Customer Reviews

Death's Excellent Vacation

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Death's Excellent offers a variety of vacation themed shorts. I enjoyed the mix of stories - a few with a touch of romance and some with a touch of horror - and even found a couple of new authors on the way, but I have to say that some of these vacations make finding a new travel agent, or safer still, taking a 'staycation' at home seem like a really good idea.

1. Two Blondes - Charlaine Harris - A Sookie short - Sookie and Pam head off to the riverboat casinos to mix business with some fun - For fans of the books the way that the pair manages to hide in plain sight when the business part of the vacation goes bad is something completely different for Sookie (for fans of the show probably not so much).

2. The Boys Go Fishing - Sarah Smith - A crotchety old superhero's lonely exile is invaded - he longs for death, but may yet discover how to truly live - I really really liked this story, it had some powerful and poignant moments. I'll be keeping out an eye for more by this author.

3. One for the Money - Jeaniene Frost - Night Huntress short - Cat and Bones pull guard duty for a human heiress targeted by supernatural hit men - This is a nice little Night Huntress fix for fans (there's even a few steamy bits)

4. Meanwhile, Far Across the Caspian Sea... - Daniel Stashower - An author takes his job as researcher to a new level.

5. The Innsmouth Nook - A. Lee Martinez - Owners of a bed and breakfast rewrite their business plan to accommodate an unexpected demographic in their clientile.

6. Safe and Sound - Jeff Abbott - An ambitious and less than scrupulous TV reporter milks the investigation into a young man's disappearance for ratings - given the reporter's nature, I thought that the resolution was fitting.

7. Seeing is Believing - L A Banks - After 'seeing' that the cause of several local deaths is a supernatural predator, a young woman heads off to New Orleans to gather what she needs to fight the beasts and there she gains an ally in an unusual young man - a nice little story with appealing leads and a promise of romance.

8. The Perils of Eferjim - Katie MacAlister - A short starring Aisling Grey's demon newfie sidekick Jim - With Aisling on vacation, Jim's off to grab some R&R as well when he gets forced into human form and banished to Abaddon - If you love Jim there's lots of him here and some funny moments, I particularly liked how he dealt with the guards of the hellish demon dimension.

9. Thin Walls - Christopher Golden - A man is on a memorial tour honoring his dead wife, but an eye opening encounter with a seductive woman is what it takes to help him move on - This one was creepy, but since it was horrorish I guess that was the intent.

10. The Heart is Always Right - Lilith Saintcrow - A gargoyle's vacation in the sun is preempted when he discovers that the young woman he's been drawn to is the key to gaining his ultimate dreams if he's willing to pay the price - There is just something about gargoyles which appeals to me.

11. The Demon in the Dunes - Chris Grabenstein - A man remembers a long ago summer vacation from his youth and a ghostly encounter - The ending to this one surprised me.

12. Home from America - Sharan Newman - A man of Irish descent, has a chance to visit the old country when his family gets invited to a family reunion - I didn't particularly like the ending of this one.

13. Pirate Dave's Haunted Amusement Park - Toni L P Kelner - A recently turned werewolf returns to a childhood vacation spot to ponder her future. A visit to a favorite amusement park offers her the chance to pursue the pirate of her teenage fantasies and a chance to make use of her new abilities - Sexy pirates and supernatural creatures? What's not to like.

Love, love, love all things Sookie since I read Charlaine's first novel involving the sassy Louisana waitress a few years ago. Then Alan Ball teams up with Charlaine and HBO to bring my favorite little Lousiana town to life. BAM! It is a Sunday Supe Spectacular with Mr. Ball bringing his own brand of quirkiness to the mix. This book is dedicated to him with good reason.

This collection includes a terrific story about Sookie and Pam out on the town while doing an errand for Eric. Every Eric errand is bound to spiral out of control and this one is no exception. The dialogue is sharp and witty with the storyline delighting the dedicated Sookie fan. Especially when CH makes Sookie and Eric sizzle again.

