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moonmama's review against another edition
1.0
I was extremely charmed by the Coyote character, and I would've preferred a book with him as a main character. Or really anyone besides Felix Gomez, except for another character similar to his. I was pretty disgusted by the casual way this book described the way he was a freakin' sexual predator, and the way it was presented as being normal. The way that it tried to use it for comedic effect when he casually sexually assaulted a woman because she made fun of his friend's ride, and then later, with the same woman, she sneered at his bike, so that's okay, then, too. She was a snobby bitch that did cocaine, anyways, so it's funny when he "whammies" her, and then uses her. And no, it wasn't sexual penetration, not on those characters, at least, although he did consider it but either didn't have the time or didn't want to because he decided he'd rather have sex with the chick he just hooked up with earlier. What a gentleman. And speaking of that, that was revolting. How it was presented that he REALLY liked her, so he wasn't going to rape Veronica. No, he wanted it to special with her. Ugh. Sorry, I'd love to point out specifics and quotes but that would mean I'd have to read through the book again and it would just make me angry. And the reason it was so disturbing is that his thoughts weren't portrayed as being out of the norm. He is a vampire, yes, and so he has the ability to hypnotize and then physically and sexually assault women and though that's not a scene that fully happens in the narrative, just alluded to happening frequently at other times, Felix is presented as being a decent guy, a normal guy (besides the vampire part.) He's not conflicted by how he's raped who knows how many women. And that made this book very scary to me.
git_r_read's review against another edition
4.0
Gotta love hangin' with Felix Gomez, vampire private eye supreme-o!
imsam's review against another edition
3.0
Another fun mystery book. Funny sometimes, serious others. Great popcorn read if nothing else.
cdeane61's review against another edition
3.0
Felix Gomez, PI and Vampire is called on to investigate the murder of a porn star, but there is more to it than meets the eye.
Interesting take on vampires and what they are capable of. These guys walk around during the day, with a little makeup, and sunscreen; can change into wolves, and can eat real food, so long as it is drenched in blood.
Not much more to say, looks to be a series, but will probably not pick another one up.
Interesting take on vampires and what they are capable of. These guys walk around during the day, with a little makeup, and sunscreen; can change into wolves, and can eat real food, so long as it is drenched in blood.
Not much more to say, looks to be a series, but will probably not pick another one up.
bbraden's review against another edition
4.0
After the first book in this series, I was hesitant to give Acevedo another chance. However, I had purchased the book so I gave it a try. In this book, Acevedo had the same insistent pace and the same coldish point of view. BUT I was happy to have some character development with a new range of emotions, a bit of a romantic relationship and a sense of embracing the "vampire" within... There are still plenty of unanswered questions in the plot and I'm left wanting more. But I'll read the third book! :)
gothamgal's review against another edition
4.0
I read this one after the first and it's a solid follow-up to The Nymphos of Rocky Flats. I liked the mystery aspect of the novel, coupled with the vampires. And the Adult Industry angle was fun, too...
Passed off to the RCBP via bookcrossing.
Passed off to the RCBP via bookcrossing.
anygivenmemory's review against another edition
2.0
Ok, so this book kind of pissed me off. The first book wasn't so bad, but this one was fraught with inconsistencies from the first book and an over use of phrases. Not to mention the fact that some of the plot lines and characters from the first book were never even mentioned!
What happened to the dryad, Wendy, from the first book?? She's not mentioned in this book at all, yet Felix risked his life to go after and save her in the last book? Seems like someone that important in his life would at least deserve a mention in the sequel.
Another inconsistency in the story...in Nymphos of Rocky Flats, there was an old vampire that was killed and the other vampires had a sort of mock funeral for him where they retreated to the shadows in protective sunscreen and clothing and let the first light of dawn turn the dead vampire into ash. But now, in the second book, it's said that old vampires become dust automatically when they are killed without the help of the sun....?? Is anyone else confused by this? It's like the author didn't like the old rules he'd set for vampires and just started making up new ones.
Additionally, in "Nymphos" Felix had an aversion to human blood because of what happened to him in the war, but by the end of the book he gets over it. Even when he had to fang someone to make them forget he was there, he was worried about swallowing some of the blood and said that one of his worries was contracting various diseases that could be transmitted via bodily fluids. I figured by the way the first book ended he would now be drinking human blood that had been donated to a blood bank like his friend had....and that blood was most likely screened for diseases. In X-rated blood suckers, however, Felix just fangs whoever he feels like without a single worry of contracting disease....weird right??
All these I was able to look over, but the thing that bothered me the most about this book was the overuse of certain phrases. The number of times the author used the words tapetum lucidum to describe the glow of the vampire eyes was excessive. The number of times that he uses the phrase kundalini noir to describe the vampire's version of a heart was absurd. I'd gotten halfway through the book and was so annoyed by this popping up in some spots only separated by a paragraph or a page or two. It was at this point I went back and skimmed the pages I'd already read and started tallying up the number of times these words were used...and they were easy to find because every time it was used, it was in italics. I think the whole reason that I got through the book was reading to find more times it was used and tallying. In total, the author used the phrase kundalini noir 33 times if I didn't miss any! How did an editor let that slip by? Like hey Mario...maybe you should buy a thesaurus or find some new descriptors? Not certain on whether or not I will continue the series.
