Top 10 Paranormal Fiction Lists for 2011

Fortunately for readers, a LOT of excellent paranormal novels were published in 2011—both stand-alones and parts of old and new series. Sadly, though, a number of revered series came to an end.


I just couldn't narrow my "BEST" list down to 10, so I divided them up into several categories and made a "Top" list for each one. As always, just click on the pink series titles below to go directly to my reviews:




Here are my categories for best paranormal fiction in 2011:

   > Top 10 Paranormal Romance Novels Added to an Existing Series  

   > Top 10 Urban Fantasy Novels Added to an Existing Series

   > Top 10 Paranormal Romance Series That Débuted in 2011

   > Top 10 Urban Fantasy Series That Débuted in 2011

   > Top 4 Urban Fantasy Series That Came to an End in 2011

   > Top 4 Stand-Alone Paranormal Romance Novels 

   > Top 4 Stand-Alone Fantasy Novels

   > Eight Special Awards for Individual Efforts

Top 10 Paranormal Romance Novels 

Added to an Existing Series in 2011

1. Erica Hayes’s Blood Cursed, the fourth book in her SHADOWFAE CHRONICLES, which tells the love story of Diamond, a scary glassfae gangster who was a major villain in Poison Kissed, and Ember, a beautiful bloodfairy whose blood is like ambrosia to vampires.

2. Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love’s Alterant, the second book in their BELADOR series, in which the Tribunal punishes Evalle by assigning her an impossible task.

3. Nancy Gideon’s Hunter of Shadows, the fifth book in her BY MOONLIGHT series, in which the romance moves away from Max and Cee Cee to focus on Silas (a Shifter cop) and Monica (a lethal assassin).

4. Gena Showalter’s The Darkest Secret and The Darkest Surrender, the eighth and ninth books in her LORDS OF THE UNDERWORLD series, in which Amun (Secrets) and Strider (Defeat) find their soul mates after a bit of a mate mix-up.

5. Nalini Singh’s Archangel’s Blade, the fourth book in her GUILD HUNTER series, in which Singh turns away from Elena and Raphael to tell the love story of Dmitri and Honor.

6. Nalini Singh’s Kiss of Snow, the tenth book in her PSY-CHANGELINGS series, in which we FINALLY get the love story of Hawke, the SnowDancer alpha and Sienna, the young and pretty Psy defector.

7. Eve Silver’s Body of Sin, the fourth book in her OTHERKIN series, in which the mystery surrounding Lokan’s murder is finally resolved.

8. Angela Knight’s Master of Smoke and Master of Shadows, the seventh and eighth books in her MAGEVERSE series, in which the Warlock plot line moves further toward resolution—with the biggest battles still ahead.

9. Kate Pearce’s Blood of the Rose and Mark of the Rose, the second book in her TUDOR VAMPIRE CHRONICLES, in which we discover the secret life of Anne Boleyn.

10. Juliana Stone’s His Darkest Salvation, the third book in her JAGUAR WARRIORS series, in which the no-longer button-downed Julian Castille returns from his trip to Hell and falls hopelessly in love with Jaden DaCosta, the daughter of his worst enemy.

Top 10 Urban Fantasy Novels 
Added to an Existing Series in 2011

1. Kim Harrison’s Pale Demon, the ninth in her HOLLOWS series. This series gets better and better as Rachel goes on a road trip to the West Coast with Ivy, Jenks, and Trent, who is, unbelievably, acting friendly.

2. Seanan McGuire's One Salt Sea, the fifth book in her OCTOBER DAYE series, in which Toby has an undersea adventure and gets closer to a full-blown romance with Tybalt.

3. Jennifer Estep's Spider's Revenge, the fifth book in her ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN series, in which Gin Blanco and her nemesis, Mab, finally have their big showdown.

4. Nancy Holzner’s Bloodstone, the third book in her DEADTOWN series. For me, this is the strongest book in an already terrific series as it beautifully captures the mind-numbing reality of the Boston paranormal world, with its voluminous paperwork, never-ending checkpoints, menacing police visits, neighborhood lock downs, and the heartbreak of demi-human parents as they face the possibility of losing custody of children who develop paranormal traits.

