Bloodstains by Gaslight

This incredibly disturbing novel walks a tightrope between real life issues and horror fiction and does so with a perfect balance. Both are equally horrifying.

Reese is finishing her senior year of high school. For the past few years she's been dating her best friend, Michael. But he has turned overly possessive, jealous, and often leaves bruises on her wrists and arms when his temper has been set off.

She's decided to break up with him until a horrific accident he's involved in turns him into a vampire. With new found strength, speed, and an unquenchable thirst for blood, Reese finds herself trapped with a monster, Michael's temper and jealousies making her a virtual prisoner. And as people around her begin dying horrifically, she might never be able to escape.

The horrors of domestic abuse are just as frightening as the vampires in this book. You feel as helpless as Reese as she's controlled and manipulated by Michael even before his change. This makes for a very intense gripping narrative.

But the vampires in here are truly terrifying as well. Their incredible speed and strength add another layer of fear as they feed to satisfy their hunger.

Add to that some other characters, both human and otherwise, which have their own agendas and you have a dark story with very real undertones. This is a heartfelt and effective vampire novel and I highly recommend it.

This is a devastating, brilliant, horrifying novel. It can be extremely hard to read because it dives deeply into issues of domestic violence and abuse, and it is just so painful and real. Lagoe has created a masterpiece of sadness and gore, and this book should make her an absolute horror star. So many scenes will stick with me for a long time, this is truly an unforgettable book.