Chill of the Shadow — Nik Morton

Where there is light, there is shadow… This cross-genre thriller is set in present-day Malta and has echoes from pre-history and also the eighteenth century Knights of Malta. Malta may be an island of sun and sand, but there's a dark side to it too. It all started when some fishermen pulled a corpse out of the sea... Or maybe it was five years ago, in the cave of Ghar Dalam? Spellman, an American black magician, has designs on a handpicked bunch of Maltese politicians, bending their will to his master's. A few sacrifices, that's all it takes. And he's helped by Zondadari, a rather nasty vampire. Maltese-American investigative journalist Maria Caruana's in denial. She can't believe Count Zondadari is a vampire. She won't admit it. Such creatures don't exist, surely? She won't admit she's in love with him, either... Detective Sergeant Attard doesn't like caves or anything remotely supernatural. Now he teams up with Maria to unravel the mysterious disappearance of young pregnant women. They're also helped by the priest, Father Joseph. And there are caves, supernatural deaths and a haunting exorcism. Just what every holiday island needs, really.