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Scarlet: Dead World Book 2    by Jordan Summers Amazon.com order for
Scarlet
by Jordan Summers
Order:  USA  Can
Tor, 2009 (2009)
Paperback
* *   Reviewed by Martina Bexte

In the first instalment of this series, Gina (Red) Santiago has come to terms with being a werewolf, albeit broken, since she's unable to shift. She also found her match in Alpha wolf Morgan Hunter as together they tracked down and neutralized a brutal serial killer. She's walked away from her job with her International Police Tactical Team and is now living in the No-Man's-Land town of Nuria, where Morgan is sheriff - and where she meets genetically engineered Others who are all different- and conflicted.

Not everyone is happy about Gina settling down in Nuria, given the fact that she's inferior and unable to completely shift. She battles growing alienation while still coming to terms with the fact that there are many and varied species of Others determined to hide their existence from those determined to destroy them. Morgan and a handful of his loyal followers, on the other hand, are trying to organise their own tactical unit, one strong enough to hold back or even thwart their political enemies. But when a family issue crops up, Morgan leaves Nuria to deal with it - and confront an old enemy who wants him - and all Others like Morgan and Gina - eradicated for the genetic aberration they are.

Summers continues adding scope and new characters to the harsh futuristic world she's envisioned, one filled with all manner of strange and persecuted man-made creations. The author juggles two plotlines, though the one involving Gina's being targeted by killers is somewhat similar to the storyline in Summers' debut book. Once she joins Morgan's quest, the remainder of the story barrels right along and concludes with a nifty cliffhanger. Summers tosses in a few too many overblown and clichéd sex scenes for my taste, but once you look past those, Gina and Morgan's dark and gritty Dead World is one paranormal fans will want to revisit in November with the release of Crimson.

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