With the exception of L.A. Banks I had not read anything from the other authors. I must say this book broadened my Urban Fantasy "to read in the future" list as I enjoyed the other stories immensely. As an avid reader I am always on the hunt for a new author/series so this collection was akin to a supernatural smorgasbord.

Thanks to the book editors, Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner, for picking such great stories for this urban fantasy anthology. Not a stinker in the bunch!

Bon Temps!

Charlaine Harris' Sookie short story kinda made me mad. I loved that it was about Pam and Sookie, I like their friendship, but the things Sookie did in this book was NOT sookie at all. So I am pretending like I never read this story.

Jeaniene Frosts short story about Cat and Bones was just what I expected. I love The night huntress and Night huntress world series. It was good but I wanted it to be longer. overall I give it 4 stars. I think I prefer short stories that are not part of series I read. stand alone shorts work better for me. Although sometimes I enjoy reading shorts and finding out they are part of series and then picking up the series and loving them.

The other 5 1st shorts (basically 1st half of book) were terrible. I almost didnt keep reading the book. I did pay a lot of money so I figured I would keep going.

Good thing the second half of the book got better. I think the last 3 stories were my favorite (besides Jeaniene frosts story). I am def. going to look into Toni Kelners books.

I think they were lazy when they were picking authors to go into this book. Do I think this was worth 13 dollars? no. Would I have made the same purchase knowing this.. probably.

"Two Blondes" was a lighthearted story, but considering the lack of substance in the rest of the stories, I wish that it was a little longer to make up for buying the whole book.

I'll just wait until Harris puts together her own collection of stories next time. Too bad I couldn't find another author out of this for recreational reading. Previously I had picked up "Bite" for the same reason; hopeful on picking up another sci-fi world author that I might enjoy. I found myself disappointed. With "Death's Excellent Vacation", the theme was cute. Cute. However, the quality of the other stories was *sorely* lacking. I nearly threw the book across the room after reading "Seeing is Believing"-- last time I checked, the Navajo nation is NOT in Texas. I realize this is fiction, but if you're going to use real cities and geographical landmarks, GOOGLE A MAP. It only takes a minute. If you're too lazy, make up a name. The editors could have caught this, among other things. Reading through this book made me feel as if I was grading English 101 fiction. "Demon in the Dunes" was a letdown; I had thought the author could have chosen something else other than making it a preachy health lesson... I wouldn't have even gotten that far if I had just checked this book out at the library or borrowed it from a friend- after about the 3rd story, I was reading on principle for spending good money on it.

This will be the last time I purchase a multi-authored anthology to get a Sookie Stackhouse short story.

I am usually not a fan of short stories. I most always require a book with a bit of length and quite a bit of "meat" to it. Having said that, I found most of the stories in this collection to be quite a nice vacation, and I was introduced to a couple of new authors that I will definitely be following up on. While the theme is paranormal vacations, there was actually quite a bit of variety here. There's a great horror tale by Christopher Golden, and a story that struck me as almost pure fantasy by Katie MacAlister.

I'm a big fan of the Sookie Stackhouse books, so it was good to see her again, although I did not find her story very satisfying. If you're looking to buy this book just for that story, I would suggest that you just check it out from the library instead. If you are a fan of this genre though, this is by all means a worthwhile purchase.

I have never read Jeaniene Frost and really enjoyed her entry. Those characters are incredible, so I'll be looking at reading some more stuff from her. I thought Daniel Stashower's entry, Meanwhile Across the Caspian Sea... was just brilliant. It had a nice Twilight Zone feel and was beautifully written with a lot of wit and humor. He's another author I'll be looking into!

Jeff Abbott does a great job as always with a very well written tale of media gone amok, with some very memorable characters. He's a great storyteller and I would say that his story alone is worth the price of admission. Chris Grabenstein, who I know from his work with juvenile literature, contributes a great story here that brought me back to the 70's with a deliciously ghostly twist. There's nothing like a good American Ghost Story!

