The Keeper, Crossing Realms, #1

Libby Klink is an accountant prone to anxiety attacks and considers herself to be fairly boring. When her dad dies she begins experiencing strange things and thinks she may be going crazy, but then she meets Nick Geary and something about him seems right. Safe. Hers. She can’t explain it, but Nick can. Except as he lays it all out for her, that he’s a Keeper, her Keeper, and he’s been tasked with protecting her against the Betrayers, she wonders if he might be a wee bit more insane than she is. As events unfold at a rapid pace Libby is forced to believe the world is not as she thought and she’s the key to saving everything. No pressure there!

A new twist on a much-loved theme brings a fresh perspective on guardians tasked with protecting humans from the things that go bump in the night - or day. Betrayers are not vampires, but the perverse mirror of the Keepers feeding on the violence between humans that the Keepers try to squelch. The history of the Keepers and Betrayers and where Libby fits in with them is fascinating, but is dealt out so slowly over the course of the story it causes moments of frustration. While the plot is intriguing and fast-paced it is a tad rocky in some areas, leaving one with an occasional unclear sense of time. However, the characters are wonderfully rich with detailed assets and flaws. Want a "cheer for the underdog" spicy paranormal suspense? Look no further!

Carol Conley