Undead and Unworthy

Written by MaryJanice Davidson

Narrated by Nancy Wu

Since tying the knot with Sinclair, like hasn't been all marital bliss for Betsy.

Sinclair has been perusing The Book of the Dead, Betsy's being hounded by a ghost who's even more insufferable in death than in life, and a pack of ancient vampires has decided to pay an unwelcome visit.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 28, 2008
• ISBN: 9781436183673

MaryJanice Davidson

MaryJanice is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of several novels and is published across multiple genres, including the UNDEAD series and the Tropes Trilogy. Her books have been published in over a dozen languages and have been on best-seller lists all over the world. She has published books, novellas, articles, short stories, recipes, reviews, and rants, and writes a bi-weekly column for USA Today. A former model and medical test subject (two jobs that aren’t as far apart as you’d think), she has been sentenced to live in St. Paul, MN, with her husband, children, and dogs.

Reviews for Undead and Unworthy

[elizabethconard · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The first half started out strong with Davidson's trademark humor and snarkiness. I've learned to never read her books in public lest I start giggling like an idiot and embarrass myself.

That said, I didn't really care for the second half. The book ended on a serious downer so I really hope the author isn't going to try to make the plotlines more serious from now on.

This series is fantastic for the zany characters and hilarious plot-thickenings. It would be a shame to drown that in real drama.

[perpetualrevision · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not as good as some of the previous stories, but still entertaining. I could do without the soft porn scenes, however.

[allandanybooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This series is definitely getting more serious, book by book. I liked this one but I think too many people died in this one. Then again, it was probably necessary for the series to continue and go on as the author wants them to go. Still this series is one of my favourite ones of all times and I can't wait to read the next part

[drled_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Synopsis: Queen Betsy isn't doing any better than usual. The fiends are after her blood and her former step-mother is haunting her. She wants to make things better, but she doesn't really know how to use her powers or what her powers actually are. After losing one of her good friends she vows to keep her friends safe no matter what she has to do.Review: Okay story, sort of choppy with no real purpose or resolution, but somehow fun to read.

[auntie0nanuuq · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Oh my...such foul-mouthed trashy language. This had to be the most shallow book of the series.

It took me quite awhile to get past the crap and into the actual story, which wasn't too bad and sometimes even funny.

As for staking someone, I vote for Jessica's stupid cop lover, Nick!

How & why this series should have made it into hardcover is a mystery to me, it certainly not worth the extra money. Yet, it's still a fun, if shallow series to read...but hard cover???

[chrisweir-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good book. Didn't know that I was jumping into the middle of a series but well worth the read. Was quick and easy to read. A new twist on vampires for me was a nice change.

[dlinglis · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book but I will say the continued repetitive references to things from the previous books gets old. The books either need to be written as books with their own story with a little back story reference needed or just give up and assume that the reader has already read the other stories. I would say at least 1/4 of the book is writing of Betsy's thoughts about things that happened in previous books. If you haven't already read the previous books then it just makes you feel like you missed something (like an inside joke you don't quite get) and if you did read the books then it is just repetitive.

I will also say that I did NOT like the ending! I really liked Antonia and Garrett and could not believe that they died. Hopefully they will be coming back as ghosts.

[jalenv_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'd already listened to my local library's audio copy three times, so I was in no rush to read my own copy. Then I checked out UNDEAD AND UNFINISHED, which I hated so much that I feared I could no longer enjoy this series (I'm talking season 7 "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," post-Mulder "The X-Files," and HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE level hate here). Luckily, I was wrong. I enjoyed this tale of Queen Betsy just as much as I did before. The book is hilarious, until near the end. Betsy's interactions with the latest ghost to enter her life are particularly snicker-worthy (her husband and friends should consider themselves blessed that they can neither see nor hear this spook). Betsy may be shallow and ditzy, but she does care about some important things. (I try not to hold it against her that I now recognize some expensive shoe brand names.) Betsy's maternal grandfather may be a rude and bigoted old coot, but he did do one thing for his daughter that Betsy remembers with great appreciation. No doubt there are readers who wish someone had done the same for them. The subtitle for this book could easily be "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions". Betsy and Garrett had the good intentions. Decide for yourselves if they feel they're in Hell after it it all goes horribly wrong. By the way, I really prefer this paperback cover's art to the usual Betsy hardcover dustjacket art. Thank you, Jove Books. No, I am not going to complain that Betsy is a blonde, not a redhead. The red hair will be explained at the end of chapter 26.

[khristine_stain · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book really made me wonder what the rest of the series has in store for me. I was shocked that two characters were 'dealt with' as they were. And Nick turned out to be the biggest dipshit. I kept waiting for him to get over himself but it didn't make it in this book. I hope the next three in the series don't have big letdowns at the end or I might not continue reading them.

