I have enjoyed the Queen Betsy series but have mixed feelings about this book.

To start with, I really hate the new cover art. If the first books in the series had this art, I don't think I would have picked them up. I don't care for the more serious vampire novels -- I only read the light and humorous ones.

I'm somewhat troubled by the author's note that the new cover art signals a new direction the series is going. This cover is darker and this book was darker and not as funny as the previous books. I hope the author remembers that many of her readers want a good dose of humor along with their vampires and doesn't make the books too dark.

I Love the Undead series by Mary Janice Davidson. She is one of my top favorite authors I will turn to for a good laugh and entertaining story.

If you haven't read the earlier books in the series, I suggest you do. The first book in the series is, "Undead and Unwed".

In this book, Betsy is now married and dealing with a slew of paranormal issues including: Haunted by her step-monster, fiends with a vendetta and hate from her best friend's boyfriend. As always, Betsy trips her way through the problems in fabulous shoes.

The Undead series (in case you can't tell by the title) is paranormal, comical romance. I would recommend this to anyone who likes that genre of books or even someone I think might like it. Very addictive. 8)

What a great read! MJD always deliver spectacular fun at a roller coaster pace. It is so enjoyable to be able to grab one of her books and dive in for a little fantasy.
The new Betsy is spectacular! As she continues to evolve and discover her ability to truly embrace her queenly duties, she becomes even more likable. You have to love a strong female character who knows what she wants and how to get things done.
And the other characters in this book are fantastic. the devil's daughter? how creative can you get? I love that MJD continues to weave her into the saga.
While I was a bit sad at the loss of a character in the this book, it was probably time to add a new emotion. It gave the traditional light reading a bit more depth. For supernatural, fictional characters these players represent many real life feelings. I am not calling it Vampirical Shakespeare or anything, but if you read between the lines, it is much more than sexy sarcasm. I look forward to the next installment.
LAdy Fiction

This was a quick read like her other books but I did not like the ending but after reading Dead And Loving It(A Fiend in Need) made everything come together in the end. Also the first killing of the fiends really made me sad because it was my favorite character. This book has quite a bit of blood and not a lot of laughs. Personally the cover sucks-if it was in a bookstore I would have just walked past it and picked up another book.

I've loved the Undead series so far, but Betsy has used up her "I'm new at this and so don't take it seriously" gimmick. That author Davidson seems to be taking the character in a new, slightly tougher, direction is good. Not that I want the lightheartedness to go away, but Betsy needs to evolve for the series to maintain some momentum. This book is arguably a bit thin, but if, as promised, it serves as a bridge to a new level for Betsy, it's worth it. I'll be buying the eighth book in the series to see whether Davidson delivers.

There was way to much going back and describing previous events. I would think that by the time you get to this book you would not have to be reminded of story lines and characters. I took this book on vacation with me and I was very disappointed.

This comedy vampire thriller is number seven in a series which incongruously combines chick lit, romantic comedy and vampire thriller - from the viewpoint of the new and very incongruous Queen of the Vampires. Imagine a cross between "Sex and the City" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and you've roughly got the idea.

The plotlines of the first six books were all more or less resolved in number six, "Undead and Uneasy" so "Undead and Unworthy" kicks off which Mary Janice Davidson (MJD) calls a new "story arc" - she also says that this will be a trilogy.

The full list of Queen Betsy stories to date is

1) Undead and Unwed
2) Undead and Unemployed
3) Undead and Unappreciated
4) Undead and Unreturnable
5) Undead and Unpopular
6) Undead and Uneasy.
7) Undead and Unworthy

There is also a "Queen Betsy" story in "Dead over Heels" which is a collection of three paranormal romance novellas. In my opinion you will get most out of these books if you read them in order: I would start with "Undead and Unwed" and work on from there.

The "Queen Betsy" books are told in the first person by Elizabeth Taylor, who prefers to be called Betsy for obvious reasons. The first words of the series are "The day I died started out bad and got worse in a hurry."

