The Kindred of Darkness by Barbara Hambly

The Kindred of Darkness

The latest in the James Asher series, featuring James and Lydia Asher.  James an Oxford Don and former (?) British spy found himself aiding a vampire in the first novel of this series.  His help was not willingly given, but rather the lesser of two evils.  

The vampires in the series prefer to keep a low profile, and when necessary, eliminate fellow vampires who threaten to expose them.

In order:  

Those Who Hunt the Night
Traveling with the Dead
Blood Maidens
Magistrates of Hell
The Kindred of Darkness

Lydia and James waited a long time for the arrival of their daughter Miranda.  Both parents and servants adore the child, and as everyone knows, the worst thing that can happen to parents is that harm befalls their child/children.  

When Grippen, the head vampire of London, kidnaps Miranda, Lydia is devastated;  she immediately sends for James, who has been attending a conference in Rome.  She also sends for Don Simon Ysidro, who manages to arrive before James.

Holding Miranda hostage, Grippen orders Lydia to find out who is challenging Grippen's power.  When James returns home, he joins Lydia and Don Simon in trying to discover who is killing vampires and to  (somehow) determine where Grippen is holding Miranda.

Read as a NetGalley ARC, I immediately ordered the first in the series (Those Who Hunt the Night) and reviewed it here.  Then the second in the series (Traveling with the Dead), reviewed here.  

I've scheduled this review for February, and by then, I may have ordered and read Blood Maidens.
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update:  Jan.  9;  I did read Blood Maidens, and in addition to not caring for the title, I didn't think the book was nearly as good as the first two in the series.  Will at some point read Magistrates of Hell and be caught up with the series.

Read in Nov., 2013

NetGalley/Severn House

Supernatural/Fantasy.  March 1, 2014.  Print version:  256 pages.