The Vampire and the Case of her Dastardly Death

The Portlock Paranormal Detective #0.5

by Heather G. Harris, Alyse Gibbs (Narrator)

I awoke dead. It was a real bummer. Being covered in blood and having fangs was the icing on an already terrible day.

Things go from bad to worse when I get a summons to attend the vampire king’s court, where I get my marching orders. I’m given one lousy week to get my affairs in order and then I’m to present myself to the conclave to commence my hundred years of indentured servitude, where I get to learn Vampire 101.

The thing is, I have an eidetic memory and I’m a fast learner. It’s not going to take me a hundred years to grasp this stuff. And I have plans – mediocre ones, but they’re mine. One hundred years of servitude isn’t going to fit the bill.

I need to make my escape now, before they sink their teeth into me (again). The only problem is they’ve sent the vampire that turned me to keep a sharp eye on me, and he keeps looking at me like I’m a fine glass of merlot. Escape isn’t going to be easy.

My name may be Bunny, but they’re going to learn there’s nothing fluffy about me…

Dive into this fast-paced urban fantasy series if you love humour, heart, found family and a slow-burn romance.

Don't miss the other Portlock Paranormal adventures:
1. The Vampire and the Case of her Dastardly Death
2. The Vampire and the Case of the Wayward Werewolf

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Vampires, Fantasy, Paranormal, Mystery, Magic, Audiobook

Audiobook

First published October 13, 2023

Reviews

[Ronda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just can't get enough of Heather G. Harris and her adventures!

This time I'm entering into the life/death of Bunny and Fluffy (her rescued Alsation dog)! These are definitely a duo I can work with...

I know novellas are not always needed and normally the world building covers a great deal in the first book, but somehow, Ms Harris always manages to put that 'extra' effort into the shorts which makes them well worth reading!

I'm excited to start on the first book!!!

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I had read this one already, so imagine my surprise when Kindle stated I hadn't! At 168 pages, this one definitely falls into the novella category. Getting to see how Bunny was turned and escaped was great. It's something that's been hinted at in bits and pieces throughout the series, so reading it in detail definitely scratched an itch. Definitely recommend reading this book first when starting this fun series.

[Andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I’m a big fan of Heather Harris, and was excited to read her collaboration with new-to-me author, Jilleen Dolbeare. Initially, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like THE VAMPIRE AND THE CASE OF HER DASTARDLY DEATH as much as Harris’s other series. Bunny’s personality grated on me, and she wasn’t immediately likable. She came across as impetuous, lazy, and somewhat crass, having just lost the last of a series of dead-end jobs. She has a strained relationship with her parents based on her lack of career motivation, but her parents aren’t honestly very likable either, being generally cold and aloof.

After Bunny is involuntarily turned into a vampire by the son of her father’s business partner, she learns that she must serve the vampire king for one hundred years, with only one week to settle her personal affairs. Bunny is not interested in this path of indentured servitude, and vows to find another option for her future. During this short period, Bunny becomes a more likable character, especially when Fluffy enters the picture.

This prequel novella sets the perfect stage for Bunny’s next adventure. I’m looking forward to the first book in the series!

NOTE: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[A.M. Winters · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, I’m a huge fan of Heather G. Harris books and until this book I knew nothing about the other author, Jilleen Dolbeare. But this book felt like a wonderful breath of fresh air, bringing a fresh take on the “becoming vampire” trope and taking it to the next level through its main character, Bunny.

Bunny wakes up after what seems to be a more-than-interesting night out, just hours after she got fired for standing up for herself against some d-bags.

This is a really great start to what is already beginning to look like an amazing series from two well versed authors.
You’d better watch (or read) Bunny with a very close eye :)

Looking forward to the next instalment already!

PS: I’ve received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Johanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bunny was a HILARIOUS! I loved her so much! This also made me curious about her relationship with her parents.

This was super fun to read, and this was also somehow intriguing. I wanted to see what was going to happen at the end.

This was a short story, and maybe not needed. This gave a sneak peek but wasn't that satisfying as an individual story.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bunny had a hard night, one that the hair of the dog cannot fix. Don’t let her name fool you, think more along the lines of the Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog, especially now that she’s dead. Mother always told her to stay away from vampires. Now she must learn how to navigate this new lifestyle. This is the start of a new series, that leaves you wanting more. The only thing that sucks, other than the vampires, is waiting for the next installment.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

I care about these people.

