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Kiss The Night Goodbye

Keri Arthur

First published 2004       282 pages

Summary (from the book jacket)

Private Investigator Nikki James wants nothing more than to pass the Circle's strict entry exams so she can plan her wedding to Michael Kelly. But when one of the testers attempts to kill her, she realises buying a wedding dress is the least of her worries. Especially when Michael is shot and kidnapped.

The trail leads her to the ghost-town where Michael once killed a murderer. She's not surprised to discover that Weylin Dunleavy, the brother of that long-ago sorcerer, has set out to raise his brother's spirit from hell. Nor is she truly surprised to discover that a barrier of magic surrounds the old town, leaving her to battle Dunleavy with only her wits, strength and the one psychic gift she cannot fully control.

The one thing that does surprise her, the one thing she cannot accept, is the fact that Michael no longer remembers who she is…

The Review

Kiss The Night Goodbye is the fourth and final book in Keri Arthur’s Nikki and Michael paranormal romance series. The Nikki and Michael books are a four-part serial vampire romance that always features the same protagonists: Nikki (a psychic PI) and Michael (a 360 year old supernatural investigating vampire) so it is necessary to read these books in series order. It is also worth noting that this book was originally published in the US by ImaJinn books a few years ago, so if you think the story sounds familiar but don’t recognise the book cover that could be why…

Kiss The Night Goodbye is set shortly after the timeframe of Chasing The Shadows (the third book in this series.) Nikki has finally got her wish to be fully included in Michael’s life and pending the successful completion of her training with The Circle is all set to become his partner in investigating paranormal crimes. Nikki and Michael have also set their wedding date but the path to the altar does not run smoothly for the couple, as a shape-shifting vampire sorcerer from Michael’s past is determined to have his revenge on Michael for killing his twin brother before the couple’s big day.

Like all the previous books in this series Kiss The Night Goodbye is a short, quick read. Again, like the previous books the author makes the most of the short page count and drops the readers straight into the action on the opening pages of the story. Out of all the books in the series this one is perhaps the most action orientated. Rescuing Michael from the clutches of the evil sorcerer and evading the sorcerer’s traps takes up most of Nikki’s time for the duration of the story and leave little time for romance.
This means that romantic relationship development takes a back seat in Kiss The Night Goodbye. The arguments about the extent of Nikki’s involvement in Michael’s dangerous work that have dogged the couple since book one are now (thankfully) over leaving Nikki and Michael with few internal relationship conflicts to resolve.

Kiss The Night Goodbye has none of problems with clunky editing that earlier novels in this series have suffered from - and it is a smoother read as a result. The short page count combined with a fast paced plotline ensure that this novel is engaging to the end and make it a strong finish to the Nikki and Michael series.

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