Present Day

Gabrielle Cody was born with a calling from God. She can see the evil that lies beneath the skin of mortal man. Not the regular human ills that lead to bad judgment, but the true malignancy as one finds in serial killers. Gaby feels it down to her core when a demon is near, especially when they are about to commit some atrocity. Compelled, she fights in the shadows, a loner by choice and need.

Detective Luther Cross is intrigued by the no-nonsense waif who isn't cowed by a few drunk males intent on mischief. That intrigue turns inexplicably into attraction when faced with her utter indifference and potty mouthed comebacks to his overtures. But stumbling over a dismembered body while following Gaby makes him take a second and third look at her.

But evil is getting closer, stalking Gaby instead of the other way around. Gaby, used to being alone, suddenly has a friend she worries about protecting, and Luther, interested in much more than friendship, distracts her from her calling. Even worse, Luther's a cop, and what Gaby does is decidedly against the rules, especially to someone who can't see the demon beneath the human skin. Can a vigilante and a cop find a workable middle ground in life and in love?

There's a fine line between crazy and called and, like Joan of Arc, Gabrielle Cody walks that line in SERVANT: THE AWAKENING. The demons Gaby sees are clothed in the human shell, so a dead demon looks like a dead human to most everyone else. Is it murder or justice when Gaby answers the call? Author L.L. Foster (Lori Foster) pens a dark and disturbing tale that is as gripping as it is entertaining. Intriguing characters and rare moments of humor lighten things up and round out the story.

An orphan, Gaby had a very unconventional upbringing that has left her ignorant of many things at twenty-one years of age. Luther is more than happy to teach her what she doesn't know, if he can survive the blunt questions. Both very strong individuals with powerful protective instincts, Gaby and Luther are a great match and I look forward to learning more about them in future books in the series. The main secondary character is Gaby's nosy neighbor, Mort, a geeky comic-book freak whom you can't help but fall in love with.

Lori Foster has made a name for herself in the romance genre and is on the road to doing the same in urban fantasy. You will be glued to each page of SERVANT: THE AWAKENING and immediately panting for more when it's done.

Kathy Samuels