"Already Dead" by Charlie Huston

"Already Dead" by Charlie Huston, 2005, 034547824X

Very good. A detective novel from Huston. A good hard boiled novel set in present day Manhattan. Difference is that the narrator, Joe, is a vampire who was infected with the "Vyrus" in 1980 when giving a john a handjob in the bathroom at CGBG. He survives his infection through the help of another vampire, Terry, to find Manhattan vampire life is strictly divided into different vampire clan territories. Joe is a Rogue, allied to no clan, but lives by permission on one of the clan's territories. Joe works as a debt collector and sort-of PI.

Under threats made by the Coalition clan, Joe takes a job looking for a rich, runaway teenager who likes slumming. Very similar to a Chandler story with competing interests, lousy rich people, bratty self-involved kid, a down on his luck investigator, blah, blah, blah.

Typically good dialogue by Huston with good characterization of Joe and some other characters. Plotting is good but not perfect. The dynamics of his relationship with his girlfriend are interesting, and I am glad he didn't focus on that and turn this into a chick book.