Review: Beyond the Grave

Beyond the Grave (Jess Vandermire, #2)page turner, dark and erotically appealing villain @LinaGardiner #bookreview
Beyond the Grave by Lina Gardiner

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This second book in the series picks up right after the first one. This book cannot be read as a standalone. This series must be read in order to appreciate the nuances and the chronological events. Jess is feeling the dark side calling to her. Star War jokes aside, Jess is fighting what seems to be a losing battle. She is missing time and memories. Whilst this is going on, women resembling her are being killed. Evidence is slowing pointing towards Jess as the perpetrator. John is not going to let that happen. He is determined to find out the truth.

The action packed pace in this book is just my speed. I enjoy rushing around as dead bodies pile up and John tries to figure out what is going on. The romance angle is nicely done in a supporting manner which keeps this story cohesive. Sometimes the romance overwhelms a book. Ms. Gardiner uses the relationship tension wisely to move the plot further along. For those looking for hot sex, this is not that kind of book. Whilst there is a bit of sex, it is not the focus and honestly, I skimmed over those parts. The sex scenes take a back seat in this book and are almost unneeded. I would not mind more fade to black because I am more interested in the suspense. I also want to learn more about this vampire world as Jess is learning she does not know all there is to know about vampires.

It seems the past comes back to haunt both John and Jess. This book ties off several open threads from the previous book and at the same time, brings more questions up. I like this because it keeps me plugged in and wanting to read more. This is a page turner for me and I finished this one right after I read the first book. I did end up wanting to read the third book right after this one. For those who understand book hangovers, this series gave me a severe case of it.

Getting back to the plot, I really liked this exclusive club run by Drago. The insidious intent behind it is erotically thrilling. It is dark, depraved and something I cannot condone yet plays into my naughty fantasies. If I were less ethical, I would sign up to work for this club and find the women Drago peddles. Is it wrong to target intelligent women and consider them to be hot commodities? I like how Ms. Gardiner's mind works. This is a well written follow up book. Recommended to urban fantasy readers who enjoy dark themes.

*provided by NetGalley



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