Read: "Every Last Drop" by Charlie Huston

Read: Every Last Drop by Charlie Huston, 2008, 9780345495884.

I'm liking these books. The vampire aspect is embarrassing to admit to but the stories have been well done. This one does not do so well as a stand-alone. Reading this one first would likely leave some readers lost since there are so many recurring characters.

Lead character Joe Pitt is still a vampire in NYC. He is still a self-serving jerk. Other vampires are still wanting to kill Pitt for multiple reasons. Pitt is on the outs with all the vampire clans of NYC. Pitt has been hiding out in the Bronx for a year (people die) when some other vampires nab him and take him to their leader (someone dies). Leader wants to kill Pitt but gives Pitt to Recurring Character #1 who bites his left eye off since Pitt did that to her a book or two ago.

Recurring Character #1 takes Pitt to Coalition Clan security chief Predo (someone dies). Predo wants to kill Pitt buts needs him as a spy. Pitt goes to spy on Recurring #2, Recurring #2's girlfriend wants to kill Pitt but they want to use him as muscle. Pitt visits Recurring #3. Recurring #4 shows up and wants to kill him. Instead, Recurring #4 wants to use Pitt to get cash. Pitt returns to recurring #2 (People die) and gets sent to Queens. He meets New Character, finds awful gravel pit/slavery business that gathers blood for vampires (more people die). Pitt returns to Manhattan, visits Recurring #2 and Recurring #4 - who wants to kill Pitt, again - then goes to find Recurring #5. Predo intercepts Pitt (people die) and wants to kill Pitt. Pitt meets Recurring #6 at location for Recurring #5. Recurring #5 is angry at Pitt. Recurring #6 wants to kill Pitt. Pitt leaves location, slugs out Recurring #2, and slips into sewer as novel ends.

Like usual Pitt plays both sides against each other and never tells the full truth to any side. Pitt is still self-serving and not given to allegiances with other Clans. Pitt never knows exactly what to do but plays along while keeping his real goal, seeing Recurring #5 again, a secret. Pitt acknowledges that he is not always very smart and is mostly suicidal. Pitt gets the emotional shakes a couple times.

Problems with this one: 1- Everyone threatens to kill Pitt but do not do the smart thing and do so. 2- Huston has almost run out of boroughs for Pitt to travel to, only Staten Island remains. I think. 3- There are about a thousand or so vampires in NYC, Huston seems to have had most of them in his novels.