32 Fangs: A Final Vampire Tale

May 15, 2012

Laura Caxton has sacrificed everything to her hunt for the world's longest-living vampire: the lives of her friends and family, her job, her freedom, even her humanity. Caxton, now a fugitive from justice, has escaped from prison to pursue her nemesis, the malevolent Justinia Malvern. When the two finally confront each other in a bloody showdown, Caxton finds that the cunning Malvern has outsmarted her again with a scheme that involves Laura's few remaining friends, a battalion of cops, and an army of half-dead slaves. These zombies, also known as the faceless, are Malvern's victims, whom she calls back from the dead to do her bidding. Malvern's strength may be failing, but she can still impose her will on zombie minds too weak to defend themselves. VERDICT Best-selling author Wellington (Monster Island; Frostbite) will not disappoint his myriad fans with this explosive conclusion to the vampire series that began with 13 Bullets. Part horror historical, part police procedural with entirely splattery fangs-and-brains action, this will draw in undead aficionados of all kinds.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2012
Clara and Glauer are hung up on proving that Justinia Malvern's not really deadand on finding Laura Caxton, who disappeared after a prison break. Their boss, Marshal Fetlock, just wants the glory of recapturing an escaped felon. When Clara is attacked by Faceless servants of a vampire, logic dictates that he would admit that there is still a vampire active, but he is not interested. Glauer has an idea where Laura is, though, so he and Clara track her to a witchbilly community in rural Pennsylvania. Her response is not what they expected, although not particularly out of character for a dedicated vampire hunter. As the story develops, Wellington reveals both Laura's grand plan for the ultimate vampire trap alongside the highlights of Justinia's backstory. The parallel development of their stories is fascinating, and a satisfying handful of loose ends is all gathered up in the backwoods of Pennsylvania for a massive showdown in which nothing happens as expected (except, presumably, for those who see the future). It's a brutal conclusion to a tale in which the vampires are pleasingly terrifying and the humans who fight them are noble, if flawed.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)