cover image Shadowed Steel

Shadowed Steel

Chloe Neill. Berkley, $17 trade paper (336p) ISBN 978-0-593-10262-6

Neill’s enthralling third Heirs of Chicagoland urban fantasy pits vampire against vampire with a violent stalker on the loose. Following the events of Wicked Hour, in which Elisa Sullivan was forced to turn her first vampire—without the proper authorization—in order to save a woman’s life, she and her boyfriend, Connor Keene, prince of the North American Central Pack of shape-shifters, return to Chicago. Soon after, Elisa is visited by the Compliance Bureau, who inform her she broke vampire law and must stand trial. Elisa knows she made the right choice, but soon discovers that there are more sinister reasons why the Bureau is targeting her. With the help of Connor, their friends, and their families, she searches for a way to dodge the punishment the Bureau has in store for her. At the same time, a stalker sets his sights on Elisa—and takes it upon himself to “help” her by murdering all those who cross her. Neill ratchets up the intensity from the previous volumes, threading together multiple exciting mysteries and making space for Connor and Elisa’s relationship to heat up. Readers will be thrilled to return to Elisa’s adventures. [em]Agent: Lucienne Diver, the Knight Agency. (May) [/em]