All in all, this was a great read. There were lots of hits and just a couple of what I felt were misses. I just wasn't feeling the Leprechaun story by Sharan Newman and I found the story by L A Banks kind of frustrating. I felt like I had gotten dropped into the middle of things with that one. A worthwhile purchase for fans of paranormal fiction with a nice mix of fantasy, mystery, and horror.

This one is a 3.5 for me. I liked it, but there were just a couple that I loved.

Charlaine Harris - Two Blondes: Not just a Sookie story, it's a Sookie & PAM story. I love Pam, which made me love this. Pam & Sookie have a "Girls Weekend" at the casinos in Mississippi, where they can gamble, see a show, and do just one little job for Eric. Cue danger. Fun story, over too quickly, but still one of my favorite Sookie shorts. Probably best enjoyed by fans of the series (and to be honest, if it wasn't for my love of one of the characters, I probably would be a little less enthusiastic about it).

Sarah Smith - The Boys Go Fishing: what happens to an immortal superhero when the golden days of superheros are gone. Sad in many ways, but a light at the end of the tunnel.

Jeaniene Frost - One for the Money: A Cat & Bones story set after the events in book 4. Really loved it. Cat & Bones need to guard an heiress with a contract out on her life. They also need to deal with Cat's mom. I'd never call Bones a saint, but his actions here are sure to bring squees of joy from fans. Not sure how I would feel about this one if I wasn't caught up on books 1-4.

Daniel Stashtower - Meanwhile, Far Across the Caspian Sea: this one was odd, but still drew me in. About a guy who works for "LifeSpan books" and his dealings with a particular coworker. Lots of questions left unanswered, but it still worked for me. I need to go find out more about this author.

A. Lee Martinez - The Innsmouth Nook: I think it needed more. Too short, although I did like the twist, I would have liked it more if there had been more to the story.

Jeff Abbott - Safe and Sound: A "lawyer-turned-"journalist" exploits a family's search for their missing son for ratings gold. I wasn't surprised by anything here, but it was a satisfying story.

L.A. Banks - Seeing is Believing: a young psychic heads to New Orleans to gather some supplies to fight off werewolves in the bayou, and finds what she's been missing. Really loved this one, probably my favorite out of the whole book. Liked the characters (it even has a scary, powerful-as-hell granny) and the interactions between the characters. Need to read more from this author.

Katie MacAlister - The Perils of Effrijim: Part of the Aisling Grey series. I haven't read this series, so I'm feeling a little lost. It is the most light-hearted of the bunch, involving Jim.

Christopher Golden - Thin Walls: An example of why when it seems like it's too good to be true, it probably is, especially when it's a superhot chick who promises to let you do whatever you want to her.

Lilith Saintcrow - The Heart is Always Right: Thi one involves Gargoyles fighting the Big Bad. I liked it. You are just dropped into the world, and while I still have lots of questions, I never felt lost. Close second for my favorite story.

Chris Grabentstein - The Demon in the Dunes: I was wondering where this one was going, and it was not what I expected at all. Good story.

Sharan Newman - Home from America: A family reunion takes Pat and his family back to Ireland, and his "homeland" is not what he expected. This one was all right. I was a bit surprised at the ending.

Toni L. P. Kelner - Pirate Dave's Haunted Amusement Park: I really liked this one. A newly made werewolf takes one last vacation by herself (before pledging to a pack), and goes back to the amusement park she loved as a kid. Fun story, light with a little action. Great way to end the anthology.

