May 6, 2007

Andrew Fox and the Fat White Vampire

Humor mixed with well told tales are always a delight. The two following titles by Andrew Fox are excellent examples. Both are set in pre-Katrina New Orleans and both show the author's love for the city.

I wrote these reviews for Library Journal.

Fox, Andrew.
Fat White Vampire Blues.
Ballantine. Jul. 2003. c.352p.
ISBN 0-345-46333-1. pap. $13.95. F

Jules Duchon is one of the undead, a big, fat, white vampire weighing in at over 400 pounds. In his beloved New Orleans, his home for more than a century, he thrives on the food and jazz and drives a cab to make a living. He isn't the brightest guy in the world, but he is fairly content and manages to get by. All that changes, however, with the appearance of another vampire, a really mean fellow called Malice X who threatens Jules with permanent death. It's up to Jules, with the help of Maureen, the plus-sized vampire who transformed him, and a cross-dressing vampire pal named Doodlebug to find a way to eliminate a frighteningly real threat. This wry, witty, and often hilarious first novel delivers a wonderful mixture of characters and lovingly evokes the charm of the Big Easy.
This review is reprinted by permission of Library Journal. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.



Fox, Andrew
Bride of the Fat White Vampire.
Ballantine. Aug. 2004. c.448p.
ISBN 0-345-46408-7. pap.$14.95. F

Jules Duchon of Fat White Vampire Blues is back, bigger than ever. When last seen, the unhappy vampire had changed himself into 200 white rats, living on restaurant refuse and hiding in storm drains. Now the snobbish vampires of the High Krewe need Jules's intimate knowledge of New Orleans's seedy brothels, low-life taverns, and trash-strewn alleys. A fiend has mutilated two beautiful female vampires, and only Jules has the expertise to find this creature. Doodlebug, Jules's cross-dressing
pal, transforms his friend back to his normal fat form. Jules agrees to do the job for the High Krewe but wants something for himself: the return of Maureen, the vampire woman he loves who was transformed to dust a few months earlier. Everyone looks to Doodlebug to find a way to accomplish the impossible. A wonderful cast of extraordinary but believable characters--human and vampire--populate this witty novel. The story's leisurely pace reflects the laid-back ways of the Big Easy.
This review is reprinted by permission of Library Journal. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

1 comment:

Peter Parks said...
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