No Dominion

This was the book that sealed the deal. If New York detective noir (with a vampire twist) is the kind of description that piques your interest, I strongly recommend this book. It's completely unlike most UF, nary a sparkle or wolf to be found, and owes most of its atmosphere to the Sam Spade tradition of the cold-hearted loner trying to retain some thin shred of his ideals. The plot appears to be a relatively straightforward investigation but has a whiz-bang reveal that floored me. When I realized what was going on--about the same time Joe did--it was like a slap upside the head.

It starts with a fight. First the physical kind (a plate glass window is involved, naturally), then the girlfriend kind (the things we do for reassurance). Day show more in the life of Joe Pitt. Joe's been scrambling for work since the last book, as events covered therein have negatively impacted his employability. Eventually he heads downtown to hit up Terry and the Society for work, but Terry's right hand man, Tom, gives him the bureaucratic run-around. Terry comes through, and Joe goes to work looking for the source of the new Vampyre drug on the street. Philip, the Renfield snitch, provides information and a contact. Joe stops at the Enclave, then hits the A train up to Harlem (cue the Duke), right through Coalition territory. From there, he's just trying to survive in a hostile land as he tries to uncover the source. As usual, Joe's technique doesn't consist of asking questions as much as being beat up while everyone conveniently explains themselves.

There's an interesting parallel to modern drug culture in the Vampyre world Huston has dreamed up, and the organization of a culture built around its distribution and control. Huston uses many of the traditional routes people get exposed to drugs to excellent effect: those that fell into it; the counterculture deviant; the hoodlum just struggling to survive; the accidental dose; the transformation-seekers; the runaway; the victim; the upper-class dallying in extremes; the sycophants. It works for me.

While it's a violent book, I never seem to think of it as despairing. Perhaps it's Joe's affection for Evie tempering his dispassionate violence. Perhaps it's his stubborn independence in the face of powerful factions. Whatever it is, it has me drawn in to the series and already onto the next book.

Cross posted at: http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/06/06/no-dominion-by-charlie-huston-actually... show less

#2 Joe Pitt ‘paranormal noir’ mystery series. Joe, a Rogue Vampyre not pledged to any of the vampyre clans in New York, is feeling a bit peaky these days. He’s down to his last 3 pints of blood in the fridge and two months behind on his rent. Ever since the incident in which he pissed off a couple of the major clan bosses, the work coming his way has been slim to none. He’s about to go begging for a job when one gets thrown his way by Terry, the Society boss.

New vampyres are hitting on some new drug out there that’s making them go a bit crazy and Terry wants Joe to figure out what this drug is and who’s supplying it. It’s disrupting the tentative truce between the clans and no one wants an all-out war. Or do they? Joe show more treks across forbidden Coalition territory to the Hood to look up a guy whose name he got from another guy—yeah, the connection is slim but when you’re not sure where your next pint of blood is coming from, and your girlfriend (who, by the way, doesn’t even KNOW you’re a vampyre!) is needing some expensive medical treatments, you get a bit desperate. What ensues is a madcap couple of days with Joe nearly meeting an untimely end several times and the unveiling of plots within plots and much political scheming.

Very dark and noir, lots of graphic violins (but very little sax! LOL) and many unsavory four-letter words. In other words, my kinda book. ::grin:: I love Joe’s rogue attitude, what I call his whole “eff you personality,” since I tend to have the same attitude to belonging to groups myself. I have the next Joe Pitt book here on my TBR and I know it won’t be too long before I get to it. show less

The mean streets of New York City are tough for a vampyre (their preferred spelling), avoiding the sun, getting a hold of enough blood, sustaining a romantic relationship with a human woman... So Joe Pitt has a lot on his plate when he's jumped by a fellow vampyre at an after-hours watering hole. After subduing his attacker, Joe tries to find out the source of the tainted blood that is poisoning his brethren. The island of Manhattan is described in such intimate detail that it nearly becomes a character in the book. Different vampyre clans have set up enclaves in different parts of the borough and a turf war is looming, spilling bad blood in more ways than one. This interesting book mixes fantasy and hard-boiled noir and builds to a show more satisfying conclusion. Recommended to those who like their mysteries off the beaten path. show less

Excellent 2nd entry in the Joe Pitt story where the rogue vampyre is finding things a little tough. After his previous exploits Joe is finding work a little harder to come by these days. He's almost fresh out of blood and also a little behind on the rent. He can't very well go ask the Coalition for a job so he goes to see what's up with the Society. His luck's in when Terry Bird asks him to look into some new drug that's hit the scene specifically aimed at vampyres. A drug that affects his kind of people is unusual in and of itself as the Vyrus just won't cohabit with anything else. Initial investigations lead to The Hood but to get there he'll have to travel through Coalition territory and that's not going to be a piece of cake either. show more And if he manages that he's going to stick out like a sore thumb so trying to find out what's happening there isn't going to be easy either.

A very good follow up book and probably even better than the first but not quite enough to earn that extra ½ show less

I really enjoyed this story - it's even better than the first one in the series {Already Dead}. Joe Pitt is cool and calm and very funny in a dead-pan way.

The plot is decent; the bad guys are bad, the good guys are flawed, and the main character is fully fleshed and consistent. It is gory and gross and has coarse language. And, best of all, no "morals" are stogged down your throat.

It's mature and non-romantic - basically a vampire novel written for adults rather than teens. I can't wait to get the next in the series.

Noirish in tone and manner, this is the second book that has Joe Pitt as it's protagonist, and I actually like it better than the first one (which I liked well enough) More of the vampire background is described, and the world view is very coherent and well worked out. Joe Pitt is a wonderful anti-hero, far too cool and deadpan for his own good. The book really moves along and the revelations about the vampires, both good and bad, are intriguing. A series worth keeping up with, the third doesn't appear to be out yet, but I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for it.

This was a very good read. On the surface the story is about a new drug that sets vampires off, so that they spaz out in public. The under story is about power plays and politics in the various factions, and their interaction with each other. Joe of course gets caught in the gears. Good story and writing. Huston also makes a change so that we won't keep getting the same basic story over and over. Can't wait for the next one.

This is the 2nd book in the series after Already Dead. The setting is modern day NYC. Vampires are infected with a virus that makes them have most of the traditional vampire attributes. They also form factions and band together for protection from humans and from vampires and from others.

There are quasi-religious show more mystical freaks, biker vamps, a hippie group, a group that is like the mafia, and group for brothers in the hood. Joe is a loner, a rogue and he needs the goodwill of the other clans to keep them from killing him when he is on their turf. He lives quietly around the edges of their societies, and tries to stay below their notice.

He acts as a fixer and earns brownie points and money to buy blood with the jobs. But they only use him when its too dangerous for their own people, or when they need to set someone up. He has no protector and no group who will bail him out.

The writing is very spare and gritty, and the dialog is written in spoken English, rather than polished prose. show less