Betsy is a former model and is still a fashion fanatic: at the start of the series, on the morning of her disastrous 30th birthday, she is working as a secretary. Her main interests are designer shoes, designer clothes, and her cat. In quick succession she gets fired, loses her cat, and is killed in a car accident. It is a great surprise to her when she rises again as a most unusual vampire. It is even more of a surprise when, through a sequence of bizarre events, she becomes queen of the vampires.

At the start of this seventh book, the initial chaos which results from Betsy's accession to the Vampire Throne appears to have died down. Then, in quick succession,

* Betsy's ghastly and recently-deceased stepmother Antonia starts
haunting her

* Local detective Nick Berry, who is also the boyfriend of Betsy's best friend Jessica, asks Betsy for some discreet help in solving the horrible murders of a number of gangsters - he suspects that a rogue element of the police force has found a way to get rid of local criminals without the tedious business of gathering evidence or attending court by paying a vampire or fiend to murder them.

* Betsy and her friends are attacked by a pack of ungrateful fiends.

There will be a lot of confusing and amusing shenanagans before all this is sorted out ...


Mary Davidson has great fun with the incongruity of mixing up the vampire genre as in Laurell Hamilton's "Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter" series (or "Buffy the Vampire Slayer") and Chick-Lit romantic comedy a la "Sex and the City." This series is way over the top, fairly sexy, and usually very funny.


An interesting comparison with other authors who have written entertaining comedies by combining incongruous genres would be with Marianne Mancusi and Robert Frezza.

In the same way that this book gets plenty of laughs by combining chick lit with Vampires, Frezza write two very funny books which combined Vampires and Science Fiction ("McLendon's Syndrome" and "The VMR Theory") and Mancusi combined chick lit with time travel in "A Connecticut Fashionista at King Arthur's Court" and "A Hoboken Hipster in Sherwood Forest." Anyone who likes this book is likely to enjoy all four of those, and vice versa, if you have read and enjoyed one of those books you may well enjoy this one.

OK, this is never going to win the Booker Prize or any other great award for classic literature, and it is fairly raunchy, so not suitable for children. However, if you have the right sort of sense of humour, it is pretty good fun. I can recommend "Undead and Unworthy" and also enjoyed reading the rest of the series.

book was good. not as great at some of her toher ones, but i loved it.

I love any MJD novel, especially her Betsy Vampire Queen series. Undead and Unworthy was a great read, as action-packed and humorous as always, and I received the book the day it came out.

Where did the funny go? Really? I had maybe one LOL moment and then it was just reading about everyone viciously attacking and degrading Betsy. I really have no issues with what happened to Tony and Garrette. Playful banter is one thing, but if a single person in that house cared about Betsy (which in the previous books they actually did)they wouldn't stand around and watch as each of them take turns talking about her like she was a mentally retarded loser. Really -- does Sinclair care about her, because I didn't see that anywhere in the book. It seems less like a group who cares about each other and more like a seriously disfunctional,screwed up family.

This book was okay, but MJD has done way better with this series. I don't expect every book to be gold, but this isn't one of her better ones. Things were better towards the end but I spent most of the book, reading it just to get it done.

~SPOILERS!!!!!~
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Ready? Let's go.

I will say that I am happy that Jessica and Nick broke up. Nick has frankly been annoying through out this book, and the last one. Can we just get rid of him entirely? And what's with making him rich all of a sudden? He goes from regular guy who's a cop for a living, to heir to John Deere, who just happens to be a cop, it didn't mesh at all.

I was sorry to see Antonia the werewolf die and Garret die soon afterwards, that made me cry it was so sad.

END SPOILERS!

I'm not a big fan of the new cover, it looks more like good fanart, than a bookcover. When I first saw it on MJ's site, that's what I thought it was at first; that some fan had sent in a fanversion of the new book's cover and then I read that it WAS the cover. I'm not impressed and I really think the cover should be rethought or even better, return to the old style, those were cute.

