Review: Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress #1)

"Sometimes you have to fight the undead with the half-dead..."

Halfway to the Grave, by Jeaniene Frost, is the first novel in the Night Huntress series. Catherine "Cat" Crawfield has a major vendetta against the undead. Her deadbeat father, a vampire, raped and dumped her mother, making her a mockery in the community. Her mother hates vampires and considers them an evil abomination. As a result, Cat is a half-vampire, possessing both human and vampire capabilities. She avenges her mother's misery by killing every vampire she comes across in the Columbus, Ohio region.

Cat's fate would forever change when she is captured by Bones, a 250-year-old vampire bounty hunter. She is amazed she does not end up as his dinner. In exchange for finding her father, Bones trains Cat into a merciless vampire hunter ready for battle. With superhuman strength, immunity to hypnosis and excellent weapon skills, she becomes a kick-ass, sexy assassin. In return, she assists Bones with finding vampires who work for Hennessey, an ancient vampire who runs a hierarchical white slavery (sexual exploitation) operation in Ohio.

Can good vampires actually exist? Cat will ultimately have to choose a side. Does she stay with Bones, who is not only deliciously handsome but also the love of her life, or protect her mother, since her anonymity has been blown, more powerful vampires will come after her? It's a heart-wrenching decision that she must decide on her own.

I heard good reviews about this author, and decided to start on the first novel. I am so glad that I picked the Night Huntress series. Cat has had a complicating upbringing, always atoning for her sins by taking her vengeance on vampires. As an outcast in her childhood, she hated the fact that she was half-vampire and her own family even feared her. Before she met Bones, she felt responsible for her mother's well-being.

Cat and Bones are a great couple together. They have good chemistry and work well as a team. At the same time, Cat is mortal and he is immortal. She will age while he will never age. Will he want to turn her into a vampire, going against her desire for humanity? I think Cat realized this when she had to decide which path was better for herself and her mother. Thus, the ending was fantastic because it sets up the next stage of Cat's life as a paranormal assassin for the U.S. military in future novels. I think I will enjoy this series.

Stay tuned for the next novel in the Night Huntress series, One Foot in the Grave.