On an emergency run to the store to pick up cookie-making supplies, Mercy Thompson Hauptman is taken captive after her truck is rammed. When her husband, Adam, alpha of the Columbia Basin pack, feels her pain through their mate bond, he rushes to the scene, but she has been whisked away, and he can no longer sense her. The Lord of Night, the master vampire ruling most of Europe, believes that Mercy is the key to the delicate balance of power that has been achieved in the region. While not physically powerful, Mercy is no one's victim, and part of her strength lies in her many allies. Since she discovered that she is the daughter of native trickster spirit Coyote, Mercy (Fire Touched) better understands why her life seems to attract drama, but that doesn't mean she finds it easy to get out of the dangerous situations fate seems to reserve just for her. VERDICT The vampires of Briggs's world are one of the biggest secrets still being kept from humanity, and it makes a nice change for series fans to delve deeper into their dark realm.—MM

Briggs delivers her usual action and danger in the 10th Mercy Thompson urban fantasy (after Fire Touched), and adds a surprising playfulness. Mercy, a cunning coyote shifter and ghostwalker, is kidnapped and taken to Italy by Iacopo Bonarata, the most powerful and deadly Old World vampire. Her psychic link to her mate, Adam, and the Tri-Cities werewolf pack is severed. When she escapes to the Czech Republic, the ever-resourceful and quick-witted heroine appropriates an old e-reader to contact the pack. Later she becomes the prisoner of a vampire witch, and an escape may require unleashing the Golem of Prague. Meanwhile, Adam and a team of supernatural buddies travel to Europe to extricate Mercy and determine why she was kidnapped. Though she is able to reestablish a small psychic connection to her people, the novel suffers from their separation. The tactical team's scenes in Italy add intrigue, highlight Adam's diplomatic and fighting skills, and deftly showcase the scary gamesmanship of their host, an intriguing new player in the series. (Mar.)