I came across this in the search for 'something different' in vampire books, and boy, is this different, so if you want a traditional or even semi-traditional vampire story then find another book.
Huston blows away many of the ideas we hold about vampires and sets them up in clans, societies and hoods, with all the rivalries and turf wars seen in human society, but Joe belongs to none. Set in New York (Manhattan) where vampyres live and work, their secret known only to the select few in ‘normal’ society, the clans support and protect their members, and ensure that so vital blood supply.
Joe Pitt is a tough talking Private Investigator who has no loyalties to any clan but has a current problem with one, The Coalition. He’s also trying to find a carrier of the zombie bacteria, and is obsessing about whether or not to cure his girlfriend Evie who is HIV positive and terrified of passing it on. Joe isn’t sure the consequences for her are worth it.
When Joe is summoned by the Head of The Coalition, his life just gets worse. To put things right between them, he has to find the missing daughter of a prominent New York family who know about their vampyre existence. With rivals hampering him, the clans upset with him, Joe is in a very precarious position. Getting a rough ride on all fronts, he sets about his work in what is one of the most unusual vampyre books I’ve read to date.
There is a gritty realism to the characters and setting, and the hard-hitting, wise-cracking style gives more than a passing nod to the detective novels of Chandler, et al. except our 'hero' is infected by the Vyrus - Joe Pitt is a vampire. I was quite a few pages in before I realised there were no chapters which was a little disconcerting at first, as were the dialogue markers, but I was so absorbed by the story that eventually I didn’t notice.
Huston has produced a hard-edged story that is cleverly plotted, fast paced and tenacious. It is an almost perfect genre mix of Horror and Crime that kept me glued to every page as the plot twisted and turned, with the inevitable body count, through a dark-world of vampire and human politics and power-brokerage to an edge-of-your-seat climax.
Huston blows away many of the ideas we hold about vampires and sets them up in clans, societies and hoods, with all the rivalries and turf wars seen in human society, but Joe belongs to none. Set in New York (Manhattan) where vampyres live and work, their secret known only to the select few in ‘normal’ society, the clans support and protect their members, and ensure that so vital blood supply.
Joe Pitt is a tough talking Private Investigator who has no loyalties to any clan but has a current problem with one, The Coalition. He’s also trying to find a carrier of the zombie bacteria, and is obsessing about whether or not to cure his girlfriend Evie who is HIV positive and terrified of passing it on. Joe isn’t sure the consequences for her are worth it.
When Joe is summoned by the Head of The Coalition, his life just gets worse. To put things right between them, he has to find the missing daughter of a prominent New York family who know about their vampyre existence. With rivals hampering him, the clans upset with him, Joe is in a very precarious position. Getting a rough ride on all fronts, he sets about his work in what is one of the most unusual vampyre books I’ve read to date.
There is a gritty realism to the characters and setting, and the hard-hitting, wise-cracking style gives more than a passing nod to the detective novels of Chandler, et al. except our 'hero' is infected by the Vyrus - Joe Pitt is a vampire. I was quite a few pages in before I realised there were no chapters which was a little disconcerting at first, as were the dialogue markers, but I was so absorbed by the story that eventually I didn’t notice.
Huston has produced a hard-edged story that is cleverly plotted, fast paced and tenacious. It is an almost perfect genre mix of Horror and Crime that kept me glued to every page as the plot twisted and turned, with the inevitable body count, through a dark-world of vampire and human politics and power-brokerage to an edge-of-your-seat climax.
A great read - and yes, I will read more in the series.
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