Bitten to Death

Bitten to Death by Jennifer Rardin

Jaz Parks #4

Jaz Parks here. My latest mission has taken me to the ancient Greek city of Patras; but instead of soaking up its splendor, I'm here to infiltrate a Vampere Trust. Only two vamps have ever escaped the tightly bound communities and lived to tell the tale: Edward "The Raptor" Samos, the most reviled criminal mastermind in recent memory, and Vayl, the CIA's number one assassin who also happens to be my boss.

The Raptor is trying to take over Vayl's former Trust. Unfortunately the Trust's new leader has her own plans.

This job is going to be the death of me.



Jaz, Vayl and Dave are teamed up in this installment to enter into an agreement with a Vampere Trust in orfer to get a shot at their number one target, The Raptor. This particular Trust holds particular danger for Vayl as it was the very one he escaped from a very long time ago. Not only is animosity towards him high, but one member in particular has her sights set on Vayl. Jaz and Vayl have face a lot in the past, but the tangled web being weaved may just be enough to ensnare them for good.

This book gives us a further look into Vayl's past. While much of it still remains a mystery, and probably always will, I did enjoy learning more about him. He has made allusions to the fact that Jaz wouldn't have liked the man he used to be and he seems ashamed of his past. However, even though he may have done bad things in the past, that was then. That he had the strength to leave the situation he was in as well as able to survive to make a better man of himself is nothing short of admirable.

Poor Vayl and Jaz, they never seem to be able to catch a break when it comes to their budding relationship. Vayl thinks he is sure about Jaz, yet anytime something comes up with his sons, his thoughts about her seem to go out the window. Jaz on the other hand knows that she loves and needs Vayl, but just cannot bring herself to accept this fact. The fear of losing him is too high. So, when you add in those problems to the psychotic vampire who is trying to steal Vayl away and claim him for her own, you can't expect much progression to happen. It is a shame that everything seems to be against them, and I think I will do a happy dance when they finally get together. As frustrating as the slow progression has been, I prefer it this way as long as that means that they will have a strong foundation and not crumble at the first obstacle, so that in the end everything will have been worth the wait.

I enjoyed this book, but I did have one complaint. The situation with Cole is really starting to grate on my nerves. It is obvious that she will never choose him, and I think he knows that. In fact I bet the only reason he seems to be going after her so hard is the fact that he can't actually have Jaz. He just doesn't seem to be the type to settle down, which is what being with Jaz would lead to. Jaz has herself so worried about crushing him by telling him no, but I just don't think it will really effect him that much in the long run. He may think he loves her, but deep down I think she is just a "safe" outlet for him. So despite that one  issue, I loved the book and cannot wait to read more. I'll have to say the thing I love most about this series is that while there is an overall story arc that leaves unfinished business from book to book, each individual book has its own issue that gets resolved. So, no nasty cliffhangers to drive you nuts, making this series a must read in the urban fantasy genre.

Rating:

Buy now at Amazon:
Bitten to Death (Jaz Parks, Book 4)

Challenge Categories:
Outdo Yourself
Horror and Urban Fantasy
Vampire