Raylene Pendle (AKA Cheshire Red), a vampire and world-renowned thief, doesn't usually hang with her own kind. She's too busy stealing priceless art and rare jewels. But when the infuriatingly charming Ian Stott asks for help, Raylene finds him impossible to resist - even though Ian doesn't want precious artifacts. He wants her to retrieve missing government files: documents that deal with the secret biological experiments that left Ian blind. What Raylene doesn't bargain for is a case that takes her from the frozen outskirts of Minneapolis to the mean streets of Atlanta. And with a psychotic, power-hungry scientist on her trail, a kick-ass drag queen on her side, and Men in Black popping up at the most inconvenient moments, the case proves to be one hell of a ride.
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"Cherie Priest has created a very human vampire. Raylene may be stronger and faster than a normal human, but she isn't smarter or sexier. Becoming undead cures your health problems -- including, in this case, allergies -- but it doesn't change your personality or give you super powers. Raylene lies to herself as much as the average gal and her judgement and foresight aren't always great. In fact, she does some fairly dumb things, especially for someone who is supposed to make a living as a thief and detective. But this is part of what makes her a believable and likeable character. Vampirism is an aversion to sun and need for blood, not the be all and end all of her existence. She has interests, fairly normal ones: art, money, clothes, attractive men. This is less a typical vampire urban fantasy and more like one of those action novels (I don't know what the genre is called) where ex-special forces or secret agent types investigate conspiracies or international crimes. In this case, a secret government medical research program carries out torturous experiments on vampires, one of whom escapes and recruits Raylene to recover his records in hopes of undoing the damage that has been done to him. But of course the Men in Black are not letting a break-in go unpunished and soon the danger spreads..." — Miriam (4 out of 5 stars)
"Cherie Priest has created a very human vampire. Raylene may be stronger and faster than a normal human, but she isn't smarter or sexier. Becoming undead cures your health problems -- including, in this case, allergies -- but it doesn't change your personality or give you super powers. Raylene lies to herself as much as the average gal and her judgement and foresight aren't always great. In fact, she does some fairly dumb things, especially for someone who is supposed to make a living as a thief and detective. But this is part of what makes her a believable and likeable character. Vampirism is an aversion to sun and need for blood, not the be all and end all of her existence. She has interests, fairly normal ones: art, money, clothes, attractive men. This is less a typical vampire urban fantasy and more like one of those action novels (I don't know what the genre is called) where ex-special forces or secret agent types investigate conspiracies or international crimes. In this case, a secret government medical research program carries out torturous experiments on vampires, one of whom escapes and recruits Raylene to recover his records in hopes of undoing the damage that has been done to him. But of course the Men in Black are not letting a break-in go unpunished and soon the danger spreads..."
" Found it a fun enough read to continue on to the next book. I really wish there had been less foul language. The characters were engaging and the story was well paced. "
" Fun, fast moving -excellent summer brain candy! "
" 3.5/4. I wasn't sure that I was going to like Raylene at first. In the first part of the book, she was too snarky and arrogant. However, by the end of the book, I really liked her character. Plus, drag queens always help. I liked the set up...and will be reading the second book. "
" As the author put it at a recent panel I attended this is about non-shiny vampires. It is a provocative tale of crime, conspiracy theories and sexual innuendo. The main character is witty and either a bit neurotic or ADHD or both. It is a fast pace read with good action and likable characters. I have already pre-ordered the sequel "Hellbent" "
" Had you asked me a month ago, I'd have said that I'd had enough urban fantasy authors, thank you. Cherie Priest's latest book, Bloodshots, changed my mind; I'm now looking to more of that series, the Cheshire Red Reports. "
" I have a soft spot for sarcastic and smart-ass heroines. But this was too much. I couldn't stand this character 1/2 way through the book. As I was reading I was trying to wade through all the (over-the-top) smart-assery to get to the plot and finally, after about 3/4 of the book, I gave up. "
" One of the better vampire detective books I've read, with a very distinctive voice and a bit of a noir tone. "
" One of the best opening lines of a book! Fun story! "
" good, fast read. enjoyed the self centered main character "
" not bad if you're a teenage girl... "
" A very entertaining read. An OCD vampire thief trying to solve a mystery involving government cover-ups and private research on "human" subjects. "
" Another new series! A new twist on the vampire theme...enjoyed it! Read the Kindle version on the airplane on the way home from Norway. "
" Even more fun the second time around. Natalie Ross did a great job reading the audiobook. I'd love to see this as a movie! "
" Hot damn that was fun! Go Raylene! I hope there's more soon. "
" Loved the Character. Pulled me in right away and kept me interested the whole book. "
" Great book full of action and very well written character that I especially love. Can't wait for the next book ;) "
" Amazing! The curses were creative and the romance was sizzling. It was so funny. "
" The plot and characters are kind of cool (yay for bad ass drag queens and an abundance of atypical gender dynamics), but the pacing is pretty drab. Not her best. "
" 4.5 starsGreat start to a new series. "
" Another fun book by Cherie Priest. Dark urban fantasy with vampires and mystery. A very pleasant adventure story and read. "
" A fun to read, fast paced novel. I enjoy Ms.Priest's steampunk style more, but this is a strong addition to vampire lit. "
Cherie Priest’s Boneshaker was nominated for a Nebula and Hugo Award, won the Locus Award for best science-fiction novel, and was named Steampunk Book of the Year by steampunk.com. She is also the author of Dreadnought, Boneshaker’s sequel, and of the near-contemporary fantasy Fathom. She debuted to great acclaim with a trilogy of Southern gothic ghost stories featuring heroine Eden Moore wich included Four and Twenty Blackbirds, Wings to the Kingdom, and Not Flesh nor Feathers. Born in Tampa, Florida, she earned her Master’s in rhetoric at the University of Tennessee. She lives in Seattle, Washington, with her husband, Aric, and a fat black cat named Spain.
Natalie Ross is an actress and voice-over artist whose acting credits include multiple appearances in the television series All My Children, among others. She is an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator.
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