Felix Gomez series by Mario Acevedo

http://www.marioacevedo.com/

That's the homepage of one of my newest favorite authors, Mario Acevedo.

This review is focused on the first four books, and I will review book 5, Werewolf Smackdown, when I get my hands on a copy.

Warning: These books contain adult language and situations. Very adult.

Despite the somewhat heavily-sexual nature of these books (or perhaps I should say because of it, depends on what you like) these books are amazing. The vampires aren't sparkly and wussy. They are sexy, dangerous predators, and that is EXACTLY how they should be portrayed. They incorporate many of the better parts of the vampire mythos, and adds some new ones, such as the kundalini noir (the energy that powers a vampire). The main character is, of course, a detective. That is in no way a detriment however, as these books are full of very intriguing mystery.

Characters: I really get Felix. He's actually a pretty likable guy, even though he doesn't let anyone get close (you know, cause of the whole vampire thing). The characters are pretty well written, and they seem alive (or undead, anyway). 3/3.

Plot: There's a mystery to solve, and it's either a client that pays a suspicious amount of money, or the Araneum (the vampire council for lack of a better term) that gets Felix on the case. Looking at the names of the books (The Nymphos of Rocky Flats, X-Rated Bloodsuckers, Undead Kama Sutra, Jailbait Zombie) one sees the sexual nature of the books, but that isn't the main focus of the plot. In fact, there is quite a bit of other action, and not a small amount of humor. There is also a heavy Latino influence, which is great for me, because I am kind of sick of mainstream American culture. 4/4.

Setting: Umm... Colorado, California, Florida... a few other locales. Modern day Earth, realistically probably set the year they are written. It's an easily integrated setting, and one that the audience better be familiar with, because you LIVE IN IT. 3/3

Total Score: 10/10. I am really enjoying myself with this series, they are short enough to read in a day (or in an hour or so, depending on how fast you read), and they put a great and interesting spin on the generic Urban Fantasy Detective story. I really hope to get my hands on book 5 soon, and when I do, you'll be the first to hear about it. Mr. Acevedo, please, keep writing. I love these books.