Undead and Unworthy (Queen Betsy, Book 7) by MaryJanice Davidson
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Book Reviews of Undead and Unworthy (Queen Betsy, Book 7)
Book Review: A little bit at a loss
Summary: 4 Stars
By Diane Raetz (West Milford, NJ) - See all my reviews
I'm a little bit at a loss here. I refer to MaryJanice Davidson's books as the ultimate sugar high. When I'm depressed and need a lift I open a Betsy, Fred, Alaska or Cyborg story. 15 minutes later I'm laughing and enjoying a light literary romp.
This is not one of those books.
On the other hand I really like when authors try to make their books about something more significant than (forgive me MJD) the hottest pair of Jimmy Choos. This book was supposed to be a test of Betsy's strength under pressure, and she passed with flying colors. I woke up with morning still thinking about Undead and Unworthy. And that doesn't happen every time I read a book.
***SPOILERS***
The Fiends get living (living dead?) blood from Garrett and in the process get smart. They're mad, they're bad and they're not going to take it anymore. They're also are killers and eliminate several people in this book including one of my favorite background characters. Other repeat characters die as the result of a police investigation that Nick drags Betsy into.
I had problems with Tina and Sinclair behavior this time around. They're harsh beyond belief when dealing with the Fiends. When one of them came to talk one-on-one all they wanted to do was kill her instead of come to a resolution between the fiend's problems and their own. The characterization was off and they didn't seem to be the "people" I've been spending time with them for 7 books now.
Finally the Ant returns-for no reason at all. She was just there to bug Betsy and The Queen has more than enough problems on her hand without the pineapple haired menace.
Book Review: What the.....????
Summary: 4 Stars
!!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!!
I am a huge MJD fan and have to say that, despite the preface mentioning a new story arc, my final thought when I finished the book was "What the hell just happened?".
I enjoyed the book, don't get me wrong. However, I often felt like I was reading the script from some daytime soap opera because characters were popping up and biting the dust left and right. Three secondary characters were killed off (don't forget Alice - in addition to Garrett & Antonia - she was with us from the first book!). Fiends were rising up for justice and getting mowed down pretty quickly. The ghost of The Ant was back, but for no reason that was ever really explained. We also discovered that Nick The Cop is mega-rich (am I the only one who vaguely remembers him saving money by vacationing with his buddies a few books ago, but now he is a trust fund baby - hello!!!). Think of it as, As The Blood Flows, Episode 7...... A few good laughs with death, drama, and cheesy moments all rolled into a hardcover package for your enjoyment.
Overall, the book was quite good, but it was definitely darker than the others in the series. Betsy is starting to come into her own as Queen and that isn't a bad thing - it just may take some getting used to. Most Betsy fans will be happy to follow along for the ride and see where this literary train is headed. If you are thinking this will be a light read, along the lines of the first two books in the series, you will probably be disappointed.
At the conclusion of the book, I still had one overall nagging question that was left unanswered. Who was smoking crack in the art department the day this book's cover was approved? We may never know.
Book Review: Well, I still enjoy the series, anyway.
Summary: 4 Stars
MaryJanice Davidson, Undead and Unworthy (Berkley, 2008)
The seventh book in Davidson's Queen Betsy series is an obvious attempt at a makeover-- just look at the cover, which is far less the chick-lit pastels of the earlier books and far more the cool, competent thriller-heroine. Berkley seems to have said "with the old plotline over, it's time to move MaryJanice Davidson away from the world of chick lit and into the world of the 'women's mystery novel'." I mean, really, that cover begs, "Put me on a Kathy Reichs book."
Davidson, thankfully, doesn't seem to have gotten the memo. While this book is more mystery-focused than the previous novels in the series, Betsy herself is just as charmingly ditzy as ever, and romance is still just as much in the air as it ever was. It's almost impossible to go into the plot without giving anything away, so I'll just say that the two packs Betsy has managed to get herself involved with both find themselves unhappy with her at the same time. When it rains, it pours. It doesn't help matters that the two aren't fond of one another, either...
A lot of people had a lot of problems with this entry in the series, and I can see why. This is an ending you're either going to love or hate, and a lot of people hated it. I'm not one of them; I won't say it seemed inevitable, but it did certainly fit with everything that's going on in the book. As always, Davidson is readable and witty, though she does still overuse curse words like a sixth-grader. I know a lot of folks disagree with me, but I think it's still a fun series. ****
Book Review: vampirism is not the road to hell; good intentions are
Summary: 4 Stars
The vampire king and queen, newlyweds Eric Sinclair and Betsy Taylor look forward to a long serene honeymoon in which they take nips from one another in between shoe shopping. Alas that is not to be for the royal undead. Fiend Garrett healing from some recent assaults informs the majestic pair that his fiend friends have been dining on his blood.
Thus the Twin Cities' fiends are recovering, but also hold culpable Betsy for their woes; they declared she must die. Meanwhile Nick asks Betsy for help on several murder investigations; she reluctantly agrees in order to make amends to him. Only she finds herself facing her worst nightmare of her existence, the ghost of her stepmother.
Book seven of the Undead and Un... is an engaging entry as Betsy born the queen tries to act regal beyond her shoes, but needs to pay off a debt first. The story line is the usual humor expected from a MaryJanice Davidson tale as Betsy learns a lesson that vampirism is not the road to hell; good intentions are. Fans of the series will enjoy the antics of the newlyweds as her family drives her insane while she lands in one dangerous even to an undead predicament after another.
Harriet Klausner
Book Review: Queen Betsy still kicks butt!
Summary: 4 Stars
Undead and Unworthy is the seventh book in the Queen Betsy series. The change of the book cover mirrors the change in the books. This installment brings a new outlook for Betsy: she takes more responsibility and continues to grow as a person.
Don't worry, although Betsy appears to be handling the `Queen' role better than in past books MJD still writes with wit and sarcasm. The plot has a lot of unexpected twists to it and the relationships between characters get more complicated as well as have a few hiccups. The fiends make a startling appearance as well as the Ant! Sink-lair spends all his free time looking at the Book of the Dead (we know what happened to Betsy last time) and Nick is begging Betsy to help on a tough case. Oh did I mention she is also in the middle of raising her half brother?
I have always literally laughed out loud while reading MJD books and this book is no different. Betsy is still hilarious, somewhat clueless and still having a major bad week. ' The only difference is she's just a little older a little wiser and a lot more sarcastic.
Definitely a great continuance.