Vampyres of Hollywood

Actress Barbeau and bestseller Scott (_The Alchemyst_) give a novel twist to one of the hoariest clichés of vampire lore in this compulsively readable dark fantasy. Secret vampires in the film industry have concocted vampire myths and disseminated them through horror movies to mislead superstitious humans (e.g., real vampires can walk by day). One of the biggest bamboozlers is Ovsanna Moore, a seductive centuries-old vampire currently producing and acting in B-movies with titles like Vatican Vampyres. When humans and vampires in her studio entourage begin dying spectacularly gruesome deaths, Ovsanna knows that someone is specifically targeting her. Since it's just a matter of time before investigating detective Peter King uncovers Ovsanna's vampire pedigree, she must solve the mystery or die and resurface somewhere else. Alternate chapters from Peter and Ovsanna's limited points of view build narrative tension. Briskly paced and full of fang-in-cheek humor, this novel is one of the more entertaining recent works of supernatural noir. (Aug.)
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Barbeau’s second Vampyres of Hollywood novel picks up about two weeks after the end of Vampyres of Hollywood. With the help of Peter, a handsome LAPD detective, Ovsanna Moore, Hollywood horror actress and producer—and a 400-year-old vampire—has destroyed the serial killer targeting celebrities. Now Ovsanna finds herself attracted to Peter, being stalked by weres, dealing with the family problems her chief assistant dragged from her Lousiana home, and the egos of vampyres/Hollywood stars. The story is told alternately from Ovsanna’s and Peter’s viewpoints. That adds to the fun—hearing the story of a cop who falls in love with a vampire, from his side. Comedy, drama, sex, and wit—this novel has it all. It should please supernatural, cinema, and romance fans. --Frieda Murray