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Angel of Vengeance: The Novel That Inspired the TV Show 'Moonlight'
The novel that inspired the TV series "Moonlight" puts a twist on the classic Dracula vampire tale and blends it with Chandler hardboiled P.I. detective fiction.LA-based P.I. and vampire Mick Angel has been hired by a beautiful red-headed burlesque dancer to find her missing sister. But the apparently simple case of a teenage runaway is soon complicated by drug dealers, persistent cops, murder, and Mick's own past. Mick must learn the hard way what every vampire should know - nothing stays buried for ever, especially not the past.
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First published February 1, 2011
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February 8, 2011This novel inspire the Moonlight serie! BUT it's not like the serie! That's the review of a friend of mine... she already read it
And yeah, the serie was canceled but I LIKED IT!
awwwwwww Mick I miss you [image error]
And yeah, the serie was canceled but I LIKED IT!
awwwwwww Mick I miss you [image error]
November 22, 2011
review by SusanAshlea
*Warning: possible spoilers ahead.*
Angel of Vengeance is the never before published novel that inspired the TV Series, Moonlight, featuring Alex O’Laughlin (side note: yum). As a huge fan of this series, I jumped at the chance to read and review this book. I wasn’t sure what to expect, as we all know that adaptations can be…less than expected. What I discovered was an intelligently written detective novel .
From the first page, I was sucked into the narrative of Mick Angel, and being that I was an avid watcher of Moonlight, I immediately had a good mental image of the character. The book is a great deal darker than the TV series was, so don’t expect a word by word retelling. Mick Angel pretty much does what he has to in order to survive, and he equates his need for blood to a heroin addiction; even going so far as shooting up the blood directly in to his veins as opposed to drinking straight from his victims (though he does that too).
One of the things I liked the most was the internal dialogue of this character. Mick is a tell-it-like-he-sees-it kind of individual and he never romanticizes the face that he is a vampire. He makes good use of his strength and skills of persuasion as a Private Investigator to try to wrap this case of a missing teenager, but he soon finds out it isn’t that simple.
We also become privy to Mick’s tumultuous relationship with his ex-wife, Coraline, through flashbacks that are interspersed throughout the rest of the book. It isn’t revealed how the two stories are connected until the very end. I’ll be honest, even though I had an inkling of what was going to happen, I was still surprised.
I don’t usually read the author’s note, but I was intrigued and was also surprised to find out that the author kind of worked backwards. He worked on Moonlight as a co-producer, and didn’t published the novel it was based on until now. I think fans of the series will truly enjoy this book. I also think this is a great read if you are looking for something different in the paranormal genre. The genre is very saturated with vampire romance (and hey, there is nothing wrong with that), but this book is different. There is a hint of romance but that isn’t the central storyline. I loved the film noir feel of this book and the frankness of the characters. In short, it worked.
Angel of Vengeance gets a healthy 4 out of 5 fangs. The characters are excellently portrayed, the narrative flows and the dialogue is great. All in all, something I would definitely re-read.
*Warning: possible spoilers ahead.*
Angel of Vengeance is the never before published novel that inspired the TV Series, Moonlight, featuring Alex O’Laughlin (side note: yum). As a huge fan of this series, I jumped at the chance to read and review this book. I wasn’t sure what to expect, as we all know that adaptations can be…less than expected. What I discovered was an intelligently written detective novel .
From the first page, I was sucked into the narrative of Mick Angel, and being that I was an avid watcher of Moonlight, I immediately had a good mental image of the character. The book is a great deal darker than the TV series was, so don’t expect a word by word retelling. Mick Angel pretty much does what he has to in order to survive, and he equates his need for blood to a heroin addiction; even going so far as shooting up the blood directly in to his veins as opposed to drinking straight from his victims (though he does that too).
One of the things I liked the most was the internal dialogue of this character. Mick is a tell-it-like-he-sees-it kind of individual and he never romanticizes the face that he is a vampire. He makes good use of his strength and skills of persuasion as a Private Investigator to try to wrap this case of a missing teenager, but he soon finds out it isn’t that simple.
We also become privy to Mick’s tumultuous relationship with his ex-wife, Coraline, through flashbacks that are interspersed throughout the rest of the book. It isn’t revealed how the two stories are connected until the very end. I’ll be honest, even though I had an inkling of what was going to happen, I was still surprised.
I don’t usually read the author’s note, but I was intrigued and was also surprised to find out that the author kind of worked backwards. He worked on Moonlight as a co-producer, and didn’t published the novel it was based on until now. I think fans of the series will truly enjoy this book. I also think this is a great read if you are looking for something different in the paranormal genre. The genre is very saturated with vampire romance (and hey, there is nothing wrong with that), but this book is different. There is a hint of romance but that isn’t the central storyline. I loved the film noir feel of this book and the frankness of the characters. In short, it worked.
Angel of Vengeance gets a healthy 4 out of 5 fangs. The characters are excellently portrayed, the narrative flows and the dialogue is great. All in all, something I would definitely re-read.
February 7, 2011
A book about Mick from the CBS series Moonlight? Hell yes, I had to read this one. Angel of Vengeance is not really like a tv series but not only because of the different story. The whole feel of the setting and characters is much darker- I, with my humble genre knowledge, would say it's a noir story.
We find ourself in Mick Angel's POV from the first page. He is in essence the same guy from the series but he doesn't feel like it. He's darker, moodier and not at all as nice and good as this guy. For me it was rather hard to associate with Mick as a character. In my eyes this is one of the main problems with novels written in first person- if you can't find a connection to the main protagonist you lose too much interest in the novel as a whole. That it was happened to me. Yes I wanted to know how the real Mick worked but I never really felt him as a new character. The Mick we get to know in Angel of Vengeance wasn't fleshed out enough for me- he felt to simple. I think this mostly resulted out of the second problem I had with this novel: the writing itself wasn't descriptive enough. Mostly it was just telling what happens and I really prefer when I actually see what happens. I'm not a huge fan of I did this then I did that and so on. At times the writing was a bit too rocky for my taste and it didn't really made me want to read more.
The plot of Angel of Vengeance was intriguing- it shows us more of Mick and how he really is. We watch him working on a case and we get some flashbacks to his past with Coraline. I really enjoyed those. For all those Moonlight fans out there: unfortunately no Beth in this story and Angel of Vengeance definitely is a NO romance novel so don't expect to find love and a HEA in this one.
Angel of Vengeance is a new and different view of Mick. If you don't expect it to be like the series you will enjoy this one. It's not like anything I read before. If you enjoy the darker side in novels this book is what you should get.
I give Angel of Vengeance 2,5 out of 5 bookies.
We find ourself in Mick Angel's POV from the first page. He is in essence the same guy from the series but he doesn't feel like it. He's darker, moodier and not at all as nice and good as this guy. For me it was rather hard to associate with Mick as a character. In my eyes this is one of the main problems with novels written in first person- if you can't find a connection to the main protagonist you lose too much interest in the novel as a whole. That it was happened to me. Yes I wanted to know how the real Mick worked but I never really felt him as a new character. The Mick we get to know in Angel of Vengeance wasn't fleshed out enough for me- he felt to simple. I think this mostly resulted out of the second problem I had with this novel: the writing itself wasn't descriptive enough. Mostly it was just telling what happens and I really prefer when I actually see what happens. I'm not a huge fan of I did this then I did that and so on. At times the writing was a bit too rocky for my taste and it didn't really made me want to read more.
The plot of Angel of Vengeance was intriguing- it shows us more of Mick and how he really is. We watch him working on a case and we get some flashbacks to his past with Coraline. I really enjoyed those. For all those Moonlight fans out there: unfortunately no Beth in this story and Angel of Vengeance definitely is a NO romance novel so don't expect to find love and a HEA in this one.
Angel of Vengeance is a new and different view of Mick. If you don't expect it to be like the series you will enjoy this one. It's not like anything I read before. If you enjoy the darker side in novels this book is what you should get.
I give Angel of Vengeance 2,5 out of 5 bookies.
March 17, 2011
This book was FANGTASTIC!!
Finally! Something that is so awesome I want to sick my teeth so deeply into it that I come back with a fang missing just because I just didn't want to give it up.
You don't have to be a Moonlight Fan to enjoy this story. No sir re bobby! You don't even need to know what Moonlight is to enjoy it. It explains everything perfectly.
While this book is based on the series it was actually written before the series and just recently published.
Like all books and shows they both have their differences.
A major one is in the book Mick is a whole lot darker, wears a fedora, chain smokes, was a smack addict in the past, he has to be invited inside a house to do hypnotic things to people, he can't go out in the sunlight at all, and only takes his blood by a needle (usually).
I remember Mick shooting up a couple times but I also remember him drinking it from a cup. Am I wrong about that?
