Twice Damned

Dr. Faith Allister is running desperately through the construction site, pursued by a group of men with evil intentions. She’s got to get to the security call box, but trips and is taken down before she can alert the police. Just before all hope is lost, a strange man named Ritter shows up to save her. There is something otherworldly about Ritter, even though he looks to be around twenty years old. As she gets to know him better, she is by turns aroused, fearful and enchanted by this young man with the ageless eyes.

Faith is working on the project of a lifetime – working with live embryos to prevent deformities - a project that could spare children and parents much grief and pain. Due to the adverse publicity this type of research has garnered, the Viral Studies Foundation is losing donations fast. Luckily, the VSF chairman, Mr. Banat, along with his partner Miles Odell, offers her carte blanche, the latest technology, and open-ended time frame to continue her research, in exchange for patents on whatever she finds. But is this deal too good to be true?

Blood, death, horrific evil and redemption – these are the themes of Twice Damned. Faith is a smart woman with emotional baggage over the death of her brother; it’s what drives her to discover, to finish her work. Ritter is truly a knight in shining armor, wanting to defend and protect this woman who has touched the scattered fragments of his soul and wended her way into his heart. Carrie S. Masek seamlessly blends history, future and fiction as this superbly written tale unfolds.

Reviewed by: Michelle