Dead and Dateless: A Novel of Vampire Love (Dead End Dating, Book 2)

Book Description

SHE’D LIKE HER BLOOD BOTTLED, PLEASE!

The sassiest vampire in all of Manhattan, Lil Marchette, is the owner of Dead End Dating–a matchmaking service for hip, intelligent singles like herself. After only three months, business is booming, and she can finally pay her bills (or, more important, feed a hungry cosmetics addiction). But when one of her clients turns up dead (as in never coming back), Lil is named as the prime suspect.
Murder?

Sure, she’s a vampire, but she can’t even work up her nerve when it comes to blood-sucking. Hacking somebody to pieces is so out of the question.

To make matters worse, Lil must also contend with a pack of werewolves who ask–no, demand–that she find each one a tall, dark, and handsome mate before the next full moon. Plus, the to-die-for-if-I wasn’t-already-dead Ty Bonner, a lusciously sexy lover but totally unsuitable eternity mate, is never far from her midnight fantasies. But Lil has no time for such thoughts. She must prove her innocence and focus on pairing off the dead and the furry–and maybe stake a claim to her own tasty true love.

“Kimberly Raye is hot, hot, hot!”
–Vicki Lewis Thompson, author of Nerds Like It Hot

Customer Reviews:

Lil is back!.......2007-08-07

And she's shaking things up yet again. Her business is great, but she's on the run from the police, who say she's wanted for murder! Raye comes back with Dead and Dateless, making us howl at Lil's thoughts and actions. While Lil is on the run, she has to keep her business up and running, (how else will she get that new Prada bag?) keep herself from falling in love with a made-vamp, and evade the cops. What's a girl to do? Anyone who knows Lil from Dead End Dating knows she's not the murder, but with no other suspects, she'll have to solve her own case, with the help of luscious Ty, of course. This one will have you wanting an early release for "Your Coffin or Mine?".

Didn't love it, didn't hate it = 3 stars.......2007-07-30

I am pretty ambivalent about this book. It fell somewhere in the middle. Plot was ok .. interesting mystery trying to determine who framed Lil for murder. The writing style is very casual and relaxed, lots of (comments in asides). It began to get a little annoying.

But, the story is interesting. There is heat between Lil and her vampire bounty hunter, and it's fun to watch the characters fight the chemisty between them. Lil's mom is a hoot.

Overall, it's not a keeper, but I'm still glad I read it. Hoping that book 3 can grab me the way the first in the series did.

Vampires & Romance.......2007-06-28

I love the first book and I loved this one as well. I was worried that it would be a repeat or wouldn't hold up to the mustard like the first. But, it did. Lil (or wonderful born vamp who even breaths like a human - or at least tries) is back and just as lovely as the first book. The story starts off with a bang and keeps you guessing as to the killer throughout. As a matter of fact, I didn't know who the killer was until the very end. Lil is up to her old dating games and of course the hunky bounty hunter is back. The story ends and you will wish that you had the third book. A great summer read.

my kind of fun paranormal.......2007-06-11

Dead and Dateless: A Novel of Vampire Love This book is so zany and fun to read, that you will not put it down. I loved how the heroine talks and thinks (style baby style!) of fashions and then how to afford them! Too funny!

More like -- Shallow and Plotless.......2007-06-03

Wow, I don't think I've ever read a more shallow professionally published book. The main character is great -- if you can stand for her to tell you so over and over and over again. Can you say, in Lil speak, T-E-D-I-O-U-S? The love interest is kind of fun but lacks depth, as does the plot. If you want characters with more than one dimension, look elsewhere.

Dead End Dating: A Novel of Vampire Love

Average customer rating:

CATS CORNER
Lighthearted Paranormal Romance Read
A Silly Book
Fun, cute
Lighthearted and fun!

Dead End Dating: A Novel of Vampire Love
Kimberly Raye
Manufacturer: Ivy Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Fantasy, Futuristic & Ghost | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books

Vampires | Romance | Subjects | Books

Fantasy, Futuristic & Ghost | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

General | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

Vampires | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0345492161
Release Date: 2006-08-29

Book Description

BITING IS SO LAST SEASON.