It's the greatest challenge for a reader of a new series, but Harris & Dolbeare succeeded in hooking me in. Bunny may not always be likeable, but I'm already rooting for her. Many of the side characters got only one page of screen time, and I already like them too!

I'm looking forward to seeing where this story leads, but I have a sneaking suspicion I'm going to be cheering the whole way through.

[Mettesknit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-listened October 2, 2024.
Re-listened 15. april, 2024.

Audiobook narrated by
Alyse Gibbs
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a tasty aperitif 🤌🏻

I will definitely continue listening to the story of Bunny and Fluffy.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now the series makes more sense now that I read the prequel. Bunny, our MC was turned into a vampire by the Vampire King's son without her consent, which is technically illegal. But since it was the Vamp King's son who did it that little pesky thing about it being illegal is going to be ignored. She also finds out that someone paid the little prick 50,000 pounds to do so. I have an idea of who did it, but that hasn't been revealed as of yet. In addition she would have had to give up 100 years of servitude to the court. That was a hell no that turned into a fuck no after Franklin put his hands on her.

There are a lot of why's to this mystery that I can't wait see revealed. Now that this series has really grabbed my attention I can't wait to read more.

[julia ☆ [owls reads] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little intro to the series! I'm so damn curious about Alaska and the community.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. So here goes...

Let me start by saying I don’t read books where the MC is a vampire. I was skeptical it would be something I would enjoy; however, I made a commitment to read it.

It took me a few minutes to get into the story. As I said, I don’t do vampire books, and I knew I would not like this one… I did not want to like it…. I mean, Come on! A vampire chick named Bunny! Welllll, after the first chapter, I WAS HOOKED!

Bunny is no bunny! She isn’t meek, as everyone assumes. This accidentally turned newbie vampire isn’t willing to let others decide her fate. She fights for her rights…. (to party! Oops…flashback to the 80s for me)… to live her life the way she wants. Join her and her sidekick, Fluffy, as they escape to Alaska to begin a new life.

This prequel has set the stage for Bunny’s next adventures, and I can’t wait to go on them with her.

[Katyana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm tagging this NA, though that has more to do with the FMC's narrative than her age (pretty sure the book said she was 23, but she's so ... sheltered, her narrative sounded more like 18-19, first little baby bird steps out into the world).

It's a cute short prequel to a new series. I found the FMC to be a bit slow on the uptake, though interestingly, I'm about 1/3 of the way into book 1, and she isn't there, so I'm not sure why. Maybe the harrowing experience in this book helped her grow up a bit.

I hope we find out what the hell is going on in London as the series progresses. Her parents are checked out and weird, and there is clearly more going on with her being "accidentally" made into a vampire (the idiot son of the Vampire King of Europe lets it slip that he's not in trouble for the illegal change against her consent, and in fact was paid £50,000 to do it). Have her parents been whammied by the vampires, or are they really that vapid?

[Beba Andric · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a thrill to experience a co-write from two of my favourite authors! That already promised me an awesome read and golly gee did it exceed even my high expectations! It was DASTARDLY BRILLIANT! How's this for an opening sentence..."I woke up dead. I just didn't know it" Cool right? Like, okay.... now I NEED to see the how, the why and the what. And oh boy, is the how, why and what a brain spinner!

What's the first thought that comes into your mind when you discover you're a Vampire? Well.... "mum's gonna kill me" of course! Which makes perfect sense when said mom is more concerned about the Jones's than what her own daughter is dealing with. Elizabeth's or Bunny's, as she prefers to go by, whole world is unravelling at a fast pace, really fast! Number one, fired from job, number two, hey suddenly a Vampire, number three, how the heck does one continue "living "as a Vampire? Yeah, derailed is more to the point! And when she's thrown under the buss by her own father, well heck! Just HECK! So much tension I thought I would self combust! There are scenes that aren't all cloak and dagger, there's Fluffy! Yep, Fluffy is Bunny's newly "acquired" dog. There was a scene with Fluffy and the loo had me almost collapse laughing at the image! Read it, you'll see....

