March 15, 2007
In vampire queen Betsy Taylor's second outing, Unemployed, even the undead must have money to afford shoe fetishes, and what better position to have than selling them? Alas, not everyone is excited about Betsy's moonlighting endeavor. InUnpopular, Betsy is more immersed in her role as Elizabeth I; she still doesn't think highly of vampires despite being one, but she's learned to live with it. What has changed dramatically from the other undead books is the tone, fromUnemployed 's lightheartedness toUnpopular 's nearly dark spirit. Reader Nancy Wu makes selling shoes sound exciting; she doesn't miss a beat, agilely moving from frivolity to crudeness. She understands that ultimately Betsy's self-centered heart is one of gold, or platinum, depending on which one costs more. Wu handles the shifting emotional level with equal aplomb, particularly inUnpopular, where that level changes from one word to the next. Wu makes listening to these stories fun, even when the stories themselves falter.Jodi L. Israel, MLS, Salt Lake City
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