First off let me say I love the Maryjanice Davidson books. I have read each one two, if not three times. They are funny and she writes like I talk so it's kind of cool to see someone write it down.

As for the book, I hated it. It was nothing but a highlight of the previous six books. There was maybe 100 pages of new storyline, but the rest was all a recap of what happened previously. I understand that in the beginning of the book it said to think of the next three books as a trilogy but come on. No wonder she recapped or she would've had a very short story.

As for the characters, my two favorite that I had grown to love, were killed off. OMG I was heartbroken. I had followed their characters through all of her books and now, I would have rather seen Betsy killed than the female who did. I won't mention names because I hate reading reviews that spoil it. Also, the thing with the Stepmother Antonia will get old really fast. I hated her character through all these books and was actually glad when she was taken out in the last one. Now she is back again to ruin the future books.

I would give this book no stars at all but since that is not an option...
Sorry Maryjanice, but this one really killed that whole series for me. I really don't know if I want to read the Undead anymore.
However, I do encourage people to read her other books. They are fun and witty. You will laugh out loud through most them.

The queen Betsy series is usually light fluffy and funny, but MJD has apparently decided to take the series in a completely different direction. (She says so in the author's note) It's a LOT darker than the previous books, and while I like that there was more plot than in the last 2 or 3 books, it's just too serious. It's a far cry from Undead and Unwed :(

I've read all of the books in the Queen Betsy series and have continued doing so because... well, they've always made me laugh. Literally and out loud.

This time around, tho? Eh. Not so much. The author prefaces the book, letting the reader know that she is taking the series in a new direction. This move, I believe, is not the most successful. As some of the other reviewers mentioned, the ending was a huge blow. Disheartening and disappointing for those of us who have read this series for the simple joy of being amused.

To respond to some of the less than enthusiastic reviews, the author's note states that she's taking Betsy in a new direction. This book is a transition of sorts, I believe, and we will see Betsy grow in future books. Let's face it: Betsy has been a bit scattered and she has not always taken her new responsibilities as seriously as she should. I enjoyed this book as much as previous books, and I am looking forward to the next installment.

Betsy Taylor, Queen of the Vampires, has barely settled after her honeymoon when the Fiends come barreling through her door. The Fiends are vampires who were made by the previous King and left to starve. They are a bit like feral animals, but Betsy being the unusual Vampire Queen that she is, refused to stake them. They have been living on a farm being tended to by another vamp, being fed animal blood. But it seems with all the craziness of Queenly and wifely duties, Betsy sort of forgot about them and they're not happy.

MaryJanice Davidson has a fabulous sense of humor, no doubt. Her characters are always wonderful to read and I have been a fan of this series since day one. This book contains the same humor and sarcasm I have come to enjoy and look forward to. The cast of characters is rich and eclectic, and the family Betsy surrounds herself with is phenomenal, to say the least. So I find myself wondering why I didn't love this book like I have all the others and find I have two reasons:

1) I wasn't drawn into the story like I usually am. The beauty of an MJD book is that they are usually short on length but filled to the brim on content. This one, to me, was not. I just didn't have the "I can't put this book down" excitement I usually have.

2) I hated the ending, HATED it. I can't say why without spoiling things but let's just say I am devastated x 2.

It's still not a bad book and I am still looking forward to the next, but this one wasn't all I had hoped it would be.

Cherise Everhard, July 2008

This series grew on me. Originally I started to read this series to pass the time between other books being published. However, the stories just improved with each new book. I thought the book prior to this one was the last, but when this published it was a giant treat. Ms. Davidson mentioned that there will be 2 more. I didn't think there was anything else to write about. But she created a new plot that now I can't wait til the next book.

