Bloodtrail

by Kevin Paul Tracy

The hotly anticipated sequel to “Bloodflow” and the second Kathryn Desmarais Gothic Mystery. This adventure takes Kate to sin city, Las Vegas, in search of a misguided runaway teenage girl. Kate, who is still struggling to come to terms with what she has become, runs afoul of a cabal of strange subhumans who feed off the basest, most prurient emotions of human-kind. She stumbles upon a clue to her destiny, a destiny to rule the underworld as its queen, a destiny she does not want. These creatures may seem harmless at first, but underestimating them may be the last mistake Kate ever makes.

378 pages, Paperback

First published April 9, 2015

Reviews

[Gwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bloodtrail is an enthralling book. This is one vampire that does not continuously look for her next victim, have romantic entaglements, terrorize the neighborhood or create a bunch of new vampires. This is a story of a detective who also happens to be a vampire. She is a bit limited by her inability to operate in the daytime, but doesn't let that stop her. She does have to have human blood, but doesn't go out an massacre the first person she sees. I really enjoyed this story. It seems there is at least one book before this one and it ends with another adventure beginning, but if these books are as good as this one (and I have no reason to doubt they would be)they will be well worth the read as well.

I received this book free from Goodreads First Reads.

[Stephen A · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Bloodtrail (A Kathryn Desmarais Gothic Mystery), Kevin Paul Tracy breaks the mold when it comes to vampires. Like many today, I have a bit of hesitation when picking up another vampire novel, or sitting down to one more in the seemingly endless iteration of vampire films. But very quickly in Bloodtrail, Tracy takes us in an unconventional direction. Desmarais is not only a vampire, but she is a private investigator, a bit reminiscent of Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden, the only practicing wizard for hire in Chicago.
Early on, we learn that she can shape-change (I don't think that's a plot spoiler), but Tracy avoids the hackneyed direction there, and Kate's alter-ego manifestations are as far from the classic overdone bat images as you can get. In this novel, the second book in the series, Kate is hired to find a young girl who has disappeared. The case takes her far afield from her east coast haunts, ending in the underbelly of Las Vegas, Nevada. Tracy portrays the seamy side of Sin City with a keen eye, adding nicely to the interactions between the characters.
I do not want to say too much about the protagonist and antagonists in this story, because seeing how those develop is part of the enjoyment of the novel, but I will throw in a few words about Kate. She is a severely conflicted young woman: vampirism does not at all fit with her conscience and world view. Watching her internal battle between hungers and moral sense is integral to the impact of the story line. Like all undead, she possesses powers mere mortals cannot dream of. In trying to do what she deems right, she accomplishes prodigious feats, though she denies that she is some sort of superhero.
In all, Bloodtrail is an enjoyable read, a roller-coaster of action and a delving into a character facing major moral dilemmas. If you like supernatural mysteries, this one's good.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second offering of the Kathryn Desmarais gothic mysteries, and deftly continues the story while taking the reader for a great ride. If you read the first (“Bloodflow”), you will be ready for the action to start right off, and it does in just the first few pages. I will say that I’m not normally a follower of the vampire gothic, but the author handles the blood sucking bits so well that I’ll continue with each iteration. While you read this one, look for the subtle use of story elements continuing from the first which increases reading pleasure. I won’t be a spoiler, so can’t give you too many details, but the introduction of a new … entity(s), was really fun, and interesting. You’re going to have to read it to get more about that, but they have a huge role in what happens throughout the story. The lead character, Kathryn, is developing into quite the hero with a list of accomplishments, and she’s going to have as much trouble staying out of the limelight as she does staying out of the sunlight. A great read!

[Lisa Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the first book in this series and loved it, the end leaving me excited to see what the next book had in store. The story itself was completely different than the first but all of the characters and scenes developed just as well so that the reader almost felt as if they were a part of the story as it unfolded. And, again, the author finished with a cliffhanger leaving me wishing the next book was ready. Hopefully it'll be released soon!!!