Jabril (Vampires in America 2) - D.B. Reynolds

Back cover summary- 

Houston, Texas-Cowboy boots, baseball and journeys to the stars . . . right? Wrong. Because Houston is also home to Jabril Karim, one of the eight powerful Vampire Lords who control all of North America. And as Private Investigator Cynthia Leighton will soon discover, not all Vampire Lords are created equal. For Jabril is the face of evil in the new world, a vampire who values no life but his own, who enslaves those he desires, steals whatever he covets and destroys anyone who stands in his way. Running from L.A. and its seductive Vampire Lord, Raphael, Cyn sees the Houston job as a welcome refuge, a place to get away and heal her broken heart. But Texas will be no vacation. For in Jabril Karim, Cyn will confront a true enemy, one who will go to any lengths to satisfy his lusts, enrich his coffers and expand his power. Fighting for the lives of two young sisters, Cyn's journey will take her through the streets of Houston and back to L.A., where the human police are determined to bring Raphael down for the murder of one of their own. But the danger doesn't end there. For Jabril has set his sights on Cyn, and he will stop at nothing to have her.

Review (warning spoilers)-

Jabril is D.B. Reynold's second installment in her Vampires in America series.  We see the continuation of Cyn and Raphael's story with a new antagonist in the vampire Jabril.  I love this series! Too bad that it's not that famous.   Jabril is a very good follow-up to Raphael.  The story is fast, smooth and action packed.  I read it in one sitting (or lying).

Cyn goes to Houston partly to forget Raphael and mostly to work for Jabril to locate his missing ward.  Unfortunately, Jabril just intended to use her to piss off Raphael.  Cyn realized Jabril's evil plot and foiled it.  Raphael, of course, quickly comes to her rescue, not that she needed it. They kiss and make up and (hopefully) will live happily ever after.

I just have one small comment about the story.  I don't understand why the vampires had to wait for Raphael to arrive to start rescuing Cyn considering that he had to take a plane and all to get to her.  Other vampires of Raphael's were already on hand, so why wait?  I guess it's for dramatic purposes.

I already discussed Cyn and Raphael's characterizations in my review of Raphael.  In Jabril, we see an evolution as they both accept and give way so that they can be together.  I guess that was their main problem as they are both alphas. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to the next one, Rajmund. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Rating: ***** Highly recommended