There is no Josef, (waaaaaa!) or any other side characters from the show (like the Cleaner or that video game vampire dude, or that morgue guy) but Coraline (who is Mick's love interest in the past and transforms him into a vampire in the show) is mentioned a lot in flashbacks about how Mick became a vampire. (and it's not the story you think)
Now, BETH (Mick's love interest in the show) is hinted at but again... not like you think. I really hope that these books are continued because THAT would have to be the next book.
The book:
We journey into the world of vampire P.I. Mick Angel. He takes on a case involving a missing 14 year old girl. Throughout the story we meet a variety of people and in a Pulp Fiction kind of way it will make you want to read the book twice just so you can catch on to little tidbits you might have missed in the beginning.
I seriously loved it. Like I said... it's a lot darker than the series but that's what made it so awesome. I also enjoyed that this was written by a man. (gasp!) You could tell he really wanted to give Mick a MAN'S MAN feel and not a "I want to know you feelings" kinda vampire feel (not that anything is bad about vampire feelings. I love them too.).
I think MEN would enjoy this book and if the series had been done the way the book had been done then I think that more men would have been in the audience.
I don't want to be a spoiler bunny but if you'd like to look... this is my favorite part of the book. IT made me go squee. (be warned... not for the tame at heart)
---- omg! I was like "WOAH!!" That's brilliant! But I'm an odd duck :)
I definitely recommend this book. It's a quick read but well worth it. I bet I'll read it again and again.
Finally! Something that is so awesome I want to sick my teeth so deeply into it that I come back with a fang missing just because I just didn't want to give it up.
You don't have to be a Moonlight Fan to enjoy this story. No sir re bobby! You don't even need to know what Moonlight is to enjoy it. It explains everything perfectly.
While this book is based on the series it was actually written before the series and just recently published.
Like all books and shows they both have their differences.
A major one is in the book Mick is a whole lot darker, wears a fedora, chain smokes, was a smack addict in the past, he has to be invited inside a house to do hypnotic things to people, he can't go out in the sunlight at all, and only takes his blood by a needle (usually).
I remember Mick shooting up a couple times but I also remember him drinking it from a cup. Am I wrong about that?
There is no Josef, (waaaaaa!) or any other side characters from the show (like the Cleaner or that video game vampire dude, or that morgue guy) but Coraline (who is Mick's love interest in the past and transforms him into a vampire in the show) is mentioned a lot in flashbacks about how Mick became a vampire. (and it's not the story you think)
Now, BETH (Mick's love interest in the show) is hinted at but again... not like you think. I really hope that these books are continued because THAT would have to be the next book.
The book:
We journey into the world of vampire P.I. Mick Angel. He takes on a case involving a missing 14 year old girl. Throughout the story we meet a variety of people and in a Pulp Fiction kind of way it will make you want to read the book twice just so you can catch on to little tidbits you might have missed in the beginning.
I seriously loved it. Like I said... it's a lot darker than the series but that's what made it so awesome. I also enjoyed that this was written by a man. (gasp!) You could tell he really wanted to give Mick a MAN'S MAN feel and not a "I want to know you feelings" kinda vampire feel (not that anything is bad about vampire feelings. I love them too.).
I think MEN would enjoy this book and if the series had been done the way the book had been done then I think that more men would have been in the audience.
I don't want to be a spoiler bunny but if you'd like to look... this is my favorite part of the book. IT made me go squee. (be warned... not for the tame at heart)
---- omg! I was like "WOAH!!" That's brilliant! But I'm an odd duck :)
I definitely recommend this book. It's a quick read but well worth it. I bet I'll read it again and again.
May 28, 2011
I didn't like vampires ever. Never. Absolutely not. Ok, if you want to know the truth I didn't like detectives more than vampires. I wasn't really interesting in artful designes of criminal's sick mind. I've never read detectives, 'cause I was pretty sure to find there art sence impossible.
But that night I've got a novel “Angel of Vengeance”, became especial. That night was marvelous. It has changed me and my attitude to detectives.
Through I love TV-show “Moonlight” (it’s the only one pleasant exception between others vampires TV-shows), I previously knew, book won't be a sequel about Mick and Beth. The author has honestly said that “Angel of Vengeance” is a different story than in a show and it tells about the dark (well, very-very-very dark) past of our Mick. He is not St.John, but Angel (not that one with wings in a Winchesters gang and not that one, who was in love with Buffy). And Coraline is not lovely vamp-woman, but just a sly b*tch.
There's no any pink bows. Neither glamour and plaque female nose running novels or beautiful words about eternal love. Neither half-tones. Only light and darkness. And the main character at a crossroads between them. The choice, which makes sooner or later each of us in the soul, overtakes Mick at the most inappropriate moment – at the moment when his soul is fall in a raging lava of passion and all-consuming love. Forget everything you’ve ever heard about love: romantic, languid recognitions, self-sacrifice, together hand in hand in a grief and in joy. No. Reading this book, be ready to feel the new taste of love which will probably taste bitter on your lips and in your soul, but which you will drink again and again, enjoying its exciting aroma.
Love-poison. Passion-curse. Woman-madness. Coraline is a personal hell for Mick. Without hope of salvation, as it seems in the book…
I don't make an accent on a detective plot of the novel not only because I didn't like detectives. In this case detective outline is simply a background for disclosing of the personality of Mick. It's top dark layer. If you will read carefully and you will look through it, you could see a whole undercover Mick's world. Mick has mired in this world and wanders in the darkness. Page to page Mick goes down deeper and deeper into dark of his undercover desires. Even when he tries to turn to the light he can't 'cause he doesn't see it. He's not a blind. But in the book there is almost no light. There is only one ray of light piercing the darkness for a moment... Elizabeth. Mick rescued this little girl from hand his ruthless Coraline. This ray of light has entered into Mick's soul and left there its trace.
Bright style the first person allows the reader to taste to the full bitterness of being Mick Angel. It’s not he sleeps in a freezer to stop decomposition of a body, it’s not he spends nights in a vain attempt to expiate his past misdeeds, it’s not he has been caught into web of insidious, but incredibly beautiful Coraline. It’s YOU are a lonely vampire. The author simple tells your thoughts and describes your life. Sometimes very gothic goose pimples run on skin, it had replaced by cynical smirk, caused an interesting sense of humor of the main character.
There’s no ‘sparkled like diamond’ skin of Edward. It’s not a fairy tale. It’s the story of vampire life. Persons under 18 years shouldn’t read “Angel of vengeance”.
Mystical elements of the book are almost brought to nothing. Since the second part of book you begin perceive Mick Angel as lost and unhappy person who doesn’t have a place in the light world. That’s why he prefers to wander on pubs, strip clubs and stashes investigating murders and abductions.
Mick is closed in himself, passing several stages of understanding life, love and his own soul. But he doesn’t turn into a static character. Mick Angel develops and changes with each new plot‘s turn. At the beginning of the book it may seem Mick madly in love with Coraline Desmond, doesn't dare to contradict her, indulges her madnesses. However at the second part of the book you read how as Mick stops his mad love, kills his past… He has passed a few circles of hell and knew himself, he burns Coraline as his sins.
It’s hard to explain why you're reading this book page after page without stop, watching the ups and downs of destiny of Mick Angel. Perhaps it’s especial attractive author’s style, maybe it’s because of main character with which you are going through all the trials of fate.
Anyway, it’s first time through many years of reading, the book has took my attention and amazed me by its style. I read some paragraphs again and again. I enjoyed inexpressible atmosphere.
Munson has described his own special vampire’s mythology. It is very close to reality, unlike any other stories about blood-suckers. Mick sleeps in a deep-freezer, not in a coffin. He doesn't die of blow in a breast by a count. Though silver in considerable quantities likely can kill him. No women, no children, no innocents – it how he tames a monster inside of himself.
As it was written earlier Trevor O Munson has created a new vampire world. It’s very close to human world, there are a lot of vices and lacks. Mick takes a blood by a injection, because he was drug addiction and can’t forget about it. He smokes several packs of cigarettes per day ‘cause he thinks his body is already dead. It won’t be worse. Right? He's doing it not for pleasure. But probably it’s remind him about the human life!
You couldn’t find any positive female image in this book. It can to scare and to repulse you if you like romantic emotional novels about eternal love. In “Angel of Vengeance” you can find sluts, strippers, drug addiction girls and stupid blond actresses, but there’s no any NORMAL woman. Though little Beth can be called like this. Mick saw her fleetingly. She whispered “I want my mommy” and Mick answered to her – “Me too”. Could be this fast mutual understanding turn to something bigger in future?
If all goes well Trevor will start writing of the sequel "Angel Of Vengeance" (“Guardian Angel”) very-very soon. Emergence and evolution of feelings between Mick and grown up Beth will be a central theme of the next novel.
