Review: The Vampire of Kings Street

The Vampire of Kings Street by Asha Greyling
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

1.5 Rounded up

I'm happy to see how many readers liked and loved this book. Perhaps it just has something to do with me - maybe I missed some salient points, which is why this book didn't 'do' it for me. I normally adore vampire novels and thought that this one would be different enough to capture my attention.

I AM a fan of Gail Carriger, and in no way does this book come close. Well, maybe the female journalist who dresses in men's clothes?

It was difficult t understand anything about these vampires until near the end. The idea of a vampire being what amounts to a bulter was unique, but that was it. Unless you want to consider how far you have to suspend your disbelief about a woman being a lawyer in the very early 1900s AND her being Indian, and not American Indian either.

It just didn't do it for me. The female protagonist was too wishy-washy, and the author pounded us with her 'marginalization' rhetoric.

*ARC was supplied by the publisher Crooked Lane Books, the author, and NetGalley.

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SYNOPSIS:"In this gothic debut novel, perfect for fans of Tread of Angels and Gail Carriger’s Soulless, Miss Radhika Dhingra, a newly minted lawyer in 19th century New York, never expected that her first client would be a vampire accused of murder.

Having a resident vampire is just the thing for upper-class New Yorkers–besides being a status symbol, they make excellent butlers or housekeepers. The only thing they require in return is a drop or two of blood and a casket to shut out the dawn’s early light. 

Tolerated by society only if they follow a strict set of rules, vampires are seen as “less than”–and as the daughter of immigrants, Radhika knows firsthand how this feels. Accused of murder, her undead client Mr. Evelyn More, knows that the cards are stacked against him.

With the help of a journalist friend and a diminutive detective inspector, Miss Dhingra sets out to prove her client’s innocence and win his freedom. Failure will mean Mr. More’s death, the end of her dreams of becoming a successful attorney, and the loss of the vampire Miss Dhingra has begun to call her friend.

Offering an alternative paranormal history, delightful characters, and insightful social commentary, The Vampire of Kings Street will thrill readers of Deanna Rayburn and Rebecca Roanhorse. "