Customer Reviews

Blood Vice

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I think vampire stories should be dark, sexy, and cool, and Blood Vice hits them all with force.

The action is riveting, there are some awesome side characters (look for Little Ricky and the Knights of the Thorn), and some really great one-liners (look for the restaurant scene at the beginning of the book).

I was happy the author kept vampirism supernatural rather than going the vampirisim-as-a-virus route, and there are some additional elements of magic and mysticism that broadened the story immensely in a great way. The vampire hit man, Karl Vance, has a witch companion who we didn't learn nearly enough about, and I look forward to seeing her more in the sequel.

It wasn't clear to me when I started reading if the mafia guys KNEW Vance was a vampire or not, and I re-read that great scene in the restaurant when I figured out that they did NOT know that from the beginning. It made the scene even better, but I wish it'd been clearer from the description on the flap so I'd known that on the first read.

I was a little bit lost through the middle part of the book not knowing where exactly the story was headed, but that was definitely what the characters should have been feeling at that point so I suspect that was intentional on the author's part.

I went into this book expecting something like Underworld, which I loved, and it didn't disappoint on that account, but it turned out to be much bigger, badder, and better, and I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel.

This book was awesome, from that quiet scene in a fine restaurant in the beginning, to the fiery, cataclysmic conclusion.

I have read a lot of books over the last year or so.... and I can honestly say up until now, I have read not a single book that combines mobsters and vampires. Somehow Keith Melton successfully tells the tale of bad ass vampires, violent mafia wars, with a dash of romance on the side.

Maria is the daughter of powerful crime boss. She is desperately trying to prove her worth in the family business to her father and his lieutenants, an impossible task in a male dominated world like the mafia. She has the brains and balls, she just has to convince her family that a woman can do the job. Maria hires Karl Vance, a hired hitman and powerful vampire, to help weaken the enemy crime family. Over the course of the story the war between families becomes much more than a war over money or territory - it becomes personal for Karl and Maria.

At first glimpse of Maria I was prepared to dislike her. She was independent, frank, stubborn, and sometimes sarcastic. While I like my men a bit feisty, these same traits in female characters sometimes lead me to roll my eyes. Too many times a strong/bitter female is defiant even when it doesn't make sense in an effort to be heroic or self sacrificing. I was fully prepared for Maria to be that type of woman and was pleasantly surprised to find she wasn't. She may kick you in the balls and call you names, but she also knows when its best to go with the flow and save herself some pain.

Karl Vance is a bad ass mofo. His employers may not know his true nature as a powerful vampire, but they know he has no problem doing what needs to be done. While he gave up on his soul many years ago, he struggles to keep his darker nature in check and do the right thing. I don't want to say that he is looking for redemption because I don't believe he thinks its realistic, but at the very least he is looking to minimize his own impact on the world. If the book cover is accurate, he manages to do all of this with his shirt open. What more could we ask for in a vampire hitman?

The plot of this book is hard hitting and quick paced. I was sucked into the story line from the first chapter and snuck in reading time wherever I could find it! I love a good urban fantasy novel that takes no prisoners and this one does that. There is a surprising twist with Maria's character arc during the first half of the book that completely threw me for a loop! It was daring and unexpected and may have even broken some of those unwritten book rules. I had to check my progress bar to make sure I wasn't at the end already!

If I had anything to complain about it may have been the romance aspect of the plot. I didn't feel the chemistry between Vance and Maria at first... and even at the end felt like I needed more time with them and the connection between them. However, I liked that Vance didn't always know what to say to comfort her and often found himself saying nothing even when it was probably not the right move. It was realistic to his character, even if it sometimes left me feeling a bit cold.

Oh wait, I remembered one more thing I wanted to complain about.... the people in this book are way too good at recognizing fancy suit brands at first glance. I mean this is dark gritty urban fantasy world, not project runway I jest.. I get that its a mob thing!

Blood Vice by Keith Melton was dark, bloody and a breath of fresh air. I have read quite a few vampire books in the past two years- not a single one of those books combined the fun of the paranormal world with the brooding world of mafia families.This is one book that would make a spectacular movie.