But we don’t know yet if Mick will stay alone or find his happiness with Beth.
We wish good luck to Trevor in writing of “Guardian Angel”. Such character like Mick Angel deserves immortality in the world literature.
But that night I've got a novel “Angel of Vengeance”, became especial. That night was marvelous. It has changed me and my attitude to detectives.
Through I love TV-show “Moonlight” (it’s the only one pleasant exception between others vampires TV-shows), I previously knew, book won't be a sequel about Mick and Beth. The author has honestly said that “Angel of Vengeance” is a different story than in a show and it tells about the dark (well, very-very-very dark) past of our Mick. He is not St.John, but Angel (not that one with wings in a Winchesters gang and not that one, who was in love with Buffy). And Coraline is not lovely vamp-woman, but just a sly b*tch.
There's no any pink bows. Neither glamour and plaque female nose running novels or beautiful words about eternal love. Neither half-tones. Only light and darkness. And the main character at a crossroads between them. The choice, which makes sooner or later each of us in the soul, overtakes Mick at the most inappropriate moment – at the moment when his soul is fall in a raging lava of passion and all-consuming love. Forget everything you’ve ever heard about love: romantic, languid recognitions, self-sacrifice, together hand in hand in a grief and in joy. No. Reading this book, be ready to feel the new taste of love which will probably taste bitter on your lips and in your soul, but which you will drink again and again, enjoying its exciting aroma.
Love-poison. Passion-curse. Woman-madness. Coraline is a personal hell for Mick. Without hope of salvation, as it seems in the book…
I don't make an accent on a detective plot of the novel not only because I didn't like detectives. In this case detective outline is simply a background for disclosing of the personality of Mick. It's top dark layer. If you will read carefully and you will look through it, you could see a whole undercover Mick's world. Mick has mired in this world and wanders in the darkness. Page to page Mick goes down deeper and deeper into dark of his undercover desires. Even when he tries to turn to the light he can't 'cause he doesn't see it. He's not a blind. But in the book there is almost no light. There is only one ray of light piercing the darkness for a moment... Elizabeth. Mick rescued this little girl from hand his ruthless Coraline. This ray of light has entered into Mick's soul and left there its trace.
Bright style the first person allows the reader to taste to the full bitterness of being Mick Angel. It’s not he sleeps in a freezer to stop decomposition of a body, it’s not he spends nights in a vain attempt to expiate his past misdeeds, it’s not he has been caught into web of insidious, but incredibly beautiful Coraline. It’s YOU are a lonely vampire. The author simple tells your thoughts and describes your life. Sometimes very gothic goose pimples run on skin, it had replaced by cynical smirk, caused an interesting sense of humor of the main character.
There’s no ‘sparkled like diamond’ skin of Edward. It’s not a fairy tale. It’s the story of vampire life. Persons under 18 years shouldn’t read “Angel of vengeance”.
Mystical elements of the book are almost brought to nothing. Since the second part of book you begin perceive Mick Angel as lost and unhappy person who doesn’t have a place in the light world. That’s why he prefers to wander on pubs, strip clubs and stashes investigating murders and abductions.
Mick is closed in himself, passing several stages of understanding life, love and his own soul. But he doesn’t turn into a static character. Mick Angel develops and changes with each new plot‘s turn. At the beginning of the book it may seem Mick madly in love with Coraline Desmond, doesn't dare to contradict her, indulges her madnesses. However at the second part of the book you read how as Mick stops his mad love, kills his past… He has passed a few circles of hell and knew himself, he burns Coraline as his sins.
It’s hard to explain why you're reading this book page after page without stop, watching the ups and downs of destiny of Mick Angel. Perhaps it’s especial attractive author’s style, maybe it’s because of main character with which you are going through all the trials of fate.
Anyway, it’s first time through many years of reading, the book has took my attention and amazed me by its style. I read some paragraphs again and again. I enjoyed inexpressible atmosphere.
Munson has described his own special vampire’s mythology. It is very close to reality, unlike any other stories about blood-suckers. Mick sleeps in a deep-freezer, not in a coffin. He doesn't die of blow in a breast by a count. Though silver in considerable quantities likely can kill him. No women, no children, no innocents – it how he tames a monster inside of himself.
As it was written earlier Trevor O Munson has created a new vampire world. It’s very close to human world, there are a lot of vices and lacks. Mick takes a blood by a injection, because he was drug addiction and can’t forget about it. He smokes several packs of cigarettes per day ‘cause he thinks his body is already dead. It won’t be worse. Right? He's doing it not for pleasure. But probably it’s remind him about the human life!
You couldn’t find any positive female image in this book. It can to scare and to repulse you if you like romantic emotional novels about eternal love. In “Angel of Vengeance” you can find sluts, strippers, drug addiction girls and stupid blond actresses, but there’s no any NORMAL woman. Though little Beth can be called like this. Mick saw her fleetingly. She whispered “I want my mommy” and Mick answered to her – “Me too”. Could be this fast mutual understanding turn to something bigger in future?
If all goes well Trevor will start writing of the sequel "Angel Of Vengeance" (“Guardian Angel”) very-very soon. Emergence and evolution of feelings between Mick and grown up Beth will be a central theme of the next novel.
But we don’t know yet if Mick will stay alone or find his happiness with Beth.
We wish good luck to Trevor in writing of “Guardian Angel”. Such character like Mick Angel deserves immortality in the world literature.
October 12, 2011
"ANGEL OF VENGEANCE", BY MR. TREVOR MUNSON, IS AN EXCELLENT READ. FROM PAGE ONE YOU ARE HOOKED INTO MICK ANGEL'S STORY..I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN. ALTHOUGH,A VAMPIRE STORY, IT IS ALSO A MYSTERY, THRILLER, THAT I COULD NOT READ FAST ENOUGH TO FIND OUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN ON THE NEXT PAGE...THE END OF THIS BOOK IS JUST THE START OF THE STORY, AND I HOPE PART TWO WILL BE RELEASE VERY SOON...I CAN'T WAIT TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS WITH MICK ANGEL..I HAVE READ "ANGEL OF VENGEANCE" TWICE MORE AND ENJOYED EACH PAGE AS THE FIRST TIME I READ IT...
March 20, 2011
Angel Of Vengeance is The Bestest Novel Book that Inspired the TV Show Moonlight but the Story in the book and the Story in the Moonlight Show are both totally different from each other because the story in the book is more in the darker side,hard-boiled,thrilling,wild,sexy,funny,pulp,bloodly actions and excitement in it. Myself sort of picture or imagines the story in the book seems more like the characters are of the in 80's and or in Classic style type clothing but with today's up to date stuff like the darkness,hard-boiled,thrilling,wild,sexy,hardcore,funny,pulp,bloodly actions,little heart-pumping and excitement. Overall The Book is just so darn good that once you start reading it's so hard to put it down and that I am already down to my very last chapter 26 which is only 2 pages left and then will read the little short briefing message from the author and then that's it I am done and even I am done I'm still gonna keep it like it is some type of treasure to my heart or like a sovenior this is consider my very first book I have ever read besides the Bible and that it is also so darn good that I so wishing for like a part II of it or so already. The stories so neat and Mick Angel is the main and the best character guy ever cause besides after Jesus,I also find him(P.I Mick Angel) he has such a trueheart,that seems to have truelove in the spirit in him,charming and such a realman in him that there just is none at all that are like him or really just not too many man that are like him at all and that I just so do wishes there were because myself I'm truly a really greatperson deep down in me too and whom would truly deserves any great trueman with a trueheart of Gold as like Mick Angel the Man in him cause for me I sure would do anything in the world for a man like Jesus first and then a man like Mick Angel in him if there was someone on earth like him though. I admit I sort of fell in love with the Mick Angel the character of the story in the book than the Mick St.John(Alex O'Louglin)from in the show but for Mick St. John I do find him just good looking and has a good heart in the show too but the one in the book has it more he so unlike any other ordinary vampire or just the man alone without as a PI vampire on earth at all. I even loved the Mick Angel and story so much that I so sometimes wishes that I was in the story and living in the story or something. LOL! Anyhow To All of you out there whom see my review here and if you really haven't yet then I would strongly suggest and recommend this book to anyone of you that are also like me that are into pulp,dark,hard-boiled,thrilling,wild,sexy,funny,bloodly action and excitement. The Book Also for me considers more than 5 stars rating for me. The Author Sure Did An Awesome Job! =)
Thanks for Taking the Time Reading My Review,And Hope that You'll also end up to enjoy the book as much as I did or so as well. Just give the book a try.
Peace & God Bless You!
