Alexandra Sokoloff brilliantly takes the reins in the second installment to The Keepers Series with the introduction of “The Shifters”. Some authors might falter when asked to follow in the footsteps of paranormal powerhouse, Heather Graham, but Sokoloff, with her extraordinary background in all things ghoulish, was clearly up to the task. Thrumming with sexual tension and holding tightly to the emotional draw—apprehension, anxiety and uncertainty—of her characters and genre, Sokoloff hones in on the petulant middle sister in this exciting slice into the lives of the MacDonald family.
Caitlin MacDonald hasn’t fully accepted her path in life as the Keeper for the many shapeshifters living in the big easy and why should she? They’ve become their own worst enemy as they live life with little regard for the truth, floating in a cloud of constant deception and protecting their solitary mind-set. Uncertainty and a personal fear of failure tail her every step and with the persistent pall of her recent deception, that caught both she and her older sister in the deadly grasp of a killer, she’s not likely to accept the challenges of her birthright with ease.
When bounty-hunting shifter, Ryder Mallory arrives in town he’s Caitlin’s very own personal nightmare. A sexy supernatural being who’s immediate attraction is evident—in more ways than one—and while he’s hunting for a group of destructive entities set on terrorizing the city, he’s happy to divide his time. Unsure whether to trust this rogue, Caitlin isn’t wholly confident that the danger on the horizon is coming from another source until she see’s firsthand a small piece of the terror. Citywide carnage is imminent if they, along with the Others, don’t team up to destroy this group of Walk-Ins. But Caitlin, still reeling from her previous family neglect, is set on solving this crisis alone showing she’s closer in personality to her motley group of charges than she ever imagined.
Reading a novel by Alexandra Sokoloff is similar to watching the tension build on the big screen as each word, moment and thought is systematically developed to reel in the fans with unrelenting pressure. If you’re new to this artist, and yes…that’s what Sokoloff is, I recommend running out to purchase all of her work.

Reviewed by Shannon Raab for Suspense Magazine ( )

Caitlin McDonald is the middle sister of the McDonald clan and the keeper of the shapeshifters of New Orleans. As Halloween approaches, Bourbon Street swells with tourists and a new threat has arrived in the form of Walk-Ins, formless Others that take over humans and destroy them. These creatures have brought a new shapeshfter to town, a bounty hunter who wants to capture the leader of the walk-ins and the heart of Caitlin McDonald.

I enjoyed this quick and fun paranormal romance. It really captures the feel of New Orleans and I really like that. The characters and creatures are interesting and well developed. The sex is steamy but there is not to much of it. The story is more important than the sex in this series. I will be reading the last in the trilogy. ( )