HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE

Author: Jeaniene Frost ISBN: 0061245089 11/2007 PARANORMAL Publisher: AVON

Flirting with the Grave ... Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father—the one responsible for ruining her mother's life. Then she's captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership. In exchange for finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She's amazed she doesn't end up as his dinner—are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn't have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her newfound status, as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side... and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE by Jeaniene Frost, has a lot going for it. The dialogue is fast and witty, the characters quirky, and the plot is more than the average vampire story.

Cat Crawfield has a good reason—and a vested interest—in being a vampire hunter. She is the result of a vampire forcing himself on her mother, leaving scars that won't heal on the woman she loves so dearly. So Cat hunts vampires by night, seducing them with her womanly charms and attacking them when they're most vulnerable. This plan seems to work well for her, and she's scored a number of successes with this technique. But when she meets a handsome vampire nicknamed Bones, she's forced to either form a partnership with him or lose everything she values most.

For the most part, I enjoyed the relationship between Cat and Bones. They both have a lot to gain by trusting each other, but their trust is a gamble, and comes with a price for both of them. Their exchanges, both romantic and day-to-day, are fast-paced and entertaining. I have to admit, though, that the whole bloodsucking bits seemed overdone. While I understand the need to address it in a vampire story, I just thought the author stressed the blood exchange a few times too many. I think most readers will "get it" on the first example, and not need to have it thrust in their faces time and again. This was the only complaint I had about this book.

Otherwise, Jeaniene Frost has written a lively, interesting debut novel! HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE is a hoot—or should I say, a scream?!

Kay James