Thanks for Taking the Time Reading My Review,And Hope that You'll also end up to enjoy the book as much as I did or so as well. Just give the book a try.
Peace & God Bless You!
February 26, 2011
As a fan of the CBS TV series “Moonlight” I was very excited to read Trevor Munson's “Angel of Vengeance”, the novel that inspired the series. I'm pleased to report that the novel was a thoroughly enjoyable read. And that's coming from someone with no previous experience reading “noir” stories. The story's atmosphere is palpable, almost a character itself. You're sucked into a dark and seedy world populated by criminals, cops, strippers, prostitutes and, of course, vampires. The way Munson describes Michael “Mick” Angel (who would morph into Mick St. John in the series) you feel as if you've known him all your life.
This is definitely not “Moonlight Mick”, but anyone who picks up “Angel of Vengeance” should already know that. And I have news for you: If you think Mick is darker in this novel than he was in the TV series, wait 'til you get a load of Coraline.
Comparisons to “Moonlight” are inevitable, of course. Here's how I see it: Watching “Moonlight” and then reading “Angel of Vengeance” is like having a musical group you love issue a collection of early, working versions of their songs. Sure, they're the same songs, but you're hearing them at the point where they were first imagined by the artist. You're witnessing the birth of the music, the evolution of the music. And it's fascinating to be able to compare the early versions of those songs with the version you've come to know and love.
I don't think I've ever read a book that had me laughing out loud in some places and cringing with disgust in others. And that's a good thing.
If Munson decides to continue the story (and I hope he does), it'll be interesting to see whether the direction taken in the TV series has an impact on how he writes the next installment (and I hope it doesn't).
To borrow a line from the TV series, “Angel of Vengeance” was like a giant thrill ride that I wish hadn't had to end.
This is definitely not “Moonlight Mick”, but anyone who picks up “Angel of Vengeance” should already know that. And I have news for you: If you think Mick is darker in this novel than he was in the TV series, wait 'til you get a load of Coraline.
Comparisons to “Moonlight” are inevitable, of course. Here's how I see it: Watching “Moonlight” and then reading “Angel of Vengeance” is like having a musical group you love issue a collection of early, working versions of their songs. Sure, they're the same songs, but you're hearing them at the point where they were first imagined by the artist. You're witnessing the birth of the music, the evolution of the music. And it's fascinating to be able to compare the early versions of those songs with the version you've come to know and love.
I don't think I've ever read a book that had me laughing out loud in some places and cringing with disgust in others. And that's a good thing.
If Munson decides to continue the story (and I hope he does), it'll be interesting to see whether the direction taken in the TV series has an impact on how he writes the next installment (and I hope it doesn't).
To borrow a line from the TV series, “Angel of Vengeance” was like a giant thrill ride that I wish hadn't had to end.
February 5, 2011
Any vampire fan worth their salt has heard of or watched the short-lived 2006 CBS series Moonlight. This show was created by Trevor Munson and centered around a Private Eye named Mick St John and his love interest, Beth. What few people knew was that this story actually began as a novel about Mick Angel.
This novel is set in the dirty, drug-infested underground of LA. We meet Mick Angel who is a self confessed Heroin addict turned vampire. He is also a private eye who's been hired to find the runaway sister of a beautiful burlesque dancer named Reesa. Reesa recognizes the old school charm of our fedora wearing Mick and manages to seduce him much more quickly than Mick ever thought possible.
As the story unfolds we find ourselves being taken back in time to the 1940's where it all started and, ironically ended, for Mick. We find out who his lover is and the power she continues to hold over him even now.
Mick finds himself the only suspect in a murder and things get dicey from there. This book was reminiscent of the film noir genre that was so popular in the 40s. On more than one occassion I found myself slipping into a black and white imagination of the story.
This book is a MUST READ for any willing freshie! And you KNOW who you are!!
Brought to you by OBS staffer Angie
It will be released February 1, 2011
This novel is set in the dirty, drug-infested underground of LA. We meet Mick Angel who is a self confessed Heroin addict turned vampire. He is also a private eye who's been hired to find the runaway sister of a beautiful burlesque dancer named Reesa. Reesa recognizes the old school charm of our fedora wearing Mick and manages to seduce him much more quickly than Mick ever thought possible.
As the story unfolds we find ourselves being taken back in time to the 1940's where it all started and, ironically ended, for Mick. We find out who his lover is and the power she continues to hold over him even now.
Mick finds himself the only suspect in a murder and things get dicey from there. This book was reminiscent of the film noir genre that was so popular in the 40s. On more than one occassion I found myself slipping into a black and white imagination of the story.
This book is a MUST READ for any willing freshie! And you KNOW who you are!!
Brought to you by OBS staffer Angie
It will be released February 1, 2011
May 15, 2011
Blew threw this book in a matter of hours. Simply could not put it down.
This novel is the inspiration for what eventually became the short lived tv series, 'Moonlight'. I've not yet seen the show, so I can't make a comparison of the two, but a friend who has read the book and seen the show tells me that the book is much darker than the series.
This book reads like a pulp detective novel whose lead protagonist just happens to be a vampire. It's a combination that sounds like it shouldn't work all that well, but surprisingly it does. I also like this author's take on the vampire mythos, it's a more gritty and less romantic/sexy than other paranormal/urban fantasy books I've read, and I found it quite refreshing.
I have to say I wasn't fond of the author's attempts to convey drug dealer Leroy's manner of speech throughout the book. I found it a little jarring and it did take me out of the book a couple of times. Writing dialect is a tricky thing and should be used very sparingly.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed the book.
This novel is the inspiration for what eventually became the short lived tv series, 'Moonlight'. I've not yet seen the show, so I can't make a comparison of the two, but a friend who has read the book and seen the show tells me that the book is much darker than the series.
This book reads like a pulp detective novel whose lead protagonist just happens to be a vampire. It's a combination that sounds like it shouldn't work all that well, but surprisingly it does. I also like this author's take on the vampire mythos, it's a more gritty and less romantic/sexy than other paranormal/urban fantasy books I've read, and I found it quite refreshing.
I have to say I wasn't fond of the author's attempts to convey drug dealer Leroy's manner of speech throughout the book. I found it a little jarring and it did take me out of the book a couple of times. Writing dialect is a tricky thing and should be used very sparingly.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed the book.
August 1, 2011
As a huge fan of Moonlight the series i could not wait for the release of Trevor Munsons book as all Moonlight fans crave more Moonlight, but having heard that it was much darker than Moonlight i didnt expect to see a rewrite of the show and wanted to see what trevors darker film noire story would be like and was not disapointed it is a gritty story and it screams old black and white films like the mateese falcon but be warned it is not the gentle lovestory Moonlight was. Coraline had some redeeming features in Moonlight but in Trevors book you will find her a wholey replusive creature. This book is very discriptive and adds a new twist to the vampire story they are not painted as the sexy demi-gods as many of the pnr and uf books portray them as. I am waiting with anticipation to Trevors next book to see how he will show the love between his Mickangel and Elizabeth in his hard hitting world.
March 20, 2011
My life has been busy such that it's been hard to find time to read. So when I started reading this book and finished in 3 days it made me happy that it kept my interest and attention. I didn't want to put it down.
It is darker than the TV series and for TV, yes the changes made sense. This is a different Mick, so don't expect it to be the same. Though the character is still likable. The backstory of all the main characters is different as well.
The story as written is not drawn out reading, sticks to just the storyline. Because of my preconceptions from the TV show, I was not able to anticipate the storyline. Plus, I typically read before bed so I'm tired and read for enjoyment, not to solve the story before I get the end. Overall a fair read, but to me more for an adult reader as well.
It is darker than the TV series and for TV, yes the changes made sense. This is a different Mick, so don't expect it to be the same. Though the character is still likable. The backstory of all the main characters is different as well.
The story as written is not drawn out reading, sticks to just the storyline. Because of my preconceptions from the TV show, I was not able to anticipate the storyline. Plus, I typically read before bed so I'm tired and read for enjoyment, not to solve the story before I get the end. Overall a fair read, but to me more for an adult reader as well.
March 20, 2011
I loved it!!! I am a big fan of Moonlight and even though there are not a lot of similarities between AOV and Moonlight - there were enough for me to imagine Alex O'Loughlin's voice over and his face. It was a lot darker than Moonlight which I loved. I read it in a matter of hours and was left wanting more so I for one am hoping Trevor will write a few more sequels:)
February 7, 2011
See my review here:
http://www.demonloversbooksandmore.co...
http://www.demonloversbooksandmore.co...
December 4, 2011
The best book about vampires!
November 17, 2025
I have a special case of equal parts nostalgia and fondness over the 2007 vampire crime show Moonlight—this one-season show (unfortunately...) was what kickstarted my childhood fascination with vampires! And even now, when I'm currently going through a resurgence of said fixation, I still think about it and what could have been if it hadn't been a casualty of the writer's strike (and some possible corporate meddling).