A vivacious vampire with a flair for accessorizing, Lil Marchette is unlike most of her kind. She prefers lively shades of pink to dismal black (soo not her color), plus she’s a hopeless romantic. In need of a steady paycheck to support a compulsive cosmetics habit, Lil starts Dead End Dating (DED), a Manhattan-based matchmaking service that helps smart, sophisticated singles like herself find eternity mates–and may even help her stake a claim to her very own Count Right!

When Lil meets geeky vampire Francis Deville, she knows he’s the perfect first client. If she can hook up Francis–after a little revamping, of course–she will prove her skills to the vampire community and turn DED into the hottest dating service in the Big Apple. But just as her business takes off, Lil meets the (literally) drop-dead gorgeous bounty hunter Ty Bonner, who is hot on the chase of a serial killer. Instantly drawn to the luscious vamp stud, Lil really wants a taste. But as a made vampire, Ty can’t procreate–and Lil will settle for nothing less. Luckily, between “vampifying” Francis and helping Ty solve his murder mystery, Lil has no time for silly romantic entanglements . . . even if Ty is all that and a Bloody Mary chaser!

Customer Reviews:

CATS CORNER.......2007-10-03

I LOVED THIS BOOK, THIS IS MY FIRST VAMPIRE NOVEL, I LAUGHED SO MUCH. I PLAN ON READING MORE OF KIMBERLY'S BOOKS. FAST EASY READING AND SO INTERESTING GOOD HISTORY INPUT. LOOK FORWARD TO HER NEXT BOOK, AFTER YOUR COFFIN OR MINE. I READ YOUR COFFIN OR MINE IN ONE AFTERNOON.

THANK YOU
PHYLLIS PERSLEY

Lighthearted Paranormal Romance Read.......2007-08-07

What happens when you turn into a pink bat, AND lose your shoes? Well, you'll just have to ask Lil Marchette, who's a born vampire, moving out of her parents, and trying to make it on her own in Manhatten with a new dating service, of all things. Lil Marchette is your funny, spoiled, not-so-average vamp. She leaves you laughing and guessing after every page. You'll be rushing out to buy the second in the series!

A Silly Book.......2007-07-17

This is a fluffy silly book. It reads like Sex in The City with Vampires. Yes it also resembles the unwed series by Mary Janice Davidson. I love this kind of story so that does not bother me. It is a great read while I wait for the next MJD unwed book.

This book is easy to read. I cleared through 200 pages in one day. Very unlike me. It keeps my attention. The mother is actually my favorite character. She reminds me of my own mom.

Fun, cute.......2007-06-18

I thought this was a fun and playful take on the vampire universe. I enjoyed the voice of the protagonist and had a few laugh-out-loud moments. My only complaint is one that I have about most chick-lit: There's no neatly tied up Happily Ever After! Still, great fun for a quick summer read.

Lighthearted and fun!.......2007-04-28

Who says vampires can't find love? Lil Marchette is determined to make her matchmaking service a success by finding eternity mates for vampires. After all, the thought of working at the family business, Midnight Moe's, in those hideous lime green polo shirts and Dockers is just frightening. Of course, Lil's own social life is in the pits and she can't stop thinking about the gorgeous bounty hunter and made vampire, Ty Bonner. Ty is all wrong for her as she is one of the born vampires. Ty is searching for a serial kidnapper and suspects he may use dating services to find his next victims. Lil is only interested in making her business a success. Or isn't she?

Kimberly Raye's DEAD END DATING is a breath of fresh air to the genre of paranormal chick lit! Lil's obsession with her clothing is humorous but her heart of gold is what makes her likeable. Lil can't resist trying to make uber-geek vampire, Francis Deville, into a super hunk resembling Brad Pitt and the results are laugh-out-loud hysterical!

