Book Review: Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between

Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between

By:  J.A. Saare

Re-Published:  May 2011, by Mundania Press with New Cover!

Publisher:  Eternal Press

Publish Date:  February 2010

Genre:  Fiction, I think maybe Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance.

Format:  Paperback,

Series:  1st book of The Renfield Syndrome (Rhiannon's Law's)

Recommendation: Yes, if you like a strong female character, a little necromancy magic, action, sexual tension, and love with a surprise here and there.

Book Synopsis:
One bad corpse can ruin your whole day.

No one knows better than Rhiannon Murphy that one bad corpse can ruin your whole day.

She left behind the flash and sass of Miami for the no-nonsense groove of New York City, eager for a clean slate and a fresh start.  A bartender by trade, a loud mouth by choice, and a necromancer by chance; she managed to keep her nifty talent hidden from those around her - until now.

The deliciously good-looking vampire, Disco, knows her secret.  When he strolls into her bar to solicit help investigating the mysterious disappearances of his kind from the city, Rhiannon discovers he's not the kind of person that appreciates the significance of the word no.

But in a world where vampires peddle their blood as the latest and greatest drug of choice, it's only a matter of time before the next big thing hits the market.  Someone or something is killing vampres to steal their hearts, and unlike Rhiannon, this isn't their first stroll around the undead block.

First Sentence:
Rhiannon's Law #27: When you're working in a gentlemen's club and one of your dancers takes off those heels, alert the big guns, an ass kicking is on the menu.

My Review and Summary:
The story starts with Rhiannon doing her job, tending bar in New York at an exotic dance club.  Disco, a friend of Cash's who became a kind aquaintance while she was on the job, has been coming in regularly lately (now that Cash hasn't been in).  Rhiannon keeps putting him off when he comes in wanting to talk to her, as she's not fond of vampires.  Rhiannon knew what Cash and Disco are, as she is a necromancer and can see the dead - so she gets a feeling from vampires (as they are dead) and ghosts.  Finally, after Disco's persistance Rhiannon agrees to meet after work.  Rhiannon soon learns Disco need her help and doesn't give her the option to say no.  Rhiannon figures the only way to return to her simple mundane life is to do the few things he needs and be done with it.  Rhiannon is to green to realize what is out there in the world, to harm her or help her, and life will never be the same.

To me there was action, sexual tension, and love all mixed into one here, and I enjoyed it.  This book does have vampires in it, but they are not the main part of the book.  Yes, the plot surrounds the vampires in search of who is killing them but Rhiannon and her necromancy ability is the main story here.  I was pleasantly surprised in a few twists of the plot and story line which I enjoy when a story does this to me.

I enjoyed the character building in the story for Rhiannon, Disco, and the secondary characters.  I felt the growth of the relationships between the characters was genuine for them.  Rhiannon learns a lot in this book about herself, her powers, and the world.  She has a lot to learn yet, which will be great to read in the next book.  Rhiannon, what can I say of this character?  I loved her!  She is just a regular person, who happens to see ghosts.  Rhiannon shies away from a ghost when she sees them, not knowing what they want or why.  Rhiannon does have her own ugly past she is trying to leave behind, but she doesn't wear it on her sleeve for pity, it has steeled her into a harder person - a fighter.  She does have a mouth, as she speaks her mind and many times it's not in the language many think woman should use.  But for me that is part of what made her wonderful to read, and even more personable to me and many times I got a chuckle out of her comments.  It was mentioned to her by other characters, "Do you kiss her mother with that mouth?"  We also got a look into her thoughts as they where in italics.

I enjoyed the start to this series, and looking forward to where the future takes Rhiannon, Disco, and all their friends.



I received this book from the author for review after mentioning I would love to read this book and review it.

This book qualifies for my Speculated Fiction Challenge at BookChickCity.