In fact, I only fairly recently learned that the entire premise was the showrunner's idea of a vampire/crime noir novel and was initially supposed to be published as such, so naturally I had to look around through online secondhand bookstores with bookmarked search keywords until I eventually came across an available copy.
Thoughts?
Well...
I can see why so much of the original concept went through major overhauls and revisions when it was finally made into its TV counterpart. The writing truly is a product of its time...and admittedly not in a good way. Normally, I tend to hand-wave any aspects of a fictional work that end up coming off dated (from worldviews of the past to shoehorned attempts to "modernize" the work via barrage of pop culture references or social commentary) for as long as the other aspects of the work isn't held down or deterred by it. I also give a pass when it's clear the work is meant as a satire.
Unfortunately, the more I read this book, the more I came to the realization that the writing is 100% serious about it.
The novel's Mick Angel is a far cry from Moonlight's Mick St. John. There's very little the original literary protagonist shares with his TV version, aside from the first name, the detective profession, the Los Angeles setting and their ex-wife named Coraline. Mick Angel is very barely a likeable protagonist, and what might be an attempt to paint him as morally grey makes him come off as a surface-level "hero" with skewed priorities. Throughout the book as you're subjected to his narration, you get the feel that he's a massive boomer (the "old man yells at cloud" kind) and the author's attempts to show how outdated Mick is in the midst of the modern world only makes him come off as fake edgy. A few such baffling choices include him being casually judgemental to nearly every person he comes across that isn't an attractive woman where it borders on stereotyping, and this rich line that is
And how could I forget the two drug dealers and the author's laughably bad attempt at making them sound and look as black as possible, right down to the "ghetto" way they speak? The only saving grace is that this white author didn't make them say the "N word" just to further push how black they are.
Plot-wise, the story was...fairly simple. As the summary puts it, it centers around a supposedly simple case of a teenage runaway, and as Mick gets further into his case, he winds up with drug dealers, cops and murder along the way. All of which, eventually and somehow conveniently does lead him into facing his past. Most of the background stuff takes up majority of the book, and the climax that eats up the last three chapters were rather lacking in substance and didn't amount to much; it left me unfulfilled in a sense of "wait, that's it?"
Other than the two Micks from their respective iterations, there are also other notable differences across the lore and general mythos:
- In the book, vampires need to be personally invited in someone's home lest they won't be at their full power, and they only need to be invited once. In the show, that part of their "weakness" or myth is absent.
- Both versions of vampires sleep in freezers instead of coffins, and both share the trait of having the scent of decay to them, with the book being more overt about it. There's also an added detail where Mick Angel mentions the graveyard dirt that pads his freezer, but it's not really confirmed if it's a case of the vampires in the book also needing to sleep surrounded by the dirt of their grave (another part of vampire myth that is absent in the show version).
- Mick Angel does use graveyard dirt to help him heal, mixing it with blood and applying it to his bullet wounds to help him heal faster; Mick St. John heals from bullet wounds without it, but does have to reopen it in order to manually remove the bullet since it remains inside him when his skin seals up.
- Vampires in the book apparently "see the world in only black and white", with the only color they can see being red. Though, I'm not sure if it's literal or if Mick was just waxing poetic, because it only gets mentioned in the first chapter. Vampires in the show can see color just fine; in fact, Mick St. John outright mentions colors across the episodes.
- The book vampires are able to see body heat, which is how they're typically able to detect other vampires (other than the scent of decay they carry).
- Both are only paralyzed by a wooden stake.
- The transformation is an inconveniently long process in the book, where the bite triggers the infection, and upon death it can take months depending on how long it took from the time of the bite and the host's death. The show does the classic "drain, then feed" method present in many vampire media and the transformation completes from an hour to maybe even minutes.
- Both iterations of the vampires have reflections, but the book version has them only able to see their monster form in the mirror (supposedly to human eyes they appear normal?). Interestingly, it doesn't say anything about pictures/film and whether they would show up or also appear as monsters there.
- In the book, vampires can hypnotize humans with their stare (obstructions such as glasses hinder that ability).
- The sun is a weakness to both vampires, but whereas in the show they can still walk around the daylight to some extent, in the book it's not explicitly mentioned whether they burn at the sun, though there are implications all across that allude to it.
- The main couple, Mick and Coraline, are far less sympathetic in the book compared to their show versions. Mick started out in a jazz band who eventually fell into drugs, particularly heroin, and was coerced into committing crime. While he does have morals to some degree, he is ultimately spineless in the face of drugs and his blind love for Coraline. Likewise, Coraline in the book is an outright sociopath due to her abused upbringing, constantly manipulating Mick and upon becoming a vampire has absolutely no remorse for human life and gleefully murders everyone; in the show she's more toned down with a lot of her actions coming off more as her desperately clinging onto love even if she has to resort to morally reprehensible tactics (such as the young girl both incarnations kidnap).
- Mick Angel (for the most part) sustains himself by injecting blood directly into his veins, a throwback to his heroin addiction in the past; Mick St. John feeds primarily on blood extracted from corpses in the morgue, and is seen using the inject method only once at the first episode and never does it again (albeit a later episode makes a slight reference to it).
Interestingly, the show went by a different name in a much earlier pilot, called "Twilight" before being renamed to Moonlight (probably to avoid conflicting with the at the time in-development movie /from a certain book of the same name?). I bring this up because the cast are more in-line with who the finalized version of the series (a more sympathetic Mick, his vampire friend Josef (albeit he's far older in appearance in the initial pilot) but the vampire portrayal is more similar to the book (monstrous reflections, hypnotic gaze, infrared vision to detect body heat, etc.). I don't know why they decided to change their vampire mythos along the way (possibly for the same reason much of the concept was overhauled—because it was too much horror?), but it is what it is.
What sets it completely separate from both versions, though, is that the pilot oddly enough takes place in New York, instead of the Los Angeles of both.
To be frank, nostalgia does influence why I'm not rating this book any lower than I would have—it is connected to the show that got me into vampires, after all. But I'm not so rose-tinted that I can honestly say it deserves anything higher than the 3 ⭐ I'm giving it, and even then it's too generous. (But I suppose I'm justifying this by rounding it off the more accurate 2.5 that I would have rated instead if Goodreads actually allowed decimals in its individual ratings.)
In fact, I only fairly recently learned that the entire premise was the showrunner's idea of a vampire/crime noir novel and was initially supposed to be published as such, so naturally I had to look around through online secondhand bookstores with bookmarked search keywords until I eventually came across an available copy.
Thoughts?
Well...
I can see why so much of the original concept went through major overhauls and revisions when it was finally made into its TV counterpart. The writing truly is a product of its time...and admittedly not in a good way. Normally, I tend to hand-wave any aspects of a fictional work that end up coming off dated (from worldviews of the past to shoehorned attempts to "modernize" the work via barrage of pop culture references or social commentary) for as long as the other aspects of the work isn't held down or deterred by it. I also give a pass when it's clear the work is meant as a satire.
Unfortunately, the more I read this book, the more I came to the realization that the writing is 100% serious about it.
The novel's Mick Angel is a far cry from Moonlight's Mick St. John. There's very little the original literary protagonist shares with his TV version, aside from the first name, the detective profession, the Los Angeles setting and their ex-wife named Coraline. Mick Angel is very barely a likeable protagonist, and what might be an attempt to paint him as morally grey makes him come off as a surface-level "hero" with skewed priorities. Throughout the book as you're subjected to his narration, you get the feel that he's a massive boomer (the "old man yells at cloud" kind) and the author's attempts to show how outdated Mick is in the midst of the modern world only makes him come off as fake edgy. A few such baffling choices include him being casually judgemental to nearly every person he comes across that isn't an attractive woman where it borders on stereotyping, and this rich line that is
"[...] it makes me wonder exactly when people got the idea that in order to look like a vampire you had to adopt a transvestite-in-mourning look. [...] Call me old-fashioned, but in my opinion the last thing the vampire world needs is a bunch of gender-confused losers who mistake being sullen and whiny for rebellious and interesting."
And how could I forget the two drug dealers and the author's laughably bad attempt at making them sound and look as black as possible, right down to the "ghetto" way they speak? The only saving grace is that this white author didn't make them say the "N word" just to further push how black they are.
Plot-wise, the story was...fairly simple. As the summary puts it, it centers around a supposedly simple case of a teenage runaway, and as Mick gets further into his case, he winds up with drug dealers, cops and murder along the way. All of which, eventually and somehow conveniently does lead him into facing his past. Most of the background stuff takes up majority of the book, and the climax that eats up the last three chapters were rather lacking in substance and didn't amount to much; it left me unfulfilled in a sense of "wait, that's it?"
