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27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exceptional!, June 7, 2005
Keira is not your normal woman; she has secrets and a big problem, she is about to change. No, we are not talking about the normal change of life that women experience, for Keira this change involves power. Keira is part of a clan, one that is full of supernatural powers, different powers.
Some Clairvoyant, some healers, some shape-changers, but whatever it maybe, it was Keira's time to find out her gift.Keira lives in the small town of Rio Seco in Texas near her cousin Marty. Marty does not have the family 'gift,' and is but a mere human outcast by the clan, but one entrusted into Keira's keeping until his mortal life is over.
The story begins as animals turn up dead at a new resort called "The Wild Moon;" their heads cut off and Keira fears that it is not a natural hunter who is doing the killing, but one who works in the supernatural as she does. It only worsens when Marty, who held the job of the local undertaker, turns up dead as well; his blood drained completely from his body. Gruesome!
To complicate matters Keira's ex-boyfriend and now Sheriff is back in town to investigate the case and his feelings are still running deep for Keira. A relationship that could never continue, nor should it have ever begun.
All of a sudden Keira's way too complicated life gets worse when she finds out the owner of the Wild Moon is none other than Adam Walker, a heartthrob of Keira's from years ago.
Adam has secrets as well; he is not what he appears to be, nor are the guests that are flooding into his new resort. I loved the way the author built on the suspense concerning these mystery guests in this novel; it gave me a chill. Just what were 90% of the people in Rio Seco, could you even call them human? Creepy!
I really enjoyed this book. Our main character Keira is an extremely likeable woman, her spunk and strong nature add just the right amount of zest to the story. The author does a suburb job in his description of each character that is introduced, from the obnoxious cousin Marty, to the love sick Sheriff, Keira's adorable brother Tucker, and best friend Bea. Not to forget the mysterious Adam Walker and the brother/ sister storekeepers that play such an important role in the conclusion of the read. All of them gave just the right slice of intrigue and their different personalities brought freshness to this work.
Just what or who was killing the animals and who killed cousin Marty? What will Keira's final 'gift' of supernatural power be and is there a future for her and the mysterious Adam Walker?
The questions are many, guiding you from page to page as you hungrily seek the answers.
Mystery, suspense, romance and supernatural all cuddled together in on outstanding read. A sure winner. Recommended.
Shirley Johnson
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
terrific first novel - supernatural mystery with a twist, April 28, 2005
Loved this book. I'm fairly new to the supernatural thriller genre, but now I'm hooked. The writing is fast-paced and terrific, and Ms. Lima does a terrific job of weaving several stories into one.
The leading lady is gutsy, interesting, and someone I'd like to know. And I'm left wanting to know more about her shape-shifting world!
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not Your Father's Vampire Novel . . ., November 8, 2005
Other reviewers have already summarized the plot of this novel, so I'm going to concentrate instead on "feel" and texture. Both are excellent --- and very convincing.
My own experience of horror fiction is pretty well limited to the big guns: Stephen King and Anne Rice. A friend turned me on to Maria Lima's "Matters of the Blood," which is different, and more imaginative, than anything I've read by those mainstream authors.
Imagine a society made up not of vampires, or the undead, or werewolves --- but of a whole range of supernatural folks (for lack of a better word). This multiethnic, extranormal, society has just as many of its own special tensions, prejudices, fears, and jelaousies as anyplace you've ever lived, gentle reader.
The normal pressures of being human are complicated by the ABnormal pressures of NOT being so, by immortality, by the suspicicions and fears of the larger human society on all sides, and by the fact that, well . . . there are good folks and bad ones, whoever you are and wherever you go.
And if things weren't complicated enough already, there's the conumdrum of Marty, beloved half-brother of our protagonist Kiera. "Some mutation caused by who-knew-what made him powerless and human, a reverse X-man." Needless to say, this mere humanity makes him mortal and vulnerable --- and thus a constant concern to his loving and protective sister.
Complementing this rich stew of extranormal society, and helping bring it even more to life, is the author's strong sense of place. I've never traveled to the Texas hill country, but after finishing "Matters of the Blood," I'm ready to love it almost much as Kiera, our protagonist, does. From the pickup trucks on lonely roads to the small towns to the landscape (and the small local deer that keep turning up dead in it, drained of their blood), the town of Rio Seco and its sparsely-populated surroundings come alive in a way that helps propel the novel forward.
I look forward to author Maria Y. Lima's next walk into the twilight of our imaginings.
BROOKE STAUFFER
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