One for 2011? ‘Bloodshot’ – Cherie Priest (Spectra)

There are doubtless hundreds of Urban Fantasy titles out there that could well be a big deal in 2011 (seriously, it feels like there’s a big conveyor belt churning out tales of feisty yet vulnerable heroines falling in love with the werewolf that their mother always warned them about...) but this title in particular caught my eye. Not only does it look like ‘Bloodshot’ won’t be following the normal UF lines (at least, not as closely as you would expect) but it’s also written by Cherie Priest. That’s right, the Cherie Priest of ‘zombies in the Wild West/Steampunk’ fame. I still haven’t read any of these books (shame on me, I know...) but I still find myself interested in seeing how Priest operates in an Urban Fantasy setting. Could ‘Bloodshot’ be the book that finally gets me to check out Priest’s other work? Check out the blurb and tell me what you think of it...

Raylene Pendle (AKA Cheshire Red), a vampire and world-renowned thief, doesn’t usually hang with her own kind. She’s too busy stealing priceless art and rare jewels. But when the infuriatingly charming Ian Stott asks for help, Raylene finds him impossible to resist—even though Ian doesn’t want precious artifacts. He wants her to retrieve missing government files—documents that deal with the secret biological experiments that left Ian blind. What Raylene doesn’t bargain for is a case that takes her from the wilds of Minneapolis to the mean streets of Atlanta. And with a psychotic, power-hungry scientist on her trail, a kick-ass drag queen on her side, and Men in Black popping up at the most inconvenient moments, the case proves to be one hell of a ride.

There are some Urban Fantasy tropes that you’re just never going to be able to escape from but the rest of it looks like it could be fun. I’ll let you know how it goes...