Book Review: "The Vampire Kitty-cat Chronicles" by Ray Rhamey

Being a cat person and a fan of urban fantasy, I was intrigued by the the title of this book. It did not disappoint. It introduces us to Patch, a calico cat, with an attitude.  On his way to a romantic encounter with a Persian, he was attacked and turned into a vampire kitty. His apologetic attacker becomes his associate and together they navigate the world of newbie vamps.

The author gives us a new slant on some of the classic plot lines in vampire classics. They include the an anti vampire preacher, the angry mob he inspires, and  power struggles in the vamp community. Told from Patch's perspective these cliche moments become fresh and new. 

A cat person will see flaws in the way people interact with Patch. It takes a while for a cat' associate to know what its facial expressions or meows mean. Everyone who met Patch seemed to know immediately.

"The Vampire Kitty-cat Chronicles" might not win any awards as great literature. However, it is a fun filled, tongue in cheek satire that both cat and vamp lovers should appreciate. It gets four stars from me.

 

Book Review: "Very Important Corpses" by Simon R. Green

I just finished "Very Important Corpses" by Simon R. Green. I found it very enjoyable. For those of you unfamiliar with Green's work, he is one of the most creative/inventive writers that I have read in a long time. He specializes in tales of the paranormal with a touch of SciFi and Fantasy mixed in to make for an extraordinary read. He is the author of the "Nightside" books, "Ghost Finders" and the "Secret History"books to name a few of his series.

"Very Important Corpses" features Ishmael Jones, an agent for a secret agency called the the Organisation. He is assigned to investigate the murder of one of his fellow agents at the annual meeting of the Baphamet Group. His mission is twofold: solve the murder...protect the members of the Group. They are among the secret rulers/power brokers of the world.

Ishmael is uniquely qualified for this task. He is an abandoned alien..yes...of the E.T. variety. His ship had crashed back in the 60's. The ship's technology transformed him into a human being. Unfortunately, the process left him with amnesia. He has forgotten his past life. His physical abilities do surpass humans.

 If you take the classic English country manor house mystery, toss in an abandoned alien with amnesia, and combine it with one of the secret groups that control the world you would have the basic plot for "Very Important Corpses". Mystery fans will enjoy trying to solve the murder. SciFi and Fantasy fans will enjoy the alien aspect. 

"Very Important Corpses"  might not be Green's best work. However, I would recommend it as a solid summer read. This book can be read as a standalone. 

I would give it 4 out of 5 stars.