DEAD END DATING is reminiscent of the early Betsy books by MaryJanice Davidson as Lil is definitely a fashionista with plenty of attitude. Lil tends to stumble her way into success, but her kindness, even towards her human secretary, make Lil memorable. Francis, however, steals the show as who can't help but love a vampire who enjoys scrapbooking and idolizes Bob Barker? DEAD END DATING is a lighthearted and delightful foray into the world of the vampire.

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

Average customer rating:

Exciting Ending to the "DEAD" Series
Good, But Not Great
Guaranteed to hold readers spellbound
Wait For The Paperback
Love, death, and heartache.

Dead End: A Novel
Mariah Stewart
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

Romantic Suspense | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

Romantic Suspense | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0345483820
Release Date: 2006-05-30

Book Description

Bestselling author Mariah Stewart proved she can knock ’em dead with the best when she delivered the resounding one-two-three punch of her suspense “thrillogy”–Dead Wrong, Dead Certain, and Dead Even. Now, in her anticipated hardcover debut, she’s back to finish off this stunning series with her hottest shot yet.

Two years ago, a major FBI undercover drug deal suddenly went south– and special agent Dylan Shields went down in a hail of bullets. When the dust cleared, his fellow agent (and fiancée) Anne Marie McCall was left alone with too many unanswered questions and nothing to do but hit the job as hard as she could to dull the pain. Only now is she beginning to ease up on her punishing routine as a Bureau profiler and starting to let some light in again. and. Detective Evan Crosby had a lot to do with drawing Annie back into life, and she’s not about to let her chance at happiness with him slip away.

But before she can embrace a bright new future, she must grapple with the dangerous past whose demons of doubt and suspicion won’t let her sleep at night . . . and whose dead will never rest in peace until someone digs up the truth and deals out the payback. That means going places where no one– including the FBI–wants Annie to be and cutting through a minefield of smoke and mirrors, politics and intimidation, dirty tricks and deadly threats, in order to make a cold case hot enough to get the right people sweating. The harder Annie squeezes, the more blood, lies, and betrayal she wrings out . . . and the closer she comes to connecting a face to the trigger finger that blew away her dreams–and Dylan Shields. What she doesn’t know is that the killer she’s closing in on is looking for closure too. The kind that only Annie’s death can bring.

From the Hardcover edition.

Download Description

Praise for Mariah Stewart

Dead Wrong

“Fast paced and intricately plotted, Stewart’s new novel combines engaging characters with a unique premise, adds an unexpected romance to the mix, and overlays it all with her singular knack for keeping readers up at night.”
–Library Journal

Dead Certain

“Crackles with danger and suspense. Great characterization and gripping drama make Stewart’s books hot tickets.”
–Romantic Times (four-star review)

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Exciting Ending to the "DEAD" Series.......2007-05-14

If you haven't read the first three books in Mariah Stewarts "DEAD" series--Dead Wrong, Dead Certain, and Dead Even--go pick up a copy today. Although not necessary to enjoy DEAD END, you'll get a much better feel for some of the main characters--plus just three really good reads--if you read the other books first.

That said, DEAD END centers around Dr. Anne Marie McCall, an FBI profiler, and her new love, police Detective Evan Crosby. At a mutual friend's wedding, Evan is surprised over the jealousy he feels by how close Annie still is with the Shields family. Her fiancé, undercover agent Dylan Shields, was murdered two years ago during a covert op. The Shields family, with its many children all in FBI positions, is a close-knit one who still has a place for the memory of what Annie and Dylan were to each other.

Evan, attempting to get over his jealousy but knowing that Annie will never be at peace until she knows what really happened to Dylan, suggests that they take one last look at the file on his death--hoping that maybe this one last shot might provide Annie with the closure she needs, and that a new set of eyes might come up with new leads in the investigation.

What they uncover are more questions, missing files, and situations that prove more and more dangerous. Who was really the intended victim that night? Does the locale of Dylan's death have something to do with the current case Evan is working on? Why are members of the extended Shields family ending up in questioning situations?

