Undead and Underwater

March 15, 2013
Three stories highlight connections between supernatural worlds, all of them tied together by one shoe-obsessed vampire queen. The latest in the Betsy Taylor vampire series consists of three novellas chronicling the exploits of the vampire queen and those near and dear to her. Super, Girl! introduces Hailey Derry, a superheroine trying to live her own life while maintaining her secret identity. When her company hires the likable Jamie Linus, Hailey imagines ways that her normal life might somehow incorporate a man (yes!), but menacing messages suggest that her romantic interest may be onto her, forcing her to expose her double life. In Undead and Underwater's unlikely pairing, half-human, half-mermaid Dr. Fredrika Bimm is forced to work with Betsy when a mutual acquaintance is threatened. While the danger behind the threat is real, there may be even greater danger when the two powerful supernatural beings meet. Can they set aside their differences to solve the case--and do they even want to? In Incomer, the Wyndham Werewolves have a new alpha who appears to be under attack during her first day on the job. Lara Wyndham, who already has the stress of wondering whether her old family friend Jack Gardner will make a play for her now that she's in charge, doesn't have time to deal with dead things showing up on her doorstep. This trio starts strong, but the frequent involvement of past characters leads to obfuscation only a die-hard fan would love or understand. Davidson would be well-served by taking notes from her characters, who sometimes complain about "nauseating endless speculative continual monologues."

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