This is the first of the Damask Circle novels, and I admit to having read it last rather than first by mistake but having read the others I had a good grasp on some of the peripheral characters without having to have them explained.

Madeline Smith, Maddie, has been having visions again, but this time the "ghost" insists he isn't dead, in fact he's trying to convince Maddie to come and rescue him, before he is dead. All her life Maddie has been afraid of her psychic powers and when Jon warns Maddie her nephew Evan is in danger and Even does indeed disappear Maddie turns to the only one who seems to believe her, a ghost who seems to be fading fast and so is her chance of saving her nephew. With a last burst of power, Jon manages to get some directions to her and when she finds out she is wanted for questioning in the disappearance of her nephew, she heads out to save Jon and hopefully he will assist her in saving her nephew.

The directions lead her to the small town of Taurin Bay around which some sixteen teenagers have gone missing over the previous months and with the last directions Jon was able to send to her, she helps find him and pull him from an old abandoned well. With feelings of being watched they flee only to have Jon, once the arrow is removed from his shoulder, disappear into the night.

The Bed and Breakfast she's staying in just doesn't seem right to Maddie, and when she returns after rescuing and losing Jon, she just feels it that much more. A crash of a broken window, and the discovery of Jon laying on the floor of the bathroom in her room, only adds to the sense of wrongness about the Inn. Hiding Jon in the wardrobe from the creepy night manager forces the two to work together for a bit longer. Jon wants her anywhere but here, and Maddie refuses to leave without finding her nephew.

The teens had all been found with all the blood drained from their bodies, but Jon is sure that it is not a Vampire responsible but rather a far older evil. When Maddie attempts to purposefully "see" where her nephew Evan is, they are able to try a rescue, but while the attempt does rescue Evan, it leaves one teen behind and Maddie a hostage.

Maddie escapes with Jon's help in his shapeshifting form only to be recaptured the next day. Trading on Jon's unacknowledged feelings for Maddie, the ancient one tries to use her as a bargaining chip for Evan as two teens are required for the ritual. With the help of a FBI acquaintance from other cases, Jon tracks Maddie and the ensuing battle frees both Maddie and the other female teen. With the evil one destroyed you'd think the hero would get the heroine, but not so, Jon disappears and Maddie goes back to her remote home.

A year later, Maddie has sold her house and is getting ready to move when Jon reappears... and the rest, well you'll have to read the book...

These are primarily paranormal romantic suspense, but reading them as a series gives the reader a broader insight into the Damask Circle and their work as a policing unit for the paranormal. While I didn't find this one as compelling as the other two, it was still an interesting read so maybe it was a good thing I read it third.

Synopsis
Sixteen teenagers missing. Eleven bodies recovered, completely drained of blood. Some believe vampires are responsible, but Jon Barnett knows it's something far worse. To stop the killers, he needs help from recluse Madeline Smith, who is afraid of her psychic abilities which have killed. When “ghost” Jon Barnett warns Maddie of danger and her nephew disappears, she must leave her haven and place her trust in a man who is neither human nor ghost. As the noose of sorcery threatens to kill Madeline and Jon, the greatest danger to them both could be the feelings they have for each other.