5. Jeanne C. Stein’s Crossroads, the seventh book in her ANNA STRONG CHRONICLES, in which Anna has a run-in with Chael, the powerful vampire who is trying to depose her from her Chosen position, and Anna has an emotional desert adventure with her old friend, Frey.

6. Kate Griffin's The Neon Court, Or the Betrayal of Matthew Swift, the third book in her MATTHEW SWIFT series, in which Matthew meets up once again with Oda and tries to bring daylight to an endless London night.

7. Laurell K. Hamilton’s Hit List, the 20th in her ANITA BLAKE, VAMPIRE HUNTER series. For all of you who are sick of Anita’s ardeur, this one is a welcome sex-free break, and (Hurray!) Edward’s back (along with Bernardo and the sinister Olaf), so there’s lots of verbal interplay among the characters.

8. Barb Hendee’s In Memories We Fear, the fourth in her VAMPIRE MEMORIES series. If you’re looking for fascinating characters and more story than sensuality, this one’s for you.

9. Diana Rowland’s Secrets of the Demon, the third book in her KARA GILLIAN, in which Kara and her team investigate the abduction of a teen rock star and get drawn into a string of murders committed by golem-like creatures.

10. Rob Thurman’s Blackout, the sixth book in her CAL LEANDROS series, in which Cal wakes up amidst dead monsters on a deserted beach and can’t remember anything about his previous life.

Top 10 Paranormal Romance Series 
That Débuted in 2011   

1. Isabel Cooper's ENGLEFIELD SERIES series (first book—No Proper Lady), in which a young woman is transported 200 years back in time to Victorian England where she must try to change certain magical events in order to save the future world.

2. Sylvia Day's RENEGADE ANGELS series  (first book—A Touch of Crimson), which follows fallen angels, vampires and lycans as they struggle for control of the world.

3. Karina Cooper: DARK MISSION (first book—No Proper Lady), in which the all-powerful Church has stepped up to take control of a devastated alternate Seattle and sends deadly hunters, called missionaries, to kill all witches, based on the Biblical edict, "Do not suffer a witch to live."    


4. Susan Grant: THE LOST COLONY series (first book—The Last Warrior) This series is more fantasy than paranormal, with its other-planet setting, but it flows like a top-notch paranormal romance, so I'm including it here.

5. Michele Bardsley: WIZARDS OF NEVERMORE (first book—Never Again) Bardsley creates the magical town of Nevermore, populated by various supernaturals, including dragons and wizards.

6. Molly Harper: NAKED WEREWOLF series (first two books—How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf and The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf). Harper does a great job with the humorous dialogue among her human and werewolf characters as they fall in love in small-town Alaska.

7. Vicki Lewis Thompson: WILD ABOUT YOU (first two books—Werewolf in Manhattan and Werewolf in the North Woods) Thompson's stories are always sexy, face-paced and humorous, with quirky characters, humorous dialogue, and plenty of sensuality.

8. Michele Hauf: HAWKES ASSOCIATES (first two books—Seducing the Vampire and Forever Vampire) This series tells the love stories of two generations of vampires as they deal with the angst and passion of finding and keeping their soul mates.

9. Laurie London: SWEETBLOOD (first two books—Bonded by Blood and Embraced by Blood). This is a fresh take on the vampire mythos in which the blood of certain humans (called Sweetbloods) is like cocaine to vampires. Naturally enough, each female soul mate is a Sweetblood and each male mate is a vamp. 


10. Thea Harrison: ELDER RACES series (first three books--Dragon Bound, Storm's Heart, Serpent's Kiss). This series got off to a rocky start, but improved in book 2. Here's hoping that it gets even better.

Top 10 Urban Fantasy Series 
That Débuted in 2011    

1. Rachel Vincent: UNBOUND TRILOGY (first book—Blood Bound) Here’s the first line of this terrifically dark and gritty UF series: "Only two-thirty in the morning, and I already had blood on my hands. The most messed-up part of that? It was the hour that bothered me."  Another hit UF series from Vincent.

2. Sophie Littlefield: AFTERTIME (first two books—Aftertime and Rebirth), in which the heroine (Cass Dollar) tries to survive in a post-apocalyptic world in which bioterrorism has killed most of the vegetation and zombie-esque Beaters roam the countryside attacking humans.

