Blood Bar by Norm Applegate

3 stars
R- 4.5

Probably the most risque book I've ever finished. And I'll be honest, if it weren't a Virtual Book Tour book, I probably wouldn't have finished it for exactly that reason.

Strip away the sexual content (I've never seen the word "erotic" used so many times) and it's a good vampire thriller/mystery. (And I'm sorry, blood is not sexy. I've swallowed blood, it's nasty.)

Strip away the vampire elements and it could be a really good secret society mystery/thriller. THAT'S more my style.

Either way, Twilight it ain't.

I was slightly confused by it, but that's probably because it's the third book in a series. Lots of missing backstory.

Anyway, Kim Bennett, a San Francisco madame who specializes in S&M, is called to New York to help a friend investigate a murder. What follows is a nightmarish whirl of activity and it's almost impossible to tell who can be trusted. In the end, she realizes she must find the Black Testament (the Vampire code of sorts, written by Jack the Ripper) in order to save herself.

The idea of Jack the Ripper as a vampire I found really intriguing. Not a theory I'd heard before. ;)

So yeah, intriguing, but way too much sex for my taste.

If it sounds like your cup of tea, start with Into the Basement and then Into the Spell. I'm sure it will make far more sense if you read them in order!

To find out more, check out Virtual Book Tours and Norm Applegate's website.