I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Halfway to the Grave
by
Jeaniene Frost
urban fantasy in a Kindle edition that was published by HarperCollins on October 13, 2009 and has 384 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon, Audibles.
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Halfway to the Grave, First Drop of Crimson, Death's Excellent Vacation, One Foot in the Grave, At Grave's End, Destined for an Early Grave, Unbound, This Side of the Grave, One Grave at a Time, The Bite Before Christmas, Once Burned, Eternal Kiss of Darkness, Twice Tempted, The Beautiful Ashes, Bound by Flames, Into the Fire, The Other Half of the Grave
First in the Night Huntress urban fantasy series and revolving around Cat Crawfield with Bones as a secondary character in Licking Falls, Ohio.
After Halfway to the Grave, you may want to read The Other Half of the Grave, 1.1, as it gives Bones’ perspective on events in Halfway to the Grave.
My Take
It’s a story of betrayals, abuse, and prejudice with plenty of action — battle, sex, and emotions.
Frost is using first person protagonist point-of-view from Cat’s perspective, so we know her motivations, fears, thoughts, and emotions. And naturally, all the events at which she’s present.
Cat is certainly brave, taking on vampires by herself — feeling the guilt her mother and grandparents heap on her! Why is it that people tend to treat the offspring of rape as if it were the child’s fault? Isn’t it actually the rapist who is at fault? It’s not like Cat asked for it. With her mother’s attitude, I don’t blame Cat for taking on all this angst. She takes on so much, trying so desperately to win her family’s love.
How sad it is that Cat has never had a friend. Due to her upbringing, she trusts no one and battles everyone not her family. She sure doesn’t hold back with Bones, lol.
Bones cracks me up with his snarky attitude; he certainly has some “fascinating” words for underwear, lol. He’s also determined to introduce Cat to sex, and no, I don’t mean getting her into bed.
Frost has created an interesting world of vampires, with more populating the world than I’d’ve thought. It’s a world where betrayals are so common from both vampires and humans. There’s a lot Cat has to learn about prejudice, including her own.
The prose can be quite colorful and yet it is to the point. A good story that I couldn’t put down. Consider getting Halfway to the Grave now, as it’s on sale for $2.99!
The Story
Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield hass been successful so far, staking vampires in revenge for her mother. Successful until Bones shows up and shows her how weak she actually is.
Her story fascinates Bones, and he forces her into an “interesting” training regimen. One which includes convincing her that vampires aren’t all bad. She is amazed she doesn’t end up as his dinner.
Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn’t have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side . . . and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.
The Characters
Catherine Crawfield, a.k.a. Cat Raven, Cathy, Kitten, and the red haired Grim Reaper, is a reviled half-vampire. Her hateful family includes her mother, Justina; Grandpa Joe who had a heart attack; and her grandmother.
Bones is a two hundred-and-forty-one-plus Master vampire and a bounty hunter. His mother, Penelope, had been a whore. And Bones’ back history is hideous! Lucille had been the madam. Ted is a human friend who helps Bones out. Rodney is a ghoul friend of Bones’.
Ian, Timothy, Charles, a.k.a. Spade (in RL he’d been Baron Charles DeMortimer), and Bones were sent to Australia as convicts.
The FBI
Donald Williams is the head of the Paranormal Behavior Division and fine with extortion. His agents include Tate Bradley, a former sergeant in Special Forces.
Lieutenant Isaac/Kirkland is with the police. The uneasy Officer Kirkland read Cat her rights. Ethan Oliver is the governor of Ohio.
Bite is a local vampire club where Logan is the bartender. Martin and Ralphie are human visitors.
Hennessy is an old, powerful, well-connected Master vampire with evil on his mind. Stephanie is a fellow student of Cat’s at the university. Tony is a cheating vampire drug dealer. The jealous Francesca is willing to betray Hennessy. Switch is Hennessey’s enforcer.
Kevin, a vampire, claims to be an architect. Winston Gallagher is a ghost with a thirst. Tanacharisson, one of the Mingoes who had been part of the Iroquois nation until 1831 saw the beginning of their demise, had been a friend of Bones’. Mr Josephs is Cat’s landlord. Timmie is Cat’s new, sweetheart of a neighbor. Danny Milton is the schmuck who bamboozled Catherine.
Victims include Violet Perkins, Carmen Johnson, and Emily.
The Cover and Title
The cover is black, gray and pale gray in its background of moss-laden trees in a cemetery blurred with fog and a full moon. In the foreground, sitting with her legs bent and spread, Cat looks out at us, her red hair bundled on top of her head, wearing a form-fitting slip dress, and over the knee, high-heeled black suede boots. In her right hand, she holds a gleaming dagger, point down in the ground. At the very top is the title in lime green. Below it is the series info in white. There’s an epigraph far to the left of Cat’s head in white. Below Cat is a testimonial in lime green with the author’s name in white below it. Both the title and the author’s name have an offset black shadow.
The title, Halfway to the Grave, describes Cat Crawfield, for she knows what she is.
