Ghost Soldiers by Keith Melton
There is a war going on in Boston; in fact, there are several wars weaving in and out of each other. Unlike most war, there are only a very few who can be called hero or villain. The good guys are masked in only a thin veneer of good and the bad guys fight from desperation or cover themselves in a cloak of righteousness. And intertwined in the shadowy hidden wars are Maria Ricardi and Karl Vance – two vampires and lovers who are just trying to survive.
In truth, Maria was the mastermind behind one of the wars. Her father was the head of the Boston mob and upon his death Maria was determined to succeed him. A woman heading an Italian crime family was unheard of, but she was willing to go to almost any lengths to take control. Her war was going well. The FBI was on her trail, her capos resisted, the Costa Nostra Commission wanted her out, and business was bad. And there was that little handicap of being a vampire and trying to keep that bit of news a secret.
Karl, a vampire assassin, had been sent on a mission to Eastern Europe by the Order of Thorn. He accepted the mission in exchange for the Order’s promise not to kill Maria. The Order of Thorn was sworn to protect humanity from the supernatural, but were not above using evil to fight evil. Karl and his “handler,” Bailey, had been sent to Eastern Europe to assassinate a sorcerer with plans to control humanity and the world. But the mission went badly and Karl and Bailey barely escaped – and Bailey did not escape alive but instead became one of the undead.
But there truly was no escape when all the wars came together in a moment of time. Maria and Karl must stand together with allies who were enemies and will be again, and fight against enemies who may be their only salvation
Ghost Soldiers is the second in The Nightfall Syndicate series and is outstanding. Maria and Karl commit monstrous acts, while struggling to not become monsters. Karl is an assassin who prays for the souls of his victims, even though believing that God will not hear his prayers. Maria embraces the violence she was born and bred into, although terrified that she will succumb to its allure and be lost forever.
Keith Melton has written a masterful book (and series) that shatters all the stereotypes of good and evil, right and wrong. All of the characters are complex and intricately-drawn, and the reader is sucked into all the shades of black and gray that envelops their lives. Mr. Melton is a storyteller of the highest order and his writing is sharp, vivid and engrossing. The “warning” of the book reads: “Explicit language and intense, violent content. Assassinations, betrayals, paranormal warfare, explosions, gangland slayings, chaos, calamity, rampant pandemonium and an occasional fiery explosion.” I would humbly add to that – sucks you in and will not let go. This book is a must-read!
Book Stats:
- Paperback: 312 pages
- Publisher: Samhain Publishing (June 5, 2012)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1609286073
- ISBN-13: 978-1609286071
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Books in The Nightfall Syndicate series in the order they should be read:
Blood Vice
Ghost Soldiers
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