A lifetime is offered to Bunny in the guise of John but now she faces a huge conundrum, 100 years of forced servitude or escape? Can she do either? Oh what fun it was to discover WHAT she decided and WHAT she did! A massive revelation hits her good and solid, what happened to her WASN'T an accident... oh heavens, I'd be spitting mad too! Basically, that "accident" was at the behest of someone, an unknown someone and the entirety disgusting Franklin, who so happens to be the Vampire King's son, got to do the vile deed. But there's more behind just the deed, it seems both Franklin and the Vampire King have alterior motives ..

This extremely well paced, well written book was exciting from the git go, the plot opens up like a can of worms spilling out over the rim, leaving a trail I avidly followed. Undoubtedly captivating, unmistakably riveting, I didn't put it down until I'd finished. What a wonderful character Bunny is! She's out of her depth but still has enough of her wits to know she needs out, to try whatever she can to escape the destiny someone has thrust upon her. The excitement towards the end had my heart pounding at an unnatural rate, I was literally jumping up and down spurring Bunny on, " go, go go!!!" This is a series I'm literally dying for more of, no, I don't I want to be turned, I just want MORE! Well done to both Heather and Jill for producing a story so compelling, so emotional and so utterly engrossing!

[Maria Fledgling Author Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Estranged Exsanguinator

Ever wake up after partying all night and think you've died? Well, in the case of Bunny Barrington, otherwise known as Elizabeth Octavia Barrington, she really is dead. Bitten by a Vampire and blood all over her neck and face with complete recall despite the alcohol.

Bunny realizes she was set up to tolerate swapping kisses with her Father's associate's son, Franklin, a Vampire, who tricks her into becoming another Vampire.

Think things are bad now? She soon finds out that she must drink a cup of blood 3 times a day in order to eat anything else or she'll lose her lunch. And then....

Her door is virtually knocked down by the perpetrator himself, Franklin, who informs her she has 7 days to get herself together and she must come to the Vampire King's court to be monitored for 100 years and then she will be free to leave.

Authors Harris and Dolbeare have created a humorous and mysterious, above average, paranormal Urban Fantasy story. Their characters are mostly lovable and relatable and quite different from the usual detective series.

Bunny Barrington has a lot to learn about being a Vampire and about the Paranormal community. But she is smart as a whip and lands on her feet, you'll love her by the end of the book. This is a great prequel to a fabulous series.

[Per Gunnar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is number 0.5 in the series but it is also the only one in the series right now. It appears that the author wrote this “prequel” short story (163 pages) with the background story of the main character to test the waters for the series.

Apparently it worked since the “real” first book in the series is on pre-order on Amazon scheduled for release in March.

Bunny (yes, it’s a silly name) has been turned into a vampire against her will which is actually illegal in the vampire community. But when the vampire that turned her is a an obnoxious brat who happens to be the son of the vampire King, well the punishment is lenient to say the least.

Just to make things really peachy the, obligatory, introduction course to being a vampire is a small matter of 100 years of indentured service.

Needless to say Bunny do not want to play along.

As I mentioned this books pretty much sets the stage for the rest of the series and I think it shows promise.

Bunny is a bit of a obnoxious, lazy brat herself but not enough to make me not like her. Provisionally that is. It all depends on how the story develops.

The book is nicely written with the basic elements that you would expect from a urban fantasy book. Like vampires and stuff, snarky language and all that.

I believe I will give the “real” first book in the series a go as well before I decide on this series.

[Josephine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok so what normal female hasn’t woken up feeling like death warmed up after a very good night out?

 

Meet Bunny, after being fired because she dumped a tray of drinks on some obnoxious idiots, she goes out with friends and wakes up as a Vampire.  Before Bunny has had time to let reality sink in, she has her mother knocking on the door to her flat, a summons to meet with the Vampire King, who is not only her father’s business associate but the father of the vampire who turned her, and informed she has seven days to pack up her belongings before serving 100 years under the control of the Vampire court and if that’s not enough to deal with Franklin the vampire who turned her is sent to  protect her for those seven days!

Can Bunny find a way out of the nightmare she’s living now? Well .... You better find out for yourself!

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Heather Harris' Other series and highly recommend them. So, I was excited when she gifted this prequel to her new co-authored series with new-to-me author Jilleen Dolbeare.

