Vegas Vampires [Hardcover]

William Hill (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2005

Since San Francisco's origins as a Gold Rush town, vampires have secretly owned a worldwide chain of casinos. Until recently the Blood had directed resort and gambling operations from the shadows. Now the darkwalkers defy the light openly running the gaming establishments. Come the first nightfall of winter, the Gaming Guild will hold the 25th Dark World Gambling Games where one lucky vampire will win the Golden Dice and the grandmasters mantle to lead them. Dirk DeVault is obsessed with winning and returning the guild to its former glory. The undead casino manager is hindered by a powerful 150-year-old Native American curse to his card karma. He has lost all hope until he encounters Lady Luck incarnate. Now he stalks Heather, scheming to bend her good fortune to win the Games and rule the guild.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...A bit of a love story, but the excitement regarding the shadows of the Netherworld is brewing. . . --Rob Riley, January 2006

The term "corporate bloodsucker" is taken literally in this tepid fantasy-thriller. These are not your great-grandfather's vampires--they've gone legit as the Night Corporation and started up a chain of swanky Nevada casinos. Mindful of legal problems and turnover, the vampire executive team (complete with a vampire director of accounting) are forbidden to bite human employees or locals, only tourists--and then only for a sip, leaving those bitten with just a hangover and another fond, slightly racy memory of Sin City. In fact, studies show, moderate blood-sucking strengthens the victim's immune system! Though these new vampires aren't particularlyl menacing, there's still plently of corpse-generating boardroom skullduggery, mainly between sexist reprobate Dirk DeVault, who wants to take casinos back to the good old days of "cigars, real men and women who knew their place," and his feminist rival, Celeste Amara. Their battle hinges on preternatrally lucky ingenue Heather Wilson, who enjoys a nauseatingly saccharine romance ... with a sculptor/paramedic Skyler. Dirk turns Heather into a "Mistress of Fortune" vampire to use her luck to win an upcoming gambling tournament and gain control of the vampire Gaming Guild. Her heart still pure, if inert, Heather reluctantlly attends orientation classes on mind-reading, hypnotic compelling and shapeshifting into animals and smoke, but fastidiously refuses to drink blood and pines for Skyler while bickering endlessly with Dirk. Meanwhile, cultic vampire-slayer Miles Jasper pursues the undead with a holy garrote and a fantaticism that seems out of proportion to the nuisance posed by such thoroughly domesticated fiends. Hill puts a lot of effort into imaging the intricacies and pitfalls of a modern-day vampire existence, which some readers may find engrossing. . . A study in the banality of vampires. --Kirkus Discoveries 2006

About the Author

William Hill is a naturalized northern Nevadan, a native of Indianapolis, Indiana and a product of many places and stories. Currently he creates out of Gardnerville, NV. He has degrees from Vanderbilt University and University of North Texas. Along with working in human resources, Bill has been employed as an alchemist in South Lake Tahoe, a ski patroller at Diamond Peak, and a sports official in Douglas County.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 575 pages
• Publisher: Otter Creek Press (December 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890611409
• ISBN-13: 978-1890611408
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,577,040 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)