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Terri Garey has one of the funniest, richest voices in paranormal romance. Her style is a mixture of lighthearted humor with a mix of serious suspense, romantic drama and a whole lot of paranormal craziness.

Her series featuring Nicki Styx is one of my favorites in today’s flooded paranormal market. I’m a total fan of the sharp-tongued, pink-haired Nicki, her seductive, cuddly boyfriend, Joe, and friend and business partner, Evan. You never quite know what Garey will throw at Nicki next - which makes for a suspenseful, often hilarious, read.  When I pick up a Terry Garey book, I know that, for a few hours, I can escape life and be richly entertained. Plus the author herself proved friendly and fun in an interview with Pop Syndicate.

Her latest Silent Night, Deadly Night, isn’t quite as lighthearted as earlier books in the series, but it is still a damn good read - one I finished in one sitting.

A seductive succubus has set her sights on Joe and will use every wily, dirty trick to get him into her bed. She targets Joe because she’s pissed at Nicki for helping a ghost escape the Dark - the nasty, cold void that tries to envelope the woman right after she dies.

With the succubus Selene in the lead, a triad of deadly apparitions starts to weave a dangerous web around the good-hearted, completely unsuspecting doctor. Nicki doesn’t know what to do when he starts to pull away from their blistering romance. It doesn’t take long for Sammy - the devil himself - to step in and kick up the heat - and drive an even bigger wedge between the couple.

While trying to save Joe from the succubus’ seductive spell, Nicki must also help the ghost cross over into the light. This ghost committed suicide and doesn’t believe she has the right to the Light; her religious beliefs say is condemned to the Dark for taking her own life. Nicki decides to make the ghost see that she does deserve the Light - and also reach out to the woman’s teenage son, who is also a target of the succubus.

Unfortunately, helping the ghost is the key to losing Joe, and Nicki struggles with what her heart desires and the responsibility of her gift.

Lots of tears, romantic tension, suspense on a variety of levels, Silent Night, Haunted Night kept me on edge, wondering if this was really it for Nicki and Joe (sob!) and what nasty little tricks the succubus would pull on Joe. As a woman who also hates gorgeous dames with deadly aim, I really sympathized with Nicki in her heartbreaking plight to save her true love.

The book also had some deeper messages that surprised me, but fit perfectly with the storyline.

Garey touches on suicide and what happens after death. Some with very strict religious beliefs may condemn the author for her handling of this situation, but I felt she did it with aplomb. Garey offers hope to anyone who has suffered depression and dealt with guilt for suicidal thoughts, and the families of those who have committed suicide. She deals with the topic with great dignity - just as Nicki Styx would do - and also subtly reminds us that what we believe drives us - whether it is true or not.

Also an important lesson was cheating. The succubus seduces Joe through his dreams - and, he realizes later, he was a willing participant. Nicki experiences the same thing with Sammy late in the book and has to acknowledge her own weaknesses. As a couple, they have to figure out a line of commitment. What is OK and what isn’t? Just how committed are they to each other and what boundaries do they need to draw with the opposite sex? Will they stick together after their sexy, but adulterous dreams? It is tricky territory, but handled very well by the author.

Personally, I hope Nicki and Joe get a break in the next book. They deserve a little love time before the next catastrophe (likely from Sammy boy) decides to wreak more havoc on their lives.

What I really enjoy about these books is that you don’t have to read them in order. You can start with any of the books and quickly catch up. With a serious To Be Read backlog, I didn’t get to the last book, You’re the One that I Haunt, yet, but I was able to easily fill in the blanks with short bits of information provided at just the right times by the author. Those tidbits make me anxious to get to that novel.

Silent Night, Haunted Night is the perfect stocking stuffer for the paranormal romance lover on your list. It is a funny, scary, fast read that will keep the heart racing as Nicki faces off with the Dark and the evil succubus. If you really want to impress the reader on your list, get all four books so they can read them in order. There are some terrific tidbits in the previous books that are must-knows for new fans of the series.

A note for fans: Garey announced in August that Sammy will have his own trilogy, featuring his sexy self, as well as three lost souls of the female persuasion. You can read more about it at Garey’s blog.

Also on Pop Syndicate:

Dead Girls Are Easy review

A Match Made in Hell review

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