The humor was similar, the writing was similar enough to keep me entertained from start to finish. By the end, I was left interested enough to want to continue on with the series.

Bunny wakes a vampire. While they are hiding from the population at large, Bunny's family has some involvement with vampires so she already knew of their existence. When she learns what's now required of her she's determined to find a way to escape the imposed servitude and psycho who turned her. With a little help, she finds an out and takes it.

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been reading this author for a bit, and I always enjoy it when an author I like starts a new author. I do worry when another author is co-writing, but I was hopeful that it would be good. Oh, my, is this good! Bunny is a fun character, and I can’t wait to find out what her new life is going to bring her. This is a spectacular beginning, and I can’t wait to read more. Now, I’m going to have to check out the co-author! Well-written, fun, entertaining prequel. Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

[Eve Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I wasn’t a huge fan of this one, I still found it enjoyable. It felt a bit shallow, and I kept wondering why the book didn’t start with Bunny being bitten in the bar, which would have made it more engaging. The initial setup was a letdown, and her reaction felt too casual.

Usually, I prefer to read prequels first, but I’m glad I saved this one for later in the series. It was interesting to compare the current Bunny and Fluffy to their past selves!

[Oleksandr Zholud · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a prequel to a humorous urban fantasy detective series about a vampire named Bunny and her dog. It is a short outline of the setting: how she was turned, how she got a German Shepherd and how she ended up in a city near the northern pole, where the following installments occur. I became interested in the series after reading a favorable review of Charles de Lint in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Vol. 146, Nos. 3 & 4, Summer 2024. So far it isn’t as good as I expected but I plan to read the first volume before finally deciding whether to read the series.

The official name of the protagonist is Elizabeth Octavia Barrington, but she thinks that the name is too pretentious and prefers Bunny, to her mom's consternation. She has an undergraduate degree in philosophy and (as philosophers usually do) has no steady job, currently working as a waitress. As the book starts, she wakes up as a vampire for the first time. Vampires are not a great secret in this world, but most people just decide to forget this topic. She cannot forget it though, for her dad works with the vampires’ king. Last night she got drunk and had a liaison with the king’s son ended up in her present situation.

It turns out that most new vampires should first serve a hundred years of indentured servitude to the king, and that her turning wasn’t an accident. She finds a dog (Fluffy) in a garbage bin and decides to run somewhere, where she won’t be found…

The pace of the story is fine and the humor is passable (I cannot say really good but ok) but the protagonist hasn’t grown on me, probably because she is much more extravert and risk-taking than me.

[Dragana · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Portlock Paranormal Detective" series caught my eye thanks to its ridiculously long book titles—which, honestly, is a marketing strategy that totally works on me. So even though I already have way too many unfinished urban fantasy series... I started another one. What’s new, right?

And I’m so glad I did! I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed "The Vampire and the Case of her Dastardly Death". The heroine is fantastic—flawed, self-aware, and actually working on herself. Plus, she’s an optimist, which is always a bonus in a genre full of brooding and doom.

My glass was determinedly half full - admittedly of blood, but even so."

Her sense of humor isn’t laugh-out-loud funny, but it has a light, clever touch that kept the story flowing and made me smile throughout.

"I had a degree in the most worthless field ever, unless you wanted to discuss the meaning of life, which everyone knows is forty-two."

I’m definitely looking forward to continuing the series.

Rating: Solid 4 stars. A great start to what might become another comfort read for me!

[Susan1566 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun quick read. Bunny (real name Elizabeth Octavia Barrington) is a spoiled rich girl who has been disowned by her parents. She is a fun loving, broke, unemployed girl who gets turned into a vampire against her will.
She is looking for a way out of the 100 years of servitude to the vampire community. With some help she is employed in the police station in Portlock Alaska.
This book deals with her escape, the dog she found abandoned, and the mystery of why she was turned.
She is a bit of a “ditz” but funny, stubborn and fairly likeable.
This works for fans of urban fantasy who like vampires, shifters, sirens and probably more.
Going onto the next book.

