4.5
Book source ~ Kindle Unlimited
Joint review with Bea from Bea's Book Nook

Plot

AVR: I think this plot is a bit tighter than the first two books. At least, it seems to run along at a quickish pace as Quinn gets down to the business of launching a “dead” author’s last book for him and then trying to figure out who the murderer is. Not of the author. He’s already a vampire. The murder is tied to the book launch though so Quinn, being a curious person, has to stick her witchy nose into the investigation. I admit, I did not have it figured out until the wrap up. So, good job!

Bea: I agree that this story was much tighter. In fact, I feel like Warren hit her stride with this story; I said something similar for the second book and the writing has only improved. It was tight, it was smooth, it flowed, and it was engaging. Quinn's involvement in investigating the murder made sense. It was also interesting to read the behind the scenes details of setting up a book launch. The story has a good mix of mystery, humor, and a little action.

AVR: I agree! I'm looking forward to more in this series.

Characters

AVR: Since this book centered around one of the vampires I didn’t see much of the rest of the villagers or even the vampires except for Lochlan, Bartholomew and Oscar Wilde. Was Oscar Wilde a dick in life? Because he’s a dick as a vampire. I like Karen, the new owner of a B&B. She also owns the shop Granny’s Drawers. And Biddy O’Donnell, the dead witch introduced in the last book has a running part in this story. She’s kinda frightening. But mostly annoying, except in a good way.

Bea: Vampiric Oscar Wilde really is a mean person. I know that real Oscar Wilde had a sharp tongue and vampiric Wilde does not disappoint. Branson, the vampire author getting the book launch, is quite bratty. Quinn had far more patience for him than I did. There weren't as many characters this time round, which was nice, but there were a handful of new ones. While there wasn't much development of the regular characters, all of them, old and new, were sharply drawn and distinct. Biddy is incredibly annoying; she really got on my nerves. I tried to have empathy for her situation but oooh, she made it hard. She is a compelling character though ,and hopefully Warren will make good use of her.

AVR: Oh, yeah. Branson is definitely bratty. Yikes. And Biddy? I would have sent her back to her dirt prison. Quinn is much more patient than I would ever be, family or not.

World building

AVR: The world doesn’t progress overly much in this one. I did learn a lot about how books are published and marketed though – even if it was from the viewpoint of a “dead” author. And it looks like the tiny village of Ballydehag just might be growing some soon so the world can be expanded.

Bea: Like Carol said, there wasn't as much building this time around. I would love to see more focus on the village. So far, it seems to be a stereotypical Irish village. Then again, I know little about real Irish villages. Either way, I'd like to see more use of the setting in the stories. Warren did make use of some public land, conversation land it seemed, and that was nice to read about.

AVR: Oh yeah! I forgot about the mention of the Wild Atlantic Way. That sounds like something I'd like to do if I lost about 80 lbs. Or maybe I could lose that doing it. Hmmm...lol Come to think of it, I'd like to do the Appalachian Trail, too. But that is a whole lot longer and I think a whole lot more mountainous. Eeek

Romance?

AVR: Is there a bit of romance in the air with Quinn and Lochlan? I can see it heading that way. I was actually hoping Dr. Milsom would be the love interest, but he seems to be taking the same path as DI Ian Chisholm in the Vampire Knitting series. Maybe someone else will come along? I’m not really feeling it between the witch and the vampire.

Bea: I vote no. Not every series needs a romance. That said, it would be nice to see a middle-aged woman get a romance, and like Carol, I would prefer to see Quinn with the doctor. They seem a better match. I'd rather see Lachlan and Quinn be friends but not lovers.

AVR: Agreed!

Overall

AVR: Overall I really enjoyed this 3rd installment of the Vampire Book Club. Well, except for the possible stirrings of witch/vampire romance. I want someone else for Quinn. The murder kept me guessing and the rest of the book kept me engaged. This is an easy read that entertains.

Bea: This was my favorite of the series, short though it is. I like this series and I hope we are in for more stories.

AVR: Yes! I hope we get many more stories in this series.

Side Note

AVR: I want to mention how much I dislike the new covers of the books. The original covers fit the character as written so much better. Quinn is supposed to be a dark-haired middle-aged woman. The woman on the new covers don't look like that at all.

Bea: I'm not convinced that it isn't the same model. If not, there's a strong resemblance. She does look younger on this cover, and that's a shame. The main character is middle-aged and the cover model should reflect that. The character's age is part of her experience.

AVR: I don't think they look alike, but the new covers do show an obviously younger person and that's just ugh to me. Actually, I think she looks more like how I picture Karen. ( )