Title: Undead and Unreturnable
Author: MaryJanice Davidson
Review number: 51
Genre: Chick lit – Vampires
Stand Alone/Series: Book 4 of Queen Betsy Books
Summary:Even the undead celebrate Christmas, and Betsy is in heaven shopping for gifts.
But all is not merry in the mansion. It’s become infested with ghosts—really needy ones who have no qualms asking Betsy to run errands for them to rectify their pasts. Meanwhile, a serial killer is on the loose, and, being tall and blonde, Betsy perfectly fits his type.
They say Christmas is a time for friends and family. But with a half-sister who’s the devil’s daughter, an evil stepmother, a fiend living in her basement, and assorted spirits and killers running amok, Betsy is not sure she’ll survive the holidays. Oh, right. She’s already dead…
But all is not merry in the mansion. It’s become infested with ghosts—really needy ones who have no qualms asking Betsy to run errands for them to rectify their pasts. Meanwhile, a serial killer is on the loose, and, being tall and blonde, Betsy perfectly fits his type.
They say Christmas is a time for friends and family. But with a half-sister who’s the devil’s daughter, an evil stepmother, a fiend living in her basement, and assorted spirits and killers running amok, Betsy is not sure she’ll survive the holidays. Oh, right. She’s already dead…
Why did I read the book: I luuuuuuuurv Betsy!
Review:
There isn’t really one specific plot going on in book 4 of Queen Betsy series. Instead, an assortment of coming and goings: Betsy babysitting her baby half-brother, Betsy and her relationship with her sister who may or may not be turning into the child of the devil that she is supposed to be, Betsy writing an advice column for new vampires for the local vampire newsletters, Betsy dealing with ghosts that now ask for her help in moving on , Betsy dealing with a human serial killer on the lose and Betsy trying to organise her wedding to Eric Sinclair.
At first, the book seems to be all over the place, but one factor comes to centre of stage throughout – the fact that Betsy may well be growing up. Don’t get me wrong , there are still many illogical moments punctuated with that Scarlet O’Hara motto which Betsy seems to live by “I will think about this tomorrow” but also, Betsy starts to become more tuned to the world around her and to take full responsibility for her life. Sort of.
If the series is definitely losing its laugh out loud factor per book it is also gaining on more serious character growth for Betsy, and I have the feeling, creating momentum for some big developments in the story: Betsy wanting to have a baby some day (which she can’t , at least not with Eric Sinclair) and a subtle conversation with Eric Sinclair about trouble brewing amongst European Vampires . Although if I may say so, I picked up this series for the funny ha-ha stuff and am somewhat disappointed with the less hilarious storyline. I was also impatient with the re-telling of things past – Betsy kept explaining things that happened in the previous books – it was the author catching us up with earlier storylines and it was both unnecessary and boring to me, who had just read the first three books.
This was my least favourite instalment in the series so far but I will sure keep on reading. In this point in time, I am far too attached to Betsy and I still very much care for her. I also like Betsy and Eric Sinclair’s relationship so much – this time, she finally told him….hold on, let me rephrase that, she blurted out by accident that she is able to hear his thoughts when they are having sex. Oh, to see the impossibly cool Eric , losing his composure and feeling fear for the first time in his life was awesome.
In any case, the next two books are already bought and on my TBR list.
Notable quotes/Parts:
Eric behaves very badly in this book after he finds out that Betsy can hear his thoughts. He is a jerk to her and ends up hurting Betsy – physically and emotionally. But she totally gained my respect by instead of behaving like a teenager (like the Betsy in the earlier books would have) and standing up to him:
“I slapped him so hard he staggered back, bounced off the wall, and lay on the floor like a stunned cockroach (…)
I said I was sorry , okay? I said it. And I’m done saying it. So you’re either gonna get over it, or you won’t. Once you decide that, move in here or don’t. And I mean move in, none of this showing up at night for blood and sex and then leaving. But enough of this sulking and pissing and moaning, okay? Believe it or not, I’ve got bigger problems than your bruised ego. Now get the fuck out. ”
Additional Thoughts: I got nothing.
Verdict: Not the best in the series, but still good fun. If you are a Betsy fan, like I am, I am sure you will like it.
Rating: 6. Good.
Reading Next: The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockman
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2 Responses to Book Review: Undead and Unreturnable
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I love Betsy and her little freaky world she’s built!
I always turn to MJD if I need a light book with lots of humor.
I think it was after this one that I decided to stop buying them in hardcover, because the amount of story (and plot!) you get for the hardcover price just wasn’t worth it. Having said that, it was difficult to stop because they’re such good fun!
I really liked the latest one in paperback (“Undead and Uneasy”) – reminded me of the earlier Betsys.