When this exciting novel begins, bartender Rhiannon finds herself not only breaking up fights between strippers at the club where she works, but also fending off the persistent attention of the drop-dead gorgeous Disco – who happens to be a vampire. Not a big fan of bloodsuckers, Rhiannon reluctantly agrees to meet Disco after work in order to find out what he so urgently needs to speak to her about. It turns out that the local vampire community wishes to make use of Rhiannon’s unusual talent that she does not advertise: she can see ghosts. What makes Rhiannon’s ability unique is that she can also see what Disco refers to as the “twice-dead,” or vampires who have died.

Even though it initially appears that Rhiannon is being asked for her help in locating his missing and presumed dead brethren, Disco makes it clear that she really has no choice in the matter. In order for her true potential to be tapped, Rhiannon begins working with Ethan, a necromancer with ties to Disco’s family group, and she not only learns about what she can do with her power, but also its underlying basis. During the course of the investigation, Rhiannon, Disco, and Ethan will visit a “tasting” party, where humans sample vampire blood-spiked wine, nightclubs that cater to the undead, and areas of New York with a particularly thick ghost population. Once it becomes evident that word of Rhiannon’s ability begins to spread throughout the vampire community – they want to mark her for their own so they can exploit her – she agrees to “join” Disco’s family for her own protection.

Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between provides plenty of thrills and chills, but not at the expense of character development. Rhiannon’s sassy attitude and frequently foul mouth mask the inner fears of a young woman whose life has been difficult since the death of her parents which landed her in the foster care system. Upon learning what happened to her as an adolescent, the reader’s heart aches, yet these serious aspects are lightened by the distinctive thread of humor which runs through the narrative. While visiting a club, Rhiannon notices something unusual about the surroundings: “During the course of our conversation, the ratio of alive to undead had changed. For every human in the joint, there were two vampires. Even Miami wasn’t this bad” (Ch. 4). As the story progresses, the reader experiences Rhiannon’s pain, joy, and indecision, as well as her acceptance of the necessity of relying upon others: “The black and white areas that governed my decisions just took on a huge middle ground of grey” (Ch. 22).

With her vivid and clear writing style, Saare provides a top-notch reading experience, enhanced exponentially by an original slam-bang ending. Urban fantasy fans who enjoy well-crafted plots and characterization will relish this excellent entry into the genre. This reviewer will be checking frequently for the sequel’s release.

Book Stats:

• Paperback: 244 pages
• Publisher: Eternal Press (February 7, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1770650229
• ISBN-13: 978-1770650220

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