Customer Reviews

Undead and Unemployed (Queen Betsy, Book 2)

5 star:		(68)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Some books you read for plot, some for thought, and some for character development. "Undead and Unemployed" is not one of these. Mary Janice Davidson's second foray into Vamp Lit Lite, is a fun piece of fluff to be enjoyed for its laugh out loud humor and general sassiness.

As the story opens, Betsy Taylor, Queen of the Undead discovers that even Queens have to pay their bills, and vampire queens are no exception. So she does what any woman with a footwear fixation would do--she gets a job in Macy's Shoe Department (and gets an employee discount to boot). Between working and dealing with her prickly attraction to Sinclair, she and her friends move into new digs--a mansion as befitting her royal status--and track down a serial murderer of vampires. All of Betsy's old friends are here, and she makes a few new ones as well. There are hints of Anita Blake, Buffy, and other vampire literature in the story line, but Betsy is very much her own vampire.

"Undead and Unemployed" is a book to read when you want the literary equivalent of a bon-bon. Enjoy.

Dying is supposed to be the ultimate simplification strategy, but for Elizabeth Taylor (Betsy), it just added tenfold to her problems. Not only is she a vampire, but she is the long foretold Queen of the Undead. Unfortunately, it doesn't pay as well as some monarchies, so she needs a job, and winds up working in "heaven", aka, Macy's shoe department. All would seem to be perfect now. She has a dream job, for her at least, a new mansion, curtesy of being best friends with a millionaire, and never has to worry about wrinkles or cellulite again. There are some snags. Sinclair, the Vampire King, is still making himself a nuisance and strongly objects to her working at all, much less in such a lowly position. A local pastor is shepherding a bunch of Buffy wannabes in a vampire killing spree, which is it Betsy's responsibility to stop, and last, but not least, her wicked stepmother has done the unthinkable.

**** Betsy continues to be a charming heroine in this second Undead book that breaks new ground in the vampire and chick lit fields. It will be helpful to have read the first one, but is perhaps not essential. While most vamp books read like an hour long drama serial, this one comes off like a sitcom, making for a breezy and light escape. ****

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore for Huntress Reviews.

Our Vampire Queen with the shoe fetish is back. This time Betsy has decided to get a job to pay the bills. Although Jessica is happy to pay for everything, Betsy still feels she should contribute to the effort, and how is she to buy new shoes if she has no money?

Unbeleivably, she gets her dream job, shoe clerk at Macy's. She could be so happy if those pesky vampires would just leave her alone. Unable or unwilling to admit to her feelings for Sinclair, she throws herself into her job.

Unfortunately, her house has termites, so Marc and Jessica inform her they need to buy a mansion on the Hill. When other vampires begin to die, the Queen must investigate and protect her followers. Or so Sinclair says. The fact that the mansion has 11 bedrooms and a room to use as a morgue, finally convinces Betsy that they need to move.

Sinclair and Tina have been staying in a luxury hotel since his house burned down in the last book. Betsy is not sure how she feels about Jessica inviting them to live with them. But she's pretty sure she doesn't like it.

Now they have a gang of Vampire Killers to confront and then they have to discover who is financing them.

Needless to say we have alot of fun and laughter as Betsy, Sinclair, Tina, Marc, and Jessica, as well as a host of others, fumble and stumble their way to the answer.

This is a fun book, you can't put it down.

This book continues the undead adventures of Elizabeth Taylor, aka Betsy, Queen of the Vampires. And as with the first book, Betsy is as reluctant as ever to play ruler of a bunch of undead that she doesn't even find interesting or amusing.

Betsy does find herself a dream job, selling shoes at Macys, but the real plot of this book is Betsy stumbling her way through the undead, and still living world. Again, she finds herself joined by her still breathing comrades in arms, Jessica and Dr. Mark. Also making a return appearance is Betsy's "consort" Sinclair. Rest assured, Betsy still hasn't completely forgiven his deception from the first book. Thats not to say that she doesn't appreciate a fine looking man.

These books are fun, silly, laugh-out-loud funny and incredibly quick reads. They really aren't meant for deep analysis. I give the book 4 stars instead of 5 because Ms Davidson skips over some details which feels just the slightest bit lazy. For instance, what happened to Betsy's cat? Or Sinclair's "sheep"? But these are minor triffles. The book is meant to amuse and entertain, and it does so on both counts. Betsy is a hilarious heroine who appeals to me on most every level. Especially the shoe fetish.