Other than the two Micks from their respective iterations, there are also other notable differences across the lore and general mythos:
- In the book, vampires need to be personally invited in someone's home lest they won't be at their full power, and they only need to be invited once. In the show, that part of their "weakness" or myth is absent.
- Both versions of vampires sleep in freezers instead of coffins, and both share the trait of having the scent of decay to them, with the book being more overt about it. There's also an added detail where Mick Angel mentions the graveyard dirt that pads his freezer, but it's not really confirmed if it's a case of the vampires in the book also needing to sleep surrounded by the dirt of their grave (another part of vampire myth that is absent in the show version).
- Mick Angel does use graveyard dirt to help him heal, mixing it with blood and applying it to his bullet wounds to help him heal faster; Mick St. John heals from bullet wounds without it, but does have to reopen it in order to manually remove the bullet since it remains inside him when his skin seals up.
- Vampires in the book apparently "see the world in only black and white", with the only color they can see being red. Though, I'm not sure if it's literal or if Mick was just waxing poetic, because it only gets mentioned in the first chapter. Vampires in the show can see color just fine; in fact, Mick St. John outright mentions colors across the episodes.
- The book vampires are able to see body heat, which is how they're typically able to detect other vampires (other than the scent of decay they carry).
- Both are only paralyzed by a wooden stake.
- The transformation is an inconveniently long process in the book, where the bite triggers the infection, and upon death it can take months depending on how long it took from the time of the bite and the host's death. The show does the classic "drain, then feed" method present in many vampire media and the transformation completes from an hour to maybe even minutes.
- Both iterations of the vampires have reflections, but the book version has them only able to see their monster form in the mirror (supposedly to human eyes they appear normal?). Interestingly, it doesn't say anything about pictures/film and whether they would show up or also appear as monsters there.
- In the book, vampires can hypnotize humans with their stare (obstructions such as glasses hinder that ability).
- The sun is a weakness to both vampires, but whereas in the show they can still walk around the daylight to some extent, in the book it's not explicitly mentioned whether they burn at the sun, though there are implications all across that allude to it.
- The main couple, Mick and Coraline, are far less sympathetic in the book compared to their show versions. Mick started out in a jazz band who eventually fell into drugs, particularly heroin, and was coerced into committing crime. While he does have morals to some degree, he is ultimately spineless in the face of drugs and his blind love for Coraline. Likewise, Coraline in the book is an outright sociopath due to her abused upbringing, constantly manipulating Mick and upon becoming a vampire has absolutely no remorse for human life and gleefully murders everyone; in the show she's more toned down with a lot of her actions coming off more as her desperately clinging onto love even if she has to resort to morally reprehensible tactics (such as the young girl both incarnations kidnap).
- Mick Angel (for the most part) sustains himself by injecting blood directly into his veins, a throwback to his heroin addiction in the past; Mick St. John feeds primarily on blood extracted from corpses in the morgue, and is seen using the inject method only once at the first episode and never does it again (albeit a later episode makes a slight reference to it).
Interestingly, the show went by a different name in a much earlier pilot, called "Twilight" before being renamed to Moonlight (probably to avoid conflicting with the at the time in-development movie /from a certain book of the same name?). I bring this up because the cast are more in-line with who the finalized version of the series (a more sympathetic Mick, his vampire friend Josef (albeit he's far older in appearance in the initial pilot) but the vampire portrayal is more similar to the book (monstrous reflections, hypnotic gaze, infrared vision to detect body heat, etc.). I don't know why they decided to change their vampire mythos along the way (possibly for the same reason much of the concept was overhauled—because it was too much horror?), but it is what it is.
What sets it completely separate from both versions, though, is that the pilot oddly enough takes place in New York, instead of the Los Angeles of both.
To be frank, nostalgia does influence why I'm not rating this book any lower than I would have—it is connected to the show that got me into vampires, after all. But I'm not so rose-tinted that I can honestly say it deserves anything higher than the 3 ⭐ I'm giving it, and even then it's too generous. (But I suppose I'm justifying this by rounding it off the more accurate 2.5 that I would have rated instead if Goodreads actually allowed decimals in its individual ratings.)
October 16, 2012
I think most people come across this book because it was the inspiration behind the TV series Moonlight. I certainly fall into that category. I loved the show, and when I found out there was a book, I had to have it. I had heard that it was very different from the show, but I didn't care. I'm a die-hard fan of vampire literature, and I'm usually pretty good about regarding derivative works as separate entities. "Different" was an understatement. But I still enjoyed it as a separate, and therefore surprising, work.
The main character is Michael Angel, not Mick St. John. Yes, they are one in the same, and yet they're not. The TV version is "general audience", romanticized, and up to date with the modern world. The novel version is a nitty-gritty noir detective whose personal style remains stuck in the 1940's. They really do feel like two different characters, even though they share mostly the same background.
The novel itself has a nitty-gritty 1940's noir vibe to it. The novel is about Mick solving the case of a missing girl, while reliving flashbacks about his ex-wife Coraline. The TV role of Coraline is also very different and watered down compared to who she is in the novel. Here is one of my favourite passages in the book, and it happens to be about Coraline.
"As a child, her favorite book had been The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I remember her telling me how she read it over and over until the pages wilted and fell out like flower petals from a dead bouquet. The only part of the book that she didn't like was the end, where Dorothy returns home. Coraline told me she had ripped that chapter out the first time through. She thought Dorothy was a dumb bitch for giving up Oz for Kansas. A dumb bitch. That was how she put it." (pg. 59)
I think this passages nicely represents how different the attitudes and feel of this book are from the TV series. So, having established that it is different, let me put the TV show aside and focus on the book.
It is not the type of novel I would normally read, in terms of 40's detective noir themes. What hooked my interest was the vampire. Munson did an excellent job of carrying the genre in a way that I could appreciate, though. I could almost hear a darker version of Humphrey Bogart saying the lines. Munson's vampire world was unique and interesting. I loved that his vampires could only see in black and white, except for red. I loved how his descriptions of the bloodlust and physiology felt familiar to vampire genre, yet subtly his own in explanation. (I enjoy comparing how different authors create their vampires.)
I felt he had a nice balance between focusing on the plight of the character as a vampire, and focusing on the case he was trying to solve. The plot moved forward without getting bogged down in gimmicks, even though it could have. The action was paced appropriately, and had a very, "Places to go. People to bleed," (pg. 210) feel to it, which suited the rest of the novel's style perfectly.
There were no technical errors that pulled me away from the story. And though I'd categorize this book as pure escapism, it had a few gems like the statement above about Coraline that resonated deeper. Here's another quote I liked.
"So the question becomes, when is a vampire truly a vampire? Maybe it's as futile as trying to determine when a fetus becomes a baby, but someone has to decide, don't they? Someone has to take responsibility, because maybe sometimes an abortion is necessary. If you knew, really knew, that the kid was going to grow up to be a Hitler, or a Bundy--or Coraline, for instance. Maybe that makes bending a rule all right. Breaking it even." (pg. 237-238)
I'm giving this book five stars because I wouldn't change a thing about it. It is a coherent, cohesive, cut-and-dry ride in a black-and-white 40's venue that makes it stand out from most vampire genre novels. If you like noir detective themes or vampire themes, I recommend it. If you're looking for the TV series in duplicate, or prefer your vampires to be a bit more PG, you might want to pass.
The main character is Michael Angel, not Mick St. John. Yes, they are one in the same, and yet they're not. The TV version is "general audience", romanticized, and up to date with the modern world. The novel version is a nitty-gritty noir detective whose personal style remains stuck in the 1940's. They really do feel like two different characters, even though they share mostly the same background.
The novel itself has a nitty-gritty 1940's noir vibe to it. The novel is about Mick solving the case of a missing girl, while reliving flashbacks about his ex-wife Coraline. The TV role of Coraline is also very different and watered down compared to who she is in the novel. Here is one of my favourite passages in the book, and it happens to be about Coraline.
"As a child, her favorite book had been The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I remember her telling me how she read it over and over until the pages wilted and fell out like flower petals from a dead bouquet. The only part of the book that she didn't like was the end, where Dorothy returns home. Coraline told me she had ripped that chapter out the first time through. She thought Dorothy was a dumb bitch for giving up Oz for Kansas. A dumb bitch. That was how she put it." (pg. 59)
I think this passages nicely represents how different the attitudes and feel of this book are from the TV series. So, having established that it is different, let me put the TV show aside and focus on the book.