I have loved this series since the beginning, so I was looking forward to the latest entry (pre-ordered it and everything). What a letdown! The humor and interesting characters that populate prior books is gone. This book takes a serious and depressing turn that doesn't fit with earlier entries in this series. Plus, characters that I looked forward to seeing were tossed aside in a most callous manner. This book betrays long time fans.

!!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!!

I am a huge MJD fan and have to say that, despite the preface mentioning a new story arc, my final thought when I finished the book was "What the hell just happened?".

I enjoyed the book, don't get me wrong. However, I often felt like I was reading the script from some daytime soap opera because characters were popping up and biting the dust left and right. Three secondary characters were killed off (don't forget Alice - in addition to Garrett & Antonia - she was with us from the first book!). Fiends were rising up for justice and getting mowed down pretty quickly. The ghost of The Ant was back, but for no reason that was ever really explained. We also discovered that Nick The Cop is mega-rich (am I the only one who vaguely remembers him saving money by vacationing with his buddies a few books ago, but now he is a trust fund baby - hello!!!). Think of it as, As The Blood Flows, Episode 7...... A few good laughs with death, drama, and cheesy moments all rolled into a hardcover package for your enjoyment.

Overall, the book was quite good, but it was definitely darker than the others in the series. Betsy is starting to come into her own as Queen and that isn't a bad thing - it just may take some getting used to. Most Betsy fans will be happy to follow along for the ride and see where this literary train is headed. If you are thinking this will be a light read, along the lines of the first two books in the series, you will probably be disappointed.

At the conclusion of the book, I still had one overall nagging question that was left unanswered. Who was smoking crack in the art department the day this book's cover was approved? We may never know.

Let me start off by saying i have read every mjd book out there. And betsy started of very strong as a series but i would not spend money on the hard cover books. I get mine from the library because they are just not worth the cash. The book goes into to many directions without getting to the point and the end fells rushed. I hope her next one is better then this. I miss the lol in this and the last book.

MJD points out in her introduction that the new cover of UNDEAD AND UNWORTHY reflects the new direction that this book and the two upcoming ones will follow; a mini-story arc within a story arc. Frankly, I'm not all that thrilled.

Betsy is still Betsy -- still childish, still prone to immaturity, still interested with having sex with her new husband as often as possible, still the new guardian of Baby Jon (although he's conspicuously missing from this installment), still back-and-forth with best friend Jessica, still vampire-non-grata for Detective Nick.

It's all still there, with a bit of humor thrown in, and a new weird sideline into what I guess is the aforementioned "arc."

My biggest complaint with the story was the fact that, although after seven books I realize that MJD never goes into much description for ANYTHING, I was shocked that there was a major (and majorly depressing) conclusion to the book that was summed up in about three pages.

I hate that. Really. I don't expect the author to go into intricate detail (a la Stephen King) of description, dialogue, and backstory (as I said, it's not MJD's trademark), but just a few pages when you've seriously lessened the number of main characters??

Okay, overall, I didn't mind spending 2 1/2 hours reading UNDEAD AND UNWORTHY. And I'll still follow the series, even though it's not as great as it once was (basically, during the first two books). But I'm putting MJD on notice that, really, it's just not right to indiscriminately kill off some of my favorite characters.

I honestly don't understand the low rating on this book. I think it was a great addition to the series in terms of character development and general growth. I am really looking forward to the next two books in this series arc and how/why/what new powers Queen Betsy will develop.

SPOILER
Some people have complained about the death of characters in this book. I thought that while sad it was somewhat needed and actually helped the story overall. To keep a series moving you have to rotate some characters and often in order for there to be character growth tragedy has to occur. I like that the book, while still funny, was a bit darker than the previous books in the series. Overall not my favorite book in the entire series, but still a great and entertaining read.

Maybe not my favorite book in the series, but a good one still and a nice start to the new story arc.