3. Cherie Priest: THE CHESHIRE RED REPORTS (first two books—Bloodshot and Hellbent). Raylene is a vampire thief nicknamed Cheshire Red within the global crime network. She gets involved in solving various crimes as she gathers together a family of society’s cast-offs and misfits. 

4. Michelle Rowen: NIGHTSHADE (first two books—Nightshade and Bloodlust) This is a dark and violent series with a fresh and inventive take on the vampire story. The characters are complex, with no one being either all good or all bad.

5. Melissa Marr: GRAVEMINDER series (first book—Graveminder). When Beka returns to her hometown for her Grandmother Maylene’s funeral, she learns the real reason why Maylene scrupulously attended the graves of the town’s dead.

6. Kevin Hearne: IRON DRUID CHRONICLES (first three books—Hounded, Hexed, and Hammered). Atticus O’Sullivan is a Druid who is hiding from the magical world in Tempe, Arizona. The books follow his adventures as, time after time, various supernatural beings force him back into the magical action he is trying to avoid.

7. Jon Courtenay Grimwood: THE ASSASSINI TRILOGY (first book—The Fallen Blade) This series is set in an imaginary Venice in the 1400s—fascinating characters, a compelling story line, and an authentic sense of place.

8. Kelly Meding: META WARS (first book—Trance) In this fresh and inventive world, an alternate U.S. is in a post-apocalyptic state fifteen years after a major supernatural war between two groups of powerful MetaHumans (aka Metas).

9. Amanda Stevens: THE GRAVEYARD QUEEN (first book—The Restorer) Amelia is a graveyard restorer who can see ghosts. She must be very careful because ghosts in this world seek out humans in order to drain their energy. This is almost a cozy series, with an amateur sleuth in a small town, but the spooky, creepy, look-over-your-shoulder ghosts scenes ramp up the action.

10. Anthony Frances: SKINDANCER series (first book—Frost Moon) A magical tattoo artist lives on the edge between the mundane and the mysterious in Atlanta, Georgia.

Top 4 Urban Fantasy Series 
That Came to an End in 2011

1. Richelle Mead: GEORGINA KINCAID. Just when Georgina and Seth believe that they've finally reached the smooth part of their romantic road, they discover that someone—or something—wants to keep them apart. Don't worry, though, all of the unconnected plot threads are woven together in a great finalé in the final book, Succubus Revealed.


2. Jennifer Rardin: JAZ PARKS. In the final book (The Deadliest Bite), Vayl finally reunites with his reincarnated sons and all of the romantic couples get their HEAs—even Cole.


3. Lilith Saintcrow: JILL KISMET series. In the final book (Angel Town), Jill returns from the dead to seek retribution from Pericles and finally achieves her HEA with Saul.


4. Jocelynn Drake: DARK DAYS. The final book (Burn the Night) follows Mira, a fire-controlling vampire in Savannah, Georgia, as she battles the evil Naturi, ancient earth guardians-gone-bad to a final conclusion.

Top 4 Stand-Alone Paranormal
Novels Published in 2011

1. Scott Kenemore: Zombie, Ohio. A philosophy professor in a small college town wakes up after an automobile accident to find that he is now a zombie.

2. Glen Duncan: The Last Werewolf. This literary novel follows an ancient werewolf as he considers ending his long life, but instead finds a reason to stay alive.

3. Barbara Ashford: Spellcast. Maggie Graham takes a job with a summer theater company and finds herself falling for the mysterious director, Rowan, who has some supernatural secrets.

4. Carrie Vaughn: After the Golden Age. In this comic-book-inspired UF world, the talent-challenged daughter of superhero parents tries to find her way to a “normal” life.

Top 4 Stand-Alone Fantasy
Novels Published in 2011

1. Karen Russell: Swamplandia! This book is not strictly paranormal fiction, but...it does have ghosts, a touch of magical realism, and a whole lot of fangs (alligator fangs, that is, with "icicle overbites"—what a great image). Russell includes a number of mythological allusions in the story, with the River Styx being an important metaphor.

2. Téa Obreht: The Tiger's Wife. Obreht uses myth-making, allegory, and a touch of magical realism as she tells us a fantastical fairy tale of a story. As Natalia grieves for her recently deceased grandfather, she recalls his many stories, which she always assumed were pure fiction, but when she makes a trip to retrieve his possessions, she soon learns that his stories were based on truth.

