“In the Blood”–the supernatural and the real

Reed, Rick R. “In the Blood”, Royal Crest Enterprises, 2007.

The Supernatural and the Real

Amos Lassen

I first met Rick Reed online and after getting to know him somewhat superficially, I have become a real Rick Reed fan. The man is an incredible writer, turning out good book after good book after good book. It amazes me just how consistent he is and I am so happy to be one of his reviewers. There is something about his fiction that transports you to places you may not otherwise go or perhaps not dare to go. He does this in his new book, “In the Blood” and as you can probably guess by the title, we are going to visit the world of the undead. The suspense is so high that I found myself sitting on the edge of my chair, literally afraid to read on yet even more afraid to stop. Needless to say, sleep did not come to me easily after reading “In the Blood” and I find myself looking over my shoulder to see if I am alone when I sit at my computer.

Having been raised in New Orleans and having deliciously followed the “Vampire Chronicles” of Anne Rice, I should have been over this vampire business long ago but I guess that the appeal of vampires is universal as they are mysterious, sensual beings (for lack of a better word) and sometimes they seem all too real.

Elise is the main character of Reed’s newest book. She suffers from a tortured mind and paints her visions during daylight hours. At night, she is a prostitute and sells her body to whoever offers the most money. Her life seems set until one day three exotically beautiful vampires enter her life—Terence, Maria and Edward. Terence wants her life spirit—her blood; Maria wants Elise as a lover and an eternal partner and Edward, the newest vampire of the three, wants to stop her from making the mistake he made when he allowed the authors to feed on him.  He had been young expressionist painting abstract paintings in Greenwich Village in the 50’s when he gave up his artistry for life eternal. He still has enough humanity in him to realize and to understand what kind of mistake he made. This makes this vampire novel different from others as we have an undead chiding someone not to make the mistake he made and showing that the world of the vampire is not that wonderful or glorious. This is quite a departure from usual vampire fare.

Reed’s writing is lucid and the words pulsate and portray the emotions of the trio of vampires and the disturbed Elise. When Edward tells Elise that  he “gave up that s much for immortal life—whatever that’s worth—but for a chance for love (he had been smitten with Terence), I felt so completely wrapped up in the novel that I almost had to stop myself from screaming. “Elise, you damned fool, listen to him”.

This is the book to read if you need to return to the real world. It makes you realize just how lucky we are with what we have and that to wish for more is foolish whimsy. Using the metaphor of immortality for a better life really works and Reed has managed to merge the supernatural and the real world in a way you will not easily forget. Here is a tour of the world of vampires that will not only scare you but will make you realize just how lucky you are in your present existence. It’s a great read that you do not want to miss.