Karl is our forlorn hero, a vampire... a freelance hit man vampire. It gets better. He works for the mafia but only follows himself and God. He maintains his humanity by feeding only on those that are corrupted. The most appealing thing about Karl is that he embraces physical pain by facing Holy Ground to pray for those that he has desecrated. I just think it is brilliant to have a mafia-killing vampire who values his relationship with God to the point he is willingly enduring pain. I loved it!


Maria's father runs one of the top mafia families in Boston. She's your typical mafia princess- spoiled, stubborn and now she wants to run with the big boys. She wants to be next in line, run the family the way she thinks it should be. I found Maria to be overbearing, demanding... annoying, to say the least. A strong heroine is almost essential but she was just too tactless at times. I can't hold this against the book though- I mean- she grew up within a mafia family. What am I suppose to expect? ;) And I will admit that by the time I had finished, I liked her. I did. Maria's chemistry with Karl was lacking a wee bit, but this made it more pragmatic.


I am going to be reading more of Keith Melton's work- I enjoyed his writing style. I hope there will be more of Karl and Maria to come. I love my violence with a dash of romance and that is exactly what he gave me, a dash. Just what I needed to keep intrigued when the plot started to lag. The plot didn't lag often- it was quick paced for the most part and I was sucked in almost immediately. Gotta love a good Urban Fantasy.

Karl Vance isn't your typical creature of the night. A hit man for the mafia in Boston, he satisfies his hunger by killing the scum of the earth. He has vowed to never feed on innocents, so the job fits his nature perfectly. Even though he has an ulterior motive for working for the Ricardi mob, he is the best, and they call on him to quietly take care of their problems. He isn't prepared to meet the boss' daughter. Maria Ricardi acts tough as nails and wants to be more than just the accountant for the family.

Maria Ricardi is the crime boss' daughter, and she has her eye on being more than the family money launderer. She figures that the quickest way to establish herself is with the help of Karl Vance. Karl is hired help her "clear out" the people standing in her way. She doesn't count on an old enemy of Karl's taking her as one of his sirelings to get to Karl.

Karl has spent years tracking down the killer that murdered his friend, and he has found him in Boston. Alejandro Delgado has been Karl's nemesis for centuries and thinks he has found a chink in Karl's armor...Maria. By making her one of his minions, he will be able to lure Karl out and kill him once and for all. Karl has plans of his own and will protect Maria at all costs.

Enthralling! Purely and simply a book that will hook you in the first paragraph and keep you ensnared throughout. The complex workings of Keith Melton's vampire world is fascinating. His detailed account of the lifestyle of the vampires make the reader feel as if they are there and witnessing everything that happens. The paranormal has never been so sexy and ruthless. Karl's personal turmoil is tangible through the author's words. His character comes alive (well actually undead) on the pages and draws you into his emotional conflicts. Though Maria isn't exactly the girl next door, she is a unique character with unusual dreams. She was not quite an endearing character - as a matter of fact I didn't really like her - but she is so well written that I found myself rallying for her. The realistic inside look into the mafia is fascinating, and Mr. Melton does a wonderful job of explaining the hierarchy within its ranks. The secondary characters hold just as much interest as the main characters. Blood Vice is a paranormal work of art. I cannot wait for the next installment of The Nightfall Syndicate. Keith Melton is undeniably talented and writes unforgettable characters.

--Teagan

Like a lot of readers, I enjoy a good vamp story once in awhile. Rarely, though, does one grab me like Blood Vice. The dark intensity of Karl Vance set the tone for the book from the opening scene and his checkered past and present job as a Mafia hitman filled the story with never-ending action.
Karl's counterpart, the cunning Maria Ricardi, kept surprising me. If she hadn't come under the control of the vampire trying to do Vance in, I believe she would have had every guy in the story under her thumb in no time. I love a strong female protaganist and Maria didn't disappoint.
Another element I enjoyed was the supernatural worldbuilding and plotline Melton employed. He did his homework to keep things realistic and yet turned his imagination loose, giving every element a fresh twist.
If you're looking for a new voice in the world of vamps and a face-paced story with plenty of guns, sex and revenge, I highly recommend Blood Vice.

