Friday, February 15, 2008

Lost Souls-Lisa Jackson

Lost Souls
Lisa Jackson
Kensington, Apr 2008, $22.00
ISBN: 9780758211835

Kristi Bentz returns to All Saints College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to major in English. Her goal is to write true crime books; having been a victim twice with one incident leaving her in a coma. After she awakened and recovered physically, Kristi had visions in which she saw people like her father turn from color to black and white, which she interprets as meaning that person will soon die.

At the school Kristi learns that four female students have disappeared in the past two years. The police believe they are runaways, but Kristi thinks they are dead. Her former roommate mentions a vampire cult whose members wear a small vial of blood around their necks. The four who vanished were in the same classes in the English Department and also had in common parents who disowned them. Kristi, being a chip off the old block, investigates with the help of her professor and ex-lover Kay McKnight; not realizing that a clever killer has marked her for death.

Lisa Jackson writes another chilling thriller filled with action and fully developed characters, but refreshed by going to the next generation, the daughter of New Orleans Detective Rick Bentz (partner of Detective Reuben Montoya). A romantic subplot between Kristi and Jay grows slowly and more significantly does not intrude on their investigation making it feel real. Whereas the police with one exception assume the coeds are runaways, ironically readers know otherwise. With twists including who had an inkling of what was going on and spins, fans will appreciate LOST SOULS.

Harriet Klausner

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