Ms. Stewart has written another winner. I'm sad to see the "DEAD" series end, but I was happy to see that with the release of DEAD END all the questions from the last three books were answered. A real winner, you won't want to miss this book. It's an excellent offering in the romantic suspense genre!

Good, But Not Great.......2006-06-25

I was expecting a real blockbuster ending to this series, and I was a bit disappointed. I thought the killers would turn out to be people way more involved in the series, and I was disappointed that they were really fringe characters. I felt let down by that.

Still, you can't go wrong with a Mariah Stewart book. She's one of the best out there when it comes to keeping you rivited.

Guaranteed to hold readers spellbound.......2006-04-29

Working a case in Central America, FBI Agent Connor Shields stumbles across a horrifying sight-dozens of young children being herded into a cargo truck, obviously doomed to a future of slavery or as unwilling participants in the international child sex trade. Conflicted because he's on a very important mission, Connor is about to intervene when he's accosted by a colleague who assures him that everything is under control, that both local and US authorities are on the case.

Heartened by this news, Connor departs for his scheduled rendezvous. What he doesn't realize, however, is that his trusted associate is in league with the kidnappers, and that, because of his poor timing, he and all those he holds dear have been placed in mortal danger.

The fourth and final book in Stewart's "Dead" series (following Dead Wrong, Dead Certain, and Dead Even), Dead End cannily combines two disparate premises (the investigation into the deaths of several schoolgirls at the hands of a serial killer and the travesty that is the child sex trade), resulting in a tale guaranteed to hold readers' spellbound until they reach the last page. Although her writing is not as polished as one might expect from such a seasoned author, Stewart nevertheless manages to wring all the tension she can out of her compelling subject matter, offering her audience a book that provides suspense and social commentary in equal doses, a story dealing that effectively illustrates the toll crime takes on victims, criminals, and law enforcement officials.

Wait For The Paperback.......2005-12-27

Good, but not great. Stewart tries a little too hard in this book. It's still good, and I would recommend reading it, but it's not worth reading at the hardcover price.

Love, death, and heartache........2005-08-22

Anne Marie McCall is a psychologist and one of the FBI's most skilled profilers. She is still grieving for her dead fiance, Special Agent Dylan Shields, who was killed more than two years earlier in an undercover operation that turned sour. Pennsylvania Detective Evan Crosby is now Annie's lover, but he is having a hard time competing with Dylan's memory. After a nasty quarrel with Annie, Evan suggests that both he and Annie reexamine Dylan's death to see if they can uncover any fresh leads. Little does the couple know that by opening up this old case, they are trespassing into dangerous territory.

Meanwhile, Evan has other pressing items on his plate. A series of wealthy young teenaged girls have been found dead, the victims of a serial killer, and he and his colleagues are trying to find clues that will lead to the perpetrator. Equally perplexing, when more corpses of teenaged girls turn up, they are of unidentified Hispanic girls who have never been reported missing by their parents.

Thus begins Mariah Stewart's "Dead End," a fast-paced romantic thriller that features engaging protagonists and a compelling plot. Stewart deftly balances her large cast of characters, including FBI agents, county detectives, and assorted villains and victims. The dialogue is, for the most part, realistic, although there are some stilted exchanges when the loose ends are tied up at the end. Stewart inserts clues and hints along the way to give the reader a fair shake at guessing the outcome, and she also puts in enough red herrings to keep us off balance. However, the outcome will not greatly surprise most attentive readers.

To her credit, Stewart expertly handles the love story between Evan and Annie. They are equals in every sense of the word; both are respected professionals who value one another not just as lovers, but also as human beings. Their relationship provides a solid backdrop to the story, and as their investigations progress, they learn to rely on and trust one another implicitly. Annie and Evan make a good team, both on and off the job. "Dead End" works because Mariah Stewart is a competent writer who doesn't condescend to her public. Her prose style is clear and crisp, her story is complex but not convoluted, and she is not afraid to kill off some good people for the sake of realism. Fans of romantic suspense will find "Dead End" involving and entertaining.

