Worse Than Death

Los Angeles policeman Jace Levy has fallen hard for the sexy Risha only to discover that his beloved is a vampire and that eternity has its drawbacks

Amazon.com Review

Sherry Gottlieb adds a little spice to the tasty bloodsucker stew of vampire fiction. Like Laurell K. Hamilton's excellent Anita Blake series, Gottlieb writes about steamy, erotic power duels between humans and the undead. Gottlieb's Love Bite introduced Los Angeles homicide detective Jace Levy, who falls under the spell of the damnably attractive vampire Risha Cadigan. Worse Than Death plunges Jace still deeper into vampire country in another tale uniting horror, suspense, and never-ending vampire hanky-panky. Retired from the force, Jace still does private investigations, and he takes on a Hollywood extortion case. Producer Robert Brandon may preach clean, moral family fun in his films, but his real-life ethics are filthy. A videotape of his brief encounter with an aspiring actress has fallen into the hands of a blackmailer, and it's Jace's job to expose the felon. Although there is no great mystery novel here, the preternatural elements give the book some fizz. Deeply in love with Risha, Jace faces a life-or-death choice: should he become a vampire himself, allowing him an eternal honeymoon with his undead goddess? Is he prepared to feed on the blood of humans, say goodbye to his reflection, and God forbid, lose his taste for coffee? Jace loves coffee.Worse Than Death is not on the same elevated literary plane as Laurell K. Hamilton's books, but it's at least as sex-obsessed--a quick and dirty read, a supernatural romp that will amuse die-hard vampire fans and voyeurs alike. --Naomi Gesinger

From Publishers Weekly

Immortality may solve certain problems, but it creates others, as retired LAPD detective Jace Levy discovers when he allows his girlfriend, luscious photojournalist vampire Risha Cadigan, to sink her fangs into his neck. In this vampire/detective sequel to Love Bite, 43-year-old Jace and eternally 30-year-old Risha expect to grow closer now that Jace is a vampire, too, but despite the fun they have together prowling for human victims, their relationship is increasingly acrimonious. Jace blames Risha for failing to warn him about the effects of vampirism on the male sex organ; Risha discovers that as a human Jace suffered from fatal Huntington's chorea, and accuses him of becoming a vampire to save himself from death rather than to pledge his undying love to her. All the while, Jace is working freelance to locate a blackmailer who extorts cash from a Hollywood producer and a wealthy accountant, both of whom were patrons of a high-class call-girl ring. Though he is a crime buster by day and a blood-sucking killer by night, Jace sees little irony in his position. In any case, he is too preoccupied by his dysfunctional sex life to pay concentrated attention to his work. The thriller plot heats up as Jace tracks a psychopathic orphan, but the resolution is far-fetched and ultimately disappointing. Gottlieb is at her best when she chronicles Jace and Risha's vampirism and the intersection of their domain with the human world--Risha has a human servant, Elliott, who helps her do things like apply her makeup--since vampires aren't reflected in mirrors, but monotonous vampire sex gets all-too-exhaustive treatment. Insatiable fans of fanged creatures will likely appreciate the tale, but others may find it simply tiresome. (Jan.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

A sex-heavy vampire thriller with an L.A.-noir detective-story framework and a triple dose of cunnilingus, fellatio, and nipple pinching that actually drives the plot. In 1994s Love Bite (not reviewed), L.A. homicide dick Jace Levy fell in love with Risha, a 50-year-old vampire who looks 30 and, since his retirement from the force after 20 years of service, has taken up residence with her. She sleeps all day, has extensible fangs, does not show up in mirrors, has eternal life, and so on. Will Jace ever join her? Well, unbeknownst to Risha, Jace has Huntingtons chorea, and his growing mental lapses and physical collapses worry him deeply. Meanwhile, as a p.i., hes taken on a new client: Robert Brandon, whose Right Path Films trade on high morality, and who is being blackmailed for some naughty videos he made with actresses auditioning for his new releases. Amusingly, these videos are based on scenes from famous filmsRhett taking Scarlett up the big staircase to rape her, Rick and Ilsa getting down to the bare facts when he wont hand over the letters of transit, Charlie Alnutt busting Rosies hymen on The African Queen. The most original turn comes when Jace at last induces Risha to take him into her world, even though he hasnt told her about his fatal illness and doesnt know what effect his blood might have on her. Nor does he know that the life of the undead will drain not only his morals about murdering for his food but also his sexual potency. The idea of eternal life without the full use of the penis is unbearable. Probably the kickoff for a vampire series for Gottlieba series whose main claim to distinction amid the forests of California Gothic is likely to be those film parodies. -- Copyright ©2000, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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