Berkley Sensation, August 2004

Betsy (Elizabeth) Taylor is now queen of the dead, but that hasn't solved her problems. Her house is overrun with termites, she doesn't have a job, she can't trust her sometimes-boyfriend, and now she learns that someone is 'staking' vampires. She's convinced that her life has taken a turn for the better when she gets a night-shift job selling shoes at Macy's but even that dream job doesn't make her other problems go away (and, even with the employee discount, she's spending so much on shoes for herself that she barely comes out ahead).

Betsy might not be the brightest bulb in the undead world, but she recognizes manipulation when she sees it--the only problem is, everyone seems to be manipulating her and she can't tell who is doing it for her own good. When she breaks up a team of human vampire slayers, she gets another boy with a crush--and another chance to send Sinclair into a jealous rage.

Fans of UNDEAD AND UNWED (see our review) will be happy to see Queen Betsy back in action--fighting for fashion, worrying about her evil stepmother, trying to do her part in paying the bills, and trying to resolve the mixture of resentment and pure desire she feels toward Sinclair. There are plenty of funny moments in this story and the not-so-bright but well-meaning vampire who refuses to let go of her human friends and family makes a charming character. UNDEAD AND UNEMPLOYED doesn't quite have the freshness and joy of the first book in the series, but it is an enjoyable addition.

See more BooksForABuck.com reviews of novels by Mary Janice Davidson.

Three Stars

Reviewed 10/30/04

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