Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Blood Law (Alexandra Sabian #1)

by Jeannie Holmes (Goodreads Author)

3.4 of 5 stars 3.40 · rating details · 865 ratings · 130 reviews

To stop a vampire killer, she’ll have to slay her own demons first.

A provocative and savvy vampire, Alexandra Sabian moves to the sleepy hamlet of Jefferson, Mississippi—population 6,000, half vampires—to escape the demons lurking in her past. As an enforcer for the Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigations (FBPI), Alex must maintain the uneasy peace between her kind...more

Paperback, 400 pages

Published July 6th 2010 by Dell (first published June 23rd 2010)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Dark Urban Fantasy Series & Stand Alone Novels

167th out of 281 books — 231 voters

Best Kick Ass Chick Series

29th out of 59 books — 20 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 2,533)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Nov 03, 2010 Missy Ann rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

DNF I *may* come back to it later. I just couldn't read it. I've had it since July and have only made it about 1/3 of the way in.

Too many characters. Or maybe not, but everyone I've been introduced to? Not interested in them at all.

More than one character is reading as a caricature.

Too much telling, not enough showing.

Purple prose. And some all around heavy handed writing.

Also, the lead female character's MOTHER is coming to town. Seriously? Maybe this is not unforgivable on the author's part...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 13, 2011 Janice (the_red1) rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, epic-fail

Alexandra Sabian is an Enforcer - a vampire federal agent - in a small southern town, and when vamps start turning up dead, it's her job to solve the case. This would be easier if humans were more accepting of the vamp population, but prejudices and tensions abound. The arrival of her ex-fiance and fellow Enforcer, Varik, with whom she shares a painful past, doesn't make things any easier. Alexandra and Varik have to put aside their differences to find a killer before more lives are lost.

There'...more Alexandra Sabian is an Enforcer - a vampire federal agent - in a small southern town, and when vamps start turning up dead, it's her job to solve the case. This would be easier if humans were more accepting of the vamp population, but prejudices and tensions abound. The arrival of her ex-fiance and fellow Enforcer, Varik, with whom she shares a painful past, doesn't make things any easier. Alexandra and Varik have to put aside their differences to find a killer before more lives are lost.

There's more to the story, of course, but that's the main premise. People are dying, and it's up to our hero/heroine to save the day.

My biggest beef with this book is Alexandra herself. I simply didn't like her. Too much stomping, yelling, and tantrum-throwing for my tastes. Her idea of interrogating someone was to charge into a room and growl/shout, "Tell me what I want to know, damn it...or else!". She didn't work well with others, didn't listen to warnings or advice, and consistently threw herself into danger without any thought for the consequences. I'm all for acts of selfless heroism, but she wasn't being selfless - she was selfish, inconsiderate, and at times, just plain stupid.

Other elements of the story were bothersome as well. The human/vamp conflict was overdone. I understand this is a small town, but really, do we have to portray EVERY human as small-minded and prejudiced? Even the human officer who started out on Alexandra's side - even she turned on her. Also, I had trouble with the flashback & dream sequences. Just didn't like the way those were handled - like random paragraphs, shoved into the text. And then there was Alexandra's abilities/talents - everything from visions, ghost sightings, psychically reliving a victim's death, even the blood-bond she unwillingly shared with Varik...it just wasn't explained well. Yes, I get that she's packing a cool bag of tricks, but WHY???? Alexandra doesn't seem to have a clue why these things are happening to her, and after reading the book, frankly I don't either. It just DOES, and I guess that's all I'm supposed to know.

Long story short, I wouldn't recommend this one. (less)

like · see review

Apr 14, 2012 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Blood Law

I love this book's realistic approach. What if there was more than one evolution here on earth. What if another humanoid race of folks more powerful than us run-of-the-mill humans existed and thrived right under our noses? This book adds a fresh new take on the vampire evolution. Gone are the days of the one-dimensional vampire with uncontrollable-blood-lust; but instead vampires are fallible, birth, age and die just like regular old Joes.

