A Fate Worse Than Death

Jannette turns to Nick for help when Julie Beamer, a young "lady of the evening" whom she has befriended, is murdererd. However, Nick finds his hands tied when there isn't enough evidence to hold the prime suspect. Once a working girl herself, Jannette is outraged by the lack of "justice" and seeks to quench her thirst for blood when she learns the killer may have been Mason, her friend's pimp. When Mason and a fellow cop turn up dead, Nick traces the murders to Celeste Morgan, a seemingly innocent girl trapped in a life of prostitution.

Life imitates fiction when Emily Weiss, the best-selling author of a series of vampire novels, is attacked by a crazed fan. Her works are amazingly true to life, leading Nick to believe that she may know more about the vampire community than she says. LaCroix, the leader of the community, sees her as a threat and declares that she must die and Nick must carry out the decree. Nick, however, finds that he is falling in love with this woman. She is the only mortal capable of understanding what it is like to live in eternal darkness, and she would go willingly into his waiting arms if asked. The time has come for the truth and the fiction to become one, and her fate rests in Nick's hands.

It has been more than forty years since Nick has seen his close friend, Katherine Barrington, and her secretary Madelyn Pinchot. Now, after Madelyn has been murdered, Nick knows that Katherine will be next if he doesn't find her before the killer does.

A series of bizarre murders lead Nick and Schanke to believe that somebody is hunting the city's most dangerous criminals for sport. When they go undercover to catch the killer, Schanke is taken hostage and it is up to Nick to save him before the hunter makes Nick her ultimate trophy.

Nick joins the Luminology cult to investigate the death of a city official's son. When he inexplicably breaks off contact with the department, however, Natalie infiltrates Luminology's headquarters and discovers that Nick has been brainwashed.

David Constantine is the next in line to become "Don" of the city's biggest crime family, but after witnessing a lifetime of killing and bloodshed, he just wants to live a normal life with his family. Nick Knight understands David's dilemma, as he wants to get away from his self-proclaimed father, LaCroix. However, David's great grandfather will stop at nothing to ensure his grandson's enshrinement, even going to LaCroix for help. This sets up a Father's Day showdown between David and his great grandfather and Nick and LaCroix.

The two day search for Natalie Lambert's young niece ends when the missing girl's body is discovered in the woods. After Nick Knight rescues the alleged killer from an angry mob of vigilantes, a blood test and line-up fail to provide enough evidence to hold him. Removed from the case because of her ties to the victim, Natalie questions the results of the lab work. When the suspect suddenly dies, Natalie performs her own lab test and uncovers another murder.

Nick discovers an ancient, terrifying evil is behind a series of grizzly murders plaguing the city, and he may not be able to stop it. He is unknowingly paired with Chief Inspector Liam O'Neal of Dublin C.I.D., a vampire hunter with a dark secret, who has tracked the murdering creature's bloody trail half way around the world. Wary of O'Neal, Nick begins an investigation of his own, learning the Chief Inspector's true identity, as well as that of the killer -- Jack the Ripper -- a vampire created by LaCroix. Nick had a chance to destroy the Ripper a century ago, but turned his back, unleashing a century of carnage around the world. He must now put aside his guilt and finish the job, but in doing so, O'Neal may finish him.

Highly respected parole officer, Casey Brooks, is the prime suspect in the investigation of a murdered Vietnam veteran. Nick Knight is certain he has encountered Brooks in the past and flashes back to wartime Vietnam to discover Brooks' true identity, along with the dark secret that could ruin the parole officer's career. But the investigation changes course when Nick's prime suspect nearly becomes the next victim.

Nick and Schanke apprehend a convicted murderess on the run from Texas authorities when an anonymous tip leads them to a rental car agency. Nick believes she may be innocent, however, he must prove it before she is extradited and put to death for her crime.

A drive-by shooting could ignite a gang war, but Schanke's got stars in his eyes moonlighting on a movie set. Then the star of the movie steps right into the killer's path. Will Nick and Schanke find the renegade killer before this movie star is history?

A serial killer who appears to get women completely in his control before killing them is on the loose. But he may be untouchable since it looks like he's a diplomat. Nick's past experience with people who abuse power indiscriminately may make him step over the line in pursuit of justice.

