Jaz Parks, an uber assassin and vampire companion with a hottie vampire as a partner – what is not to love about that? I have been reading about Jaz Parks for a while now and I absolutely love her. There are five books in the series: Once Bitten, Twice Shy, Another One Bites the Dust, Biting the Bullet, Bitten to Death, and One More Bite. For those who haven’t had a chance to read this series, here’s the blurb for Once Bitten, Twice Shy, the first novel in the Jaz Parks series…
I’m Jaz Parks. My boss is Vayl, born in Romania in 1744. Died there too, at the hand of his vampire wife, Liliana. But that’s ancient history. For the moment Vayl works for the C.I.A. doing what he does best–assassination. And I help. You could say I’m an Assistant Assassin. But then I’d have to kick your ass.
Our current assignment seemed easy. Get close to a Miami plastic surgeon named Assan, a charmer with ties to terrorism that run deeper than a buried body. Find out what he’s meeting with that can help him and his comrades bring America to her knees. And then close his beady little eyes forever. Why is it that nothing’s ever as easy as it seems?
One More Bite is the latest release. (I love the cover art, where do they get the gear?) As a matter of fact, all the previous books by Jennifer Rardin in this series all sported some rockin’ sportswear and a really great story line. Another One Bites the Dust is another good book, but it does leave you hanging at the end. Granted, each novel leaves you on the edge of your seat waiting for the next one and the next novel in the series, Biting the Bullet, is no exception.
Bitten to Death did bite at me though, I must admit. With her brother in the mix and so much information being tossed around, it made it so I had to read it a few time to actually get it.
One More Bite seemed to sum up all of my frustrations as to why the two protagonists, Val and Jaz, have not gotten together. I don’t think Jennifer is into writing sex scenes, although I would like to read it. I also think she is trying to keep within her own “not to much nookie” boundary. Loads of killing and bad words but no sex. Hmm…go figure. I hope that I won’t be disappointed when I read about what is happening with her in the other realm, outside of working with the government. I guess I will have to wait and see.
Its a good thing that she has them coming out starting in July in mass paperback, I almost went broke buying ever single one in trade paperback. So if your looking for a good urban fantasy without a bunch of erotica to it, this is your girl. If not, its still good reading. The next installment of this series, Bite Marks, comes out in October of this year and all of her other releases as they come out in paperback starting in July 2009. So there’s plenty of reasons to hit the bookstore relatively soon.
Read Order:
Once Bitten, Twice Shy
Another One Bites the Dust
Biting the Bullet
Bitten to Death
One More Bite
Bite Marks (10/29/09)
These sound like fun too! I did see these in trade size and I did miss because of that (so many are that way) I wonder if all the others will be re-released in mass market for the others coming out now in that format.
I do usually read those with a romance theme within them. But heard its worth it even if you don’t read outside of romance. I’ll have to check out the first book (watch me get addicted to another series, LOL. Great review!
I adore these books and Rardin is generous with the free fiction on her site.