What if Gidget had been turned into a vampire, albeit two centuries plus ago? She might have become Francesca Marinelli's best vampire girlfriend.

Cesca has been around for a long time, but she's new to the world, since she was buried "alive" for over two hundred years and has only recently rejoined the world. She's discovering both that and her powers, and finding many surprises. She's definitely different from most vamps you'll read about; she's a virgin, prefers drinking Starblood to straight from the vein, likes to shop at Wal-Mart, and loves to surf. She also has a job, working as a guide for a ghost tour. Life, or afterlife, whatever you want to call it, is good, until a smarmy client turns up dead, and Cesca is a suspect, and there's a version of the KKK for vampires after her. She also has a stalker and a potential new boyfriend. Whoever thought being undead, or underdead rather, was all eternal life and being cool had better think again! At least the new guy seems to be a good protector and it does seem like Cesca's gaining some extremely handy new talents.

Cesca is a vampire that I'd like to get to know; she'd be a fun friend to have. Adding in a murder plot and a touch of romance only sweetens the deal. If you enjoy watching humorous mysteries on television or at the movies, you will adore this. The comedy is not banal, but natural, adding to the action and helping it along, not simply injected for a gag's sake.