That being said, yes it's nice to have a more "h...more

like · see review

Nov 13, 2011 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: part-of-a-series, has-erotic-scene-s, paranormal, kick-butt-chicks, paranormal-romance, urban-fantasy

3.5/5 An interesting start to a new paranormal/urban fantasy series. The psychometric ability of the lead character, Alexandra Sabien, and her development into a "Talent" is an interesting plus. There are lots of questions left to be answered around this part of her make up that can obviously lead into new books. Her relationship w/ her former trainer & ex-fiancé is a good aspect as they have a difficult history to overcome, but a strong connection to each other. And I enjoyed the tables bei...more

like · see review

Oct 02, 2011 Blood Rose Books rated it 3 of 5 stars

In her debut novel Jeannie Holmes takes the reader in the world of the FBPI (Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigations) and a small town that is having some serious vampire trouble:

Now when you think of vampires causing a stir in a small town, normally you think they are chasing after the virgin daughter of the farmer, however, in this small town something different is happening. Some of the human have waged war on the vampire population living in their town and are willing to stop at nothi...more In her debut novel Jeannie Holmes takes the reader in the world of the FBPI (Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigations) and a small town that is having some serious vampire trouble:

Now when you think of vampires causing a stir in a small town, normally you think they are chasing after the virgin daughter of the farmer, however, in this small town something different is happening. Some of the human have waged war on the vampire population living in their town and are willing to stop at nothing to see it happen. Enforcer Alex Sabin is with the FBPI and is responsible for Jacksonville, however, most of the local sheriff and police department do not respect or even like her because she is a vampire. However, Alex is the local paranormal expert and when Vampires are involved Alex is front and center. But these murders have a link to Alex's past and it is one that she is not sure that she wants to uncover the truth.

I've had this book on my shelf for almost a year now, and I kept passing it by as I was not into vampire based paranormal books for awhile. They were all sounding the same and having the same characters in them, that I was really looking for something different. This book took me a bit to get into this book and once I got halfway through I find that Holmes found her stride and the story became one that I did not want to put down.

I do not think that Holmes brought anything new to the paranormal genre, but Holmes did a good job of using what is already out there. I liked Holmes use of the FBPI and the integration into the American government and I also liked the anti-vampire sentiment of the people of the town were used. I think that Holmes was able to portray very real emotion and reason as to book. however, the story was well written and entertaining especially the second half of the book. This is one of the better books for combining supernatural creatures and law enforcement.

I did not mind Alex a s female lead, yes she was head strong but I think that Holmes did a good job in making her vulnerable but strong at the same time. However, there were times when I wanted to smack her for thinking that she always knows best and not taking others into consideration. I think my favorite part is when Alex interacts with her mother, nice to know that even vampires can be stopped by their mother's just saying their names. I wasn't the biggest fan of the relationship between Alex and Varik, I'm not too sure why, I just didn't feel the spark. I personally want know more about Stephen,

I think that Holmes did a good job with her first book I am interested to see how Alex's powers develop. So I will be picking up the next book in the series.

Enjoy!!!(less)

like · see review

Jan 10, 2011 Sharon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror-antihero-sleuth, paranormal-fantasy

This is a first novel from Jeanine Holmes.
Based in small town Jefferson Mississipi Alex is like celebrity in the vampire world ( making it so after her father's death 40 years previous), working as an enforcer, it reads like a murder mystery crime novel, with lots of forensics & police action.
Told in the third person it's not predictable & realistically covers what it would be like in a small town if vampires & humans had to live together in the real world - so there's lots of anta...more

like · see review

Dec 29, 2010 Nora-adrienne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I admit it, I love Vampire novels almost as much as I like cozies. LOL Yes it's a dichotomy. Blood Law is the first book in a new series by Jeannie Holmes. In her world Vampires live, love, and have children, work regular jobs just like everyone else. Granted they are a bit sensitive to light (making sunglasses a necessity) and yes, they are stronger and faster then normals but hey, there's room for all kinds of people as long as it's not your neck being chomped.