Your Coffin or Mine?: A Novel of Vampire Love (Dead End Dating, Book 3)

Average customer rating:

A really good book.
lighthearted romantic romp
Not a bad follow up, but not a great one either

Your Coffin or Mine?: A Novel of Vampire Love (Dead End Dating, Book 3)
Kimberly Raye
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Fantasy, Futuristic & Ghost | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books

Vampires | Romance | Subjects | Books

Fantasy, Futuristic & Ghost | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

General | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

Vampires | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0345492188
Release Date: 2007-09-25

Book Description

BEING DEAD CAN KILL A SOCIAL LIFE!

For Lil Marchette, the owner of Manhattan’s premier dating service for vampires (and a dazzling denizen of the dark herself), death is all in a night’s work. Unfortunately, it’s going to take more than matching up vamps to pay the bills and fund Lil’s cosmetics addiction. Dare she add actual humans to the mix? Eager to diversify, she signs up for a popular dating show, Manhattan’s Most Wanted (MMW), to pitch her expertise to the perfect target audience–eligible women looking for eligible men.

Of course Lil is trying to forget the one man she’d love to sink her own teeth into: Ty Bonner, the ultraseductive vamp who broke her heart after she gave him the hottest night of his afterlife. Problem is, she and Ty have an intense mental connection and she’s sensing he’s in deep trouble. Even worse, she soon finds herself heading for MMW’s grand finale (cameras are so not a vamp’s best friend). The race is on as Lil struggles to save Ty (and herself) before all hell breaks loose.

“Lil is a likable mix of Bridget Jones, Carrie Bradshaw and Dracula–charming, sweet, stylish, with just a hint of fang.”
–Parkersburg News and Sentinel

Customer Reviews:

A really good book........2007-10-06

If you're into the vampire romance genre, you will love this book. (There are two other books before it, this is the third in the genre.) It's like single in the city with vampires. The characters are fun to read and I really got into the book, wanting to know more. I would definitely recommend this one, along with another vampire story book, Dead Sexy: Two Tales of Vampire Erotica I also liked. Have fun with it!!

lighthearted romantic romp .......2007-10-04

In Manhattan professional matchmaker BV (beautiful vampiress) Countess Lilliana Arabella Guinevere du Marchette (call her Lil) is hired by a reality TV show to find a match for a famous bachelor. However, that project seems relatively tame when compared to a telepathic message she received from bounty-hunting vampire Ty for help; He vanished several months ago without a trace after a glorious one night with Lil.

As Lil tries to locate Ty in order to rescue him for a second night and who knows what else, she meets homicide detective Ash, who is not human or vampire. They work together seeking to find Ty. At the same time the human fiancé of her brother pleads with Lilliana (not quite one of her best buds yet so Lil is inappropriate) to find the right wedding dress and her mother tries to matchmake her DEAD AND DATELESS daughter with any mortal, vampire, or other ilk as long as they are male.

The latest adventures of that DED (DEAD END DATING) BV Countess Lil is, for the most part, a lighthearted romantic romp although the Ty subplot is a bit darker and much more serious in tone. Fans of the serious will appreciate Lil's fun Manhattan frolic as few authors combine chick lit shtick with vampire bites better than Kimberly Raye does.

Harriet Klausner

Not a bad follow up, but not a great one either.......2007-10-03

If you liked the other books in this series, then you will prabably find this one at least mildly entertaining. If his is your first book by Kimberly Raye, I would recommend starting with the first book in this series Dead End Dating: A Novel of Vampire Love instead.

The main problem I have with the third book is that it doesn't cover any new ground either in story or character. Lil says and does the same old same old. I wish something would happen to shake up her notions about the world and what it means to be a vampire. Possible spoiler - nothing much happens with Ty either. I was left very unsatisfied with their relationship after all that happened in the last book Dead and Dateless: A Novel of Vampire Love (Dead End Dating, Book 2). I ended up feeling like this was filler until the next book or Kimberly Raye couldn't think up a good plot to follow book two Dead and Dateless.