Review courtesy of AllThingsUrbanFantasy.blogspot.com

If The Godfather or The Departed had vampires, they would probably feel a lot like Blood Vice.

"It was a beautiful night for murder, but wet work was wet work and had to be done regardless of conditions." -Blood Vice

This was the first book that I've read that came with a warning printed in bright red ink on the back cover:

Warning: Intense, graphic mafia-related violence, profanity, gangster slang, assassinations, fang punctures, explicit vampire sex, betrayal, greed, murder, gangland warfare, pervasive supernatural mayhem, large-scale explosions, and extremely expensive Italian suits.

With that warning in mind, I was a bit leery as I started Blood Vice. I wasn't sure if this book would be an assault on its readers from start to finish. But not to worry, this was a fun mafia infused vampire tale. And the warning is only partially accurate.

Vance is a hitman par excellence for hire, using his vampire skills to eliminate the corrupt and criminal members of humanity, and what better way to do than working for the mob. When mob princess Maria starts calling the hits, she and Vance form a lethal team, one that attracts the unwanted attention of not just rival Families, but Vance's nemesis as well. The vampire Alejandro is more than willing to hit Vance where it will hurt the most, and despite Vance's attempts to keep Maria at arms length, she's become important to him in a very dangerous way. As if that isn't enough for Vance, the Order of the Thorn has come to visit:

"Even predators have predators. The Thorn is humanity's answer to the supernatural beings that prey upon it. Thorn knights are trained to execute vampires, weres, sorcerers, half-breed demons and all manner of supernatural threats with ruthless efficiency. They use a wide array of weapons depending on their target, from low-tech silver-sheathed swords to high-powered assault rifles with special ammo. While the Thorn is dedicated to eradicating threats to humanity, there are times when a supernatural creature can earn clemency, but always under strict conditions. Violation of the terms means an instant death sentence. The Order of Thorn was formed after the fall of Camelot, gathering knights and mages sworn to protect humankind from any shadow of evil. The Order is an extremely secretive knighthood with strict hierarchies, wealth that surpasses that of the Vatican, and a global reach." -KeithMelton.com

I loved this concept of the Thorn and would have liked to have seen more of an emphasis on them in Blood Vice, but it sounds like they will play a more prominent role in Book Two of The Nightfall Syndicate. Here's hoping.

As for the character of Vance, he is more of a classic vampire than we often read in this genre. Coffins, crucifixes, and sunlight all play a part in his life. What isn't as common is how he was portrayed as having a conscience. His self-loathing balanced with a hard won acceptance of reality was fascinating to read about. He would brutally dispatch a human and afterwards endure the pain of kneeling on Holy Ground to offer a prayer for the life he had just taken. He never prayed for himself though, he knew he was damned and didn't see the point, but he would pray for every life he took.

Maria was a bit annoying for me and I found it difficult to sympathize with her as a wannabe mob leader. She had no problem whatsoever with any of the corrupt goings on within her Family, whether racketeering, murder, or prostitution. She only wanted her piece of the pie. The chapters told from her perspective were my least favorite.

All in all this was a fun read, a bit different than the usual urban fantasy, but not in a bad way. Full of Wise Guys and Mob politics. There is a lot of action in this book, and while there is an element of romance, it isn't nearly as prominent as the blurb would have you believe. This book is about killing people in bloody and creative ways, and even more than that, its about vengeance.
Sexual Content:
References to rape, one brief semi-graphic sex scene

Maria is the only full blooded child of Don Alberto Ricardi, a top mafia family in the Boston area. She is an accountant, but she is a dirty one (isn't that the best kind?) Her job is to keep her family's books clean and make them money, and she does an excellent job of it. After her brother had died, she wanted more responsibility but because she is female, her father will never "make her". Although she knows she has an important job, even the youngest of her father's men outrank her. Feeling she is being slighted and wanting to prove herself to her father, she convinces her father to hire a hit man, Karl Vance to take out the Lucatti money makers one at a time. The Lucatti's are the rival crime family in town, standing in the way of the Ricardis.

