You might remember me—I was one of the first unfortunates turned by Dracula.
Well, the count might think he turned me, but I was saved by witch magic. Owing to an elixir created by high witch, Lissa Ravenwood, I’m mostly humam... as long as I take the elixir every three days.
But the vampire within me is always there in the background, threatening to turn me into a creature I detest. The count, Vlad, wants exactly that—for me to succumb to my darker side and return to him. He considers me his fledgling, his love, his creation.
I consider him a royal pain in my backside.
Regardless, I still need Vlad. Well, I need his help on a particularly difficult case...
Because I’m in control of my vampire side, and I’m stronger and faster than your average human, I work as a bounty hunter, specializing in apprehending things that go bump in the night. I guess it takes a monster to catch a monster.
And the case I’m on now is giving me apoplexy...
Students at Lissa’s witch academy are falling ill—clearly under the effects of Hyde, an illegal street drug. When another young woman’s mutilated body is found in an alley, I realize we’ve got a murderer on the loose. And I have a feeling the two cases are tied… I’m just not sure how or why.
As if that isn’t stress-inducing enough, the vampire council is in town, and that means I need Vlad’s protection. What I don’t need is his constant amorous attempts...
Sigh. It’s just another day in the unlife of Lucy Westenra, a girl who hunts monsters and hasn’t had a date in over a decade...
Print Length : 178 pages
Publisher : Rain Press
Publication Date : September 22, 2020
ASIN : B08JWT88WJ
My Review:
Neither Hyde Nor Hair is a modern retelling of Dracula with Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde tossed in for good measure. The star of the book is Lucy Westenra, turned by Count Dracula eons ago, and saved by witch magic. As long as she takes a potion every three days, Lucy is able to keep her vampire side repressed to the point she is almost human. Her vampire side is always just at the surface but Lucy is able to suppress her, most of the time. Lucy's humanity but strength and power of her vampire side make her the perfect bounty hunter for rogue monsters. When her witchy friend Lissa employs Lucy to take over teaching one of her classes at the Academy, and some of the students fall ill, Lucy knows it's time to go on a monster hunt.
What Lucy finds isn't at all what she's looking for.
I was thoroughly entertained by Neither Hyde Nor Hair. The paranormal elements, inclusion of characters from several different classic stories, mystery, and humor are a wonderful combination. Vlad's amorousness toward Lucy has her see-sawing between her vampiric side wanting him and her human side detesting him. What ensues are a lot of humorous interactions between the two of them. Lucy has been battling against her vampire for generations, knowing that once she fully embraces her, she will go from the bounty hunter doing the hunting to being the vampire being hunted. She's clearly on team human but Vlad is a temptation threatening her ability to stay that way.
They mystery is fun and full of twists and turns. Lucy dealings with Vlad, the vampire council, and Mr. Hyde all take place while trying to figure out where the students are getting Hyde and who killed a student in a gruesome fashion. The characters are quirky, well-written, and some are quite complex. Other characters are in the background or we only get a brief glimpse. Hopefully, they are characters that we may see expanded on in future books.
If you're looking for a fun and fairly quick read by a wonderful pair of authors, look no further. Grab Neither Hyde Nor Hair today!
I was provided a copy of this book to review.
My Rating:
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