Natalie's research leads her to believe she might be able to cure Nick, if he's willing to take the risk. While taking the wonder drug, Nick and Schanke unofficially investigate the suicide of another cop. Is Nick just having incredible hunches or is the drug not quite what it seems?

Valentines day not only brings out a killer who lures in women with romantic cards, but turns Nick's thoughts to Natalie, and LaCroix's to past love. All this love in the air is bound to be dangerous.

A crazed killer using a flame-thrower to torch his victims sends Nick and Schanke on an underground pursuit. In the confined quarters of the underground sewer system, it's anybody's guess who will find who first. While Nick faces his fear of fire, Natalie discovers she has her own fears to deal with.

Present day events mirror the past when the head of the prestigious financial investment firm that controls Nick's secret fortune is murdered. Stolen from a highwayman two centuries ago, the fortune is again the target of greed, as a local criminal kingpin frames the dead executive's son for the murder. LaCroix's teachings ring true as greed once again, breeds tragedy--a lesson the master vampire preached centuries ago.

Upon leaving his wife, Schanke moves in with Nick, expecting to lead a wild bachelor's life with his partner. But the two are soon at odds over the investigation of a wealthy business-man's murder. Feeling that Nick is once again trying to keep one step a head of him, Schanke vows to solve the case on his own. Acting on a sudden revelation while drowning his sorrows in liquor, Schanke rushes to apprehend the murderer without his partner and captures the killer single-handedly. Or, so he thinks.

When Nick is unable to obtain a harp with magical properties tied to his mortal past at auction, his actions are less than legal. When the auctioneer is found murdered, Nick finds himself in a precarious situation, caught between the harp's longing and his own desires.

When the head of a team of astronomers is commits suicide, their predictions of a meteor's collision become public. As panic sweeps the world both mortal and vampire populations face their personal fears. Some of those fears lead to unusual actions.

When Schanke's ex-partner Delehanty shows up, his rich, comfortable, and "warm" life in Arizona, gets to Schanke's winter-worn heart. When Schanke and Delehanty conclude that a series of deaths are the result of product tampering, Nick's hunch about the case drives a wedge between him and Schanke. When Schanke refuses to listen to Nick, he must solve the case despite Schanke and Delehanty's conclusions, and before Schanke decides Arizona might be the place to be.

When Nick efforts to stop a robbery without using his "vamp" powers causes a death, he becomes consumed with guilt. Nick's life seems to spin out of control and nothing seems as it is. Things truly become curiouser and curiouser.

Nick investigates the death of a young doctor when Natalie is unable to determine the cause. Intrigued by the doctor's experiments in near death experiences, Nick secretly agrees to "go under" in an attempt to reconcile his own past. But the experiment goes awry and Natalie must find a way to bring Nick back form his altered state of consciousness.

Serena, a victim of Nick's immortal bite from the past, has a plan to regain her mortality. According to ancient legend, a vampire will become mortal if she bears a mortal's child. But to conceive, the mortal must possess an extra chromosome and will be murdered soon after conception. When Trilling, who possesses the magic chromosome, is arrested for murder, Serena provides an alibi to get him out of jail. Fully aware of Serena's plan, Nick struggles to solve the murder -- torn between reconciling the wrong he did Serena and preventing yet another murder. But his actions, along with the reasons behind them can never be revealed.

When Nick saves Schanke's life during a fire fight, Schanke can't help but notice Nick has taken up flying. Despite Nick's hypnotic suggestion to forget what he saw, Schanke begins investigating Nick's past. Natalie can't deflect him and Janette's attempts to hypnotise him fail. The trail soon leads him to conclude his partner is a vampire and from there to LaCroix. The question is, what is LaCroix going to do with the inquisitive Schanke?

Soon after a psychopathic killer, Peter Barlow, escapes from a mental institution, a patient's body is discovered on the hospital grounds -- the victim of a brutal and vicious murder. The following day another patient's body is discovered. Both crimes match Barlow's M.O., and Nick Knight is determined to prevent another murder. But, Nick's quick arrest of Barlow proves there is a different killer at large. Now he must find a new connection between the victims and the murderer.