I suspect that many readers who pick up Death's Excellent Vacation, a collection of paranormal stories with a vacation theme, will do so for Charlaine Harris' brand-new Sookie Stackhouse story. "Two Blondes" sends telepathic waitress Sookie and vampire Pam out of town to visit a casino and run an errand for vampire sheriff Eric Northman. In the course of their errand, they meet an elf, Pam is drugged, and the two blondes are forced to don scanty outfits and pole-dance. It's a good story and a welcome addition to the Sookie catalog.

There are many other worthy stories in this collection. The second tale, Sarah Smith's "The Boys Go Fishing," features a Superman-like character on an expedition to catch the Loch Ness monster. It's a strange concept, but it works beautifully. Jeaniene Frost's "One For the Money" features engaging vampire characters. "Far Across the Caspian Sea" by Daniel Stashower is in the vein of Kurt Vonnegut's immortal Slaughterhouse Five.Remember the Simpsons Halloween episode where dolphins take over the world? If you do you'll enjoy "The Innsmouth Nook" by A. Lee Martinez. "Safe and Sound" by Jeff Abbott is a twist on true events and a stinging indictment of a well-known cable TV personality.

One of the most enjoyable tales here is "Seeing is Believing" by L. A. Banks. Fans of Sookie Stackhouse will find this Louisiana werewolf tale familiar, yet different enough from the True Blood universe to make it unique.

Surprisingly, I found myself skimming through Katie MacAlister's "The Perils of Effrijim." I usually love Katie MacAlister's brand of comic romance novels, but this short story was a little too steeped in obscure fantasy language to hold my interest. I had a different problem with "Thin Walls" by Christopher Golden: the setup was good, but it seemed to drag in the middle.

The stories improve after that, so bear with this book. "The Heart is Always Right," a gargoyle tale by Lilith Saintcrow, is wonderful. "The Demon in the Dunes" by Chris Grabenstein features a realistic young narrator and a surprising twist. In "Home From America" by Sharan Newman, Pat O'Reilly discovers he's not really an O'Reilly, but has an entirely different Irish heritage. The bookend to this anthology, "Pirate Dave's Haunted Amusement Park," is a werewolf mystery with pirates - who couldn't love that? In all, there is much more to admire here than to skim through.

This is a fun thirteen fantasy collection in which the paranormal go on vacations and have holidays that make the Griswold family and Monsieur Hulot seem tame. "Two Blondes" (by Charlaine Harris) Pam and Sookie go to a not so gentleman's club in Mississippi for the weekend. Jim the demon (see Aisling Gray) heads to Paris for a good time but runs into "The Perils of Effrijim" by Katie MacAlister. The eight immortals get together as "The Boys Go Fishing" by Sarah Smith, but conclude drinking tea is easier. In "One for the Money" by Jeaniene Frost, hitmen Cat and Bones find their vacation interrupted protecting an heiress when the former's mom arrives. You can't go home if you want time out as affirmed by Toni L.P. Kelner in "Pirate Dave's Haunted Amusement Park", "The Demon in the Dunes" by Chris Grabenstein and "Home From America" by Sharan Newman. Readers will enjoy the amusing vacations of the supernatural as whether it is Bermuda (Lilith Saintcrow's "The Heart Is Always Right") or Port Arthur ("Seeing is Believing" by L.A. Banks), fans will want to accompany the paranormal when they go on Death's Excellent Vacation tours.

Harriet Klausner

I bought this book primarily for the Sookie Stackhouse short story and stayed for the rest of the stories. To me, a book of short stories is a way to try new authors. If you are lucky, you find one or two that you like and go out and find their novels. It can also help you avoid novels with flashy covers that get your attention but are lousy stories.

I love short stories, especially when it is a collection of short stories from my favorite genre, Urban Fantasy. However, with the exception of the Jeaniene Frost story, this was the sorriest collection of short stories I have ever encountered. The stories were either extremely boring, or in the case of the Sookie Stackhouse story, exceptionally dumb. I don't mean to sound harsh, but I was very disappointed with this collection.

Do not buy this book. If you really want to read it, get a copy from the library. You'll thank me later.