[Dayna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this prequel during my lunch with no shame! "Maybe I wasn't human anymore, but I was still human-adjacent, right?" And "now that I was a vampire, I could be an eternal disappointment." These two l lines set the tone for the great gallows humor that set the tone for Bunny, the MC, of this book. We learn a lot quickly about Bunny and her give not a single Eff attitude about status when it comes to being done wrong and willingness to fight for her and her dogs' freedom. Can't wait to see what awaits them in Alaska!

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG, now I have to wait ages for the next book! I’m invested now, I need to know what happens.

A new world, a new main character and it’s not the best start for her but she fights for what she wants all the way through.

Bunny gets turned into a vampire against her will and has a week’s grace to get her affairs in order before a 100 years under the Vampire King’s thumb. His son is a massive douche and she’s desperate to keep her autonomy.

Roll on the next book!

[Victoria Vassallo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book starts with a bang! Or should I say, bite!

After a terrible day, Bunny heads out with her friends to blow off some steam and get a little tipsy. What she doesn’t expect is to wake up the next morning without a hangover - or a pulse (okay, so it’s there but it’s decidedly sluggish). She’s a vampire!

Just when her week couldn’t get worse, Bunny discovers that becoming a denizen of the dead also means that she’ll be forced into 100 years of *coughcough* employment *coughcough* for the Vampire King and his less-than-endearing court.

What follows is an entertaining adventure full of witty one-liners, less than subtle subterfuge, and, most of all, hope, as Bunny fights for her freedom and her future.

As usual, Heather’s writing is fantastic and Jilleen is brilliant in her own right. Teaming up together has only served to create a one-of-a-kind collaboration that is a delight to read. I don’t highlight much when I’m reading, but this one had me catching clever one-liners constantly. My favourite was undoubtedly this one -

“I didn’t want to cause offence by accident - when I cause offence, I want it to be on purpose.”

Overall, the only bad thing about this book is that it’s over far too quickly. Thankfully Heather and Jilleen aren’t going to make us wait forever!

The next instalment, The Vampire and the Case of the Wayward Werewolf is coming out on the 1st of March 2024 so do yourself a favor and get yourself a copy so you can commiserate with me while we wait 😂

[Kim McDougall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Urban Fantasy, Vampire Thriller

This is a short prequel to the Portlock Paranormal Detective Series. I have already listened to book 1 in this series and loved it. I decided to backtrack and read about Bunny’s origin story and how she was turned into a vampire in the first place. I’m glad I did. This book gives a lot of insight into Bunny’s character and her family dynamics. I found the scene when she first found Fluffy, her German Shepherd particularly touching.

Bunny’s spirit really shines through. She’s not waiting for anyone to save her. She’ll do it herself. And this story hints at much intrigue ahead. I can’t wait to dive into book 2.

I listened to the audiobook on Kobo. The narrator is one of my favorites and really does well with emotional scenes. Also, the book is free with a Kobo Plus membership.

[Anne V · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful beginning

The first few chapters begin a bit slowly in terms of the main character being (understandably, perhaps) stuck in reaction. But she starts taking steps towards controlling her own life and showing potential for being a character whose adventures it will be fun to follow.

And there’s also a delightful dog.

Looking forward to the next instalment, wishing it wasn’t such a wait.

[Spinneretta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

This novella introduces our heroine Bunny, as she starts her new (un)life as a vampire.
It’s not the easiest of beginnings, since Bunny wasn’t exactly a willing turn; but there is definitely something weird going on!
We also get to meet Bunny’s dog, Fluffy, as he and Bunny first meet, and we find out how Bunny gets her new job.

This is a very quick read, and a fun introduction to this intriguing new world. I’m looking forward to reading about Bunny’s new life in Alaska, especially since I too am a Brit in the USA (though we don’t get 67 days of night where I live!).
Since this is a novella and introduction, we actually have some unanswered questions by the end of the book, as well as not really having met many of the Portlock characters yet- something else to look forward to.

This is an entertaining read, and an interest piquing glimpse of the series yet to come, I’ll definitely be looking forward to reading it once it’s released.

[CassieCruel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute and fangy

I’m glad I read book 1 before I read this one, a great little prequel and a great quick read!

I absolutely love Bunny and can’t wait to read more about her and her adventures in Portlock

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book about how Bunny became a vampire and got to Portlock. I am reading it after book 5 but this prequel can be read at any time in the series. I recommend this and the rest of the series and I am looking forward to reading book 6