[bgknighton · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Something is coming, I don't know what, but you can feel it building. It's sad about the fiends, but you wonder how the remaining ones will develop. After all, unreturnable debt does not usually generate gratitude but resentment from the recipient. Plus I'll miss Antonia and Garrett. Betsy has to just stop reacting but learn to be proactive, to get ahead of the curve.

[onyx95_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Now that she was married to Eric Sinclair, Queen Betsy expected things to get easier. Discovering that multiple people still wanted her dead (more specifically gone), but she was still surprised by it. To find out that the fiends that she had done her best to take care of were “awake” and blamed her of all people for the situation they found themselves in. With help like her husbands, the King, and her house full of friends, Betsy can still discover new things about her self and her new existence. Book 7 ….. Why do I keep reading these? Ok, this one was not the worst by any means but it was still so difficult to like Betsy (didn‘t really). She is ever the materialistic, self-absorbed, silly twit that I have seen in the other books. The comedy is mostly one liners, the plot is shallow, the characters are transparent and the ending is quite predictable. It is a short read (a plus I guess), a quick distraction and every once in a while it is mildly funny in that clumsy humor sort of way.

[rhinoa_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Betsy is back and still the Queen despite multiple efforts to kill her. This time the Ant turns up which is made more annoying as she is a ghost and only Betsy can see her. Usually she has some task to help the ghost perform before they can move on, but in her usual annoying style the Ant refuses to tell her what that is.The main story follows the Fiends though. They have gotten out and have become conscious again because Garret has been feeding them his blood secretly. They are not happy bunnies though and blame Betsy for their treatment despite her trying to explain that she has in fact saved their lives multiple times. They want her dead (what’s new) and are powerful and violent enough to possibly pull it off. Also Detective Nick Berry is also not helping by deliberately putting her in danger trying to find some rogue cops who are killing the criminals that have been let off for lack of evidence. Nick wants to catch them by conventional means, rather than murdering them even if they are guilty.This is the first in a new plot arc and I am still stunned by the ending. Not one but two of my favourite characters seem to be gone and I keep thinking that Betsy can save them but it seems not possible. It was funny, but it did have a lot more depth to it than the previous ones in the series. I’m wondering what scrapes Betsy will get herself into next.

[ruthiesbookreviews · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As always I love the Betsy Taylor stories and this one was no different than any of the others. It was full of all the great characters that we have all come to know and love. This book follows Betsy through some more wonderful adventures and really focuses on some of the things in her past. Such as the fiends, as they are so called, who decide after regaining their memories to go after the Queen. And of course, who could forget her dead Step mother, Ant who seems to have some unfinished business and wants to haunt Betsy. Nick the detective is being a pain in the a$$ and seems to want Betsy and her undead entourage officially dead - or so he keeps sliding in those smart remarks towards her. Betsy's sister, Laura, the daughter of the Devil herself, is trying to keep wraps on everything going on. And the ending was a little sad when it came to the werewolf Antonia. It kind of left ya hangin, but now I'm reading the next book the series so I could see what was going on now. But I love this series and it seems to taking on a little more of a serious tune, but i still enjoy all the snarkiness!

[pacey1927 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It pains me to say it, but this book was a complete disappointment. I love Mary Janice Davidson...not only her previous Betsy books, but the Fred the Mermaid series, the Wyndhams, and Jennifer Scales have all been fun, quirky and entertaining. Definitely each book has been good for a laugh or two. The previous story "Dead and Uneasy" was probably the first big realization that this series was going down hill...but I was hoping for a positive change with the new covers and the promise of a new story arc. Now I wonder if MJD is bored with Betsy...surely its a money maker for her but it just doesn't seem as if it has the same heart that was at the center of many of the previous books. The entire plot of this one focuses on the Fiends who were left behind in a previous book. Now they are coming into awareness and have been fed Garrett's blood (and he was fed blood from both the Queen and her half sister the devil's daughter). They are determined to make Betsy pay for abandoning them, which she kinda did, by accident. The story was weak, the plot was weak, characters I enjoyed once were annoying. Betsy wasn't funny or charming. Parts of the story were completely a mess and I would have to go back and reread a passage to understand what had happened. These books have always been narrative-driven and completely the opposite of a deep read, so the confusion was beyond explanation. There were deaths of some regular characters and I should have been shocked and heartbroken, but since the other characters didn't seem to be, why should I? I think its time for the author to take a step back and acknowledge that its time to wrap up the series. She ended Fred the Mermaid while it still had a lot of potential, while the books were still fun and strong. I was sad, but I thought it was a responsible decision. Go out on top. Muster up a good, strong finale for Betsy and put this one at rest. Then we can all look forward to something from MJD that still has her heart in it.

