Tall, Dark & Dead

by: Tate Hallaway

Published by: Berkley Books, NY ( the Penguin Group)

Reviewed by Kate Pettit

Tall, Dark & Dead is filled with a delightful cast of good guy and gal witches, vampires and goddesses. In this novel, all the blood and gore is produced by the Order of St. Eustace, a secret society of the Vatican whose job is to hunt down witches and destroy them.

Garnet, a witch, lives a quiet life in Minneapolis until the Order of St. Eustace discovers her coven and destroys all its members. She escapes to Madison, Wisconsin, to start a new life. There she makes friends with Izzy and William. Both embrace her as a friend and their loyalty is instrumental in saving her when she is in danger.

Sebastian, an alchemist and vampire, and Parrish, also a vampire, vie for Garnet's affections. But, Sebastian also has a secret, one that the Vatican would like to possess and that would be disastrous to the world of magic. This unlikely crew of ordinary people, witches and vampires with a little help from Lilith, the goddess of power, are the heroes of this story.

The plot's twists and turns keeps one on the edge of their seat but also provides a good dose of humor. The characters grow in their understanding of themselves and the powers they possess.

Armchair Interviews says: There is also a lightness to the prose that makes this book about the world of magic a enjoyable afternoon's read for just about anyone, whether or not they like fantasy.