This book was bad. And not just bad, but bang-my-head-against-the wall bad. The whole Fiend scenario was far-fetched, at best, and down right boring. It took the blood of the queen and the devil's daughter to fix Garrett, but it only took said Fiend's blood and voila! Not one, not two, but count them seven instant bad guys. And what's with the Ant? Her whole presence seemed so irrelevant to the plotline, the whole story could have gone without it.
And don't get me started on the Nick thing. The guy is so annoying, there were times when I wanted to throw the book at the other side of the room and never look at it again. Never. Again. The guy is becoming MJD's Richard. He comes, he whines, he ruins a not-all-that-good-to-begin-with book, he leaves. I mean, come f'ing on! Either get over it or get the heck out of the story. And for heaven's sake, stop with the darn sniveling already!
But worst of all was the ending. My favorite character was killed. What the f?!? If someone had to die why couldn't it be Nick? Nobody would've missed him. But nooo, we get to read his annoying little whining for another book, two, if not more.
All in all, I am GLAD I borrowed the book from a friend and did not spend money on it. As it is, maybe I never will. And if I decide to buy it, I will definitely wait for the paperback. Sheesh, what a waste of a perfectly good series.

I would have been disappointed in the lack of over the top MJD humor we're used to seeing, if I hadn't read where she wrote that this book will be the turning point in the series where it starts to take on a more serious note. Fine, I can deal with that... sometimes the stupid jokes got old in the previous stories anyway. But here is where I am really getting sick of the Undead series. This books is SO FREAKING SHORT!! Less than 300 pages, and for $23?!?!?! Are you kidding me MJD? How can you let your publisher, or whoever makes these decisions, do something so incredibly stupid if you want to keep your readers happy. Well, then again she probably doesn't care - because that's just more money in her pocket.

But this one really was the stopping point for me - I'm tired of the crappy storyline, and the horrible way she's just shoving all these random "plotlines" in the story... plotlines that never go anywhere (like the ghost of "the Ant")... the way Sinclair's dark, dangerous character has become such a sissy... the fact that Betsy is supposed to be a mother now and the baby isn't even IN the story, which I thought was supposed to be a major point now... the way a chapter can only be ONE PAGE LONG when you take in to account the large margins and print... ok you get my point. I won't buy another MJD book, I'll just wait for them to show up at the local library or read them at the bookstore since it only took a couple of hours anyway.

overall i enjoyed the book. read it in one sitting and even though all the flashbacks were rather monotonous i really enjoyed the book. it was a good read and worthy of the first book
as for the cover i really didnt pay much attention to it so i neither liked it or not

UNDEAD AND UNWORTHY
MARYJANICE DAVIDSON

Rating: 5 Enchantments

With a mound of wedding Thank-you notes to write, misty apparitions of whinny ghosts haunting her nights, and a mob of feral vamps on the loose and out for her....blood, knowledge (a serious bath and a wardrobe change would be her first option), but it best not be her collection of shoes! The Queen of the Undead, once again has her hands full. Did she mention she's still ga-ga over her stud of a brand new hubbie - Sinclair? And with him whiling away the hours with the Book of the Dead, mayhem always seems to follow. Whoever said married life was boring doesn't know pumps from sneakers and doesn't know Betsy - Queen of the Undead.

MaryJanice Davidson is an Undead Comedic Writing Master! The numerous laugh-out-loud scenes in this book are plenty, the story a patina of blood-soaked hilarity and dramatic flair. Just don't take it to while away in an appointment waiting room - people tend to stare... Ok, let them stare - they could probably use the laugh too and will rush out and buy this book! Betsy is growing stronger, as it the entire story-line and I, for one, can't wait to see where MJD takes us next. Stay tuned, it's definitely going to get interesting.

K.A.
Enchanting Reviews
June 2008

I was a little concerned when I saw and heard about the "new look". The original cover art was all sharp angles and decidedly quirky, and made me smile even before I opened the book. It really fit the mental image of Betsy as you got to know the character. The new cover art just makes her look like the Unabomber.