[ficusfan · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I have read the books from the start. They were funny, original, a send up of the serious vampire stories, and the sex/romance was very light (good thing). I also read the side anthologies. I really enjoyed the first 4-5 books, but then things started downhill.The first major problem was going into hardcover. These books are even too light for PB. They are not worth the price of $7.99 ! There is very little in terms of plot, description, or character development. I could live with all that because of the warm humor, and the quirky look at vampires. But hardcover, over $20.00 no way. Then they obviously didn't do so well because instead of a year between HC and PB it went into 16 months and more. Then the greedy publishers started splitting the books in half. Its the newest way to raise the prices on hardcovers when people won't pay over a certain amount. But even as a whole story they are too light, as half a story there is nothing there at all.Literally nothing much happens. They don't have jobs or real lives, so they hang around the mansion and argue, or they get in the car and argue, or they go to Nostro's or the night club and .... argue. Its not fun anymore, it predictable. Like those horrible reality shows where people put their worst face forward. Why would you want to spend time and money for them ?There is nothing new that happens in their lives and its boring. They interact with the same people, and they all react the same. In this outing the author says something about a new direction, and then KILLS off 2 of the regular cast. I think it sucks and I may be done with the whole thing. And oh yeah, the 'mystery' or problem is so anemic it doesn't even register or make any sense. Its like MJD had no idea for a story so they changed to bad artwork, and then added some shocking cast changes and pretended it was an actual story.

[reannon_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Seventh of Mary Janice Davidson's series about Betsy Taylor, a fashion-conscious vampire who, now that she is Queen of the Vampires, can indulge her taste for shoes. Too bad all the people who want to hurt or kill her for one reason or another don't respect the shoes. In this book, feral vampires blame her for their decades of miserable existence and try to wipe out her and her family. Meanwhile she tries to solve murder cases with a human police detective who hates her but dates her best friend.This chick lit paranormal series is generally amusing, with decent plots, but it's like Chinese food, you're hungry for something else an hour after reading it.

[phyllis2779 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I'm at the point where I'm about to give up on Mary Janice Davidson. Her Betsy the queen of the vampires books keep getting thinner and thinner and thinner in terms of plot and character development. If the print and the white space got any larger they could be sold as large print books for the visually impaired. I got this one from the library and I may cheeck out the next one or I may not. Most of the books in this series after the first two or three could be encapsulated in a chapter or two in a a book that demonstrated some real thought and effort.

[terriko_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The new cover apparently marks her continued change in feel for the story. Betsy is growing up, and you'll see more thinking and less whining about her shoes in this novel. I worry every time the author writes a long note about how everything's becoming dark, but she's managed to balance the dark in a way that makes it still feel like a light and fun read. Definitely still a series I enjoy!

[bookwormteri · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is such a fun series and I highly recommend it. It is nice to see a new story arc begin. I love the characters, but it always seems as if the books just aren't long enough.

[thelibraryhag · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Betsy is trying to settle into married life as well as being the Vampire Queen. Life is hectic enough without the arrival of the ghost of her bitchy step-mother and the "awakening of the fiends" all of whom blame her for their problems. AND, Detective Nick enlists her help to find a killer who is offing bad guys. When is she supposed to get her nails done???I had gotten a bit tired of this series but this book and the one before it, Undead and Uneasy, have revived my interest. There is more story and less sex. Still plenty of fun and silliness but there is more punch than before. Betsy is finally starting to grow and that was missing in some of the earlier books.

[aapike · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

So, I am still a fan of the older Undead and Unwed books, but I did not really enjoy this addition to the series. In the preface, MaryJanice states that this volume and two more books are going to be unlike the rest in the series. Even knowing this, I still wished she would have kept the same light-hearted, humorous feel to the series. I felt like the book was rushed- ideas and actions were flying all over the place without a lot of cohesiveness. Maybe that will come with the other two books - I don't know. I do know that I finished the book disappointed with how it ended and how Betsy changed as a character. A few minor characters were also changed that I thought detracted from their roles in the previous books. Overall, I was unsatisfied and disappointed.

[jjmachshev_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Well, Queen Betsy is at it again. This time in her Marc Jacobs heels! She and Sinclair are still at it, hot and heavy. BabyJon is teething again. Tina wants to kill anybody who disagrees with the King and Queen. Nick just wants to kill Betsy, and Jessica has her hands full trying to keep Nick calm. Meanwhile, the Fiends have apparently gotten loose and decided to kill Betsy. Just another normal day in the life of the Queen of the Vampires!While this book is just as hilarious and sarcastic as ever, with one-liners and comebacks aplenty...it does take a bit of a darker turn. I still enjoyed Betsy's antics and still want to go shoe-shopping with her and her black AMEX!