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*Spoilers Included*

Bounty hunter Anna Strong is back, and this time the newly-turned vampire must face off with a pack of angry werewolves intent on claiming a former lover’s fortune.

Anna Strong despises what she has become. After a run in with a rogue vampire during a case, she is now a blood-sucker finding it hard to accept what she is, or give up her humanity and the people she loves. Legacy, Book 4 of the Strong Chronicles, begins six months after Anna’s unwilling transformation.

At the heart of the story, Anna finds herself in the middle of a war with werewolves intent on reclaiming the fortune of her former lover Avery, an evil vampire who nearly destroyed her and her family. In the midst of learning about weres and their ability to defeat vamps, she has to chase down leads in a case involving her partner’s former lover, who is accused of murder. Anna’s hatred of the woman makes the case that much more interesting – and difficult to solve. She gets little help this time from previous supernaturals, who are busy with new mates, or lying low to avoid the press, and discovers more lies from those who have set out to mentor her in this strange new world. Add to that some major family and love drama, and you’ve got the makings of a hit.

After a disappointing turn in The Watcher, Stein hits her stride in Legacy, bringing readers deeper into Anna’s emotionally-taut and dangerous world. What makes this book difficult to put down is the never-ending series of events that keep Anna – and readers – on their toes. Stein never lets up, and her knack for creating more danger, intrigue and emotional upheaval in Anna’s world leaves readers breathless, clinging to the book as they wait to see what will happen next. The intensity is thrilling and will keep Anna Strong fans coming back for more. The great thing about Legacy is that Stein adds just enough detail about past happenings to bring new readers up-to-speed.

There were parts of this book where I actually hurt for Anna as a reader. She runs into Max - the federal agent who dumped her after he discovered what she was – after he has sex with another vamp for the ecstasy provided by the feeding frenzy. Her relationship with her parents and newfound niece gets rocky when they decide to move to France, where they’ve inherited a winery from a long-lost relative. Her best friend and partner, David, is still on the outs with her, and it seems that this time, maybe even their friendship cannot bridge the gap.

All of this emotional upheaval leads back to Chief Williams comment in a previous book that Anna would have to sever herself from humanity and embrace what she is now, however reluctantly. Anna has held firm to her family and friends, refusing to give up even as she tries to shield them from a truth that could ultimately be her undoing. Williams also talks about Anna’s destiny, and I’m curious to see where that leads – if it is just about her destiny as a vamp, or if there is something more there.

The fourth book in the Anna Strong Chronicles is a fast-paced thriller that sets the stage of for the bounty hunter’s next adventure. Stein can’t write it fast enough for fans.

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