Rating: 
Summary: Triumphant Tregarde
Review: A few flaws cause some problems in this book, but on the whole it is very good. Diana Tregarde is a great character, and so is Mark Valdez. Both are fleshed out well in various vignettes unrelated to the investigation of the crime. The problems I mentioned are problems of competency. Nobody seems to realize that pulling a heart from a body, in the southwest, could possibly be related to well known Aztec ceremonies where that happened. I studied that ceremony in grade 6. Ok, Diana was kept of the trail by spellcraft, but surely somebody else would have figured it out. The villains as well are not overly competent, luckily for Diana and Mark. When told to send a warning to Diana by taking down someone close to her, a minor character she saw once before and didn't like was taken down. As if the author didn't even want a peripheral friend of Diana's to be hurt. Those problems aside, the plot flows well and it keeps your interest despite the fact that as the reader you know who is doing what. Mark and Diana are both wonderfully sympathetic, attractive characters and the fact that they have to struggle to figure this out is a small plus. The shadowy world of psychics, mediums, wiccans and pagans is also shown well, and the supporting cast is reasonably well defined, though somewhat cliched. Diana had great potential, I look forward to the next two books and it is a shame she quit writing them.
Rating: 
Summary: bad...and no Andre.
Review: First, you should know that this is NOT the first book in the series.
Second be prepared for a depressing ending, like the prequel CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT, this is a book that I feel that if one only read the good parts( though far fewer than in the prequel) and made up a new ending it could be a decent book. This seems to be a copy of the first, only washed out, gorier , and devoid of Andre LaBrell, the only redeeming charter in the whole set of stories. Okay, so I'm a vampire freak, shoot me. Anyway... the story is that Diana tregard is called to help a cop try to stop a series of slaughters and ritual sacrifices, and at the same time trying to save her own life from the evil god trying to kill her and steal her power. All in all, I must say that I really didn't care for it, and that I was messed up for weeks after. If you must read this book, I strongly advise you to get it from a library. CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT was a better story, but it had a very, very, bad ending in my opinion, so it kind of balances out. Haven't read jinx high, but it most likely has a similar plot.
Yuck!
Rating: 
Summary: What the rest of you have missed...
Review: I found this book really entertaining, and have read this book so much that the cover has fallen apart on me. It had chills running up and down my spine the first time I read it, to think something that old and evil could be lurking underneath our noses! I wish there would be more Diana Tregarde books, but, due to certain misguided actions taken by some individuals(According to an article published on the internet called 'The Last Straw', written by Ms. Lackey), Mercedes Lackey has decided not to write any more novels with this character. I think that's a darned shame because this is a very good series.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: I found this book really entertaining, and have read this book so much that the cover has fallen apart on me. It had chills running up and down my spine the first time I read it, to think something that old and evil could be lurking underneath our noses! I wish there would be more Diana Tregarde books, but, due to certain misguided actions taken by some individuals(According to an article published on the internet called 'The Last Straw', written by Ms. Lackey), Mercedes Lackey has decided not to write any more novels with this character. I think that's a darned shame because this is a very good series.
Rating:
Summary: Deep in the Hearts of Texas
Review: I took this book and it's sequel, 'Children of the Night,' down off my shelves while doing some research and decided it would be interesting to reread them. There is a third book, 'Jinx High.' in the Diana Tregarde series, but I have never read it. While these books are very representative of Mercedes Lackey's early, and not quite polished, writing style, the are interesting, and the heroine is a strong independent woman in a time where this was still a bit exceptional. Since these were originally billed as young adult reading material, their influence is more significant than one might initially guess. The plot turns around the Aztec theme of the return of a god, in this case Tezcatlipoca, the god of war, and a very unpleasant character. He has possessed a local resident and plans to keep killing until his power has returned. Mark Valdez, a Fort Worth detective is involved in a the murder investigation where one gruesome killing follows another. Mark is a sensitive who used to work with Diana when they were in college, and can feel that there is more to the killings than just a serial killer. He manages to convince his boss to bring in Diana as a consultant. Diana is a Wiccan practitioner who has taken to heart the role of warrior/protector. A powerful witch, she is dedicated to exposing the false and undoing the evil. An intelligent and beautiful woman, she makes her living writing romances (when there are no wrongs to be righted). In this case, there is plenty of wrong, victims are drowned, skinned and de-hearted with depressing regularity, and Diana and Mike are unable to trace the crimes to a probable perpetrator. Diana is completely stymied for most of the book, unable to even identify the tradition behind the murderous sacrifices. If Diana is stuck, we are not. Lackey introduces us to the evildoers quite early, and keeps us well apprised of the workings of Diana's enemies. Tezcatlipoca dreams of vengeance against those that destroyed the culture of his people, and fully intends to work the end the world as we know it. Far from being a hare-brained scheme he and his cohorts are well on the way to re-establishing the god's dominion, and Mike and Diana will need considerable help before they can mount an effective defense. One of the interesting side themes of this novel is that Diana and Mike are not destined to become lovers. Instead, each has their own emotional life and problems. This helps to keep the plot focused, and actually gives Lackey a chance to develop her leads as independent characters. Unfortunately, while the plot work and characters are well done, the dialogue is flawed. People just don't seem to talk to each other in a normal fashion. A little too much bluster and stereotypical communication for my taste. And a cardboard-like stiffness at times when an open and relaxed style would accomplish more. Despite this weakness, 'Burning Mirror' is a good read with some interesting twists and turns. I don't think anyone will be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Deep in the Hearts of Texas
