You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2011/08/review-the-girls-with-games-of-blood-by-ale...

A creature I love to hate,Rudy Zginski,former count,current vamp,is back in The Girls With Games of Blood,and this time,his object of desire is a 1973 Mach 1 Mustang. He sees the car in a movie and must have it,so when he finally tracks one down,he go to any lengths to get it. What he doesn’t count on is former sheriff and dubious “movie star” Byron Cocker,is after the same car,and isn’t about to let this foreigner take it from him. Meanwhile,sweet vampire Fauvette,forever stuck in the body of a 14 year old (but almost 50 years old),and haunted my the memory of her turning,tends bar and pines for Zginski,who saved her and her friends from an animalistic life of death and bloodshed,and showed them that being vampire does not have to be a miserable existence as well. When Patience Bolade,a dark haired vixen with pipes that will put you under her spell,blows into town and lands a gig at Fauvette’s bar,she gives Fauvette hope that maybe there are more ways then one for a vampire to feed,but also turns the head of Count Zginski,who’s feelings for Fauvette may be turning out to be more than he bargained for. What no one knows,however,is that Patience’s sister Prudence is also nearby,and she’s nursing a grudge that can only be satisfied with flesh…and blood.

I love this series,and was just as entertained by “Girls With Games” as I was by Blood Groove. Alex Bledsoe creates vampire stories that are violent,strange,yet also very human in their nature. These vamps are motivated by exactly the same things that humans are,yet are compelled to act out their vengeance in very different ways. Zginski softens up just a bit in this one,however,don’t expect a complete turnaround. His racism and sexism are still on display at times,but the kindness that he shows his thrall,a woman dying of cancer,and his growing tenderness for Fauvette,definitely shows a softer side of Mister Z. He is “other” though,through and through,and will not hesitate to enact vengeance on those he feels have wronged him. I also like how Bledsoe’s vamps,while pretty cold and calculating (with the exception of the yearning Fauvette),sometimes let little slivers of humanity through. The cracks are small,but they are there,and it really adds an element to the novels that I enjoy. These Southern vamps are not your momma’s sparklers,and if you like your horror stories dark,gritty,and with plenty of Memphis spice,this series is for you. Buckle up. ( )

It’s 1975 in Memphis, Tennessee, and Alex Bledsoe returns with his Memphis vampires for a novel filled with fast cars, rock and roll, and steamy southern nights. Baron Rudolfo Vladimir Zginski has his eye on a car, and not just any car. He outmaneuvers a good old boy, Byron Cocker, to buy the 1973 Mach 1 Mustang of his dreams. Cocker is a former sheriff of some renown, who doesn’t appreciate being cheated by anyone, especially foreigners.

Cocker is determined to wrest the Mustang from Zginski, but Zginski has other worries. Life becomes more complicated when Patience Bolade, who poses as a folk singer, enters the scene. Zginski and the two young vampires he’s taken under his tutelage immediately recognize another vampire has entered their territory.

One of the infamous Bolade sisters, Patience has a history of her own in the form of a blood feud with her sister Prudence, also a vampire. Prudence has vowed to destroy Patience and anyone who stands in her way. Zginski, Leonardo, and Fauvette, soon find themselves drawn into the sisters’ feud with some surprising twists and disastrous results.

Bledsoe really hits his stride with his latest novel of love and betrayal amongst the undead. The pacing is superb and just when you’re sure you know how the plot will unfold, Bledsoe gives it a twist to keep you engaged.

Bledsoe’s characters are portrayed with layered personalities so that every scene reveals their inner struggles in more depth until you’re caught up in their lives and loves. Patience Bolade’s transition from dying woman to vampire evokes mystery beneath a full moon and remains the novel’s most poignant scene. Leonardo grapples with racism and his own motives as he seduces his latest victim while Fauvette tries to find her place in the world and Zginski’s life.

Zginski remains as repulsive as ever, unrepentant racist and misogynist — and those are his good qualities – but towards the end, Bledsoe gives you a clue that Zginski isn’t quite all that he seems, either. While the younger vampires seek to emulate their mentor’s stoic old world mentality, Zginski finds his humanity reawakening in ways that surprise even him.

Bledsoe ties it all together neatly and doesn’t miss a beat with either plot or prose. He serves up vampires for adult readers, so if you’re looking for horror with verve, check out The Girls with Games of Blood.

I received this novel from a Goodreads giveaway.The Girls with Games of Blood was a well written piece of southern flavored Vamp goth fiction.Nothing terribly exciting about the novel however, it seemed to me that there were some wonderful plot points and ideas that deserved follow up and details. However the ending did feel realistic, if you can do that with Vampires, and I was not terribly disappointed.I would hope that Mr. Bledsoe decides to write a follow up or two in this little world of 1970's Memphis and his Vampires. ( )

I received this novel from a Goodreads giveaway.The Girls with Games of Blood was a well written piece of southern flavored Vamp goth fiction.Nothing terribly exciting about the novel however, it seemed to me that there were some wonderful plot points and ideas that deserved follow up and details. However the ending did feel realistic, if you can do that with Vampires, and I was not terribly disappointed.I would hope that Mr. Bledsoe decides to write a follow up or two in this little world of 1970's Memphis and his Vampires. ( )