Silence Fallen, by Patricia Briggs

Silence Fallen is the tenth novel in Patricia Briggs's best-selling Mercy Thompson series. In this fast-paced, action-heavy installment, shape-shifting VW mechanic Mercy is abducted from her home territory in the Pacific Northwest and spirited away to Italy, where she finds herself a pawn in a chess game being played by an ancient and powerful vampire. Being a resourceful sort of woman, Mercy promptly escapes—but finds herself stuck in Europe without money, identification, or allies.

I routinely compare Briggs' books with Laurell K. Hamilton's. Both authors have achieved similar levels of fame, write crime-noir stories set in modern-day fantasy versions of America, and base their books around tough-minded, spectacularly resilient heroines. But while their surface similarities are obvious, I am constantly impressed by how much better—across the board—Briggs' books are: her heroine more sympathetic, her mysteries more complex, her supernatural creations more inventive, and her romantic storylines less revolting. Hamilton has her charms (well, her early books did—the more recent ones have been a total waste of paper), but if you're looking to embark on an urban fantasy series with a fully developed world and a genuinely appealing heroine, Briggs is the infinitely safer bet.

Review based on publisher-provided copy.