Maria and her father only know Karl Vance as a a superior hit man, but he is a vampire, a very old one at that. He meets with Maria and her father and decides not to take the this job because Maria's father wants his total loyalty. While Karl will take a job for the right price, he is not about to give up his independence. However, two words are spoken and everything changes - Alejandro Delgado.

Karl wants Delgado dead like no other. Delgado is in with the Lucatti's and Karl knows if Maria's plan hurts the Lucattis enough, Delgado will have to come out of hiding. Delgado himself is a vampire, and both Karl and him were turned by Cade. When Cade first turned Karl and he saw the brutal nature of Cade's ways, the pain he caused innocents, how he could just throw their lives away, Karl swore he would kill him one day. And he did - very slowly, with an abundance of silver spiked through his wrists waiting for the sun to appear. Delgado did not take to this killing kindly and they have been mortal enemies ever since.

Karl agrees to work for Maria, and now Maria has a chance to prove herself to her father. Although she has no qualms about sending Karl out to kill people for her, she herself has never killed anyone. She decides it is time to watch someone in action, so she waits at the next victim's house for Karl to show up to do his job. As she watches through her scope, she witnesses the unbelievable. She sees first hand Karl is much more that a hit man - as she watches him drink dry the man she told him to kill. But that is not the end of her evening. Delgado shows up in the house and a huge fight between Karl and Delgado ensues. They end up out in the street where Delgado sees Maria and catches her smell. Delgado escapes before Karl can kill him.

Maria must now cope with the knowledge that Karl is a vampire and she is no longer safe from Delgado. To bring her down even more, her father has agreed to a truce with the Lucatti family, no longer needing Karl's services. While Maria is down, Delgado rears his head again, and this time no one is safe. Maria finds the only person she can turn to is the one man she doesn't know if she can trust. The alternative is the one whispering to her and leading her away to darkness.

Blood Vice is so much more than just mortal girl meets bad ass vampire - oh and let me tell you Karl Vance is a baddie - mysterious, lethal, intense. A vampire of few words with smoldering good looks. This story examines the struggle Karl faces every day to stay on the side of good although all of his instincts point him towards sinful acts. And it is the struggle of a woman, who has grown up in a family where malevolence is second nature that now finds herself in the middle of an entire new definition of evil.

In this world, vampires are inherently evil. They are predators to the nth degree. Karl Vance has not only worked hard to control his instincts, but his maker Cade brought him into his vampire self in such a cruel way, torturing a defenseless girl, that he has found strength in that. He often feels left by God, but still finds himself kneeling near the church praying for the souls he has killed, no matter how bad the person was. He has sworn to never drink the blood of an innocent, rather he chooses the mafia men he is hired to kill to quench his blood lust.

Karl and Maria get pushed together in the battle against Delgado. While there is physical attraction and their relationship does progress to a certain point, I would have liked to seen a bit more emotional attachement. At one point, Maria finds herself in danger and Karl risks everything to save her. Yet, previous to that incident, I never felt a real emotional connection with them. I think the amount of romance in the book fits the story perfectly, I just want to be on a more intimate level with their thoughts for one another.

There is never a point where this book lagged and there are plenty of unexpected twists to keep the story very interesting. There is actually a huge development a third of the way into the story that I can't mention without giving away a big spoiler, but it definitely changed the direction of the book. I love it when the bad guys in books are BAD and Delgado is such a slimy, evil vampire. As the story went along there were times I thought Delgado isn't really going to do that, and then he does and its wonderful - well, wonderful for the reader, not for the poor character that is being tortured.

I must say how lovely it is when you pick up an unknown book and don't want to put it down until you are done. For those who enjoy dark urban fantasy with romantic tension, this is a must. Best of all, there is so much more to discover about Karl Vance and Maria Ricardi.

This is one of the best urban fantasy books I've ever read. The vampire, Karl Vance, is more than your average shoot-em-up hero, he's cold and cunning, yet honorable in his own way. The heroine, Maria Ricardi, is one of the most complex female characters I've read in a while, especially in this genre, where it's easy to cross the line into unrealistically tough (you won't see this woman trying to kick box a man twice her size while wearing five-inch stiletto thigh-high boots in the snow on top of a moving train, LOL). But she is WAY scarier, anyway. I can't say any more without spoliers, but that's just the tip of her ice berg. In this world, nothing, and no one, is as simple as they seem.

