Red Sunset Drive

Title: Red Sunset Drive: A Ghost and a Cop Series
Author: Jan Walters
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 978-1-53201-117-7
Pages: 411
Genre: Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Thriller

Reviewed by: Joe Kilgore

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This novel is the second in what author Jan Walters refers to as A Ghost and a Cop Series, and that’s exactly what it is. The cop is Brett O’Shea, a detective on the Des Moines Police Force. The ghost is his great grandfather, Michael, who was also a cop. Michael is a bit of a guardian angel who sees it as his job to make sure Brett doesn’t get into situations he can’t get out, and as you might expect, Brett keeps getting into those types of situations.

The situation in this particular novel is a doozy—vampires in Des Moines. Yes, not satisfied with the gothic atmosphere of New Orleans, the foggy mists of London, or the sinister Carpathian Mountains, the evil night creatures have turned up in flyover country, right in the heart of Iowa. If you can buy that premise, you’re in for a wild ride.

Walters makes sure his hero, Brett, is ably assisted in his quest to rid the city of the bloodsucking vermin by engaging a coterie of characters—some of whom were in a previous adventure and some who were not. There’s his lover, Lisa, a TV reporter who’s weighing her feelings for Brett against a concern for her career. There’s his coffee- swilling boss, Police Chief Anders, who knows that Brett attracts trouble like carcasses attract vultures. There’s his immediate superior, Foster, a stern but fair fellow. There’s a new cop Brett’s breaking in, Randall, a loudmouth with a lot to learn. There’s Candy, Brett’s lifelong friend, who’s a crack shot and tough P.I. And there’s Dragos, an English gentleman from the early 19th century who has been transported to contemporary Iowa along with the other malignant spirits. That’s right. Dragos is a vampire too. But he turns out to be one of the good guys.

The aforementioned vampire hunters join forces to find the evil Victor, nastiest bloodsucker of them all and leader of a band of ravenous villains. The plot is festooned with twists and turns but it all boils down to finding the monsters and doing away with them. Walters does a good job of adding interest by weaving various subplots that highlight the supporting characters’ motivations and idiosyncrasies. His prose is conversational and he keeps his story moving along at a swift yet comprehensible pace. As in most vampire yarns, there are the requisite scenes of neck biting, breast heaving, murder most foul, and tawdry, salacious sex.

Will the good guys win in the end? Will America’s heartland be cleansed of these unholy interlopers? Will Lisa and Brett stay together? What’s to become of Dragos, the good vampire? If you’re a fan of The Twilight Saga, The Vampire Chronicles, or even TV reruns of Castle, you’ll likely enjoy this ride down Red Sunset Drive.