Bloody Good

If Mary Stewart and Charlotte McLeod had collaborated on a paranormal novel about rural English village life in early WWII, I think the result might have been something like this. Author Georgia Evans has written a tale that accurately incorporates the uncertainty and hardship of the Blitz into a larger story line that includes romance (a really good one!), magic, intrigue, and all the absorbing social detail you could expect of a really well-written "cozy." In fact, Evans' portrayal of the daily lives and attitudes of her characters has an authentic feel I would compare to Rhys Bowen and Mary Stewart novels of similar setting. The tone is light--impressively so, given the seriousness of some subject matter--but never silly, and Evans has written her paranormal elements (vampires, witches, pixies, etc.) into the tale with a deftness that makes their existence seem no more unbelievable than that of the Nazis. I think the similarity of the cover art to that of Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse novels is probably not an accident. The characters of "Bloody Good" are likable and well-crafted, and the prologue establishes a premise that should comfortably stretch over several more novels while still providing readers of "Bloody Good" with the ingredients for a proper ending. This book could function perfectly well as a stand-alone novel but, even still, I ran out and bought "Bloody Awful" as soon as I finished. I noticed another reviewer complained of the book being politically inconsistent and I have to disagree. Because this book is really the first installment of a series, many plot elements have not yet been explained, but everything so far revealed has been consistent with the idea of vampires who sympathize with the Nazi agenda while also pursuing their own goals. Also, the inclusion of facts about the Holocaust (for which the same reviewer seemed to be arguing) would have been puzzling and perhaps anachronistic in a novel about the English countryside in 1940, when the average English citizen had little or no knowledge of the genocide taking place of mainland Europe. If "Bloody Good" has a weakness, it's probably that the climax is a bit anti-climactic; the disposal of the bad guy is pretty abrupt. I greatly enjoyed exploring the world and characters Georgia Evan's has created here, however, and eagerly look forward to the "Bloody Right."

Rosemary Laurey writing as Georgia Evans. Another fantastic book from this author. Book 2 Bloody Awful comes out July 7th and book 3 of this series comes August 4th. I love that this series is all coming out a month apart. Usually you have to wait a year for the next book. If you haven't read Rosemary Laurey's vampire series books 1 & 2 in one volume, Kiss Me Forever, Love Me Forever, book 3 Be Mine Forever, Book 4 Keep Me Forever, book 5 Midnight Lover. What I love about this series is that the Vampires are based on real historical people. A fantastic series the I reread often. Jen :)

I had high hopes for Bloody Good--vampires plus WWII?--and Georgia Evans did not let me down. Set in 1940 and centered around an English village in the southern England, Evans sets a delightful scene of upright English men and women doing their bit for the war. The book opens with a bang, with the vampiric German spies parachuting into England and creating a bevy of events that climax with the village's inhabitants defeating their vampire spy. Though Evans maintains a jaunty English tone, all is not fun and games. The dangers of the war are very apparent and lend a bit of levity to the wit. The main characters, Alice and Peter, are nicely written, and the secondary characters prove appealing as well. There are bits of rough writing where too much is told rather than shown, but it's so few and far between it's bit a trifle. One of the strong points of the book is the introduction of the various indigenous magical creatures. This isn't a generic paranormal mystery--the supernatural is rooted in British folklore. There is a decent bit of romance between Alice and Peter, but it doesn't overwhelm the mystery elements of the book. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

During WWII in rural England, country doctor Alice Doyle meets a severely injured stranger, but he heals miraculously almost instantly, and simply vanishes. Soon after that puzzling encounter, Alice is called to look at the corpse of a farmer; he has no blood left inside him. Stunned Alice wonders what in hell is going on in her hamlet especially as more bodies sucked dry are found. Meanwhile conscientious objector Peter Watson tries to persuade Alice that he is not a coward as he wants to court her; he explains he opposes war. However, he will soon have to take sides as Alice begins to uncover proof that Nazis have infiltrated the area led by lethal Gerhardt Eiche. However, he is not just another vile stormtrooper or saboteur trying to cause havoc from within. He is a vampire trying to conquer England from within. With Peter and her grandma who insists she is a pixie, Alice tries to drive a stake through the Nazi vampire and his flying minion who are having a BLOODY GOOD time devouring Devonshire. This is a superb opening supernatural World War II thriller starring a strong English cast in which some are not purebred human and Nazi vampire invaders. The story line is filled with action and strong characterizations that anchor this alternate England. However, what makes this historical rural fantasy work is the interwoven tidbits such as the sociology of the paranormal and classic fairy tales are documented historical events. Georgia Evans opens are saga of "Others" with a bloody great tale. Harriet Klausner

Dealing with the confines of a World War is bad enough for lady doctor, Alice Doyle. Worrying about if her sleepy little town will be rudely awaken and taking care of all of the aches and pains of the villagers, she soon finds out that trouble is a little closer to home than she hopes. It seems that German spies have taken residence in her village outside of London, but the Reich infiltrating aren't human; they are vampires! How can she save the people of Brytewood? She's just a doctor. Alice soon realizes she is willing to take help from anyone she can get it from. Her new boyfriend,Peter, the Conscientious Objector, her grandmother, The Pixie, Mr. Pendragon, and Gloria, the district nurse. This book was very surprising for me. I am guilty of judging a book by it's cover, but that is the only problem I could find with this book. I really enjoyed the history of life in England during WWII and the way people had to live. Then to mix in the vampires, the shifters, the vixens, and the pixies, it kept me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this book and this author and would rate this book a 4/5 stars...Can't wait to read the next book in the series called Bloody Awful.