Blood Cross, Faith Hunter's second Jane Yellowrock novel, is a slow burn that heats up to a raging fire. Someone in New Orleans is making vampires and turning them loose on the city, untrained and very hungry. When the killing spree begins to cause problems for the Vampire Council, it sends Jane to discover and stop whoever is responsible. As she begins to unravel the mystery, her best friend's children are kidnapped, and Jane struggles to solve the mystery before it is too late. Hunter keeps us guessing and on the edge of our seats throughout the story.
Some of Hunter's best scenes are the interior play between Jane and her alter ego Beast — the cougar she becomes when she changes. The inner conversation these two carry on is appealing and fun. Jane's search for her past and a connection with her "people" lend her character a sense of mystique and vulnerability. Kudos to Hunter for creating a fresh new urban fantasy heroine — vulnerable yet tough, smart, and independent.