Oooooh, don't you just love it when someone recommends a book, and it's a really good read? Such is the case with this little gem. A very thankful shout out to the awesome woman who mentioned it - you were so right!
This is a little book about a vampire named Phil Merman. Phil is fifty-four but, of course, still looks twenty-seven, the age he was when he was bitten and turned. Phil has just lost his father and is in a rather thoughtful mood when the work opens. Unlike many vampires, Phil has not really moved around trying to hide his identity, nor has he forsaken his family or his one remaining friend, Shelley, something that comes back to haunt him. After all, as he points out, the parents can only say "oh what good genes you got!" so many times before they know something is very wrong with you.
Phil lives a solitary existence, or so he thinks. He's never met another vampire before, not that he's done that much looking. He kills in the shadows, preferring to take the blood of those he's hoping no one will miss: the homeless, the criminal, the insane. It's not much of a life, but it's his, for better or worse. And it might just be worse because it's looking like he's going to have it for a very, very long time.
Then one night he meets another vampire, Eddie, and is shown a whole new world. There are rich, decadent vampires at a penthouse loft. There are vampires in therapy. And there's a good-hearted vampiress trying to care for those less-fortunate vamps in the world, the ones who were turned even though they were missing a few brain cells as humans. Of course, she's also caring for vamp in a wheelchair, who is extremely grateful, having lost the use of his legs in WWII. So much for all those romantic stories about getting turned making you whole, hearty, and sexy as hell.
Phil is reluctant to join any of these scenes, yet he finds himself in Eddie's company quite often, as he realizes that he misses being around those he can talk to. Phil has a job, but he certainly doesn't talk to those people; they're just co-workers. Eddie has opened up his whole world, although not necessarily in a good way. In fact, after meeting Eddie, things seem to go from bad to worse to the absolute worst. How Phil deals with these changes is what makes up most of the book.
And for those of you who like romantic, brooding vamps? I will steer you away from this one. There's nary a romantic in the bunch, except for perhaps Phil's old friend Shelley, who turns up over and over again like the proverbial bad penny. Also, this one had quite an ending, a twist that I certainly didn't see coming. It fit with the feel of the book, though. Overall, I was very impressed and thought the writing was top-notch. I'm looking forward to finding some more of Fingerman's work soon.
This is a little book about a vampire named Phil Merman. Phil is fifty-four but, of course, still looks twenty-seven, the age he was when he was bitten and turned. Phil has just lost his father and is in a rather thoughtful mood when the work opens. Unlike many vampires, Phil has not really moved around trying to hide his identity, nor has he forsaken his family or his one remaining friend, Shelley, something that comes back to haunt him. After all, as he points out, the parents can only say "oh what good genes you got!" so many times before they know something is very wrong with you.
Phil lives a solitary existence, or so he thinks. He's never met another vampire before, not that he's done that much looking. He kills in the shadows, preferring to take the blood of those he's hoping no one will miss: the homeless, the criminal, the insane. It's not much of a life, but it's his, for better or worse. And it might just be worse because it's looking like he's going to have it for a very, very long time.
Then one night he meets another vampire, Eddie, and is shown a whole new world. There are rich, decadent vampires at a penthouse loft. There are vampires in therapy. And there's a good-hearted vampiress trying to care for those less-fortunate vamps in the world, the ones who were turned even though they were missing a few brain cells as humans. Of course, she's also caring for vamp in a wheelchair, who is extremely grateful, having lost the use of his legs in WWII. So much for all those romantic stories about getting turned making you whole, hearty, and sexy as hell.
Phil is reluctant to join any of these scenes, yet he finds himself in Eddie's company quite often, as he realizes that he misses being around those he can talk to. Phil has a job, but he certainly doesn't talk to those people; they're just co-workers. Eddie has opened up his whole world, although not necessarily in a good way. In fact, after meeting Eddie, things seem to go from bad to worse to the absolute worst. How Phil deals with these changes is what makes up most of the book.
And for those of you who like romantic, brooding vamps? I will steer you away from this one. There's nary a romantic in the bunch, except for perhaps Phil's old friend Shelley, who turns up over and over again like the proverbial bad penny. Also, this one had quite an ending, a twist that I certainly didn't see coming. It fit with the feel of the book, though. Overall, I was very impressed and thought the writing was top-notch. I'm looking forward to finding some more of Fingerman's work soon.
1 comment:
I just stumbled across your review and wanted to thank you for the very kind words about my book. Thanks a bunch. I appreciate it.
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