#40, Bloody Book List – MaryJanice Davidson’s Undead And Unwed

I was surprised to see this book was #40 on Margot Adler’s Bloody Book list but hey...everyone’s entitled to their opinion.
MaryJanice Davidson's narrative novel, Undead and Unwed, unlike other books, is more of a comedic approach to vampires, or the undead, rather. Before dying, Elizabeth Taylor, a.k.a. Betsy, is an average, independent woman, struggling to make ends meet and stumbling her way through life. And then one day, (on her birthday, the poor dear) she gets laid off and then is killed by a runaway car, an Axtek to be exact. Life, for most people, would be over. But for Betsy Taylor, it had just begun.

A few months beforehand, Betsy thwarted a near death experience when she was mauled by what Police suspected were rabid squirrels? Ha!...More like feral beasts.  Surviving the attack didn't amount to much since she ended up dying anyway.  After dying, she then wakes up as a member of the undead.  And soon Betsy finds out that she’s not only a dead woman walking, but a vampire. To make things more complicated, she refuses to live her life like her other undead counterparts. She makes an unorthodox decision and outs herself as a vampire to her family and friends, and in doing so, chooses to keep on living.

Betsy is hilarious. Davidson’s main character is a buxom blond/former model with an large appetite for life, love and now, of course, blood. With her best friend, Jessica, by her side, Betsy accepts her new life but shuns all the rules of her new kin. As a friend of both the living and the dead, she meets a mysterious vampire, Eric Sinclair, a tall, dark, handsome (yummy) character that’s so creepy and alluring at times, Betsy doesn’t know whether to question his motives or succumb to his advances.

It’s a tangled web that Davidson weaves, bringing in facets of Betsy’s old and new life like her dysfunctional family, her loyal friends, Nostro (a powerful vampire and her nemesis), Eric (another powerful vampire and charming vampire mentor/would be love interest), Tina (Betsy’s lesbian friend and Sinclair’s devout follower), Nick (the dutiful police detective) and the famous Book of the Dead. And that’s just for starters.

I can’t say enough wonderful compliments about this book. It’s laugh out loud funny (lol for you texting fools). I couldn’t get enough of this book, plus the other seven I read. I assure you, I’ll review the rest and soon. I have to say, there were so many times I laughed, almost spitting at times, bursting into tears. First time was the mention of her shoes. God help Betsy and her love for designer shoes. She couldn’t make a woman more proud. Carry Bradshaw ain’t got nothing on Betsy Taylor. And then, of course, the fang lisp. That had me barreling over in hysterics, I swear.

But honestly, the kicker was at the end of the novel. MaryJanice Davidson slam dunked the ending of her first novel in this series, Undead and Unwed. I promise I’ve read it several times over. Yes, it’s that good.

On the Mina Burrows KilloMeter, I give this book a 5. MaryJanice Davidson is a killer author and Betsy Taylor rocks!

Until next time…keep reading.

Mina