Alexandra Sabian is a Federal Ag...more

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 07, 2010 Amanda Wakefield rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not bad for a first novel, although I must admit I found it slightly "sluggish" in places. Some have described it as a romance - not sure I'd agree with that, I'd say it's more of a murder mystery/crime novel...the fact that some of the characters are vampires and that two of the leads happen to have a romantic connection is almost secondary.
I found some of the descriptive language repetitive, especially when describing the vampire's scents, but I think this was deliberate - unortuantely, it did...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 02, 2011 Delilah Stephans rated it 5 of 5 stars

From page 1 I was intrigued by the end of the book I was wishing the 2nd was out already. All the multiple subplots weave together to make this a really good and addictive read. Alex's determination to find who is responsible for the murders of vampires in Jefferson, Mississippi, her confusion over her feelings for Varik and her still fresh grief over her father's murder 42 years ago make her the type of heroine I love. Hard, determined, while still being vulnerable and feminine.

Varik's guilt ov...more

like · see review

Oct 02, 2011 Kristin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Any spoilers, which are fairly small, are hidden.

I picked up this series for a bargain price at a Borders closing and I’m not sure how long it would’ve taken me to check it out, if at all, if I hadn’t. And let me say I’m glad I did.

Alexandra Sabian is an Enforcer with the Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigations (FBPI) who is working on cases that seem to be the work of a serial killer who is beheading, defanging and shoving crosses through vampires hearts. Varik Baudelaire is pulled out o...more

like · see review

Jul 19, 2010 Laura L rated it 4 of 5 stars

Loving urban fiction, unique vampire or supernatural characters, and forensics-heavy stories, I was thrilled to read this (and also because it was written by the wife of a friend). I'll say that this is an imperfect book, but it is a good start for a new voice.

The positives include interesting secondary characters, a decent plot, and a desire to know what's coming next in the sequel.

The criticisms I have are varied. Perhaps the biggest drawback for me is that the vampires are so watered down a...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 25, 2010 Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, urban-fantasy

I really enjoyed this book, it was a nice urban fantasy book.

The main character in the book is Alexandra Sabian, a vampire, and she is an enforcer for the Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigations. Her job is to keep the vamp population under control and crimes that involve vamps is Alex's territory. The world in this book is just getting used to vampires being real, vampires came out of the closet 40 years prior to the start of the book. When a couple of vampires end up dead, Alex is forc...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 31, 2012 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-to-z-title-challenge

What are you to do if you are a vampire in a prominently human small town? Well, become an Enforcer, that’s what! Alexandra, aka Alex, is a vampire Enforcer. She investigates crimes that involve the vampire community. Since the vampires have come out and have been let live like “normal” humans, not everything is gumdrops and roses. Turns out not every human is comfortable with vampires living among them. Even though the vampires are not supposed to use humans as food, it doesn’t always happen th...more What are you to do if you are a vampire in a prominently human small town? Well, become an Enforcer, that’s what! Alexandra, aka Alex, is a vampire Enforcer. She investigates crimes that involve the vampire community. Since the vampires have come out and have been let live like “normal” humans, not everything is gumdrops and roses. Turns out not every human is comfortable with vampires living among them. Even though the vampires are not supposed to use humans as food, it doesn’t always happen that way, and this is what Alex investigates. She also upholds the law that vampires should not be killed or hunted just for being a vampire. Alex doesn’t come into this book without baggage of her own. Her father was killed, beheaded, when she was a little girl and the murderer was never found. That is why she became and Enforcer, to help solve crimes, but not every crime is easy or able to be solved. What do you do if what you are endangers your life on an every day basis? How do you protect your family from harm if you feel like you are right in the middle of it all the time? When murders of vampires in Jefferson, Mississippi start occurring that look just like the one involving Alex’s father is it the same murderer coming to town to unsettle her? Will she be able to do what others all those years ago couldn’t and find out who is committing these crimes (copy cat or not)? How far should Alex go to get to the bottom of a case?

