Werewolf Smackdown

In the current glut of urban fantasy/noir/hardboiled crime, it's hard to tell what's worth reading. On top, of course, are names such as Jim Butcher, Tim Waggoner, Simon Green and others, but dozens of "mythic" knock-offs abound, some of them quality reading, the rest better left alone. One standout is Mario Acevedo's vampire detective, Felix Gomez, who returns to action in "Werewolf Smackdown". Felix Gomez has been drawn into a war that's not his own but threatens not only vampire-kind, but scores of supernatural beings and humans, also. A death has left a power vacuum in the werewolf hierarchy of Charleston, South Carolina. Two rival families stand ready to wage civil war. When Felix discovers that an alpha werewolf wants to hire him for an assassination, he turns the gig down quick...but not quickly enough, apparently, as two vampire thugs try to take him out soon after. Now, what looked like a simple job offer has turned into a tangle of lies, deceit, and mystery. Worse, as Felix digs deeper - instead of blowing town, which common sense dictates - he realizes that an old, deadly foe thought long dead might be pulling the strings. Worse, this foe cares nothing for the "Great Secret", an ancient pact made to shield the supernatural world from the human one. The goal: werewolf Armageddon, to blow the lid off the Secret, which would put everyone - human and supernatural - in danger. Many writers have tried to emulate the charisma of Butcher's wildly popular character Harry Dresden; Acevedo is one of the few who very well may have succeeded. Gomez isn't a "vampire Harry Dresden", but he strikes the same world-weary tone of the classic gumshoe detective, only in this case his world consists of immortality, aversion to sunlight, and feeding off the living. Like Dresden, a detective who just happens to be a wizard, Gomez just happens to have been turned into a vampire. That speaks of a character stronger than just its genre trappings, which makes Acevedo a writer stronger than his chosen genre.

Denver private investigator Felix Gomez is a Latino vampire who works for the Araneum a vampire group that polices its own. He is an enforcer who goes after rogue vampires who break their laws; especially the ones who threaten to expose the Great Secret that supernatural species exist. In Charleston, clan alpha Eric Bourbon wants to hire Felix to kill his rival Randolph Colburn for control of the Lowcountry Territory. Bourbon explains his predecessor died in a plane crash ordered by Colburn. Before he can act, Felix is abducted by Colburn who tells his side of the story. Regardless, Felix knows a civil war is coming that will impact all supernatural species even the neutrals. Felix meets to prevent the hostilities from igniting because if they do then the humans will know that they exist. Vampires try to kill Felix who believes his enemy Julius Paxton has surfaced to take advantage of the pending disaster. Julius wants to reveal the Great Secret in order to work with mortals to form a great society even though humans will be below on the food chain.. As Paxton's minions attack Felix and cause other problems, Paxton remains in hiding causing incidents that will lead to a werewolf civil war and Felix's death. The sleuth has to risk his life in order to stop a nasty war from occurring. The latest Felix Gomez's serio-comedic urban fantasy noir (see Jailbait Zombie, X-Rated Bloodsuckers, The Nymphos Of Rocky Flats and The Undead Kama Sutra) is as zany as his previous Noir thrillers, but is the best yet. Readers obtain a profound in depth look at werewolf society especially the alpha leadership. Ironically, Felix obtains more allies amongst the were and more enemies amidst his own kind as the tongue in cheek hero risks his undead life for his convictions. Harriet Klausner

Like most of you (book lovers) my stack of `books I need to read' list is as long as Kim Kardashian `guys I've slept with' list. So because of this, I haven't read Mario Acevedo's work in a couple years. After reading this book I felt so stupid! Not normal everyday "I locked my keys in the car stupid"; but rather an "a Blonde got an AM radio for Christmas and it took her ten months to figure out she could use it at night" stupid! During one of my numerous temper tantrum throwing/whining 'I can't find anything to read' phases, I should have picked up one of Mario's books and had my problem solved. I became a fan while reading 'Nymphos of Rocky Flats' because Felix is my kind of vampire. He enjoys (immensely) the carnal pleasures, is an unapologetic smart-ass, and enjoys the carnal pleasures WHILE being an apologetic smart-ass! He's not some pretty metro sexual, sparkle-in-the-daytime, scamper up trees shirtless vamp. Naw, Felix is a character that stands out in a crowd of characters. If you want a foo-foo vampire, please take your Edward vs. Jacob, half soy half chai latte drinking cadaver someplace else. This here book is for grown folks. Felix is tangled up in another vampirific mess, and while I've missed a couple books, I was immediately drawn back into a hypnotic reading trance that only Felix could cast. I mean come on... the first page you have a clan alpha werewolf talking to a vampire while holding up the decapitated head of a werewolf! And true to form, Felix gets off a smart-ass remark by paragraph two. He's been 'recruited' to help this clan werewolf figure out his place as ruler of the clans and to help prevent a war between warring werewolf factions. Problem is he shouldn't be. Vampires don't meddle in the affairs of werewolves and vice versa. But the numerous powers that be aren't satisfied with minor things say like; tradition and ancient unbroken clan rules. Quest for power trumps all right? So, Felix is thrust talons first into some of the seediest and backstabbing manusha this side of Washington D.C. And, oh yes, there is blood! Blood, pain, hot rancid meat, delicious salty b-positive filling the stomach, and some rather sexy (yet disturbing) wolf on vampire sex. Having all this take place in Charleston, SC is an added bonus. Growing up there and having family from there I was down there all too often, but I got a tiny kick out of knowing exactly where Felix was. It was just as I remember it; minus the dryad's, six foot hairy beasts, and I'm certain I don't remember a gangster vampire. But maybe that's just me. I usually also avoid books that deal with the supernatural element. Vamps and Weres are OK, but that other sorcery mumbo jumbo to me is like Mike Tyson and a dictionary; it just doesn't mix. But I'm ok when Mario does it. It's not too much, it's not over the top, it's in there but it doesn't dominate the story. What does dominate is Felix's antics, the supernatural action, the blood filled scenes, and Mario