It is not the type of novel I would normally read, in terms of 40's detective noir themes. What hooked my interest was the vampire. Munson did an excellent job of carrying the genre in a way that I could appreciate, though. I could almost hear a darker version of Humphrey Bogart saying the lines. Munson's vampire world was unique and interesting. I loved that his vampires could only see in black and white, except for red. I loved how his descriptions of the bloodlust and physiology felt familiar to vampire genre, yet subtly his own in explanation. (I enjoy comparing how different authors create their vampires.)
I felt he had a nice balance between focusing on the plight of the character as a vampire, and focusing on the case he was trying to solve. The plot moved forward without getting bogged down in gimmicks, even though it could have. The action was paced appropriately, and had a very, "Places to go. People to bleed," (pg. 210) feel to it, which suited the rest of the novel's style perfectly.
There were no technical errors that pulled me away from the story. And though I'd categorize this book as pure escapism, it had a few gems like the statement above about Coraline that resonated deeper. Here's another quote I liked.
"So the question becomes, when is a vampire truly a vampire? Maybe it's as futile as trying to determine when a fetus becomes a baby, but someone has to decide, don't they? Someone has to take responsibility, because maybe sometimes an abortion is necessary. If you knew, really knew, that the kid was going to grow up to be a Hitler, or a Bundy--or Coraline, for instance. Maybe that makes bending a rule all right. Breaking it even." (pg. 237-238)
I'm giving this book five stars because I wouldn't change a thing about it. It is a coherent, cohesive, cut-and-dry ride in a black-and-white 40's venue that makes it stand out from most vampire genre novels. If you like noir detective themes or vampire themes, I recommend it. If you're looking for the TV series in duplicate, or prefer your vampires to be a bit more PG, you might want to pass.
December 21, 2015
I was a big fan of the TV Show Moonlight when it was on CBS, so much so that I remained affiliated with several online email groups and Facebook groups after the show was cancelled--just to keep apprised of any further developments. Back when the show was on, the show's creator had posted several of the first chapters of the book up on his webpage. I had read them way back then and really, really enjoyed them. I was very excited to hear that this novel was being punished and I'd finally get to find out *what happened!?* Trevor Munson's novel-Mick was very different than the TV show version. While he was still a tormented soul, novel-Mick does not have Beth to look to for a reason to live. He also has a slightly different mythos in the way he lives; how he eats/feeds, *who* he feeds on, when he can be outside...to start.
When I was a kid I liked the Film Noir detective movies. The detective in his dumpy office wearing the cool hat who is approached by the lovely damsel who needs his help... This book combines my love of paranormal/fantasy books with the classic film noir detective. I was truly surprised by "who done it" and why. The mystery was fun to read but so was the character study of who Mick is and how he got to be who he is--not just as a vampire but how he developed the personality and attitude he has in the present day. The author shows this by flashing back occasionally to Mick's past.
For me to enjoy a fantasy or paranormal book it has to dovetail with reality somehow, make some sort of sense scientifically and logically. There are many clever touches that make this book's vampire mythos more believable. These vampires don't have "super vision"...they have better night vision *because* they can't see colors...well any color but red. This makes a bit of evolutionary sense in how this species would evolve. They don't sleep in coffins, they sleep in freezers to slow the body's decomposition...
Adding little touches like this helped keep me firmly grounded into the book's "reality", just as if there had been odd inventions of the author that didn't "fit" it would have caused me to fall out of the story, lose interest.
I really enjoyed this book very much. I'm a huge fan of fantasy and this one was extremely enjoyable--not just as a well written story, but also for the ideas put forth on how vampires might be and why they would be that way. I enjoyed it so much it took me only a few hours to finish it. (The first time.)
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an old style Philip Marlowe type mystery starring a vampire who isn't quite sure he likes being one.
When I was a kid I liked the Film Noir detective movies. The detective in his dumpy office wearing the cool hat who is approached by the lovely damsel who needs his help... This book combines my love of paranormal/fantasy books with the classic film noir detective. I was truly surprised by "who done it" and why. The mystery was fun to read but so was the character study of who Mick is and how he got to be who he is--not just as a vampire but how he developed the personality and attitude he has in the present day. The author shows this by flashing back occasionally to Mick's past.
For me to enjoy a fantasy or paranormal book it has to dovetail with reality somehow, make some sort of sense scientifically and logically. There are many clever touches that make this book's vampire mythos more believable. These vampires don't have "super vision"...they have better night vision *because* they can't see colors...well any color but red. This makes a bit of evolutionary sense in how this species would evolve. They don't sleep in coffins, they sleep in freezers to slow the body's decomposition...
Adding little touches like this helped keep me firmly grounded into the book's "reality", just as if there had been odd inventions of the author that didn't "fit" it would have caused me to fall out of the story, lose interest.
I really enjoyed this book very much. I'm a huge fan of fantasy and this one was extremely enjoyable--not just as a well written story, but also for the ideas put forth on how vampires might be and why they would be that way. I enjoyed it so much it took me only a few hours to finish it. (The first time.)
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an old style Philip Marlowe type mystery starring a vampire who isn't quite sure he likes being one.
January 8, 2012
Angel of Vengeance is the never before published novel that inspired the TV Series, Moonlight, featuring Alex O’Laughlin (side note: yum). As a huge fan of this series, I jumped at the chance to read and review this book. I wasn’t sure what to expect, as we all know that adaptations can be…less than expected. What I discovered was an intelligently written detective novel .
From the first page, I was sucked into the narrative of Mick Angel, and being that I was an avid watcher of Moonlight, I immediately had a good mental image of the character. The book is a great deal darker than the TV series was, so don’t expect a word by word retelling. Mick Angel pretty much does what he has to in order to survive, and he equates his need for blood to a heroin addiction; even going so far as shooting up the blood directly in to his veins as opposed to drinking straight from his victims (though he does that too).
One of the things I liked the most was the internal dialogue of this character. Mick is a tell-it-like-he-sees-it kind of individual and he never romanticizes the face that he is a vampire. He makes good use of his strength and skills of persuasion as a Private Investigator to try to wrap this case of a missing teenager, but he soon finds out it isn’t that simple.
We also become privy to Mick’s tumultuous relationship with his ex-wife, Coraline, through flashbacks that are interspersed throughout the rest of the book. It isn’t revealed how the two stories are connected until the very end. I’ll be honest, even though I had an inkling of what was going to happen, I was still surprised.
I don’t usually read the author’s note, but I was intrigued and was also surprised to find out that the author kind of worked backwards. He worked on Moonlight as a co-producer, and didn’t published the novel it was based on until now. I think fans of the series will truly enjoy this book. I also think this is a great read if you are looking for something different in the paranormal genre. The genre is very saturated with vampire romance (and hey, there is nothing wrong with that), but this book is different. There is a hint of romance but that isn’t the central storyline. I loved the film noir feel of this book and the frankness of the characters. In short, it worked.
Angel of Vengeance gets a healthy 4 out of 5 fangs. The characters are excellently portrayed, the narrative flows and the dialogue is great. All in all, something I would definitely re-read.
From the first page, I was sucked into the narrative of Mick Angel, and being that I was an avid watcher of Moonlight, I immediately had a good mental image of the character. The book is a great deal darker than the TV series was, so don’t expect a word by word retelling. Mick Angel pretty much does what he has to in order to survive, and he equates his need for blood to a heroin addiction; even going so far as shooting up the blood directly in to his veins as opposed to drinking straight from his victims (though he does that too).
One of the things I liked the most was the internal dialogue of this character. Mick is a tell-it-like-he-sees-it kind of individual and he never romanticizes the face that he is a vampire. He makes good use of his strength and skills of persuasion as a Private Investigator to try to wrap this case of a missing teenager, but he soon finds out it isn’t that simple.
We also become privy to Mick’s tumultuous relationship with his ex-wife, Coraline, through flashbacks that are interspersed throughout the rest of the book. It isn’t revealed how the two stories are connected until the very end. I’ll be honest, even though I had an inkling of what was going to happen, I was still surprised.
I don’t usually read the author’s note, but I was intrigued and was also surprised to find out that the author kind of worked backwards. He worked on Moonlight as a co-producer, and didn’t published the novel it was based on until now. I think fans of the series will truly enjoy this book. I also think this is a great read if you are looking for something different in the paranormal genre. The genre is very saturated with vampire romance (and hey, there is nothing wrong with that), but this book is different. There is a hint of romance but that isn’t the central storyline. I loved the film noir feel of this book and the frankness of the characters. In short, it worked.
Angel of Vengeance gets a healthy 4 out of 5 fangs. The characters are excellently portrayed, the narrative flows and the dialogue is great. All in all, something I would definitely re-read.