The book iteslf is thin on plot, thin on action, and thin on words. They've made the print larger and doublespaced it to make it look like a normal length novel, but this is really only about 80 actual pages worth of words. The foreword says it's the first of a 3 book arc, but I think MJD should have finished all 3 and made 1 normal length book.

I really did not appreciate the deaths of Antonia and Garrett. This is supposed to be ROMANCE, happily ever after. You don't kill off characters who have been the leads in their own novella.

I have been reading and recommending the Undead books since the first one came out, but this was disappointing.

Definitely Unworthy of the Betsy heritage.

This book had its Betsy moments. Although I'm not sure I like where this book is taking us as far as the storyline goes and this newest book was most defiantly not as fun as the others. All in all I'd have to rate this book as being my lest favorite of the entire series so far.

I've read all the Betsy books, all of them more than once, and I can honestly say that this is one of the worst. It seems to be MJD's trend to have Betsy whining and Sinclair and Tina evading and obfuscating to the very end. So nothing is resolved in the big picture, only the crisis of the day is over. Plus, they killed off many of the sidekicks so now there'll be an excuse for another 1/2 book worth of introduction of new sidekicks.

Way to pad up the books without actually deciding on any conclusions. So what is the Ant there for? How should Laura be handled? What happened to Cathy the Ghost? What were the Fiends feeding on while Alice was dead?

So many unanswered questions - MJD should buck up and at least tie up some loose ends. The books are not worth the paper they're printed on otherwise.

When I started reading this series I thought Betsy was entertaining and funny. I liked her little quirks because they made her unique and fun to read. Well, now it has turned into that relationship that has lasted to long and all I want to do is slap her. Not only that, I want to go to the Monster Mansion and slap the lot of them. I would tell Betsy to grow up and learn how to protect herself! Take your roll as Queen seriously and stick up for yourself!!! I would tell Sinclair to stop being such an A**. Trust your wife and help her and maybe she will become a better Queen. I would stick a gun in Nicks face and tell him he needs to find help because he needs to talk about his feelings.

I did end up giving the book three stars because I liked how the series began and I can't give up hope that something interesting will happen. Maybe we will see some character growth or the story will get better. It's such an easy series to read. Something I can finish in a couple of hours and I just know I will buy the next one.

The vampire king and queen, newlyweds Eric Sinclair and Betsy Taylor look forward to a long serene honeymoon in which they take nips from one another in between shoe shopping. Alas that is not to be for the royal undead. Fiend Garrett healing from some recent assaults informs the majestic pair that his fiend friends have been dining on his blood.

Thus the Twin Cities' fiends are recovering, but also hold culpable Betsy for their woes; they declared she must die. Meanwhile Nick asks Betsy for help on several murder investigations; she reluctantly agrees in order to make amends to him. Only she finds herself facing her worst nightmare of her existence, the ghost of her stepmother.

Book seven of the Undead and Un... is an engaging entry as Betsy born the queen tries to act regal beyond her shoes, but needs to pay off a debt first. The story line is the usual humor expected from a MaryJanice Davidson tale as Betsy learns a lesson that vampirism is not the road to hell; good intentions are. Fans of the series will enjoy the antics of the newlyweds as her family drives her insane while she lands in one dangerous even to an undead predicament after another.

Harriet Klausner

When MJD's pre-note mentioned she was taking the story into a more serious vein (no pun intended), fans weren't prepared for how serious it was going to get with the unexpected, shocking deaths of Garrett and Antonia. Queen Betsy is struggling to maintain her humanity in the presence of the inhumanity around her, and I'm reminded of another Queen by the name of Elizabeth I and her first shaky months as Queen of England. The red hair Betsy dons is a tip off. Do I sense a parallel here? Will Betsy be requiring her own Walsingham to help her steer a course of her new 'kingdom' and handle all the conflicting advice she is receiving from the older, more experienced vamps around her, i.e. Sinclair and Tina. She is learning to trust her own instincts and coming into her true powers as Queen of the Undead and I think we'll in be for a very pleasant surprise - that is, if she can find just the right pair of shoes!

