In this tale we meet up with Laura Caxton once again. This time she is the lead investigator in a case where 99 vampires are discovered in an archeological dig at Gettysburg. Things should be fine - the hearts are not in the vampires' bodies, but she quickly realizes there is one vampire missing.

She takes the lead and reaches out to Jameson Arkeley (her "mentor") for assistance but soon realizes she is on her own this time.

I really enjoyed the parts of the book that connect the vampires to their origins during the Civil War and tie them in with Justinia Malvern's history. At this point Caxton and Arkeley are just rather annoying to me, but I do like how the vampires are portrayed - no suave, dark romantic leads here. Even the one vampire who starts out as rather gentlemanly soon reverts to type.

I'll probably read the other books in the series but that's due more to my completist nature than because the books are so well-written. Good, not great. ( )

Vampires are undeniably popular right now. Most noticeably running at the forefront of this trend are the pretty/"nice" vampires of Twilight and Dead Until Dark. These vampires are close to the Bram Stoker tradition and can be interesting; however, I think I prefer Wellington's version of the vampire: "Vampires, real vampires, didn't nibble on the necks of nubile young virgins. They tore people to pieces and sucked blood out of the chunks. [p37]"

Wellington presents no glamour for his vampires, instead they are vicious with shark-like teeth and strength enough to pick a human apart with minimal effort. Laura Caxton has had a run in with four of these creatures before. The hell she and her mentor, Arkeley, already went through left Arkeley a cripple and Caxton at the edge of sanity. Caxton is unprepared when Arkeley calls her up again. Arkeley is unable to be the vicious vampire hunter he once was and expects Caxton to take over. Caxton, still so raw and traumatized, takes on a case that leaves her hunting down one vampire and solving the mystery of the 99 COFFINS...

The currently-occurring story is nicely offset by historical pages that give the current situation meaning, setting mood, and foreshadowing. The non-stop action of 99 COFFINS makes it easy to get swept away straight for the ending. The book is actually quite thin and leaves the reader breathless--and wanting more.

Unfortunately for me, because this book was loaned to me, I didn't realize that this was the second book in a series until it was far too late. Regardless, the book stood well enough on its own and left me wanting to read the first (and third) desperately.

This is definitely a series for any fan of horror or anyone that may like interpretations of vampires that aren't so "nice" as what has been popular lately. Start with the first volume of the series, 13 BULLETS, and I have no doubt you'll be thirsting for the rest of the series long before the final page has turned. ( )

I picked up this book and instantly I was hooked...but it changed once I was a few chapters in. I couldn't stay with this book. It took me quite a while to actually finish this book. I heard so many good things about this book- but, it just wasn't for me. I do think people who are fans of vampires will have an easy time with this book, but I found it rather boring and shallow. ( )

David Wellington's creative continuation of his action packed story of vampires and those who hunt them. Laura Caxton returns from '13 Bullets' when 99 coffins are unearthed below the battlefields of Gettysburg. The alternating storyline between the present and past is done very well and Wellington propels the action at breakneck speed making this a fast read. There's very little sense of foreboding though as you read through the action sequences. The outcome feels preordained. There are, however, some surprises along the way and I'm looking forward to reading the third installment. ( )

This book is a thrill ride. I really tried to read it at a slower pace, but found that I couldn't put it down. The kids were asking for dinner, toys were spreading across the floor, dished were piling up, but I couldn't stop reading. I loved it, and I can't wait to start reading Vampire Zero.

David Wellington - you rock!! ( )