You probably know me well enough now to know that I love vampire novels, so when I was asked if I would be interested in participating in The Crimson Crimes tour, I was happy to! The Crimson Crimes is part of a series of vampire books that I'd not heard of before. Below is my review of the book, and tomorrow I'll have a guest post by Patricia K. McCarthy for you. There is also a giveaway associated with this tour, so be sure to enter to win at the bottom of this post!
Author: Patricia K. McCarthy
Genre: Vampire Erotic Fiction
Publisher: PKM Publications (Jun 29, 2012)
Get it: www.patriciakmccarthy.com
NOTE: Book suited for mature readers, 18+, due to sexual situations and language.
Synopsis
It’s the dead of night in the dead of winter, and bodies have been found, stacked ceiling-high, in a hillside cave in Ottawa’s Strathcona Park; necks pierced, blood drained – the usual. The city is gripped by a dusk-till-dawn curfew. The press, police and public have whipped each other into a glorious panic over someone or something called the “Vampire Undertaker.” Well, when did a silly curfew ever shut down the kitchen party at the Crimson house? Bring beer, bring smokes, but please bring yourself to meet The Vampires (there are at least four of them) and their quirky human pals. We can take turns feeding the baby vampire, stalling the cops when they come knocking, and tripping out on that time-dream machine up in the bedroom. You’ve got to love people who know how to make their own fun! You’ll never know where Patricia K McCarthy’s “Crimson” stories will take you or guess what’s going to happen next, not that you’ll be complaining! Oh, and of course this novel is well-seasoned with smutty bits – every good plot deserves pepper.
Review
Samuel Crimson is a hybrid vampire (half human, half vampire). His father Sir William Hennessy, the only vampire in existance, wanted to create a new hybrid race of vampires by biting pregnant women in their 9th month of pregnancy which is how Samuel came to be what he is. Prior to Sir William's death, he changed Samuel's wife Magdalene into a vampire. Now Magdalene is the one true vampire in existence, thus making her the supreme ruler.
When Sir William's hiding place for his victims becomes compromised, Samuel along with Magdalene and their closest friends Kevin and Derek Coffey and David Three Rats set out to remove and bury the bodies before they are discovered by police. Unfortunately, things don't go as expected, putting them in more danger. Also, Cain, Samuel's half-brother, is out to exact revenge against Samuel for the death of their half-brother Raven since Samuel is the one that killed him.
When I read up on this book prior to signing up with the tour, the information that I found stated that the book, although book five in the series, can be read as a standalone novel. Maybe it's because I've yet to read the first four books, but I don't agree with that. It really felt to me as if it was a continuation, though you are given some pertinent information to catch you up to speed with what is going on at the moment. Plus, by the end of the book there is no resolution to any of the things going on in the book. My guess is that some or all will be resolved in the next book.
Now, that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the book. I've read a lot of vampire related stories since becoming a fan of reading. I love when authors come up with their own take on vampires. I would be bored if all vampires in every book ever written were all the same. So I thought it interesting that there seemed to be only one true vampire in existence at a time in this book. Sure, there are hybrids but they don't exist in the same way that a true vampire does. In The Crimson Crimes, a true vampire needs blood to survive, they don't sleep ... ever, and they can't be captured on film. However, that is not the case with a hybrid. Hybrid's can live without blood but not food, they sleep, and they can be photographed. For Magdalene, not being able to sleep keeps her from experiencing the dreaming stones which allows the user to travel through time within their dreams and see past or future events.
At the beginning of the book the author warns about strong language and rudeness, etc. Had I not read that in advance, I might have been a bit shocked by some of the language at first, but none of that bothered me. About the only thing that annoyed me a bit was when it felt like I was reading driving instructions. I wouldn't have minded if it only happened once, but it seemed like any time the characters were on the road or discussing where they were going and how they were going to get there, it seemed to consist of detailed instructions on how to get from one point to another.
I do feel the book is well written and very interesting. I am curious about the previous books and of course the next one because I would very much like to know how the situations in The Crimson Crimes play out.
**I received a copy of The Crimson Crimes from the author in exchange for a review.**
Patricia K. McCarthy lives and writes in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Her Crimson vampires series has received extensive media coverage in national and local newspapers, as well as on radio and television. For details, visit her website.
Find Patricia K. McCarthy Online
Website | Blog | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter
Giveaway
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The Crimson Crimes Tour Schedule
Oct. 1: Novelly Nice: Review
Oct. 2: Novelly Nice: Guest Post
Oct. 3:
Oct. 4: Books and Other Spells: Guest Post
Oct. 6: Books and Other Spells: Character Interview
Oct. 7:
Oct. 8: Fall Into Books: Guest Post
Oct. 9: Book Fever: Character Interview
Oct. 10: Life is not Beautiful Without Books: Guest Post
Oct. 11: Shall Write: Review
Oct. 12: Book Nerd: Review
Oct. 13: Book Nerd: Character Interview
Oct. 14: Artistically Geeky: Review
Oct. 15: Joie de Lire: Review
Oct. 16: Joie de Lire: Character Interview
Oct. 17: Joie de Lire: Interview
Oct. 18:
Oct. 19: Romancing the Dark Side: Review
Oct. 20: Romancing the Dark Side: Character Interview
Oct. 21:
Oct. 22: Library Mosaic: Guest Post
Oct. 23: Library Mosaic: Interview
Oct. 24:
Oct. 25: Kathy’s Savings: Review
Oct. 26:
Oct. 27: Shall Write: Guest Post
Oct. 28: Shall Write: Interview
Oct. 29:
Oct. 30: Donna’s Blog Home: Guest Post
Oct. 31: Donna’s Blog Home: Interview
Nov. 1: Sapphyria’s Steamy Book Reviews: Review
Nov. 2: Sapphyria’s Steamy Book Reviews: Guest Post
Thanks for participating in the tour!
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