Undead as a Doornail by William F. Aicher

When things go bump in the night, and vampires hunt for prey, it’s time to call in Bones, Phoenix Bones, monster hunter.

Working in animal control in Mississippi, Phoenix Bones has a secret. Born dead, he has a unique affinity with death and the undead, which makes him perfect for his part time job as monster hunter. When a local teenager goes missing, and Phoenix guesses the undead are involved, he sets out to find her and bring her home. His search takes him to France, where he teams up with Sofi, who is looking for her sister. Together they follow the trail to Bulgaria, the land of monsters.

Written in first person, narrated by Phoenix, sometimes in present tense and sometimes in past tense, dependent on the timeline. Phoenix’s voice is strong and immediately engaging. His back story and the mechanics of monster hunting are original and exciting. Sofi is a good character. The descriptions of France and Bulgaria really set the scene and ground the action, which is both thrilling and inventive.

I took to Phoenix from the very first paragraph. I enjoyed spending time with him and, as this is the first book in a series, I can’t wait to spend more time with him. He’s an entertaining character, with a touch of humor and lots of humanity. I absolutely loved his powers as well. Sofi was a good supporting character. The action was great fun, and the monsters were suitably horrible.

I award Undead as a Doornail…