"Thoughts of tasting his blood thrilled her beyond any feeling she had before that night."
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The Flight of Gabrielle by Linda Munroe Trafford Publishing
book review by Susan J. Illis
Angie inherits the family lake cottage after the death of her beloved grandmother and namesake, Angela. Despite a history of tragedy at the cabin and her mother's warnings about something otherworldly living in the woods nearby, Angie waits until a particularly eerie night to begin reading what she had always believed was her grandmother's journal.
Instead she discovers the story of Gabrielle, a young woman kidnapped by vampire Chalice from her marital bed and forced to leave her young daughter and husband behind. While others may find her position in vampire Chalice's household enviable (particularly Renee, who was Chalice's preferred lover before Gabrielle), Gabrielle instead feels an undefined longing—until the treacherous Renee shows her what she is missing, endangering both women's lives (such as they are) in the process.
Rife with details concerning Chalice's sexual prowess and cruelty, the novel is sometimes difficult to read and may be too dark for some audiences. Gabrielle emerges as a sympathetic character, despite her almost comical naiveté, making the reader hope for her despite the hopelessness of her situation. Angie's slowness in understanding why this story was in her grandmother's possession is somewhat diufficult to understand. Munroe is imaginative in her use of language, but occasionally this creativity extends into incorrect style usage. Alternating between gruesome and heart-wrenching, this novel will appeal to fans of paranormal (although not suitable for most young adult readers), but will win no new fans to the genre.