This is the second book in the series, where Betsy, the new Undead and new Queen of all vampires, is trying to maintain her dream job, selling SHOES!!! while dealing with all the Vampire junk that comes with being Queen. Not to mention trying NOT to get a handle on the hunky King of Vampires, her consort, Sinclair.

This book is the perfect cross between Laurell Hamilton's Anita Blake series and Janet Evanovich's "One for the Money" series. It has incredibly rich characters, an action packed plot, and enough witty humor to keep you chucking for days. Good luck trying to put this book down to go back to work.

I laughed a lot more in this book than the first, "Undead & Unwed". Probably because I'm familiar with the characters now. Either way, this is the best laugh I have had in a very long time!

Let's hope those editors realize that a 3 book deal just isn't enough.

This is such a fun story and it reads so quickly. I couldn't help myself though (finishing it so fast) and wish the author would have made each book the size of Stephen King's "The Stand". They're that much fun!

In St. Paul, the vampire minions consider Betsy Taylor as their Queen, but she wants to be left alone so that she can indulge in her shoe fetish. Rather than join Sinclair, the royal stud, who converted her three months ago, Betsy seeks employment. However, she quickly learns the first lesson from Remedial Vampirism 099 that using the glamour spell on a government bureaucrat never works as a civil servant must be officious to protect their butt. Next Betsy goes to Macy's where she scores a job selling shoes. She appreciates bureaucratic ineptitude as she figures SSA will not realize that the employer of a dead person is making payments.

Bloodsucking visitors (not customers, but other vampires) keep arriving at the shoe department. Sinclair, who to Betsy's chagrin heats her blood though she detests how he failed to warn her that he is more dangerous than cigarettes, demands she join him. Her subjects demand she find out who is killing the Twin Cities vampires and stop that culprit. She feels it is unfair because she is the newest of the brood and all she wants is a new pair of shoes besides a bite or two with Sinclair, who she needs to help her with the inquiries.

This sequel to the wacky UNDEAD AND UNWED, UNDEAD AND UNEMPLOYED is an amusing vampiric chick lit amateur sleuth tale worth sinking your teeth into as MaryJanice Davidson satirizes the three sub-genres. Betsy is a unique protagonist obsessed with expensive shoes while Sinclair is her perfect counterfoil. The rest of the cast enhances the comedic romp that takes a bite out of the acceptable norm of excesses that make up several fictional sub-classifications.

Harriet Klausner

I read both of the Undead books and enjoyed them both. The first one I did enjoy a little more than this one. But, I still recommend reading both of them.
It's the craziest vampire series (if 2 books equals a series) I've ever read. An invincible Queen vampire with a major shoe fettish trying to live like a normal person. The whole premise of the book is quite creative. My advise, read them both, they're paperback so they aren't that expensive and I'll be suprised if you don't find yourself almost laughing out loud occasionally.

Having read and loved Undead and Unwed, I couldn't wait to pick up the follow-up of what I hope will be a long series. Betsy Taylor, the ditsy, loudmouthed, shoe-obsessed but adorable vampire queen is back! Not wanting to live of her friend Jessica's wealth, Betsy decides to look for a job -- a night job that is. And she lands her dream job as a shoe saleswoman at Macy's. The mother ship has called her home! However, her enjoyment is short-lived after she's put in charge of solving the mystery surrounding the murders of various vampires. To make matters worse, she needs the help of darkly sexy Eric Sinclair, her consort and nemesis. Poor Betsy has to leave her passion for designer shoes aside (for the time being) and get to the bottom of things. There are various fun twists throughout the novel...

My only complaint is that this novel is far too short. I wanted more of Betsy, Sinclair, Tina, Jessica and Marc. These Betsy novels are hilarious, fun and enthralling from beginning to end. Once again, MaryJanice Davidson creates a laugh-a-minute, fast-paced story that I couldn't put down. Betsy's sarcasm is second to none and Sinclair is one sexy vampire! I love him! And of course the other characters are awesome. I cannot recommend Undead and Unemployed enough. I look forward to reading another one of these Undead books. And the sooner, Ms. Davidson, the better.

I love this series. The main character is so vain and selfish, but she loves her friends. I absolutly love Sinclair and want more! I wish this book was longer! The end was a little down because I wasn't surprised, but I still would recommend this book.