So why give it 3 stars? I still like the characters of Lil and her friends, family, and customers at Dead End Dating. However, the next book better have a good plot, or I might stop reading books by this author.

Average customer rating:

Incredibly moving
Honest and touching
My grandfather is Patrick MacGill
An undiscovered Classic
One of those unexpected gems for your top ten list

Children of the Dead End
Patrick MacGill
Manufacturer: Dufour Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Irish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

British | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Scottish | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Rat-Pit

ASIN: 1841580007

Customer Reviews:

Incredibly moving.......2002-05-18

this book is the most moving book I have ever read. It tells the story of a young man making his way in life. Born in Donegal, Ireland working his way through Scotland and the USA. It will move you to tears and lead you to book after book from this very talented writer.

Honest and touching.......2001-11-19

This is one of the most memorable books I have ever read. The writer tells the story of growing up in Donegal and his exit to scotland in search of work. You are drawn into his life and the people he loved. There is an honesty in the writing that moves you to tears.

My grandfather is Patrick MacGill.......2000-04-06

This story is truly autobiographical of my grandfather's early life and is very moving and effective. His early years in Donegal were difficult and fraught with the perils of poverty. Nevertheless, Grandpa overcame is lack of formal education and humble beginnings to be a successful author. His later years were no less difficult as he struggled for decades with the debilitation of MS, but he raised, with my grandmother, three amazingly strong and successful women. This autobiographical novel teaches us all abouth the indomitable strength of the human will and spirit.

An undiscovered Classic.......2000-02-28

Having read Children of the Dead End for the first time I was taken over by it.It is a story of extraordinary main characters,humour and the bleak portrayal of life as a near slave,potatoe digger and the harsh life as a navvie. I was amazed at the life that the main character"Dermod" lived.He left home at the age of 12 without an education and he went to the hiring fair and worked to send money back home to his family.He has to face the harsh reality and he gambles his money and becomes a heavy drinker. He experiences life without a roof over his head. This story is said to be Patrick MacGills autobiography. Some of the Characters are fictonal while others are said to be true characters. Mac Gills descriptive power is Compelling and I never wanted to leave the book down. Children of the Dead End is an undiscovered classic of Irish litriture and it should be comended.

One of those unexpected gems for your top ten list.......1999-06-05

Children of the Dead End is mentioned in Roy Foster's History of Ireland. The "lost" Irish who are the subject of this moving tale came from the West (Connaught and Munster) in the first half of this century to dig potatoes in Scotland or build the towns and railways of England. Economic hardship was the perennial impetus to the Irish diaspora and it is this route the young lad steps out as an Irish navvy at twelve via the "slave fairs" in Donegal so that he might send money home for the rent on his parents smallholding. It is rich in its Irish sensitivity towards and facility with language; evocative of the innocence and brutality that so pervades many aspects of the Irish experience; it moves dramatically between eternal hope of youthful dreams and the crushing fate of circumstance. This is not a roughly told tale of the noble savage- or the stage Irishman, fighting and drinking- sentimentalising the epithet about the Irish "For their wars they are happy and their love songs they are sad". No, this is a tale told with pathos, and with a refreshing absence of self-conscious art. It is tragic and heroic, its characters are vividly drawn and engaging. Moleskin Joe is certainly a great addition to the list of literary characters. It has the full force of hard biting reality. I came to it without high expectations but finished wondering whether I had just read the best of Irish literature. It might not be in the same genre as Oscar Wilde for sophistication, nor Yeats for philosophy or Joyce for modernism. But it certainly ranks well beside Synge's Arran Islands and is as enjoyable, engaging and moving as anything I've read. A beautiful book.

Average customer rating:

Start here.

Dead End Volume 1 (Dead End)
Shohei Manabe
Manufacturer: TokyoPop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Fantasy | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1595321616

Book Description

Shirou is just your ordinary poor construction worker who happens to stumble into a life-changing event that has him screaming, "There's no place like home." In the midst of his confusion and panic, a mysterious companion tells him that all of his questions will be answered and his memory restored if he recovers five friends in three days.