I was easily drawn into this vampire mystery book. There was always something that made me want to keep reading. Every chapter ended in a way that made me want to read “just one more before bed”. When I first encounter Alex my first impression was that of a cocky vampire who thought she could control other vampires actions and could solve any case. As the book goes on though, I found myself caring and feeling for Alex. She is simply a woman who does what she does because of the effect her father’s murder had on her when she was a kid. I could tell this was a character who loved her job as an Enforcer. She was caring, but wasn’t afraid to tell humans or vampires how it is and what she plans to see happen to enforce the laws that let humans and vampires co-exist in Jefferson. What she doesn’t share with anyone is that she has left some unfinished business back in her hometown many mile away. She was engaged once and was happy in a relationship once, only to have a horrible encounter tear that happiness away and make her flee to another far away city. The icing on the cake for me was when Alex finds out the murders that look like her father’s are way above what she, alone, can handle and more Enforcers are called in to help her investigate. Alex expects a few “lab rats” to come and help her, but what she gets is a man from her past that she would rather forget…the very vampire that she loved once and shares an unwanted blood bond with. Can Alex and Varik work together again to solve the murders without letting previous issues impair the investigation? Can Alex really say that she no longer cares about Varik, and be telling the truth? Things get even more complicated when Alex’s brother gets kidnapped and his bar is set on fire. The question becomes, how close is too close before Alex can no longer do an accurate investigation?

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes vampire books or mystery books. It is a mystery book with a twist of vampires and a little romance dashed into the mix too. I couldn’t help get engrossed in the story once I started reading it. The author also throws twists into the story that keep you guessing all throughout the book. Really was a good read. The ending kind of threw me for a loop though, just when I thought I had it all figured out….BOOM, something else I didn’t see coming.

4 out of 5 stars!(less)

like · see review

Aug 14, 2012 Jami Zehr rated it 3 of 5 stars

Alexandra Sabian in the main character, a vampire law enforcer with the FBPI (Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigations) , she is in charge of maintaining order in a very small part of Mississippi. Recently, Alex’s apartment was set on fire, she suspects arson even though investigators aren’t sure yet, and is living in a sparsely furnished apartment above her brother’s blood bar. Alex works with local law enforcement and vampire/human liaison officer to keep order among the vampires under h...more

like · see review

Sep 08, 2010 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: guilty-pleasures

Book #48 of 2010

This was a fairly decent read that I've been working on forever. There's nothing wrong with it really, I think I just got bored by the story line. Or maybe life got busy and the story wasn't holding me enough to take me away from work and studying (and can I say, thank goodness work has slowed down.) I was only about 50 pages away from finishing this on Monday night, so I just read until the end rather than starting something new.

This is a bit of a different take on vampires... s...more

like · see review

Aug 02, 2011 Amy A rated it 4 of 5 stars

I didn't know really what to expect with this book. It was a voting choice in a book club monthly read and I thought the premise sounded good. I will have to say that I really did enjoy this book. I look forward to the second book more, however, because this book does have the first-in-a-series world set-up going on which can sometimes slow down the progress of the storyline.

The story takes place in Mississippi and vampires have been out in the public for decades living amongst humans. Not ever...more I didn't know really what to expect with this book. It was a voting choice in a book club monthly read and I thought the premise sounded good. I will have to say that I really did enjoy this book. I look forward to the second book more, however, because this book does have the first-in-a-series world set-up going on which can sometimes slow down the progress of the storyline.

The story takes place in Mississippi and vampires have been out in the public for decades living amongst humans. Not everyone likes their company however.

The bigotry displayed in the book made me very angry, but that's what it was supposed to do. It showed the single-minded individuals who only see what's on the surface, and how these individuals' thoughts can sometimes end up influencing others with the hatred they have. While things are somehwat settled by the end of the book, this will be an issue popping up throughout the series I feel.

I liked Alex, our main character, but I didn't feel like we got to know too much about her. This story is told in third person. So we get viewpoints and thoughts from mulitple characters. I think that this can slow down the process of getting to know a character, but that is not a bad thing. We don't know all about Alex's personality but that will have to be something that comes throughout the series.

It was a little different than I'm used to because we did get the killer's POV as well, in fact we even learn who the killer is about half way through the book. But that didn't ruin anything it just made me read on to find out how they were going to figure everything out. There were a few twists that weren't so apparant so that made it interesting as well.

