Book Review: Undead and Unfinished

By Sandy Amazeen Jun 29, 2010, 18:46 GMT

Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor returns in the ninth novel in the New York Times bestselling series. Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor is having a tough time getting through the Book of the Dead-until the Devil strikes a bargain. She offers Betsy a chance to finish the cursed (literally!) thing, and finally discover all its mysteries. There\'s just one catch... Betsy and her half-sister Laura have to go to ...more

Steadfastly attempting to forget the events that resulted in the deaths of roommates Antonia, a werewolf and her lover Garret, Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor is facing yet another dreadful Thanksgiving holiday. Betsy’s half sister Laura is facing a personal crisis of her own as she keeps blacking out with bizarre dreams. And then there is mommy dearest, Lucifer trying to arrange a family reunion in Hell. After Betsy’s husband Sinclair, force fed her some unpleasant truths and gave her the cold shoulder, Betsy gave into Laura’s request and the two set off for a date with Lucifer.

Lucifer hopes to convince Laura to embrace her heritage and take over the family business. Naturally, Laura needs to prove her abilities by embarking on a romp through history with Betsy in tow. As the two begin interacting with friends and family in the past, they are having unexpected impacts upon the future but only by untangling past lives will they be able to move forward and escape Hell.

The Book of the Dead plays a more prominent part in the ninth book of the Undead series as Betsy barters for the ability to read it without losing her sanity. While the assorted past life threads get a bit confusing at times, this is an entertaining read and the most complex of the series. Betsy and Laura gain some measure of maturity and insight which will be interesting to watch in future. This light, sassy paranormal tale takes a dark turn at the end when readers discover the origin of the Book of the Dead and catch a glimpse of Sinclair’s future.