Title: Blood Gamble
Author: Melissa F. Olson
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Published on: July 25, 2017 by 47North
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Published on: July 25, 2017 by 47North
If there is one city that Scarlett Bernard hates, it’s Las Vegas. But when the cardinal vampire of Los Angeles convinces her to go investigate a new vampire-themed stage show, Scarlett quickly finds herself shoulder-deep in sequins, slot machines, and Old World intrigue.
The show’s creators are vampire celebrities Arthur and Lucy Holmwood, who once inspired characters from the original Dracula. Now, however, they have no qualms about announcing their true status to the human world, endangering the secrecy of the Old World and Scarlett’s mission to keep it hidden.
But before she can begin untangling the Holmwoods’ motives, Scarlett also discovers that their new production has attracted more than just fans: Las Vegas’s many vampires are suddenly disappearing, and rumors are flying that actual vampire hunters may have followed Arthur and Lucy to town.
Now, without her allies, her bargest, or her frequent partner Jesse Cruz, Scarlett must navigate a new underworld of secrets and murders in a city where nothing is ever as it seems. And the stakes have never been higher.
By now, Scarlett Bernard should need no introduction. Blood Gamble is book five in her series, and eight overall in the Old World Chronology. In this book, Scarlett finds herself trying to solve a problem unlike any she’s ever faced before. The timing isn’t great, as Scarlett broke up with her werewolf boyfriend Eli at the end of Midnight Curse. They both realized they had changed so much over the years. Scarlett and Eli were no longer right for each other. The two still remain good friends. And at least, Scarlett has her old roommate Molly (a vampire) back in her life.
The past four books in Scarlett’s series all took place in Los Angeles. Now, the new case brings with it a change of scenery. Dashiell, the cardinal vampire of LA, is the one who tasks Scarlett with looking into an issue. There’s a vampire-related show, Demeter, being performed in Las Vegas. Dashiell wants to make sure it doesn’t expose the Old World. Scarlett is reluctant to go at first, as she really doesn’t like Las Vegas. With a little…encouragement from Dashiell, Scarlett has no choice but to relent. She’ll just be a scout anyway. The case doesn’t appear like it’ll be as big as Scarlett’s previous ones.