I did like that, while there are some mysteries yet to solve, Jeannie Holmes didn't leave everything to play out over the series. We, the readers, learn some things about Varik, for example, that Alex has yet to find out for herself. That to me is different than what I'm used to reading. Usually authors don't reveal things to the readers until the characters are finding out for themselves. It's an interesting tactic. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, and hopefully we won't have to wiat too long for number 3! Until Then!

(less)

like · see review

Jul 11, 2010 Susie rated it 2 of 5 stars

After I finished Twice Bitten, I was lost. What do I read now?? I started this book today and just couldn't get through it. I read a good chunk of it then skipped to the end. The writing is fine, but the characters and plot failed to draw me in to their world. The characters were just boring to me. When describing the love interest, I wanted to put down the book and walk away, but I didn't ok? I pushed myself forward and put it down a few chapters later. Varik is described as being incredibly ha...more

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 21, 2011 Vex rated it 4 of 5 stars

I found this a little too similiar to True Blood (Charlene Harris' "Sookie Stackhouse" series). I feel that the book would have been much better if it didn't have such striking similarities (set in the South, main character has uncontrollable psychic abilities, the blood bar, the concept of a blood-bond, the blood-drug, a string of murders occurring after vampires "come out of the coffin" etc). However, had I been unaware of the Sookie Stackhouse series I would've found this to be an excellent r...more

like · see review

May 28, 2011 Mihir rated it 3 of 5 stars

A new series which has an interesting heroine, the plot felt similar to the Sookie Stackhouse books in the sense of it being located in a small southern town with the anti-vampire feelings. The book though is much darker and has a lot less fluff to it.

There's an over-arcing plot mystery which has a small revelation at the end and which will probably continue over the next few books. The heroine isn't a throughly likeable one but she has some redeeming features to her. Most likely her characte...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 08, 2010 Melinda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well, this is a hard book to describe. It is a dark book with a few bright spots.

There are similarities to real life in how some people can discriminate just because someone is different and how the snowball effect touch each character. In this case, humans and vampires. Then there is the investigative part since the main character is a federal agent. Added to that is the romantic story to go with it.

So how does all this fit together? Believe it or not wonderfully. It's a generic story, but is w...more

like · see review

Aug 01, 2011 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-5-stars

Plot: 4.5 Stars
Some of my favorite paranormal novels involve the supernatural creatures being out to the general public. This novel does a great job of explaining how the vampires came out to the humans in between the action. And as much as they frustrate and aggravate me, I also enjoy when novels include religious groups that rally against the supernatural. The investigation that the novel centers around was a wild goose chase of epic proportions. Even with the different points of view used in...more Plot: 4.5 Stars
Some of my favorite paranormal novels involve the supernatural creatures being out to the general public. This novel does a great job of explaining how the vampires came out to the humans in between the action. And as much as they frustrate and aggravate me, I also enjoy when novels include religious groups that rally against the supernatural. The investigation that the novel centers around was a wild goose chase of epic proportions. Even with the different points of view used in the novel, I was still thrown for a loop when the bad guy was found due to the epic twists and turns throughout the novel.

Pace: 4.5 Stars
Sometimes switching between a number of points of view can be a bit confusing, but this novel employed it very well. There were certain scenes that Alex was not present for that brought the novel together, and it allowed the reader to get into the minds of more characters and learn the motivations behind their actions. It also helped move the novel along. Any time Alex seemed to hit a wall in her investigation or the story would slow down a bit, the point of view would switch and get the pace going again. The mystery of this novel involved so many players, so many pieces, and a number of twists and turns. Without the different points of view, some clues wouldn't have come to light and some of the scenes would've been confusing. This novel was definitely one of the best examples of multiple points of view (three or more) that I have read in a while.

