when Mike suddenly arrives at the farm. It seems after doing some investigation he's now convinced Henry's s involved in organized crime. There's lots of snappy dialogue as the three fight off the sniper, angry werewolves and each other.

For the most part this was a fast paced and entertaining read with the storyline between Henry, Vicki and Mike continuing to develop throughout. Although I felt the story lagged in the middle it was still a great read that I would recommend to any paranormal junkies. Cheers.

"Blood Trail" is the second instalment in Tanya Huff's "Blood" series and it is superb. I loved the first book in this series, "Blood Price", and so was thrilled to discover that the second book was just as good, maybe better. With three central characters who I have really come to care about and a storyline that gripped me from page one and wouldn't let go, "Blood Trail" is an immensely entertaining and satisfying read!

The series revolves around Private Investigator Vicki Nelson, an ex-policewoman forced to resign from the force because of her failing eyesight. Vicki is a wonderful heroine, a tough and determined woman who readers can respect, but at the same time she has plenty of vulnerabilities which make her seem all the more real and allow readers to identify with her. In "Blood Trail", Vicki's friend, Henry Fitzroy, 450-year-old vampire, romance writer, and bastard son of Henry VIII, comes to her with a plea for help. Henry's good friends, a large family called the Heerkens, are being murdered one by one, and they can't go to the police for help because they have an amazing secret, they're werewolves! The two members of the family who have been killed so far were shot at night in their fur-form, which makes it all the more complicated, since Vicki is completely night-blind. But once Vicki meets two of the younger Heerkens, twins named Rose and Peter, she just can't refuse. So Henry and Vicki head out of Toronto into the countryside around London, Ontario - Vicki planning to do the day work and Henry the night.

But as Vicki begins to investigate, it soon becomes clear that the Heerkens haven't been as careful as they thought. Someone knows just what they are and is planning to murder them all. After a close examination of the area, Vicki discovers where the killer did his/her shooting from, but it doesn't bring her any closer to finding out who it is. And from the location the shots were fired, the killer has to be an Olympic calibre marksman, which doesn't bode well for the wer, who refuse to limit their freedom.

And as time goes by, Vicki becomes more and more attached to the Heerkens, and more and more determined to catch the monster who is murdering these good people before anyone else dies. Huff does an excellent job of portraying the wer society, making it highly similar to that of real wolves. All of the wers are beautifully portrayed, and Huff makes them seem incredibly real; from Stuart and Nadine, the alpha pair, all the way down to Daniel, the youngest child and an exuberant little cub.

And amidst the mystery and suspense, Vicki's relationship with Henry (the main reason I like these books so much) is developing and growing into something very important to both of them. It's great watching Vicki and Henry interact, and the character interactions get REALLY interesting as Mike Celluci, Vicki's best friend, former partner, and sometime lover, arrives to find out just what is going on. Mike, still a cop with the Toronto police, is convinced that Henry is involved in organized crime, and plans to prove it to Vicki. Of course, when Mike arrives, he has a serious coping failure when he discovers what Vicki has gotten herself involved in, and things get a little crazy.

"Blood Trail" builds in suspense, and as the conclusion gets closer, it becomes harder and harder to put the book down. I was utterly absorbed in the story and was amazed when I finished and realized I had read the whole book in one day! Huff has created another winning tale that is sure to please readers everywhere. Vicki, Henry, and Mike will compel you to read about them, and the wers are just the icing on the cake. "Blood Trail" is a fabulous read, containing a perfect blend of mystery, fantasy, and romance. So don't miss out on the fun and excitement, buy "Blood Trail" today!