The Vampire Shrink

The Vampire Shrink by Lynda Hilburn, Medallion Press, 2007.

"I didn't want to think about where I'd been all night. or what might have happened, or the media frenzy that was waiting for me. I absolutely didn't want to think about the possibility that there were real vampires. All I wanted was to be held, touched, and connected, without any expectations, rules, or complications"

Such was the wish of Denver psychologist Dr. Kismit Knight who has been through more than one harrowing moment in the past several hours. A new patient named Midnight told Kismit about the vampire world she had discovered at a great club called The Crypt. This teenager was enthralled with the head undead, Devereux, a handsome hunk by anyone's standards.


When Kismit meets Devereux the instantaneous and intense even lustful attraction astounds her. HIs enticing voice and mesmerizing eyes threaten to utterly overwhelm her. He can read her thoughts, talk to her telepathically, all the while making her want to melt into his arms. She's not sure how he does it, but the idea of a paranormal explanation is completely absurd. However the notion that he might be dangerous especially to young people like Midnight still concerns her.

Into this mix enters Alan Stevens, an FBI agent with a PhD in abnormal psychology, who is almost as good-looking and alluring as Devereux. And, as it turns out, Alan has been pursuing culprits in bizarre murders where victims have been totally drained of their blood. He knows the victims were dispatched by vampires, yes real vampires. Not only that, he knows Devereux and considers him trustworthy, one of the good undead. Kismit is flabbergasted.

Denial is a strong emotion to which Kismit clings. Not until she is abducted by an overpowering evil and left to die in a chamber of horrors does she begin to concede their might be something to this other reality after all.

It's not easy to combine horror, humor and realistic characters but Lynda Hilburn does it with ease. Kismit is a gal who must quickly learn her own strength. Her survival and others depend on it. Hilburn describes her novel as "urban fantasy romance with mystery elements, sex, dark humor, and a contemporary vibe." I would say that puts the story quite succinctly. Dark Harvest, the next book in the series will be available October 1, 2008.