Better Off Undead

Written by D.D. Barant

Narrated by Johanna Parker

Dark magic, unknown enemies, monsters of every stripe-FBI profiler Jace Valchek has seen it all. In this bizarre parallel universe, shape-shifting werewolves and blood-thirsty vampires don't even warrant a raised eyebrow. That is, until Jace has to face what life might look like as one of them . . .It starts off as just another run-of-the-mill assignment: to track down the rogue don of a mafia werewolf family before he upsets the delicate balance of the underworld. But Jace wasn't counting on being bitten . . . and soon she's fighting the growing wolf inside her with a startling antidote-vampirism. Stopping a bloody gangland war won't be easy when Jace is feeling some new, and very inhuman, desires . . .

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Sep 28, 2012
• ISBN: 9781452679518

Reviews for Better Off Undead

[skybalon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Yet another twist in an already unpredictable series. Still extremely enjoyable.

[capnrandm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An interesting premise, drives forward Jace's relationship with both Cassius and former-Dr.-Pete, but I didn't quite buy into the drama of Jace's position (I didn't think Barant would call my bluff and significantly change Jace to one faction or the other). Still, loving this series and this was a great installment.

[bgknighton · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jace is again in the middle of werewolf affairs. She has to try to find a way to get Dr Pete back, but Tair does not want to go. The resulting ties with Cassius should make her life more interesting...... And what is this about his dying?

[les121 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love this series! I always wonder why more people haven’t read The Bloodhound Files because it has to be one of the best urban fantasies I’ve read. Not only are these books hilarious and action packed, but with Better Off Undead we also get a little romance. As always, the characters are awesome. Charlie is just as cool and deadpan as usual, and, although Azura wasn’t in this one, we get to spend more time with Tair, getting into his head and trying to figure out what has happened to Dr. Pete.The plot’s focus on Tair instead of Asher and Stoker (the really big players) makes Better Off Undead feel like it’s somewhat tangential to the main storyline. However, that doesn’t make it any less interesting or important for the future of the series. In fact, there’s much more character development in this book than in previous installments. Tair, Gretchen, and Cassius all get more layers, and Jace has to handle some serious issues that force her to come to terms with her identity, her relationships, and her place the world.The one thing that bothered me was that the characters engage in a lot of unlawful activities, more so than is believable or characteristic of Jace and her companions. I’ve always loved that Jace tries to do the right thing even if it means throwing the rule book out the window. But this story has a couple of moments where the characters take the law into their own hands, and I’m not totally sure if it’s justifiable or not.Overall, Better Off Undead is a highly enjoyable and entertaining read. Even though there’s one plot point at the end that isn’t fully explained, several factors contributed to the strong sense of satisfaction I got from this book - the acknowledgment of romantic feelings (finally!), answers to nagging questions about Tair and Dr. Pete, and the character development. All of the books in this series are great, but, in many ways, Better Off Undead felt like the one I’ve been waiting for. I couldn’t recommend this series more highly, and I’m really looking forward to book five, Back from the Undead, coming out in March 2012.