3. Graham Joyce: The Silent Land. No supernatural creatures here, but plenty of fantasy and just a touch of creepiness. When Zoe and Jake return to their hotel after a pleasant day of skiing in the Pyrenees Mountains, they find no trace of any people—not anywhere in the entire village. Warning: Please don’t read the ending first; you’ll spoil the story for yourself.

4. Ransom Riggs: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Riggs seems to have channeled both David Lynch and Stephen King as he put together this eerie time travel novel, which fits into many categories: a coming-of-age novel, a time travel story, a monster-in-the-dark tale, and a paranormal fantasy

Finally, here are seven special awards for individual efforts in 2011:

Best New Steampunk Series

Devon Monk’s THE AGE OF STEAM (first book-Dead Iron) Even if you’re not crazy about steam punk, you’ll probably enjoy this series set in an alternate Old West, where the source of evil is the Strange and the characters include werewolves, witches, and robotic bad guys.     

Best X-rated Sex-in-the-Air-Over-an-Iowa-Cornfield-at-Midnight Scene

Jeaniene Frost's One Grave at a Time, the sixth book in her NIGHT HUNTRESS series. No further explanation needed.    

Most Fascinating Supporting Character

Adrian deJesus in Cherie Priest's THE CHESHIRE RED REPORTS. He's a hunky, Cuban, ex-Navy SEAL who is hiding from his enemies by working in a strip club disguised as Sister Rose, an over-the-top dancing drag queen. Kudos to Priest for giving us such a great character!

Best Use of a Tanning Bed As a Weapon Against Vampires

Delilah Street in Carole Nelson Douglas' Virtual Virgin, the fifth book in her DELILAH STREET series.

Best Paranormal Chick Lit Series That Debuted in 2011

Sara Zettel's VAMPIRE CHEF MYSTERIES (first book—A Taste of the Nightlife), in which a mortal female chef owns a Manhattan restaurant that caters to vampires and werewolves.

Most Amusing Dialogue in a Paranormal Romance

Molly Harper's The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf, the second book in her NAKED WEREWOLF series. I could hear the characters in my head; they sounded just like a really good TV sit com.    

Best Paranormal Fiction Title of 2011

Diana Rowland’s My Life as a White Trash Zombie, the first book in her WHITE TRASH ZOMBIE series. I wish the story-telling had lived up to the title.

Best Paranormal Fiction Cover Art of 2011

Kristin Painter’s Blood Rights, the first book in her HOUSE OF COMARRÉ series. 

UPDATE! Laura Resnick's ESTHER DIAMOND Series

UPDATE!

I have just updated a previous post for Laura Resnick with a review of the fourth book in her ESTHER DIAMOND SERIES:  Vamparazzi.

Click on the author's name or the book title above to go directly to the updated review.

Lynsay Sands & Jeaniene Frost: "The Bite Before Christmas"

Authors: Lynsay Sands & Jeaniene Frost
Title: The Bite Before Christmas
Plot Type: Sands—SMR;  Frost—UF
Ratings: Sands—V2; S4; H3;  Frost—V4; S4; H2
Publisher: HarperCollins (2011)

     Sands and Frost give us two Christmas-themed novellas from the ARGENEAU series and the NIGHT HUNTRESS series, respectively.

Lynsay Sands: The Gift (113 pages)

     In this plain vanilla romance novella, Katricia Argeneau finds her life mate while marooned in a secluded cottage in the midst of a blizzard. Her romantic partner is Teddy Brunswick, the police chief of Port Henry, a town full of immortals (as vampires are called in this series). Katricia's Aunt Marguerite is responsible for making this match, as she has done so many times before. The story has no real conflict (except for Teddy's unfortunate run-in with a hungry bear). The plot consists entirely of the romantic process, from first sight to lust to turning. The romance runs smoothly from start to finish, with the tiny exception that Teddy must rethink his infatuation with Elvi, his childhood crush back in Port Henry. Both characters are portrayed as perfect individuals, with no flaws to add interest to the proceedings. But if you are following the ARGENEAU series, you'll probably enjoy this one.


