Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: The Richmond Vampire
AUTHOR: Liv Rancourt
PUBLISHER: Rancourt Publishing
LENGTH: 117 Pages
RELEASE DATE: March 7, 2024
BLURB:
Mack’s a vampire hunter, Bellafleure’s a vampire, and together they have to find a serial killer before he strikes again.
It’s a classic case of “opposites distract”.
Mack is a B-grade vampire hunter, a beat cops who does his best to keep the streets of New Orleans safe from the things that go bump in the night. Mack’s family has clout in the vampire hunter community, so he and his partner get sent to Richmond to track down the serial killer who’s leaving dead bodies in a cemetery.
And they damned well better find him before he strikes again.
As soon as their boots hit the ground, Adrian Bellafleure – the Richmond Vampire – offers his help. Trusting a vampire goes against everything Mack has ever learned, but he’s practical enough to grudgingly accept the offer. Bellafleure has a new vision for vampires and the people who hunt them, and if they can catch the bad guy, Mack might give him a listen.
Because yeah, that vampire’s just about the hottest guy Mack has met in a good long while, and his dick is ready to ignore a lifetime of training. For that matter, so is his heart.
REVIEW:
In New Orleans, well, in paranormal investigations, Mack and Hal are generally considered to be the B-team. Also, most humans aren’t aware of things that go bump in the night. Nevertheless, they are sent to Richmond to stop a murderer that falls within their remit. When there, Mack meets the Richmond Vampire – a man he’s supposed to stake on sight. Instead, he flirts, which goes against every rule of hunting.
The novel is an enjoyable standalone work with elements from a wider multi-author verse. However, as a standalone, I expected all loose ends to be tied up in a pretty bow, and they were not – at least not satisfactorily. Also, certain scenes at the beginning spotlighted an individual setting off my perp radar, and dampening my enthusiasm. The blurb ticked my – ‘I want to read this’- box, and there is a lot to like, but by playing it safe, it just fell short of the mark.
The tale is told in the first person from Mack’s viewpoint. Technically, it is in pretty good shape, with only the odd typo, such as except/accept, him/her. The story was easy to read, and I don’t mean that in a derogatory way. With some typeface styles, line spacing, etc. I sometimes find it hard to track where I am in a paragraph. Physically, the writing was easy to read, and the narrative also had a laid-back quality matching Mack’s personality – all good points.
Mack is a likable man and an outcast from a family of hunters. He’s a chilled soul, aware of his shortcomings, with a hate of the written word due to his Dyslexia. If he can talk himself out of a situation instead of using violence, he will which is a fine goal. The relationship between Mack and Hal resembles squabbling siblings who would do anything for one another, and this was a splendid dynamic to read.
The story concentrates on the case being investigated, and any resulting drama, which is a small timeslot. However, to get the whole experience, I felt I should have been aware of a bigger picture (from other books) that was skimmed over in the narrative. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the snark and matter-of-fact attitude to the paranormal. But, I believe the author could have been more daring with the action, adding extra adrenaline to the proceedings.
The Richmond Vampire was an enjoyable read, definitely better than average, but I wanted something to make me sit straighter and my heartbeat faster, and I wanted more for Mack. But for me, it just falls short of great due to what comes across as playing it safe. Maybe it is because the characters are used in other stories – I have no idea.
RATING: 
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