BLOOD TRUTH is the fourth book in J.R. Ward’s “Black Dagger Legacy” series. I love how this story has a film noir feel to it. For readers who may be unfamiliar with this series, it’s a good book to just jump into. Vampire warrior trainee Boone pairs with vampire and former cop Butch O’Neal to track down a murderer. Vampire justice can be kind of a nebulous thing. Occasionally it can be hard to tell the bad guys from the good guys if you go by their battle techniques, but the Black Dagger Brotherhood are called in to stop any more grizzly murders of innocent women. As in all the best hardboiled detective tales, Boone sees a mysterious yet captivating woman who owns his dreams until he sees her again. Helania proves to be unlike most of the femme fatales in classic detective stories, but she is the perfect match for Boone.

There are lots of things I love about this book. The mystery is engaging and there are lots of red herrings for readers to sort through while trying to figure out who the Jack the Ripper-style killer is. I like the romantic aspect of this book so much because I truly like Boone and Helania. Boone is a complex guy. He’s a vampire, an elite warrior-in-training, part of high society, and a man who always had a troubled relationship with his late father. What I really like is that under all that, Boone is a sweetie who is adoring and protective of Helania without being patronizing or restrictive over aspects of her life. Helania is sort of a mild-mannered homebody but the tragic murder of her sister galvanized her to become a stronger and more assertive version of herself. This couple is so great together and they’re such nice people that it makes me root for them so much more. They totally deserve happiness and it’s a treat to read about them falling in love from their initial strong attraction until the happy ending.

BLOOD TRUTH is a classic film noir-style mystery with a sweet and sensual vampire romance thrown in. I like the change of pace in this story since both main characters are both vampires, and there’s nothing preventing them from being together. It’s refreshing to have a couple working together to track down a killer and solve a mystery while falling for each other along the way. I look forward to J.R. Ward’s next book.