Another serviceable Joe Pitt vampire novel from Charlie Huston, in this book Pitt is offered a deal to exchange relative security for infiltrating a group that wants to "cure" the Vyrus that makes vampires who and what they are. A quick, light read, and fun enough for those who like Huston's gritty writing style. ( )

Maybe I'm just tired of Scott Brick's overacting? The first hour of this book was so long-winded and lecture-y with nothing happening other than a series of different "bad guys" beating up Joe. Literally... back-to-back they each beat him up for awhile until the next one comes along and removes the one beating Joe up so they can then beat Joe up. The whole while lecturing the reader as to why this is (or, perhaps is not) a good thing.

The story does start, eventually, and it seems like there could have been a decent plot/story. This doesn't mean the lecturing stops though... the story's forward progress is regularly interrupted for some philosophical rant - usually about socio-political activities. That, and the ending is one of the worst I've read in awhile... not really an ending, more of a petering out.

Though I have to admit that the book contains one of the funniest lines I've heard in a long time: (I'm paraphrasing because I read this book in audio and I can't look it up) Amanda Horde says "I'm Joe Pitt. I'm here to chew some bubblegum and kick some ass. And I'm all outta bubblegum".

Overall... hmmm... I think it was just on the wrong side of lecture-y. I don't know that I'm going to bother reading the next (last) in this series either because the book before this was a bit disappointing too, and they seem to be going downhill. I don't care about social commentary, Mr. Huston, just blow stuff up already - and try to keep the plot moving forward while you do. ( )

Still loving Huston's odd mix of vampire-noir. His phrasing is so clean and refreshing to read.

Joe Pitt is still mixing it up with the heads of various clans and we love the trouble he gets into. We recognize his motivation for the whole book, to get close to Evie again. And he'll move heaven and hell, well, kill anyone and everyone, to get that done. He brings the entire scene to the edge of war for the opportunity.

Pitt gets himself pushed around perhaps more than usual in this book. But not as if he doesn't get bashed on a frequent basis before.

The big secret in this book is predictable to most of us. That takes away some of the horror of the discovery but it is still presented well. The near-end scene with Terry Bird was immensely satisfying, how Joe gets the upper hand. The scene with Predo on Enclave territory was also quite satisfying and equally reasonable. The last scenes with Evie and The Count were well scripted as well. I wondered why he gives Evie his jacket and knocks out Phil... then all becomes clear. Great ending.

The series continues to evolve. Gimme, gimme, gimme the next book! ( )

Unlike the previous three, Every Last Drop isn't a standalone volume. You need to read it with My Dead Body, the fifth and last book in this series. Otherwise, you'll be left with only half a story. Joe Pitt, ever more beaten and battered, decides that throwing a monkey wrench into the works of the various syndicates is a good idea and, with his usual talent for trouble, succeeds. ( )

The fourth, and penultimate, book in the Joe Pitt series. Joe remains the hardest bastard every to live (or, rather, die, since he's a vampire) in a book that has an awful lot of hard bastards. Blood, tough men staring angrily at each other, more blood, torture, more blood, and three murders in the first 50 pages. Not for the faint of heart.

For the non-faint of heart, this is a great series, as hard-boiled as they come.

This one does feel a bit like a place holder, just setting things up for the final book (My Dead Body), but I still enjoyed it immensely. For a hard bastard, Mr Pitt remains incredibly likeable. I think it's the strict slightly old-fashioned moral code that hard men at the center of noir novels tend to have. He may be inventively killing dozens of vampires, but he's careful with humans, and treats women with respect. ( )