Characters: 4 Stars
Alex was a very interesting character. She dealt with the humans that were less than enthusiatic towards vampires very diplomatically (even when I would've punched them in the face). I wish we could've seen more of her brother and mother. Alex deals with her past and her father's death throughout the book, and I would've liked to learn a bit more about her surviving family members as well. The intereactions between Alex and Varik were pretty volitile, and I can't wait to see what their relationship turns into in the next novel. There were also a number of local human police officers that Alex dealt with throughout the novel, some more helpful than others. What could've easily been a jumbled mess of characters, was actually a great cast of supporting characters. The author did a great job making sure they were all unique and stood apart from each other, even if they weren't all likeable.

Cover: 4.5 Stars
The composition of this cover is what makes it stand out. I've never seen a cover with such an interesting angle used. Most covers either involve a cover model facing the reader or facing away from the reader. This is the first cover I've ever seen in which the cover model looks as if she is standing over the reader. When looking at this novel, I got a feeling like I was laying on the ground and the cover model was standing over me, almost like I was a part of a crime scene. The mix of blood splatter, lightning, and a police badge made the background very interesting. The cover model was a fantastic representation of Alexandra with her striking read hair. And the skull detail on the belt was a nice touch (even if the character never specifically wore the belt). It made you wonder if the cover model was a human or a vampire before reading the back of the book.

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Disclosure: I bought this novel for my own reading pleasure. (less)

like · see review

Apr 30, 2012 Karyogini rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-on-2012

I read this book about a week ago and I don't feel like writing my review then. :p

It's about this vampire woman who is greatly misunderstood. She's like the sheriff of vampires in her town. But then a serial killer disrupts her small town and reinforcements are invited in. Of course part of this reinforcement team is her mentor and ex-fiancé...

Not really sure why I gave it a 4. Must have enjoyed reading :) I have the 2nd book on hand but I don't feel like reading it... Maybe because of the way...more

like · see review

Nov 27, 2010 Kami rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, psychic-abilities, urban-fantasy, supernatural, vampires, paranormal-detective

Kind of derivative with shades of Charlaine Harris and Lynn Viehl, but interesting. Vampires live alongside humans who fear and hate them. Alex is a vampire cop trying to stop a serial killer. Then there is the sexy Varik from her past who comes to town to help her and to reinstate their bond. Alex has psychic powers which cause her to have visions of ghosts. Despite her troubles, Alex is determined to save the day.

I liked the story but there was a lot wrong with this book. It is the first book...more

like · see review

Jul 24, 2010 Suspense Magazine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rarely surprised, I was utterly stunned when a glance at the end of the book revealed that “Blood Law” was actually Jeannie Holmes first novel. Not written like a novice, Holmes pens absorbing plotlines and smoldering characters like a pro in “Blood Law”.

Working as an Enforcer for the FBPI (Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigations) in a tiny Mississippi town, vampire Alexandra Sabien has fought to thrive beyond her family history and her race to develop a tentative relationship with the h...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 02, 2012 Claudia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, paranormal-romance

at the moment I obviously have bad luck with picking up good books or I am tired of urban fantasy. as I can't believe it is the second I have to work on my book pickings.

I started this book after reading the first chapter and decided it is worth a try. I really liked the beginning, I could connect with Alex, I liked the tension and the suspense. I also liked Varik even if he is a little bit hollow as a character in my opinion.

but at the middle I lost the connection. Alex started acting strange f...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 29, 2011 Amy rated it 2 of 5 stars

PB/Paranormal Fantasy: I really wanted to like this. I gave it two stars b/c I did finish it. It is an easy read, but I did skip through a lot of the scene settings and only read the dialog. There were so many problems. I am a big fan of fantasy, but the heroine, Alex, is a unlikeable hothead. She is so poorly written and one dimensional. The setting of paranormal beings being in a human world is feasible for me, but this setting did not work. The romance did not work for me either; why would Va...more

like · see review

Sep 16, 2011 Christy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dark-fantasy, urban-fantasy, paranormal-romance

Actually, I give this book a 4.5/5 stars.

Alex Sabian is a FBPI Enforcer and when vampire bodies start piling up, she comes face to face with a cold-blooded, psychopathic killer whose methods mirror the murder of her father decades before. Now it's a race against time to find the killer who has decided to make this personal against Alex and attack who she holds close and dear to her.

