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Posted to
Death
By Dean James
Published by Kensington Books
Copyright 2002
ISBN#: 1-57566-885-8
Series: A Simon Kirby-Jones Mystery #1
Genre Sub-genre: Mystery Cozy Vampire
If you like a good old fashion English village cozy, you’ve come to
the right village. Dr. Simon Kirby-Jones has just moved into his dream
English cottage in the little village of Snupperton Mumsley. Simon is a
writer of historical biographies who moonlights as a romance writer and a
mystery writer. A handsome gentleman who happens to be gay. But that isn’t
his biggest secret. He is also a vampire.
When the vindictive busybody of a Postmistress is found murdered after
threatening to expose the village’s dirty little secrets in a play she
has written, Simon sets out to discover the murderer.
If you are looking for a good cozy, this is an excellent story, full of
twists and turns. But if you are looking for a good vampire novel, I can’t
recommended it. It seems that the vampires have created a magical pill
that has pulled the fangs of vampirism. No longer is the sun or crosses a
problem, nor do they need blood to survive, some of their supernatural
powers like changing into a bat are gone too. So why become a vampire?
Well, Simon, being a gay male saw too many of his friends dying of AIDS.
Now he doesn’t have to worry. He needs less sleep, has better night
vision, is a little quicker and stronger, and doesn’t go out without
sunglasses, but other than that, not much has changed. But then he’s
only been a vampire for a few short years and is still getting the hang of
it. Oh, the one drawback is that he has developed a severe allergy to
garlic, even a deadly reaction. With everyone cooking with garlic these
days that could be a real problem.
As I said, if you like "Cozies" mysteries, the good old
Agatha Christie English village, you will thoroughly enjoy Posted to
Death. And having a vampire as the main character won’t ruin it, it
might even add a bit of quirky interest.
This is the beginning book of a series, which includes POSTED TO DEATH,
FAKED TO DEATH, DECORATED TO DEATH, BAKED TO DEATH
Reviewed by Linda Suzane April 20, 2005
Available from Amazon.com
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DARK LEGACY
By Christine Janssen
Published by Wings Press
Copyright: ?
ISBN: 1-59088-918-5
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Someone is out to get Victoria Wells. Could it be her tenant, a con on
parole after serving time for the murder of his wife; or her deceased
husband’s partner, the wealthy lawyer who is a little too eager to help;
or the down-on-his-luck friend of her husband, who is trying to blackmail
her by threatening her daughter, or her daughter’s abusive boyfriend, or
... No I’m not going to give away any of Christine Janssen’s carefully
crafted suspense. From the first page, the first murder, Christine had me
hooked, really hooked. I was part way through a Janet Evanovich novel,
when I picked up DARK LEGACY. I was just going to read a few pages, but
hours later, Evanovich was forgotten. I had to know! I was totally caught
up in Victoria’s life. I wanted to warn her that someone was stalking
her, out to kill her, but I, like her, didn’t have a clue. Christine has
written a superb suspense novel of menace and misdirection. I am in awe of
her ability to weave a story, giving us glimpses into the mind of the
killer, without revealing which one it is, to keep us guess exactly what’s
going on.
DARK LEGACY is also a romance, one that doesn’t rely on the instant
infatuation, excess lust, or silly contrived problems. The romance is
mature, real, and very satisfying. Nor is all the sex sweetness and light,
there are some pretty hard edged stuff, that really grabs you.
Christine has created a cast of characters that are deep and complex.
She lets you delve into the minds of these people until they become
vividly real. Not just the hero and heroine, but all the characters are
solid and very memorable, some chillingly so.
Would I recommend DARK LEGACY--there is nothing not to recommend. DARK
LEGACY is romantic suspense at its absolute best.
Reviewed by Linda Suzane, June 29, 2002
Available in eBook and Trade Paperback from www.wings-press.com
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