Title: Blood in the Sand
Series: Sanguis Noctis 02
Author: Robin Saxon & Alex Kidwell
Genre: Paranormal, Shifter, Vampire
Length: Super Novel (348pgs)
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (1st June 2012)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: When David, an old contact and sometimes friend, hires Jed Walker to look into a series of seemingly unrelated disappearances in Cairo, Jed jumps at the chance to show his partner, Redford Reed, more of the world he’s been missing. David’s boyfriend, supernatural expert and resident stuffy professor Victor Rathbone, joins them in their journey to Egypt, which holds many more dangers and mysteries than Jed ever expected. Hidden natures resurface, relationships collide, and instincts are stretched to their breaking point. What seems to be a simple case turns out to be anything but.
David may have called for help, but he has his own suspicions about who’s behind the kidnappings—suspicions that, along with clashing personalities, make getting to the bottom of the mystery difficult. While Jed and Redford grow more intimate and trusting with each new obstacle in their path, David and Victor struggle not to lose their trust in each other in the face of their differences. As the four close in on the kidnappers, David is forced to face the one thing more dangerous than the mastermind behind the disappearances: himself.
Purchase Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2961
Warning: Scenes of blood during sex (David), extreme violence (Jed), extreme possessiveness (Redford) and extreme tea drinking (Victor).
Review: Jed and Red are hired by David to dig into the disappearances of people in Cairo. Jed jumps at the chance and now, along with Red, David and Victor, it’s time to find out the truth of what is happening in Cairo. Red is fascinated by Cairo, but Jed’s behavior is putting a downer on his enjoyment. Will Jed finally notice that his behavior is upsetting his little wolf? David is keeping secrets which could have an adverse effect, especially when Jed finds out what they are really up against. Victor’s secrets come out and his relationship is rocky, as David finds it hard to resist the allure of his past.
Wow. This is a really well-written novel that has a lot of twists and turns and at the end you sit there thinking ‘after all that, there’s no real answers? But damn it was good.’ This story is written from Jed, Redford, David and Victor’s POVs so there is switching back and forth between them. As we get to see everything, from each person, we begin to really see into each personality. David is laid back, cool and sophisticated, but it is all a façade that begins to crumble when he sets foot in Cairo. Victor is quiet, bookish and intelligent, but it hides a kinky heart. Redford is shy, innocent and sweet, but he is now also conflicted with a wolf that is possessive and dominates. Jed is brash, sexually out-going and a hard case to crack, but he also likes to be submissive in bed and is completely devoted to Red and he really loves to blow things up.
This story is quite complex in its weaving as nothing is quite what it seems and the ending is not what you’d want. It’s quite bittersweet as we follow the relationship of Victor and David, and their feelings for each other. Red and Jed’s relationship is a great one, but Jed really should curb his flirting, unless he wants an angry wolf on his hands. The actual storyline seems quite simple, David has noticed a pattern of kidnappings in Cairo and wants Jed to investigate and stop the culprits… the only problem is David hasn’t been forthcoming with the full details, and the truth shocks the shit out of Jed, before his attitude embraces it that is.
In this book we see both Jed and Red’s relationship, as well as David and Victor’s… which means twice the sex *squee*. We find out the truth about David and about Victor as their secrets get spilled. We see Red struggling with the after effects of Filtiarn’s (from Blood Howl) experiment and we see Jed’s absolute trust and belief in Red. And we see David’s weakness in the face of an old lover, as the doubts about himself seep in.
So we have secrets, doubts, violence, explosions, blood and guts galore, rescues, hunting, surprises, hot, hot sex, lots of showers to wash off all the blood, more explosions and an ending that has you wondering what will happen next. So really I can’t think of anything more enjoyable than grabbing some drinks, some nibbles and this book, and having a good read that would rival any Hollywood blockbuster for explosions.