The author of the Lilith's Legacy series published by Changeling Press, Ms Ross is known for her erotic fantasy. She has an upcoming Fantasy title, the Comet Coalition. The precursor to Velvet Shadows, the short story titled Dance with the Devil, was well received. I, however, came to knew Aubrey Ross's work from her alternative pseudonym, Cyndi Friberg under which she authored The Dragon Trilogy and The Ontarian Chronicles.

This is not Fantasy. Unlike most of her other work, Velvet Shadows is a contemporary set in real world L.A.. In Velvet Shadows, the DaPalma Modeling Agency is as much a character as the protagonists Trevor Sutton and Velvet Arceneaux. Who are Trevor and Velvet? Thirty year old Velvet is employed by the elusive DePalma and is suffering from her upcoming divorce--not to mention the lingering effects of a bout of impromptu voyeurism between a mystery man and her acquaintance Selena during a Halloween party.

What Velvet wants is to find out what happened to her friend Jamie who came up missing after that aforementioned masquerade. Trevor Sutton is a journalist who is just loaded with secret motives, and who was a mutual friend of Elliot, Velvet's straight-laced soon-to-be ex. What Trevor wants--well, Velvet has no clue to most of what he wants, except for one thing: he makes it very clear that he wants her. Also he's tantalizing--someone she fantasized about for eleven years--and asks way too many questions about Jamie, the DaPalma Modeling Agency and Velvet's own sexuality.

And there's a driving question: just exactly who is Anthony DaPalma?

Trevor is a mŽlange of players all "roled" up into one: Captain Jack, the parolee, the journalist, the investigator. When he's playing a role--trust me in this--each persona is more interesting to Velvet than the next. Well, maybe she prefers Captain Jack...

There's a hide and seek through the darkly evil Devil's Den and the Snake Pit, the search for Jamie, and the puzzle of exactly who Jamie is running from. And what is her connection with Trevor? Unlike Ross's other work, there's not a trace of paranormalcy, but it's not necessary. Velvet Shadows is a hotbed of mystery, suspense and sexuality. Embedded in the story is a lot of hot sex, but the sex is part of a larger suspense story.

If I have a criticism of this, it is as a suspense novel. There's no way that characters so caught up in a life-and-death search could spend as much time cavorting as they do. Now, don't get me wrong. There is no real problem with either the suspense, or the erotica. Just don't come to this book looking for paranormal speculative fiction. Don't read this as a suspense genre novel with erotic scenes. This is well-done, full-fledged erotica with a suspense story backdrop. A spicy, sexy, well-written read.

Reviewed By Maitresse

(c) 2004