Oh and where are the aliens??? We were left in the end of the first book with meeting the alien pretending to be Felix's friend and then this book mentions nothing of it. Even if it was just to say that he hadn't seen or heard from the alien again. Sigh. Considering I have books 3, 4, and 5....I'm disappointed.
Another inconsistency in the story...in Nymphos of Rocky Flats, there was an old vampire that was killed and the other vampires had a sort of mock funeral for him where they retreated to the shadows in protective sunscreen and clothing and let the first light of dawn turn the dead vampire into ash. But now, in the second book, it's said that old vampires become dust automatically when they are killed without the help of the sun....?? Is anyone else confused by this? It's like the author didn't like the old rules he'd set for vampires and just started making up new ones.
Additionally, in "Nymphos" Felix had an aversion to human blood because of what happened to him in the war, but by the end of the book he gets over it. Even when he had to fang someone to make them forget he was there, he was worried about swallowing some of the blood and said that one of his worries was contracting various diseases that could be transmitted via bodily fluids. I figured by the way the first book ended he would now be drinking human blood that had been donated to a blood bank like his friend had....and that blood was most likely screened for diseases. In X-rated blood suckers, however, Felix just fangs whoever he feels like without a single worry of contracting disease....weird right??
All these I was able to look over, but the thing that bothered me the most about this book was the overuse of certain phrases. The number of times the author used the words tapetum lucidum to describe the glow of the vampire eyes was excessive. The number of times that he uses the phrase kundalini noir to describe the vampire's version of a heart was absurd. I'd gotten halfway through the book and was so annoyed by this popping up in some spots only separated by a paragraph or a page or two. It was at this point I went back and skimmed the pages I'd already read and started tallying up the number of times these words were used...and they were easy to find because every time it was used, it was in italics. I think the whole reason that I got through the book was reading to find more times it was used and tallying. In total, the author used the phrase kundalini noir 33 times if I didn't miss any! How did an editor let that slip by? Like hey Mario...maybe you should buy a thesaurus or find some new descriptors? Not certain on whether or not I will continue the series.
Oh and where are the aliens??? We were left in the end of the first book with meeting the alien pretending to be Felix's friend and then this book mentions nothing of it. Even if it was just to say that he hadn't seen or heard from the alien again. Sigh. Considering I have books 3, 4, and 5....I'm disappointed.
asphaltcowgrrl's review
4.0
This series has everything that appeals to me – vampires, a mystery, and a smart-ass private eye. What more could a girl ask for, right? But still, Mario Acevedo brings it with action, quirky characters and a non-stop ride of twists and turns that keep you guessing. Although, I think you figure out who the bad guy is about half to three-quarters of the way through the book, the reasons behind it all are still foggy until the very end.
Felix Gomez is a riot. He can be serious, but he can also be ridiculously silly and over the top. This is what I think makes him such an excellent character, his ups and downs and how he rides the waves no matter what’s being thrown at him. In addition to that, he still holds onto the barest shred of his humanity and allows it to color his actions to a point. It never fully overrides his vampiric instincts, but it does keep him from crossing the line into full monster.
Add to our hero, Felix, characters like Coyote, an ancient vampire with little to no interpersonal skills but a boatload of charisma, and the odd assortment of bad guys that vary from public figures to the head of the Los Angeles porn industry and you’ve got a cast of friends and suspects you’re not likely to forget anytime soon. I love nothing more in a story than a wide variety of bad guys to keep things interesting. And the good guys aren’t any better: porn actresses, non-profit workers, and more. The Felix Gomez novels give the reader a great mystery with a giant side helping of crazy. I can’t wait to dive into the third installment in this series and see what kind of trouble Felix gets himself into next.
Felix Gomez is a riot. He can be serious, but he can also be ridiculously silly and over the top. This is what I think makes him such an excellent character, his ups and downs and how he rides the waves no matter what’s being thrown at him. In addition to that, he still holds onto the barest shred of his humanity and allows it to color his actions to a point. It never fully overrides his vampiric instincts, but it does keep him from crossing the line into full monster.
Add to our hero, Felix, characters like Coyote, an ancient vampire with little to no interpersonal skills but a boatload of charisma, and the odd assortment of bad guys that vary from public figures to the head of the Los Angeles porn industry and you’ve got a cast of friends and suspects you’re not likely to forget anytime soon. I love nothing more in a story than a wide variety of bad guys to keep things interesting. And the good guys aren’t any better: porn actresses, non-profit workers, and more. The Felix Gomez novels give the reader a great mystery with a giant side helping of crazy. I can’t wait to dive into the third installment in this series and see what kind of trouble Felix gets himself into next.
skateanddonate's review
4.0
A solid story. The mystery was well done. Bit of a slow start but the second half made up for it. Interesting new vampire world and an actual mystery. I was happy 3.5/5 stars