November 24, 2020
A good read for a younger audience
February 19, 2011
"Angel of Vengeance" is as every bit as good as the reviews I read of it promised. It's a gritty, fast-paced novel that works both as a hard-boiled detective story and a horror novel. For those who don't know, this is the book that inspired the CBS series "Moonlight". However, this is a different and darker Mick than that depicted in the series. If you're only looking for a soft, fluffy continuation of the show, this isn't the book for you. But if you're the kind of person who's open to a darker interpretation, this novel has many of same themes and motivations that drove Mick in the series. It's like getting a glimpse of his lonely existence before he was saved by Beth (who only appears in the novel as a child) The book is written in first person, so the reader really gets a sneak-peek into Mick's darkly sarcastic mind as he details the life of a simple vampire who has been very unlucky at love... It's definitely high up on my "must read" list. Check it out.
March 20, 2011
I loved "Angel of Vengeance". I loved the tv series Moonlight and Trevor Munson inspired it with this book. I enjoy reading SciFi books but mostly vampires. I really like the way he portrayed Mick Angel(the main character)in this book. It is darker than the series but it has the added depth of the Private Eye that I liked in the tv series. Trevor Munson is very talented and writes a good mystery with plenty of twists in it. I truly hope he continues the Angel series. I will certainly buy and read all of them. My granddaughter likes it to!! (and she is a teenager, so it must be good.) I'm not sure of the date I first read it because I pre-ordered it and got it when it was released. So I read it as soon as it came out and my granddaughter read it after I did. I am getting ready to read it again. Like I said "Great Book"!
May 1, 2011
This book was written and evolved into the tv show Moonlight before it was published. It's a much darker and edgier Mick then we saw in the tv show. Every time I picked up this book I could not put it down. It took two of my favorites, vampires and mysteries, and combined them into one very riveting and easy to read book. It kept my interest from start to finish. As much as I loved the tv show, I really wish it would have been more like this book, darker and grittier with an even more flawed Mick. As evidenced by all the vampire shows on now, people were ready for that. I highly, highly recommend this book to anyone who loves vampires and a good mystery. Plus since we already have Alex O'Loughlin's image as Mick from the tv show, it is visually pleasing as well.
July 31, 2011
Wow finally a more mature take on vampire stories amongst all the (pre)teen novels. I love the dark side of Mick Angel which makes it seem that being a vampire is much more like being a drug addict rather than a romantic thing. A well put together story of a P.I who happens to be a vampire and all the blood thirst and decay that comes with it. I really recommend reading it, whether you've watched Moonlight or not, it's an absolutely fresh take on the over romanticized vampire stories floating around these days. Two thumbs up!
I couldn't put it down and just had to make time to finish reading it, I even took it to work to be able to continue reading, something have not done before.
I couldn't put it down and just had to make time to finish reading it, I even took it to work to be able to continue reading, something have not done before.
August 26, 2011
This book was a welcome relief to my Moonlight withdrawals. It was a lot darker and grittier than the TV show, but I liked that. It brought a different perspective to vampires. Usually, lead vampires are portrayed as tortured, mysterious, kind, and an object of desire. I like how this book blurred the vampire lines and had a lead vampire who does what is necessary and is neither completely good nor completely evil. I'm waiting on the edge of my seat for the sequel. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves vampires- real vampires, not those Twilight ones.
February 12, 2011
Much different vibe than the TV series Moonlight. Quite a bit darker, but I still enjoyed the story. Mick isn't as nice in this one. He does many things that TV Mick would not approve of. I really liked the story of Vampire Mick, but I much preferred the TV version of the Human Mick story. All in all, a good, entertaining, fast read!
August 15, 2021
Come indicato dalla copertina questo è il romanzo che ha ispirato la serie TV Moonlight ma se sperate di ritrovare la forte connotazione romantica che la caratterizzava, purtroppo (a seconda dei gusti) siete davanti ad un hard-boiled vampiresco (un mix di crimine, violenza, sesso e vampiri per cui se siete facilmente impressionabili meglio evitare).
Il romanzo sembrerebbe autoconclusivo, dico sembrerebbe perché dalla nota finale dell'autore si parlava di un possibile sequel intitolato Guardian Angel ma in rete non ci sono molte notizie in merito. In questo sequel l'autore avrebbe dovuto esplorare la relazione romantica tra il protagonista e la bambina salvata.
Tornando a questo libro, siamo a Los Angeles e il protagonista (unico punto di vista e vicende raccontate in prima persona) è Mick, un vampiro solitario e cupo ma con una particolare "morale" (uccide solo i criminali ed evita donne, bambini e innocenti) e per vivere lavora come investigatore privato. Una notte riceve uno strano incarico: ritrovare una 14enne scappata di casa.
Oltre al caso da risolvere, conosceremo anche il passato di Mick (l'incontro con l'oscura e pericolosa Coraline della quale s'innamorerà, il matrimonio, la sua trasformazione da umano a vampiro e tanto altro che non voglio svelarvi) attraverso vari flashback (1943-1946).
Stile scorrevole e diretto (si legge in breve tempo), una trama coinvolgente e una visione vampiresca tendente al classico ma con qualche eccezione.
Un romanzo adatto a chi ama le atmosfere cupe e i vampiri senza patina romantica.
Il romanzo sembrerebbe autoconclusivo, dico sembrerebbe perché dalla nota finale dell'autore si parlava di un possibile sequel intitolato Guardian Angel ma in rete non ci sono molte notizie in merito. In questo sequel l'autore avrebbe dovuto esplorare la relazione romantica tra il protagonista e la bambina salvata.
Tornando a questo libro, siamo a Los Angeles e il protagonista (unico punto di vista e vicende raccontate in prima persona) è Mick, un vampiro solitario e cupo ma con una particolare "morale" (uccide solo i criminali ed evita donne, bambini e innocenti) e per vivere lavora come investigatore privato. Una notte riceve uno strano incarico: ritrovare una 14enne scappata di casa.
Oltre al caso da risolvere, conosceremo anche il passato di Mick (l'incontro con l'oscura e pericolosa Coraline della quale s'innamorerà, il matrimonio, la sua trasformazione da umano a vampiro e tanto altro che non voglio svelarvi) attraverso vari flashback (1943-1946).
Stile scorrevole e diretto (si legge in breve tempo), una trama coinvolgente e una visione vampiresca tendente al classico ma con qualche eccezione.
Un romanzo adatto a chi ama le atmosfere cupe e i vampiri senza patina romantica.
December 20, 2019
When it comes to books (not unlike movies), my two favorite genres are horror (naturally) and mystery. Of the two, mystery gets a slight edge. I'm not talking about your standard mystery, though, I'm more of a hardboiled kind of guy. So if it comes down to the latest supernatural novel or the newest by Robert Crais or Lee Child, I'm reading the latter first without much thought. Unfortunately, there aren't too many authors that merge my two favorite genres very well. Hell, the only one I can think of off the top of my head is Jon F. Merz's Fixer series (which centers around a vampire who "fixes" problems for his vampire bosses). Fortunately, Trevor O. Munson may have helped fill that void a little more with Angel of Vengeance.
You can read Steve's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read Steve's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
June 9, 2018
The depressed People who would start reading this book after the unexpected , untimely ending of Moonlight, - would be more disappointed cause this book don't have answers to any of the questions that Moonlight had left behind. Although, it has 'Mick' as the vampire P.I. protagonist , just as in the show. It also has 'Beth' who appeared only in flashback as a child victim saved by Mick.
The storyline of 'The Angel of Vengeance' is also different from Moonlight. In fact, it's little darker than Moonlight while detailing how Mick became a vamp and his investigations as P.I.
It's a speedy read with more lose ends, questions and possibilities of sequels. In spite of the promises from the author, this supposed to be 'Trilogy' don't have any sequel, as of now. So, if you don't like leaving a book unfinished, if never knowing the end of a story makes you sad or mad, - DON'T READ THIS BOOK or Read it with your own risk. 👍 ☺
The storyline of 'The Angel of Vengeance' is also different from Moonlight. In fact, it's little darker than Moonlight while detailing how Mick became a vamp and his investigations as P.I.
It's a speedy read with more lose ends, questions and possibilities of sequels. In spite of the promises from the author, this supposed to be 'Trilogy' don't have any sequel, as of now. So, if you don't like leaving a book unfinished, if never knowing the end of a story makes you sad or mad, - DON'T READ THIS BOOK or Read it with your own risk. 👍 ☺
June 21, 2024
Very disappointed, but that was to be expected as I really enjoyed the TV show and the novel is quite different. I found Mick quite annoying, going around talking about dames, which was sad because bits of the book are awesome. I loved all the Mick/Coraline stuff because in those moments the author wasn't being so full on with his Mick as some Bogartesque dick and the drama flowed much better. But other parts where the narrative is all noirish had me rolling my eyes a bit. Even so, stars for the parts of the book that had me engrossed.
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