The action in BLOODLUST is set in the same Louisiana town as Sandra Brown’s previous book with "blood" in the title, BLOOD MOON. While the main characters from BLOOD MOON appear in this latest effort, it's not a sequel. The similarities, though, are hard to ignore.

In BLOODLUST, it's Detective Mitch Haskell who sits stage center, with therapist Dylan Reede taking an important but secondary role. The protagonists from BLOOD MOON are supporting characters here, and it helps to have read it first, but BLOODLUST is certainly a stand-alone novel as well.

The Prologue is chilling, taking us back in time to a scene where Mitch's wife is killed. She's alone in their home with her infant son when she sees an intruder. We aren’t privy to the details, but we can feel the icy demeanor and pitiless stare of the killer, whom we are destined to meet again. Mitch has vowed to find out who did it. But at the same time, he has a young son, Andrew, to care for.

"The gripping execution, nonstop action, impeccable timing and pitch-perfect dialogue are what we expect from Sandra Brown, all leading to a very satisfying ending."

One of Brown's trademarks is the manner in which she is able to combine violent suspense with sultry, passionate romance. There are no blushing wallflowers here, but rather strong women who know what they want. Still, her characters are flawed in some manner; they all have something in their past that has hurt them and caused the suffering. This novel is no different. Mitch lost his wife in a horrible way, leaving Andrew with no mother. Dylan, whose husband died tragically, is also suffering.

But at the start, Mitch is determined to use Dylan as a tool to get to the person he is sure murdered his wife. She is unaware of his machinations, but the chemistry between them is immediate and explosive. Dylan struggles to hold on to her professionalism, but Mitch makes it almost impossible.

This is not a mystery. We are aware who the bad guys are; we just don't know how Mitch will find the evidence that will lead to the top crime boss, the one who gives the orders. He knows that Roland Malone, ostensibly "just" a restaurateur, is a hired killer who takes commands from the mysterious, elusive Oz.

Those who read BLOOD MOON will appreciate the parallelism in the two stories. Mitch has a gut feeling that he knows who Oz is, but he doesn't have proof, just as Detective John Bowie in the previous book knew who the killer was, even though there was no hard evidence. The gripping execution, nonstop action, impeccable timing and pitch-perfect dialogue are what we expect from Sandra Brown, all leading to a very satisfying ending.