England, France, Mexico, Tangiers

Alexandre Dumas and Harmony Nix have a lot in common: they both have nicknames coined by the police/media; they are both writers; and they both have psychic abilities. That’s pretty much where their similarities end. Although very few people know the truth, Alex is THE Alexandre Dumas who penned The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo. A run-in with a man, who eventually turns out to be an evil scientist, leaves Alex basically immortal and able to renew himself every few years by being struck by lightning. Unfortunately, at the time he made the choice, Alex didn’t realize how heartbreaking it would be to outlive your children. Still, Alex is quite happy with the twenty-first century and all of the delicious technology and joie de vivre that is embodied by this young generation for which the plagues and wars of the past are but words on a page. But he knows that the Dark Man, as Alex calls the scientist who made him what he is, is still out there along with his equally evil son, the Comte de St. Germain. Although Alex thought he had successfully dispatched St. Germain years ago, it has recently come to his attention that St. Germain is apparently alive, well, and continuing his ghastly experiments in creating monstrous creatures in Mexico.

Harmony Nix would be categorized by most people as an eco-terrorist. She uses her skills to infiltrate a company and expose their non-ecological secrets to the media. Feeling claustrophobic in her latest personal relationship and having just finished a job, Harmony decides to take off to Mexico to clear her head and get a little distance. A couple of drinks in a cantina and Harmony answers the whisper of attraction she feels for the handsome man in the corner.

As soon as he sees her, Alex knows that fate has drawn him to Harmony Nix. The chemistry between them is immediate, but so is the danger that suddenly surrounds them. Alex would have preferred to introduce Harmony to his reality and history over time, but time is not something they have. St. Germain is on the move and Harmony is in his sights. Unwilling to let another woman who seems to have a direct tie to his heart die, Alex is determined to keep Harmony safe, whatever the cost.

DIVINE NIGHT, like DIVINE FIRE before it, is a literary romance with the feel of one of the classics. Although she takes liberties with his character, author Melanie Jackson does an excellent job of imagining the voice of Alexandre Dumas and what he would be like if he continued to live into modern times. Both Alex and Harmony are writers and, since their “current” tales are faintly autobiographical, DIVINE NIGHT is, intriguingly, a book within a book, within a book. Although the story jumps from the present to the past and from Harmony’s voice to Alex’s, it is not at all confusing as Ms. Jackson uses this method to provide background information on the characters. It’s immediately apparent that Alex and Harmony are meant to be together, and it’s nice, for once, that neither fights it, but instead they focus on the danger that surrounds them. That’s not to say that Harmony easily wraps her mind around the shocks that Alex keeps dropping on her -- his identity, the existence of vampires. But she’s a strong, take-charge character who doesn’t ignore or dismiss what she sees before her, even when it’s unimaginable.

If you’re looking for a light and fluffy romance, this isn’t the book for you. But, if a literary experience with an entertaining romance on the side intrigues you, pick up DIVINE NIGHT and enjoy.

Kathy Samuels