Customer Reviews:

Start here........2007-02-01

In my review for for Shohei Manabe's SMUGGLER I said, while I liked the book, I knew (having already seen Manabe's later work) that the best from this artist was yet to come. Well, here it is!

The plot: Shirou is a twenty-something, hair gelled, chain smoking, japanese construction worker. One day he comes across a mysterious girl, who seems to give his life meaning in the short time they are together. One day he comes home to find a madman in his apartment covered in the blood of his flat mates. An explosion occurs and Shirou awakens not sure if it was all reality or a dream. A mysterious 'friend' comes in and gives Shirou a vague idea of what he must do to find answers and possibly recover the girl of his dreams.

Here Manabe creates the contemporary, psychological, urban, crime/horror/thriller that his earlier work strived for. This time his wild drawing style is refined and most earlier drawing problems fixed. The result is a raw but clearly communicative line quality. The characters are rendered in a fashion that rides the line between iconic (cartoony) and realistic. These characters reveal Manabe's unusual aesthetic, but are nonetheless likable and solidly drawn. The art creates an atomosphere of potential chaos at every turn of the page. This tension is key as the bulk of this first volume is exposition and even has a few poignant scenes between Shirou and his lost love. Highly recommended.

Book one of four.

Dead -Pool The End of Wade Wilson (July - Volume 1 No. 1)

Average customer rating:

Dead -Pool The End of Wade Wilson (July - Volume 1 No. 1)
Stan Lee
Manufacturer: Marvel Comic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

General | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Marvel | Publishers | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000OKTCAK

Average customer rating:

Good, but not great.
Better than "Greetings From Hellville" but still four stars.

Dead End
Thomas Ott
Manufacturer: Fantagraphics Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Horror | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Fantagraphics | Publishers | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1560975091

Book Description

The second book from Europe's master of modern wordless horror.

Dead End is Ott's second US release, following hot on the heels of early 2002's Greetings from Hellville. Like Hellville, Dead End consists of Ott's trademark storytelling: wordless, stark, black-and-white scratchboard horror stories with twist endings, rendered beautifully with fish eye perspectives that create a vertiginous anxiety. Parts Twilight Zone, O. Henry, and Kafka, Ott's work evokes a visual history of literary suspense and horror; it reads like Dante's Inferno done as an issue of Tales from the Crypt, drawn by original Inferno illustrator Gustave Doré.

The two stories In Dead End focus literally and figuratively on the circle. In the first short story, entitled "The Millionaires," a mysterious suitcase of money creates a cycle of death spurred by greed and lust; yes, another contemporary-updating of the tried "Monkey's Paw" variety, but in Ott's inimitable hands the story becomes less a morality play for children than a menacing reality check for adults. "Washing Day," the collection's second story, follows the path of an assassin on the trail of a former magician; the assassin quickly learns that there are perils in following a white rabbit.

Customer Reviews:

Good, but not great........2006-02-07

Thomas Ott, Dead End (Fantagraphics, 2003)

More of Ott's minimal horror-comics. Two stories in this one; in the first, a suitcase full of money travels through a number of greedy hands that meet bad ends. In the second, one midget hires a hit man to kill another midget. Hit man meets surprising, and bad, end.

I like Thomas Ott's stuff, but there's too little of it in any given story. The whole silent-movie vibe is great, but when your characters look alike, things can get confusing. Much manga has the same problem. (And silent movies, at least, had cards when things got confusing.)

There's a good deal here, but still a few pieces standing between good comics and great comics. ***

Better than "Greetings From Hellville" but still four stars........2003-09-23

This collection of Ott's stories was more entertaining than the "Greetings From Hellville" collection. I will still give it four stars though. It was worth the look.

Dead End Dating; a Novel of Vampire Blood

Average customer rating:

Dead End Dating; a Novel of Vampire Blood
Kimberly Raye
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000ILJ778

Average customer rating:

Dead ends: A novel
Keith Harrison
Manufacturer: Quadrant Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books