There's an interesting juxtaposition between the vampires, who technically aren't human, and the human mafia families who employ them, who don't seem half as human by comparison. And of course, there's lots of kick-ass action, even without the five-inch stiletto thigh-high boots in the snow on top of a moving train. And thank god, no one sparkles. *rolls eyes*.

Don't be fooled by the man candy on the cover. There is a romantic subplot, but this is no romance. It's a dark, edgy urban fantasy, full of action, suspense, and gritty realism that drags you in and won't let you go until you're finished. This is one of those books that will keep you up too late because you can't put it down.

This one is strictly top-shelf - don't loan this one out!

All in all, I really enjoyed this dark trip into a Boston underworld where the mafia employs vampires in a war for control of the city. Fast paced. Action-packed. I love mob movies and I love vampires, so this was a match made in heaven for me.

This urban fantasy breaks from the 1st person kick butt heroine POV that is usually seen. It does have a kick butt heroine in Maria Ricardi, an accountant for the Ricardi crime family until she becomes a pawn in a war between Karl Vance and Alejandro Delgado. But Maria shares the stage just as often with the book's hero, Karl Vance, a vampire hit man who only preys on criminals. Maria was a fascinating character--a dark heroine who at first has some very questionable goals, namely getting her hands bloody and helping her father take over Boston. Her change throughout the book, especially in regards to Karl, really held my interest. She started off as almost unlikable, but grew on me, and quickly became one of my favorites.

Karl Vance was a great character--tormented, ruthless and yet at war with his own urges and his sense of honor. He's gunning for an old nemesis, Alejandro Delgado, one of Karl's "brother" vampires under the same Master. Karl killed their Master, and now both vampires are locked in a war for revenge that parallels the mob war in the streets.

There is a romantic storyline between Maria and Karl, but it is secondary to the main plot and never overshadows it. When human vampire killers arrive to quell the growing violence, Karl must sacrifice everything to save Maria.

The vampires in this urban fantasy are nothing new to the legend, which might be one of the book's weaker points, depending on your point of view. They're played as dark and often tormented, but not emo, and not typical paranormal vampire lovers who bite for fun. The real twist is seeing them interact in the criminal underworld and watching the overlap between the supernatural crime world and the human crime world.

Dark. Suspenseful. Edgy. Full of gunfights, vampire duels, betrayals and plot twists. I can't wait for the sequel!

As if being a vampire isn't difficult enough, try being a vampire hit man for hire. Want to take it up a notch or two? Throw the mob boss' feisty daughter into the mix! That's exactly what Keith Melton has done in Blood Vice.

A gripping story about Karl Vance, vampire hit man for hire, and how he has entangled himself with the mafia while also attempting to rid the world of his longtime nemesis, Delgado. In the midst of a mafia war including several cities, Maria, the boss' daughter, wants in on the action at a higher rung on the proverbial mafia ladder ... action felt to be better suited to "made" men and a damned near unreachable achievement for her. Seemingly loner by nature Karl swears allegiance to no one, but when in the blink of an eye Maria finds herself face-to-face with a set of foul fangs, circumstances change and Karl will stop at nothing to save her from Delgado's evil grip.

Keith has a very fluid writing style, which I found quite refreshing; there's nothing worse than having to re-read a sentence or paragraph that left you confused. A real nice touch to this novel is chapter titles; I'm not sure if it is just the genre or authors I have been reading lately, but I loved the presence of chapter titles! Sometimes the smallest things can excite me J Keith has done an astounding job in applying just the right amount of ingredients for background, character, mafia technicalities, weaponry, romantic tension and humor. Speaking of ingredients, please be sure to watch out for Keith's upcoming release of 1001 Ways to Burn Toast! Seriously, though, as soon as I finished Blood Vice, I immediately latched on to Ghost Soldiers (review coming soon)! If you end up loving this series as much as I do, you'll be excited to know that he is currently working on the third book of the Nightfall Syndicate - can I get a "hell, yeah?" HELL, YEAH!

Reviewed by LolaLoves Books for Day Dreaming Blogspot