Cal awakes wet and sandy on a lonely shoreline surrounded by the bodies of huge unnatural spider things. Somehow he knows he was the one who brought them death, and that the monster bodies must be hidden. He knows bone-deep that monsters are abomination, and must be killed. Beyond that, he knows little else, not even his name. The selection of false ids he finds hidden in his leather coat only deepens the mystery, as do the multiple forms of death in blade and gun form he has secreted in his clothing.

His first step is to walk into small town Nevah's Landing, South Carolina to find someone who recognizes him. No luck there, but he does manage to snag a diner job while he keeps looking. Wearing the ruffly gingham apron that does not go with his gothy ensemble is worth having enough money to live on while he waits for his memory to return. Before that can happen, two out-of-towners show up, one of them claiming to be his brother, Niko. They look entirely too dangerous to be trusted, and if they are part of his past, perhaps it is best left forgotten.

As always, Rob Thurman provides a tremendously entertaining story while furthering the tale of Cal and Nikos and their relationship. Murders of beings on the strange side of life, an ancient Egyptian goddess and mysterious messages directed at Cal are part of a terrific plot, one that will end up revealing much about Cal's life and the side of his family that is not human. As often happens when I read an extended series, I fall almost as much in love with the side characters as the main ones, and here, too Thurman satisfies. Old enemies and friends both are integral to the storyline. BLACKOUT is book six in the Cal Leandros series, and they just keep getting better. I have been a fan of Rob Thurman's since the first sentence of hers I read, and I don't see that changing anytime soon, in fact, every book in each of her series just keeps reaffirming my choice.