     Here's Teddy, feeling some angst about his developing relationship with Katricia: "...for some reason, he felt incredibly guilty, as if his feelings for Elvi, feelings he'd had since he was a callow youth, were somehow betraying this new and very tentative friendship with Katricia...which was just stupid. He'd only met her today." (p. 60)

Jeaniene Frost: Home for the Holidays (150 pages)

     This story takes place immediately following One Grave at a Time. Cat and Bones have gathered their extended family for a holiday celebration when violence intrudes in the form of a demon possessing Bones's long-lost brother, Wraith. The plot follows Cat and Ian as these unlikely allies fight to save the rest of their family. The twist in this story is that Bones and the rest of the good guys turn against Cat and Ian—to the point of severe physical violence. Watching the two of them figure out a way to save their friends with the assistance of their ghostly buddies and yet another demon is fascinating. By the end of the book, Bones learns that he has more blood relatives than he thought he did. Click HERE to read an excerpt (the first three chapters) of this lengthy novella. Click HERE to read my review of the NIGHT HUNTRESS series.


     Here's my favorite quotation from Home for the Holidays as Cat tries to rescue an unwilling Bones from demonic possession (You've gotta love their relationship!): "You're not going to die." I swore, then pressed my mouth to his for a kiss filled with all the love, pain, fear, and frustration of the past several days. I was still kissing him when I pulled out my other gun and shot him through the head." (p. 205)


     The book also contains excerpts from two new works—one from each author. Sands includes a piece from Under a Vampire Moon (release date 4/12), in which Carolyn (aka Caro), an unlucky-in-love human woman, finds a life mate in Christian, Marguerite's seemingly immortal son, who is a hard-rock violinist. (Apparently, there is such a thing.)


     Frost includes a selection from Once Burned (release date 6/12), which is the first book in her new NIGHT PRINCE series, in which the heroine, Leila, a psychometrist and channeler of electricity, teams up with the fire-manipulating vampire, Vlad Tepesh. 

UPDATE: Linda Wisdom's JAZZ TREMAINE/HEX SERIES

UPDATE!

I have just updated a previous post for Linda Wisdom with a review of the sixth book in her JAZZ TREMAINE--HEX SERIES:  A Demon Does It Better.

Click on the author's name or the book title above to go directly to the updated review.

UPDATE! Nancy A. Collins: GOLGOTHAM SERIES

UPDATE!

I have just updated a previous post for Nancy A. Collins with a review of the second book in her GOLGOTHAM SERIES: Left Hand Magic.

Click on the author's name or the book title above to go directly to the updated review.

UPDATE! Stephanie Rowe's SOULFIRE SERIES

UPDATE!

I have just updated a previous post for Stephanie Rowe with a review of the third book in her SOULFIRE SERIES: Hold Me If You Can.

Click on the author's name or the book title above to go directly to the updated review.

Gena Showalter: ALIEN HUNTRESS Series

Author:  Gena Showalter
Series:  ALIEN HUNTRESS
Plot Type:  SMR
Ratings:  V4-5; S4-5; H2
Titles:
        Awaken Me Darkly (2006)
        Enslave Me Sweetly (2006)
        Savor Me Slowly (2007)
        Seduce the Darkness (2009)
        Ecstasy in Darkness (2010)
        “Tempt Me Eternally” in Deep Kiss of Winter (2009)
        Dark Taste of Rapture (2011)

     This blog entry focuses primarily on the sixth book in the series:  Dark Taste of Rapture. My review of that book follows this very brief overview of the world building for the series.

          WORLD-BUILDING         

     The series is set in New Chicago (an alternate-future Chicago) about a century after the ending of a huge human-alien war that resulted in some modifications to the way humans now live. The Earth is now populated by both mortals and “Otherlanders”—aliens from other planets and realms who travel through portals between their lands and ours. Naturally enough, there has been some mating between species, so there are also a lot of hybrids of various combinations. This world is mildly futuristic. For example, water is a precious resource, so people take enzyme showers instead of using real water. Buildings are built more securely, with metals that will prevent Otherworlders from teleporting in unexpectedly. Automobiles are equipped with sensors that allow the driver to program in the destination and then sit back and let the car propel itself with no human assistance. Much of the food is made from synthetic starches and proteins. Real, fresh food and water are available only to the wealthy—that annoying 1% is still hanging in there.

     Many of the Otherlanders have various magical abilities (e.g., teleporting), and some of them (particularly the Arcadians) are out to harm mortals in various ways. The protagonists are mostly human, or at least half-human, Hunters and Huntresses who police the alien population.