I am so disappointed with this series. I started out loving the silly blond queen but she is still just that. This series has no real growth and the story is going nowhere. In fact, it just got worse with the return of the Ant who is more annoying then ever. I could care less what happens to any of these characters and I even hate a couple of them. Like Nick, get the frick over it man! I'll probably keep reading it in hope of a new development and just because it's so easy to read. I could finish one of these books in three hours.

I love all the Undead books. I am shocked at some of the reviews here. At the very beginning of the the book MaryJanice tells us the books are taking a slightly different turn and this is the first book in a series of at least three books. I loved the book. I did laugh at loud and the new stories lines look good. The only reason I did not give it 5 star is because I miss the romance between Betsy and Sinclair. I would recommend this book to anyone. Cann't wait for the next one!!

I must say first off that I absolutely love MJD and basically every series she has written. I understand that this is the first of a new 3 book "arc" or story line but overall I was a little dissapointed by the book.

***Spoiler alert***























I was really really mad that Antonia and George got killed off. I loved their characters and while I understand that maybe Betsy needed to see deaths in order to grow as Queen, I wasn't happy about it.

I don't really get the Ant coming back and was a little confused by it. Also the grandpa parts were strange to me, what was the point of that?

I don't really care for Nick and hope he is gone for good. Overall his character kinda bugs me, and since he is in this book so much I was annoyed a lot.

Will I buy the next book? Of course, it's Queen Betsy after all! But I do hope the next book isn't quite as depressing or confusing.

Following in the same spirit as previous Betsy, Queen of the Vampires, stories, this seventh installment is full of humorous quips, designer shoes, and enough blood to fill a tub or two.

Undead and Unworthy follow Betsy, her new hubby Sinclair, and Garrett as they try to solve the fiends who want to kill Betsy for not restoring them to a glorious undead life. Ant, Betsy's obnoxious dead step-mother, is also haunting her.

Davidson's storyline moves along characters relationships and takes them in a whole new direction. The writing is very fresh. Though Betsy is full of sarcasm, Davidson always comes up with new ways for her character to express it.

This is a perfect light romantic beach read for those who are interested in the paranormal.

very boring, not worth the time even if you are bored. which I was so quit halfway through. Same Betsy, same scenarios, same arguments, blah blah blah...

Oh my.... why or why.... I think Davidson is just writing to make money now. The story is really not there. My goodness, I'm really sorry if you spent money on this.

Remember people! Your public library is the place to be this summer!

Well I just finished reading Undead and Unworthy. I enjoyed the book however I got the impression that it was a novel. Meaning that as with some mainstream authors where demand for their books is high the author does not have the time to fill it out. It could have been the ebook version or something...

Anyway it was entertaining. The storyline was developed and some characters have come and some have gone. I believe that it was a nice installment and I chuckled through a good portion of the book while the scenes may be grime the story is funny.

To answer the question should I buy this book?
Yes because if you like Besty you got to know whats going on.

Will I buy the next book?
Yes because this book left me wanting more.

By Diane Raetz (West Milford, NJ) - See all my reviews


I'm a little bit at a loss here. I refer to MaryJanice Davidson's books as the ultimate sugar high. When I'm depressed and need a lift I open a Betsy, Fred, Alaska or Cyborg story. 15 minutes later I'm laughing and enjoying a light literary romp.

This is not one of those books.

On the other hand I really like when authors try to make their books about something more significant than (forgive me MJD) the hottest pair of Jimmy Choos. This book was supposed to be a test of Betsy's strength under pressure, and she passed with flying colors. I woke up with morning still thinking about Undead and Unworthy. And that doesn't happen every time I read a book.

***SPOILERS***

The Fiends get living (living dead?) blood from Garrett and in the process get smart. They're mad, they're bad and they're not going to take it anymore. They're also are killers and eliminate several people in this book including one of my favorite background characters. Other repeat characters die as the result of a police investigation that Nick drags Betsy into.

