Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Last Vampire Standing-Nancy Haddock

Last Vampire Standing
Nancy Haddock
Berkley, May 2009, $14.00
ISBN: 9780425227541

Over two centuries old, vampire Francesca Marinelli feels undead life is great since she regained her freedom due to her new friend Maggie digging her out of the ground while renovating her house. She loves living in St, Augustine where she was born in 1780 and now is considered royalty by the local press and has a boyfriend paranormal crime investigator Deke Saber. Cesca likes having friends who are loyal because of their relationship not her rank and working as a tour guide of St. Augustine’s Old Ghost Town. However, on the down side is her recent battle with the French Bride Killer (see LA VIDA VAMPIRE) has given her unwanted publicity amidst vampire circles who detest the Vampire Princess as the media calls her.

The PR proves ominous when Jo-Jo of the Atlanta vampire nest begs Cesca for sanctuary from a vamp who wants to stake the stand-up comic for certain jokes he told. Finally her shapeshifting childhood friend Triton keeps sending her telepathic warnings that she is in trouble while an insane vampire comes to Florida seeking to kill Jo-Jo and anyone protecting him.

The second humorous Vampire Princess urban fantasy is an enjoyable lighthearted thriller filled with tension somewhat abated by the amusing observations of modern life by the heroine, who was buried in 1803 so has the late seventeenth century as her reference points. The story line is fast-paced as trouble from Georgia comes to the Sunshine State. Nancy Haddock provides a jocular tale even with a paranormal psychopath coming to kill anyone harboring Jo-Jo ergo Cesca.

Harriet Klausner

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