BITE THE DUST is Book 1 in Cynthia Eden's Blood and Moonlight series. BITE THE DUST has some staples of a Cynthia Eden paranormal romance—New Orleans noir, an addictive story that bleeds suspense, and a hot paranormal hero to-die-for. Being the first book in the series, the main characters are defined and the parameters of this paranormal world are somewhat established. So far, the bad guys are the vampires and anybody they can control. Aidan Locke, the hero, is an alpha werewolf, generally the secret power broker and sheriff of the local paranormal community. Mary Jane "just call me Jane" Hart is a newly promoted homicide detective who is surprised by and struggles with the supernatural elements in her town. The imminent threat comes from the vampire serial killer who sets his sights on Jane. A big chunk of BITE THE DUST involves Jane's quest to figure out who she really is and how her past is connected to what is going on in the present.

Since Jane and Aidan appear to be the leads in the next book in the series as well, I am glad they both strike me as appealing characters. Having the story told from two perspectives helps the reader understand Jane and Aidan more. As much as Aidan is a sexy alpha type, he has the kind of emotional honesty I adore in a hero. He wastes no time in letting Jane know exactly where she stands with him and what he feels for her. Although she is a human in a dangerous world of supernatural super villains, Jane is a tenacious truth seeker and protector who doesn't give up easily. The one thing that seems to be frustrating for Aidan, as well as for me as a reader, is Jane's hesitation to use deadly force when it comes to vampires. However, this quirk of Jane's just makes her more of a complex character I will enjoy watching evolve over the course of the series. The chemistry between Jane and Aidan is electric and their love scenes are particularly hot and always stretch out the anticipation.

BITE THE DUST kicks off Cynthia Eden's Blood and Moonlight series with a bang and exudes sensual promise and hardboiled detective deliciousness. I look forward to hearing more details about why people are after Jane and what makes her so special. This is the kind of story that only gets more interesting as it progresses. I also look forward to reading more about Aidan's pack members Garrison and Paris. Cynthia Eden never disappoints when it comes to eroticism with a paranormal flair and quality suspense-filled storytelling.