I had problems with Tina and Sinclair behavior this time around. They're harsh beyond belief when dealing with the Fiends. When one of them came to talk one-on-one all they wanted to do was kill her instead of come to a resolution between the fiend's problems and their own. The characterization was off and they didn't seem to be the "people" I've been spending time with them for 7 books now.

Finally the Ant returns-for no reason at all. She was just there to bug Betsy and The Queen has more than enough problems on her hand without the pineapple haired menace.

Got this book and read it in one sitting. All I have to say is: What happen here? I have loved MJD's Undead series. I have gone back and re-read many times the other books. Then I get to this one. It's ok. Not Pee-your-pants-funny like her other books are. This book isn't even ha-ha funny. It feels very flat. There's suppose to be romance, and it really wasn't romantic. Spoiler Alert!! - And what's with the killing of my two favorite characters! If I wanted Romeo and Juliet, I would have read that. Blast it all, that is soo not fair nor cool. Even if they were secondary characters, to get to the 2nd to last chapter and wham bam good-bye mam'. All I can say is I hope the next book is better and I will definitely just borrow it, rather than pay 15 bucks and go to bed with a heavy heart and tears in my eyes. Thanks for nothing MJD. Boo-hiss!

Undead and Unworthy is the seventh book in the Queen Betsy series. The change of the book cover mirrors the change in the books. This installment brings a new outlook for Betsy: she takes more responsibility and continues to grow as a person.

Don't worry, although Betsy appears to be handling the `Queen' role better than in past books MJD still writes with wit and sarcasm. The plot has a lot of unexpected twists to it and the relationships between characters get more complicated as well as have a few hiccups. The fiends make a startling appearance as well as the Ant! Sink-lair spends all his free time looking at the Book of the Dead (we know what happened to Betsy last time) and Nick is begging Betsy to help on a tough case. Oh did I mention she is also in the middle of raising her half brother?

I have always literally laughed out loud while reading MJD books and this book is no different. Betsy is still hilarious, somewhat clueless and still having a major bad week. The only difference is she's just a little older a little wiser and a lot more sarcastic.

Definitely a great continuance.

Received my copy of the book today and I read it in one sitting. The story itself is well thought out and has it's typical Betsy moments. MJ states at the start of the book that this is the first of a new 3 story (book) arc.

I understand why she had to end this book in the way that she did, with the death of two back story characters, but it's still very sad to loose them. My only concern in where MJ maybe taking the next few books is that the story could be very unoriginal.

***SPOILER*** Vampires against Werewolves. This type of story has been done to death, pun intended. The character in question makes a choice and knows the possible consequences, so any negative outcome from this act wouldn't make sense.

I know with these types of books in order to bring in new characters that some must be lost along the way, but it's still sad to loose the ones we've come to know and care about. I just hope that MJ is able to create something new and original from their passing and doesn't take the easy way out in the next two stories.

Basically, if your a fan, which I assume you would be to purchase this book in hard cover, I think you'll be pleased with the purchase. I know MJ wants to keep a mixture of humor in the books and I think that's possible even if Betsy grows up a bit more.

Betsy still acts too young, (her language isn't that of a thirty year old women) for her age especially with everything that she's seen and done, which really is becoming a bit annoying. She is a Queen now and her behavior should slowly start to register this growth. Based upon the ending, I think that some development will start to happen.

I liked seeing her and Sinclair act more as a couple, since I'm a Sinclair fan. You can see that MJ is making an effort to have him lighten up a bit. This would make sense since Sinclair really seems to care for his bride and Queen. Though I like him having more enjoyment in his life I'd love to see him really have some action in defense of Betsy. Other then in the first book, he hasn't had a chance to show his physical strength.

All the other charcters are back, I still wish she's bring Marc a real love interest that adds to the story, he's a good man and deserves a main squeeze.