REVIEW: Deadtown by Nancy Holzner

Deadtown

by Nancy Holzner

Deadtown Series #1

They call it Deadtown: the city’s quarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents. Most humans stay far from its borders — but Victory Vaughn, Boston’s only professional demon slayer, isn’t exactly human…


Vicky’s demanding job keeping the city safe from all manner of monsters is one reason her relationship with workaholic lawyer (and werewolf) Alexander Kane is in constant limbo. Throw in a foolhardy zombie apprentice, a mysterious demon-plagued client, and a suspicious research facility that’s taken an unwelcome interest in her family, and Vicky’s love life has as much of a pulse as Deadtown’s citizens.


But now Vicky’s got bigger things to worry about. The Hellion who murdered her father ten years ago has somehow broken through Boston’s magical protections. The Hellion is a ruthless force of destruction with a personal grudge against Vicky, and she’s the only one who can stop the demon before it destroys the city and everyone in it.

Fans of Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniels series and Chole Neill’s Chicagoland Vampires series will want to check out Deadtown by Nancy Holzner. It has the same type of feel to it, the heroine, Victory Vaughn, is snarky and kick ass. Oh and she’s a shifter that has a kind-of-sort-of boyfriend that’s a werewolf. Her roommate is a vamp, Juliet, like as in Romeo and Juliet. She has a teenage zombie as a sidekick and she just happens to hunt demons.

After a mutated plaque hit Boston, it turned some of the populace into zombies. Now a large part of Boston is called Deadtown and all non-humans are forced to live within that area. The non-humans are seen as monsters and don’t have the same rights that the humans have.

That’s where Vicky’s current smuggle bunny (um, werewolf) Kane comes in. Kane is a lawyer that is working towards getting the monsters civil rights. Vicky and Kane are both workaholics and Vicky thought that’s what make them a great couple. Until she meets a human cop named Daniel. I smell a love triangle.

A demon from Vicky’s past shows up in Deadtown while she is working a job. She spends the bulk of the book trying to find a way to kill the demon while juggling her personal life with two gorgeous men after her and she has some family issues as well.

Deadtown is Holzner’s first novel but it doesn’t show. She does an excellent job creating a magnificent heroine with a world that has great secondary characters. If you like a strong and independent heroine then you will love Vicky.

The only thing that I didn’t like about Deadtown….no smut. But I can over look that. ;)

I highly recommend Deadtown by Nancy Holzner to Urban Fantasy fans. I’m currently reading the second book, Hellforged and I have the third book on my shelf so that I can start it ASAP. Holzner has become an author to stalk, I mean to follow. She is now on my “must read” list.