Jeannie Holmes packs this Urban Fantasy thriller with action, suspense, drama, intrigue, mystery and nail biting m...more

like · see review

Sep 20, 2010 Lauren rated it 3 of 5 stars

In Blood Law by Jeannie Holmes, we see a small town under attack by a serial killer who’s MO mimics a case from the sixties. The problem is that his victims are all vampires, and the local law isn’t a big fan of them. In steps resident Enforcer Alex Sabian and FBPI to deal with a local Sheriff who hates vamps and the killer who seems to have his sites aimed squarely at Alex. This quickly becomes too much for her or the local law enforcement, so the FBPI send in back up. Alex’s ex-mentor and ex-f...more In Blood Law by Jeannie Holmes, we see a small town under attack by a serial killer who’s MO mimics a case from the sixties. The problem is that his victims are all vampires, and the local law isn’t a big fan of them. In steps resident Enforcer Alex Sabian and FBPI to deal with a local Sheriff who hates vamps and the killer who seems to have his sites aimed squarely at Alex. This quickly becomes too much for her or the local law enforcement, so the FBPI send in back up. Alex’s ex-mentor and ex-fiancé Varik Baudelaire, is called in to “help” with the investigation. Will Alex give in to her painfully obvious lust for her ex? Will we find out who the killer is? By the time we do will we still care?

Blood Law is a decent book, not great, not terrible. The story itself is pretty solid, if a bit overdone. The characters were about what I expected them to be, nothing new here. The romance between Alex and Varik seems more like lust than love and could have been omitted with no real detriment to the overall story. Their history felt like something out of a soap opera, as did many of their scenes together. Alex devotes much of her time to being frustrated at others or doing something really dumb in the name of moving the plot along. One of the human characters suffered character derailment so hard I actually wondered if I had imagined them being relatable earlier in the book. Vampires, as is sometimes still the case, seem to be a stand in for every minority ever plus sick people, but seem to have some fairly original differences to the norm. The author also seems to have some kind of smell fetish just based on the number of times that the way a vampire smelled was mentioned out of nowhere. There were only two points in the book that unique scents among vampires was important to, so take those and maybe two tops to make it clear that the scent is a symptom of vampirism and you’re good. The author also seems to think that every time a cell phone rings she needs to describe the ring tone, but that she isn’t allowed to show use something about the characters by making it an actual song. Needless to say, I have more little issues with Blood Law than major positives, but as it is the author’s first book I am probably going to give the second book a shot just to see if it gets better.
(less)

like · see review

Feb 26, 2011 Danielle rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: started-but-gave-up-on, urban-fantasy

Synopsis:

To stop a vampire killer, she’ll have to slay her own demons first.

A provocative and savvy vampire, Alexandra Sabian moves to the sleepy hamlet of Jefferson, Mississippi—population 6,000, half vampires—to escape the demons lurking in her past. As an enforcer for the Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigations (FBPI), Alex must maintain the uneasy peace between her kind and humans, including Jefferson’s bigoted sheriff, who’d be happy to see all vampires banished from town. Then reall...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 09, 2011 Shelley aka Gizmo's Reviews rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires, paranormal-romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Summary: As an enforcer for the Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigations (FBPI), Alex must maintain the uneasy peace between her kind and humans, including Jefferson’s bigoted sheriff, Harvey Manser, who’d be happy to see all vampires banished from town. Then really dead vamps start turning up beheaded, crucified, and defanged. The same gruesome manner in which Alex’s father, Bernard, was in the spring of 1968. They all connect to a cold case that has symied Alex for 5 years.

Things get eve...more Summary: As an enforcer for the Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigations (FBPI), Alex must maintain the uneasy peace between her kind and humans, including Jefferson’s bigoted sheriff, Harvey Manser, who’d be happy to see all vampires banished from town. Then really dead vamps start turning up beheaded, crucified, and defanged. The same gruesome manner in which Alex’s father, Bernard, was in the spring of 1968. They all connect to a cold case that has symied Alex for 5 years.

