Bloody Crystal by Lynne Connolly
Dept. 57
Loose Id
Paranormal Suspense
ISBN: 978-1-61118-639-0
Reviewed by Jo




Cerys works as a waitress in a bar in her hometown of Llandundno, Wales.  She leads a pretty normal life with the exception that she is a vampire – a very young one as she was born that way, not turned.  Cerys was taught to keep her secret from everyone and to live carefully.  A lesson she learned well until the day a sexy man came into the bar.  That sexy man turns out to be a very old and strong vampire, one who was once a local boy in that town.  That is just the first of the changes in her life that Cerys is about to discover.

Rhodri Tryfanwy is home to close up the house after his last mortal relative died.  He is also helping his team, Team Crystal, build up a trap for the man they have been hunting for a really long time – Geoffrey Wilkinson.  Rhodri had no desire to get caught up in his hometown again until he met Cerys and learned her secrets.  Rhodri is falling for the spunky young woman, but he knows that his mission could kill him.

Cerys begins to fall for Rhodri and that unnerves her some.  After all she has lasted this long without the help of other talents.  But how can she say no to Rhodri when she is beginning to love him?  When Rhodri just ups and leaves Cerys wonders if she was just a blip on his radar until his team members show up and she learns Rhodri has disappeared.  Frightened for him, Cerys agrees to help the team anyway she can to find Rhodri.  However, the closer they get to Rhodri, the more danger Cerys finds herself in.  Can Team Crystal and Cerys find and rescue Rhodri before they both end up in Wilkinson’s grasp and lost forever?

Team Crystal’s long hunt comes to an end as Cerys and Rhodri heat up with a passion that could last forever if they can just stay alive during this mission.  Bloody Crystal brings Rhodri and Cerys together just as the mission Rhodri has been on comes to a climax.  I loved how spunky and ready to take on the world Cerys is, the perfect contrast to Rhodri who seems to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders.  They are such a great couple, I found myself hoping that nothing would come between them.  I loved how Cerys jumped in when Rhodri most needed her.  The final battle was just what I expected after the long build up through all the Crystal books.  I really loved the ending and the surprise it held for Cerys.  Bloody Crystal held passion, humor and suspense on many levels making it a wonderful addition to the Dept. 57 books.  It was also a great finale to the Team Crystal mission, but now I want to go back and read them all in a row from start to finish.  I can’t wait to see what the next Dept. 57 book will hold.