ISBN: 0-7434-3610-5 Order from: Amazon.com
Humorous, fast, and entertaining, this is an enjoyable dark fantasy, despite uneasy mixture of flippancy and earnestness.
Reviewed by David on June 14, 2003 (rev. 1)
Genre: Fantasy (Vampires, Humor, Voodoo)
Synopsis: In One Foot in the Grave, Chris Csejthe was contaminated by vampire blood during a tragic road trip. Unlike most vampires, he never fully died, and so he continued as an unusual being—craving blood, but able to survive without hunting, allergic to sunlight, but able to walk during the day.
Now, he lives in a small Southern town under an assumed name, hiding from the ruthless vampiric society that demands that every member belong to an enclave, and hunts down "renegades" lest they expose the undead.
Chris career as a private investigator working mostly at night is complicated when the dead start turning up on his doorstep. The police are suspicious, the vampires are on his trail, and a biological research laboratory wants to talk to him.
And, if that wasn't enough, his shape-shifting girlfriend Lupé is not sure their romance will work out.
And all of this is just the start of Chris's problems...
Full Review: This is a worthy successor to the original novel, carrying many strengths and weaknesses of One Foot in the Grave.
The novel is full of characters and subplots, sometimes challenging the suspension of disbelief and the reader's ability to follow. On the other hand, many of the characters are both familiar from the first novel, and entertaining; and the first-person narrative keeps a tight focus on the story thread.
The constant jokes provide plenty of amusement, but mix uneasily with the tense subject matter and the occasional diversion int earnest ethics.
There are colorful exploration of common and less common folklore, liberally sprinkled with the movie images. The supporting cast, particularly Deirdre are fun, and the whole narrative hangs together and provides plenty of entertainment. The conclusion is satisfying, and leaves the reader waiting for more.
The author is working on the third installment of the Csejthe chronicles.
Overall: 6.5; Plot: 5; Characters: 6; Style: 6; World-building: 5.5; Originality: 6.5;
Copyright date 2003, Baen Publishing Enterprises (Baen), June 2003, Cloth
ISBN: 0-7434-3610-5 Order from: Amazon.com