Things get even more complicated when the FBPI sends in some unnervingly sexy backup: Alex’s onetime mentor, lover, and fiancé, Varik Baudelaire. Still stinging from the betrayal that ended their short-lived engagement, Alex is determined not to give in to the temptation that soon threatens to short-circuit her investigation. But as the vamp body count grows and the public panic level rises, Varik may be Alex’s only hope to stop a relentless killer who’s got his own score to settle and his own bloody past to put right. *I really didn't much care for Varik myself, but what do I know? He's pushy, he's totally arrogant and thinks he's all that and a hamburger helper meal. ::shiver::

Review: This is actually a pretty interesting story. You have a writer who is telling the story from all sorts of angles; Alex, Varik, Tasha Blackwood, the liasion between the vamps and humans, Darryl Black the ultimate villian of the story, and Harvey Manser, the sheriff who hates vampires with a passion, but hasn't actually killed anyone.

This story is more like a murder mystery novel with vampires as main characters, rather than romance novel. If you have 2-3 pages of would be sex, it doesn't make it a romance novel.

Alex, has some serious issues staying out of trouble. She is headstrong and impetuous (her mothers words); she has the ability to see ghosts due to her psychometry ability. She gets shot by a sniper, she touches a dead body and almost dies, she sees her dead father in Shadowland (the place between the physical world and spirit), she gets beaten to a bloody pulp and nearly burned alive with her cat Dweezil (Love the name, seriously!) She runs into her ex-Varik after he is unretired and told to replace Alex and ends up re-establishing their blood-bond after almost dying. Then there is the fact that her own boss, Damian Alberez doesn't trust her, and ends up suspending her after she really goes off the reservation in search of her brother Stephen.

I had actually grown to like the character of Tasha, until she really lost her way and strayed into the mists of being an egghead like Darryl Black and Harvey. I can't say I blamed her for acting out like she did when she was pushed aside so rudely by Damian, but, I can't say I want to see anymore of her in the next book either. She really didn't offer anything substantial in the end. She had the culprits right under her very roof, but refused to open her eyes. Nicely done.

The story with Alex and her father needs more explaining I think. Sure, he gives her access to the Hall of Records, as it were. But, why did he give up his chance to move on? What in tarnation is he protecting Alex from?

Last word: This novel was set in Mississippi. Mississippi has a bad reputation for treating non whites with hatred and malice. Was this the writers intention to say something about the overall about race relations? Or, was this a misnomer and nothing more? Someone interestingly connnected the Human Seperatist Movement with the Fellowship of the Sun in True Blood. Which is interesting to say the least.

The next book Blood Secrets releases June 28th 2011(less)

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 84 85 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Cover Flat Contest!!	1	8	Feb 06, 2010 10:14pm

combine
Other Editions (2)

Genres

Fantasy > Urban Fantasy

109 users

Paranormal > Vampires

57 users

Fantasy > Paranormal

41 users

Romance > Paranormal Romance

23 users

Fantasy

22 users

Mystery

14 users

Romance

13 users

Adult

13 users

Fantasy > Supernatural

11 users

Paranormal Urban Fantasy

5 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Night's Cold Kiss
by Tracey O'Hara
Red Hot Fury
by Kasey MacKenzie
Don't Kill The Messenger
by Eileen Rendahl
Hunted by the Others
by Jess Haines
Ascension
by Sable Grace

About Jeannie Holmes

Jeannie Holmes is a native of southwest Mississippi. Before receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of South Alabama, she worked in a variety of interesting fields, including medical records, independent auction houses, and owned a small handcrafted jewelry business. In addition to working on the sequel to Blood Law, she received her Master of Arts degree in English in...more

More about Jeannie Holmes...

Books by Jeannie Holmes

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Blood Law

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Blood Law
avg rating	preview: Blood Law Goodreads rating: 3.40 (865 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6803525-blood-law?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320458800l/6803525.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6803525-blood-law?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Blood Law by Jeannie Holmes[/url]

Blood Law (Alexandra Sabian #1)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website