The Nymphos of Rocky Flats

The Nymphos of Rocky Flats was an unexpected book. I was expecting sexy, frivolous, vampiric fun given the title and cover of the book, but the story itself was something closer to a hardboiled detective novel with a conspiracy mystery and paranormal elements peppered throughout.

Felix Gomez is hired by the government to find the cause of a recent and rampant outbreak of nymphomania. It's not as sexy as it sounds. The women effected can be downright scary. At the same time, vampire hunters are working in the area and the local vampires want Felix's help. It's all well and good, except Felix isn't nearly as powerful as he should be. He drinks only animal blood and his abilities are failing him at the worst possible time.

Felix is an show more interesting character, but not one that you'd connect with right off the bat. He's got the feel of a fifties film noir detective a lot of the time. Something about his slightly brooding demeanor and standoffishness when it comes to the other vampires doesn't make him the most lovable of main characters.

The mystery of the nymphomania outbreak is wonderfully done, especially if you're a fan of mixing science fiction and conspiracy theories. The entire plot of this book caught me off guard. What started off seeming completely ridiculous grew into something fascinating by the end. The Nymphos of Rocky Flats started off a little rough for me, but the mystery kept me fully entertained once the ball really got rolling. I enjoyed Felix's growth throughout the book and I'm definitely going to check out the next book in this series. show less

When I read the title, my interest was piqued. I guess that says a lot about me. Anyway, Acevedo's protagonist, Felix Gomez, rolls into one that wellknown pulp hero the gumshoe and the more modern - yet no less cliché - main character, the penitent vampire.

Gomez received the embrace during the second Gulf War, after he unintentionally shot and killed a group of Iraqi civilians and stumbles upon an ancient vampire who turns him so he can truly be penitent.

Fast forward a few years and Felix's built a nice private detective firm for himself, using his vampirical powers to his advantage, never showing himself for what he truly is. An old acquaintance asks his help in figuring out what went wrong at the facility he manages when several show more female employees turned nympho after conducting an investigation of some buildings on the terrain.

It sounds trite. And it is. I'm not saying it's unreadable garbage, or that there's no merit to Acevedo's treatment of the modern vampire myth. He at least somewhat succesfully blends a more traditional 'vampires secretly rule the world' feel with a very down-to-earth notion on how things would work in practical reality.

However, it all feels so incredibly like a the notes made at the author's homebrew roleplaying campaign. We have the mysterious mission, lots of chases and firefights and a plot that is stretched so incredibly thin (which is something considering this is an urban fantasy novel) that it could double as a bedsheet.

In short: readable and at times a lot of fun, but falls short in the end. show less

The first and only vampire book to be declassified
by the federal government . . .

Felix Gomez went to Iraq a soldier. He came back a vampire.

Now he finds himself pulled into a web of intrigue when an old friend prompts him to investigate an outbreak of nymphomania at the secret government facilities in Rocky Flats. He'll find out the cause of all these horny women or die trying! But first he must contend with shadowy government agents, Eastern European vampire hunters, and women who just want his body . . .

This was a funny and fresh take on vampires. And I enjoyed the latin twist. I'm not quite sure how the author made this work but it certainly did. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series

The title is enough to incite giggles, I know. A mix of fantasy, mystery and science fiction, Mario’s Acevedo’s debut novel packs a lot of punch. His style of writing makes for an easy and enjoyable reading experience. The Nymphos of Rocky Flats is about a detective whose most recent assignment is to find out the source of a rash of nymphomania at a government facility in Colorado. As stated on the back of the book, the main character, Felix Gomez, “went to Iraq as a soldier and came back a vampire.” As Felix’s investigation begins, he finds himself and other vampires in the area being the target for vampire hunters. The storyline was unusual and creative. I immediately liked Felix and enjoyed meeting the other characters in show more Mr. Acevedo’s novel. The book got off to a great start and although the book took an unexpected direction into science fiction, which seemed a bit much, it still somehow worked. I would definitely be willing to read more by this author in the future. show less

Mario Acevedo has written a winner! Besides being the first in a series, The Nymphos of Rocky Flats is also the debut of this talented and funny Latino author. Felix Gomez went to Iraq to fight for a cause, now he's home a little older, a lot wiser, and afflicted with vampirism. Settling into his new career as a private detective, he travels to Denver when an old friend asks him to investigate strange events occurring at the government installation of Rocky Flats. It seems that all the female workers are turning into nymphomaniacs and nobody knows why. Felix vows to uncover the cause whatever it takes, but may have bitten off more than he can chew. Between the vampire hunters, government assassins and horny women on his tail, he just show more may die trying.

Modernizing the vampire mythos, the author allows his monsters to face the daylight with a liberal dose of SPF 90 sunscreen. The new breed of vamp isn't against using modern technology to get the job done, even if it means blood comes out of a bag and guns are standard issue. Action packed and full of fun, brimming with pop culture and chock full of interesting characters this one has something for everyone. Watch out Christopher Moore, there's a new author on your block! show less

Felix Gomez is a private eye... who went to Iraq as a soldier and came back a vampire. To blend in with the rest of humanity and keep their identity a secret, he and his fellow vampires must hide their unique vampire features behind makeup (for their translucent skin) and special contact lenses (for the mirror-like hypnotic reflection of their eyes). However, there's one vampire custom which Felix hasn't much embraced—the drinking of human blood; he drinks animal blood instead. It makes no difference that the blood comes from blood banks, and no humans need be harmed in the taking. Yet Felix still very much lives with the guilt of the innocent Iraqi family he and his platoon accidentally gunned down over in Iraq.

Unfortunately, this show more failing of Felix's is causing him to slowly but surely lose his vampire powers. And though it hasn't much hampered his current investigation within the Department of Energy (DOE) of tracking down the source of the recent nymphomania outbreak, it is putting him at a slight disadvantage against the vampire hunters who are actively hunting him!

Part paranormal mystery, part Koontz-like thriller, and a sprinkle of the nonsensical, this was a wonderful first novel from Mario Acevedo, the first in the Felix Gomez series. Felix reminded me a little bit of Harry Dresden, from Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series, except that the problems Felix is hired to investigate aren't necessarily supernatural in nature. And Felix presents himself as human to all but other supernaturals, while Harry openly admits to being a wizard. But I have to say that based on my enjoyment of this first novel, this series looks quite promising and like it could be nearly as good as The Dresden Files.

Though a first work from the author, I'd have thought he was already well established as he wrote quite well and in a style very much suited to the genre. I had absolutely no complaints about the dialogue, the writing style, or anything else for that matter. The pace of the story was quick and punchy and the chapters short which added to that fast-moving action. I already had the second book, X-Rated Bloodsuckers, here on Mt. TBR so I started on it immediately after finishing this one. I'm looking forward to another fun ride! show less

I wanted something fun to read so I read this book. It struck me as the male version of all the recent urban fantasy that has paranormal romance in it (female POV). Also a bit like the dinosaur-among-the-humans book I just read.

The main character is a PI, and he is a vampire. Before that he was a soldier in the war in Iraq where he was turned into a blood sucker. The case takes him to the nuclear facility at Rocky Flats to investigate an out-break of nymphomania among the government workers there. Besides this mystery there are vampire hunters, rogue government agents, and aliens.

The book has funny moments and a few crude ones. The writing is good and the characters are OK. He doesn't do anything really new with the vampire, though they show more aren't beautiful. He has short, pot-bellied vamps, so that is a bit of a relief. It is the start of the Felix Gomez series. show less