"Intriguing vampiric romantic investigative tale"

He looks like an ordinary man, can see his reflection in the mirror and has a girlfriend. She has HIV and won't make love to him but he doesn't tell her he's a vampire who can cure her by her drinking his blood but that would mean she catches the vampire virus and would become like him. The vampires group together in clans but Joe Pitt is an independent, working for the powerful Conclave and the Society.

He sees zombies and follows them into a deserted warehouse and kills them all except the one human who wasn't bitten. His sense of smell is so strong that he smells a carrier, someone who transmits the disease but doesn't succumb to it. The Conclave asks him to come to their headquarters where their security chief tells him he has to find and kill the carrier that night or things will go bad for him. He is also expected to meet the wealthy and powerful human Merilee Horde who wants him to find her runaway daughter Amanda. During his investigation, he is hunted and almost killed so many times he loses count but he finally realizes that his cases intersect and someone wants to kill him to keep him from discovering what that junction point is and what is means for the vampires.

ALREADY DEAD is an intriguing vampiric romantic investigative tale starring an interesting protagonist whose morality is different from those of humanity yet seems similar especially when it comes to his girlfriend as Joe proves he can love someone. The cast starting with the lead character makes the audience believe that the paranormal is normal while Joe's sleuthing is fascinating to follow as he struggles with both of his assignments. Charlie Huston provides an engaging supernatural who-done- it that readers will appreciate.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted December 15, 2005