This tale introduces us to Jameson Arkeley, a U.S. Marshal and well-known vampire hunter, and Laura Caxton, a Pennsylvania state trooper and apparently a person of interest to vampires. The two meet when Caxton stops a car during a routine road check and find 3 corpses in the trunk. The driver escapes but Laura quickly realizes something is wrong. Arkeley is determined to wipe out any vampires still in existence. Caxton quickly becomes his protege, although their relationship is not very friendly. Their investigation soon leads to some revelations about Laura and why she drew the interest of the vampires.

The story is good. I didn't find Caxton and Arkeley to be very likable characters - he's too had and she's a bit too whiny. What I really enjoyed is that these vampires are not suave, sophisticated and sympathetic. Wellington does not try to make these vampires look like they're just leading an alternate lifestyle. They're vicious killers - unnatural and inhuman. They are a plague upon humanity. At several points through the story Wellington makes it a point to mention how mistaken most people's views of them really is. Several of the characters in the book mention that they see vampires as "cool" but this is not Wellington's take on them. I also like that in Wellington's universe vampires are accepted. No one reacts with disbelief or shock at the idea of a vampire on the loose. So at least we avoid the usual problems that occur when the hero(s) spend half the story trying to convince others that vampires actually exist. ( )

This is an action packed, gory battle between vampires and humans. In fact, that's pretty much it. Wellington has created a world where it is a known fact that vampires exist. They exist to feed and create more vampires. And we follow along with the main characters in pursuit of destroying them. It's really a lot of fun to read. The pacing is fast and furious. The action is clearly depicted. The characters are flawed and real. Highly recommended. ( )

oh my gosh, so budget and campy - but a fun fast read on vacation. ( )

Wellington’s vampires are quite different from the vampires you may have experienced in Bram Stoker’s Dracula or Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot or even Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They are not as stealthy or sophisticated as Stoker and King portrayed them to be. They are not a stupid and easy to kill as the vampires Buffy battled. Wellington’s vampires are almost impossible to kill with a wooden stake in your hand, or even with firearms and other weapons. They also are not affected by crosses or garlic or other such self defense techniques. They do live for hundreds of years, but they reach a point when they cannot control their craving for human blood and they eventually cannot get enough blood to retain their strength. Until that time, they are ruthless, blood-thirsty beasts that tear human beings, including the populations of entire towns, to pieces while draining their blood. They also work together to plan and carry out their attacks and they create small armies of undead to help them. State Trooper Laura Caxton is chosen by Special Deputy Jameson Arkeley, a fed, to help him investigate a possible vampire in central Pennsylvania south and west of Harrisburg. The assignment brings Caxton into battle with several vampires and their undead henchmen and changes Caxton’s life forever. This tale is full of action, suspense, and over-top violence and gore. However, it also reveals the development of a very interesting relationship between Caxton and Arkeley and between both of them and the vampires. It’s not great literature but I really enjoyed it. If you dig vampires, you should give this book a read. ( )

It's different, but I love different! ( )

excellent modern vampire

This reads as as a Silence of the Lambs for vampires. I really had quite a lot of fun reading it. I enjoyed Wellington's non-romantic approach to the breed, as well as his tweaking to the lore. Plus, positive gay inclusion that wasn't over-explained or over-justified. And some great gore. I'd read it again. ( )

A horrific thrill ride - kind of like Dracula meets Silence of the Lambs. I love that the vampires are actually portrayed as monsters (and nearly indestructible) instead of the charming, sexy vamps that are so in vogue in popular literature today. ( )

When I got this book from the library, I figured it would be cheesy. I was mostly wrong. Ok, it's a little cheesy, but mostly it's a good read. I think my favorite thing about this book is that the vampires are truly evil things, not just bad people with superpowers that they've turned into in some of the recent paranormal fantasy that's been published.

Beyond that, the characters are pretty well realized, although the cast list calls Dracula to mind pretty quickly with a few attempts at modernization. The plot moves along pretty quickly with a good ending that doesn't try to tie every loose end up with a bow. ( )

I enjoyed reading something from David Wellington that wasn't a zombie novel (though I have loved all of his zombie novels). It was a peek into a side of him that he hasn't shown his readers before. Honestly, I've been shying away from vampire novels as of late, but this was really well written. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys well written horror. ( )