     Each book tells the love story of a couple that includes at least one Hunter or Huntress. Sometimes one member of the loving couple is an Otherlander or a hybrid. Book 1 sets up the series story line as it tells the story of Mia Snow, who heads up her expert team of Alien Investigation and Removal (AIR) agents, who use some futuristic weaponry and a lot of attitude to catch and punish the bad guys.

Here are the happy couples for each book: 

> Awaken Me Darkly: Mia Snow & Kyrin en Arr (Arcadian)

> Enslave Me Sweetly: Eden Black (Raka) & Lucius Adaire (Hunter)

> Savor Me Slowly: Mishka Le'Ace (mechanically enhanced human) & Jaxon Tremain (Hunter)

> Seduce the Darkness: Bride McKell (vampire) & Devyn, King of the Targons

> Ecstasy in Darkness: Ava Sans (Hunter) & McKell (vampire)

> “Tempt Me Eternally” in Deep Kiss of Winter: Aleaha Love (aka Macy; shape shifter) & Breean (Rakan)

> Dark Taste of Rapture: Noelle Tremain (Huntress) & Hector Dean (Hunter)

          BOOK 6:  Dark Taste of Rapture         

     This book stars Noelle Tremain, whom we met in the previous book with her AIR partner, Ava Sans. The story takes us back to the time that Ava and Noelle were in training to become Huntresses. Noelle is a spoiled rich girl with a tragic childhood. When she was twelve years old, she was kidnapped and tortured as she was held for ransom. When she was returned to her family, her father decided to protect her from a repeat of this experience by having all of her pain receptors deadened. Unfortunately, Noelle had to remain conscious for these operations, so the trauma and pain were excruciating. Noelle reacted to her up-tight, snobbish family by becoming a wild child, embarrassing them whenever she could. Now, she has decided to become a Huntress, and she’s determined to achieve her goal. Noelle has perfected a smart-mouthed, careless façade that hides her deep sensitivity and covers the fact that she wears her heart on her sleeve, always getting hurt by people who react to her hard-hearted demeanor. She has created a vicious circle that only her friend, Ava, has been able to crack.

     Noelle’s soul mate is Hector Dean, an experienced Hunter with deep secrets. He was raised in the slums of New Chicago by an abusive father who forced Hector and his brother into a child-fighting ring when they were quite young. The children were caged and unfed for days before each fight to make them as feral as possible. Hector’s brother was killed in one of the fights, and Hector killed the child responsible—something that he still has trouble living with. Hector’s other secret is his ability to atomize. When Hector is extremely upset, his tattooed arms begin to glow and heat up to the point that if he touches anything or anyone, they will burn up in an instant. When he was a teen-ager, Hector fell in love, but when he and his girlfriend became intimate, his emotions ran so high that his arms heated up to the burning point, and—heartbreakingly—she was burned to death. Now, Hector tries not to touch anyone because he is afraid that he will accidentally scorch—or even kill—them.

     So…we have two emotionally damaged Hunters who are extremely attracted to one another, and the story follows the development of their romance as they fight the attraction, constantly misunderstand one another’s words and intentions, and strike back with bitter sarcasm. The other story thread involves a series of kidnapped young women who have been found only after AIR receives anonymous telephone tips as to their locations. As AIR Hunters rescue the women, someone has been teleporting them away form their guarded locations and killing them—leaving no traceable clues. Hector is assigned to the case, and he’s frustrated because he hasn’t been able to solve it. As the story progresses, Noelle and Hector work together to track down the villains and find their HEA.

     This is a typical ALIEN HUNTRESS story, with pages and pages of angst-filled monologues from both lovers. The relationship between Ava and Noelle—both in this book and the previous one—is one that we don’t often find in urban fantasy . Until they meet their soul mates, the two women trust and love only each other, and their adjustment to adding their male lovers to their lives is interesting to watch. The secondary plot (the women’s murders) is not nearly as well developed as the romance, and for me, that is a weakness in this book. A new character turns up—one with a link to Mia Snow’s past—so he may be part of the plot for the next book.

     Showalter has also written two books in a TEEN ALIEN HUNTRESS series: Red Handed (2007) and Blacklisted (2007).