Review: I took this book and it's sequel, 'Children of the Night,' down off my shelves while doing some research and decided it would be interesting to reread them. There is a third book, 'Jinx High.' in the Diana Tregarde series, but I have never read it. While these books are very representative of Mercedes Lackey's early, and not quite polished, writing style, the are interesting, and the heroine is a strong independent woman in a time where this was still a bit exceptional. Since these were originally billed as young adult reading material, their influence is more significant than one might initially guess. The plot turns around the Aztec theme of the return of a god, in this case Tezcatlipoca, the god of war, and a very unpleasant character. He has possessed a local resident and plans to keep killing until his power has returned. Mark Valdez, a Fort Worth detective is involved in a the murder investigation where one gruesome killing follows another. Mark is a sensitive who used to work with Diana when they were in college, and can feel that there is more to the killings than just a serial killer. He manages to convince his boss to bring in Diana as a consultant. Diana is a Wiccan practitioner who has taken to heart the role of warrior/protector. A powerful witch, she is dedicated to exposing the false and undoing the evil. An intelligent and beautiful woman, she makes her living writing romances (when there are no wrongs to be righted). In this case, there is plenty of wrong, victims are drowned, skinned and de-hearted with depressing regularity, and Diana and Mike are unable to trace the crimes to a probable perpetrator. Diana is completely stymied for most of the book, unable to even identify the tradition behind the murderous sacrifices. If Diana is stuck, we are not. Lackey introduces us to the evildoers quite early, and keeps us well apprised of the workings of Diana's enemies. Tezcatlipoca dreams of vengeance against those that destroyed the culture of his people, and fully intends to work the end the world as we know it. Far from being a hare-brained scheme he and his cohorts are well on the way to re-establishing the god's dominion, and Mike and Diana will need considerable help before they can mount an effective defense. One of the interesting side themes of this novel is that Diana and Mike are not destined to become lovers. Instead, each has their own emotional life and problems. This helps to keep the plot focused, and actually gives Lackey a chance to develop her leads as independent characters. Unfortunately, while the plot work and characters are well done, the dialogue is flawed. People just don't seem to talk to each other in a normal fashion. A little too much bluster and stereotypical communication for my taste. And a cardboard-like stiffness at times when an open and relaxed style would accomplish more. Despite this weakness, 'Burning Mirror' is a good read with some interesting twists and turns. I don't think anyone will be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Good Suspense, But Not The Best of the Tregarde Novels
Review: Mercedes Lackey penned three novel featuring heroine Diana Tregarde. All three are very good, but this one is a little bit weak by comparison. The focus of Tregarde's investigations is a photographer and his (literally) ageless trio of models ... all of them creating a ruckus among the local pagan folk. A decent read with good suspense, but not quite up to Mercedes Lackey's usual standard of excellence.
Rating:
Summary: Burning Water
Review: Mercedes Lackey really outdid herself here. This book is about detective Mark Valdez, in Texas, who comes across a dangerous criminal that the papers are calling the "Texas Ripper". He calls in Di Tregarde for help. She arrives and stays at his aunt's house. After many trials and dead ends, and not a few dead bodies, Di and Mark discover that the so-called "ripper" is an ancient Aztec god inhabiting the body of Mark's best friend, Robert Fernandez. They arrive at Rob's apartment just in time to save Robert's wife, Sherry, from a gruesome sacrifice to the god (Tezcatlipoca). Fortunately, Mark is unusually receptive to outside forces taking over his body, so when Di calls in Tezcatlipoca's ancient enemy, Quetzalcoatl, Quetzalcoatl has a place to go. Psychic shootout scene, Tezcatlipoca flees, Sherry breaks down, the police find Rob sacrificed, the killing ceases, practically everyone goes home happy. Oh, but don't I wish Misty had written more Di Tregardes! These are her best books! Unfortunately, she's not writing any more, and the first book in the trilogy is out of print, so we can only get our hands on the second two. Too bad!
Rating:
Summary: Burning Water
Review: Mercedes Lackey really outdid herself here. This book is about detective Mark Valdez, in Texas, who comes across a dangerous criminal that the papers are calling the "Texas Ripper". He calls in Di Tregarde for help. She arrives and stays at his aunt's house. After many trials and dead ends, and not a few dead bodies, Di and Mark discover that the so-called "ripper" is an ancient Aztec god inhabiting the body of Mark's best friend, Robert Fernandez. They arrive at Rob's apartment just in time to save Robert's wife, Sherry, from a gruesome sacrifice to the god (Tezcatlipoca). Fortunately, Mark is unusually receptive to outside forces taking over his body, so when Di calls in Tezcatlipoca's ancient enemy, Quetzalcoatl, Quetzalcoatl has a place to go. Psychic shootout scene, Tezcatlipoca flees, Sherry breaks down, the police find Rob sacrificed, the killing ceases, practically everyone goes home happy. Oh, but don't I wish Misty had written more Di Tregardes! These are her best books! Unfortunately, she's not writing any more, and the first book in the trilogy is out of print, so we can only get our hands on the second two. Too bad!
Rating: 
Summary: Highly disappointing.
Review: Plot premise: There's an evil force loose in Dallas, Texas. Detective Mark Valdez calls in the paranormal troops, in the form of his old friend Diana. Diana supplements her Wiccan work with a lucrative career in writing romance novels. The force terrorizing Dallas is an Aztec God, sacrificing to add to his power supply, basically. There were many areas where the plot could have been fleshed out, and wasn't; there were areas in which the amount of detail given was of no relevance. I finished the book because it came highly recommended; however, I was glad that it was borrowed and not purchased. New, it wouldn't have been worth the money.
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