Hell on Heels

Quincy Harker #1.3

by John G. Hartness

You think your family has baggage? Quincy Harker has to not only deal with his uncle's psychotic vampire ex-minion Augustus Renfield, but there's a new Vampire Hunter in town, and her name is Van Helsing! It's not a good day for a foul-mouthed magic-using demon hunter, and it gets worse when the original Renfield kidnaps the current Renfield to lure Harker and his Uncle Luke (you can call him Dracula if you prefer) into an ambush.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Fantasy, Vampires, Novella, Supernatural, Magic

103 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 29, 2015

About the author

John G. Hartness is a teller of tales, a righter of wrong, defender of ladies’ virtues, and some people call him Maurice, for he speaks of the pompatus of love.

He is also the award-winning author of the urban fantasy series The Black Knight Chronicles (Bell Bridge Books), the Bubba the Monster Hunter comedic horror series, the Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter dark fantasy series, and many other projects.

In 2016, John teamed up with a pair of other publishing industry ne’er-do-wells and founded Falstaff Books, a small press dedicated to publishing the best of genre fictions “misfit toys.”
In his copious free time John enjoys long walks on the beach, rescuing kittens from trees and playing Magic: the Gathering.

For free short stories and to follow his activities and appearances on his newsletter, follow this link - http://eepurl.com/fV4In

Reviews

[Rellim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: This has been bundled into the Quincy Harker Omnibus Volume 1 - ebook & audio.

Another fun one. Harker has a new frenemy when he teams up with another demon hunter, a past Renfield stirs up trouble, current Renfield tries to help, and even Uncle Luke gets involved. I love how Hartness is slowly unfolding more of Harker’s history with each novella.

These continue to be fast paced, lots of action, and snarky fun.

Narration:
Foster continues to be perfect at the helm of this series. I enjoy Hartness’ writing, but I don’t think I would do it justice reading it to myself. Such a fun and easy listen.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

for full review visit One Book Two at http://wp.me/p5Q4Dh-Py

Augustus Renfield is the very first manservant to Dracula....uh...Uncle Luke. He was promised by Uncle Luke that after a certain number of years of being his errand boy he'd be turned. I'll be darned if the bat crap crazy Dracula can recognize another farther gone individual because he flat out refused. You know what happens when you tell a total psycho no? He gets revenge - it might take him awhile and several tries - but he keeps coming. He gathers minions, he sucks off old vamps to get more power and gets crazier by the minute. Quincy says he can't take him.
THEN VanHelsing's great grand daughter comes to town. Quincy has his hands full.

This book was fun - a little gory, but fun.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This!

Now this is how you write a freaking monster-ass kicking story! Hell of Heels is the third novella in the Quincy Harker series. And my favorite so far! You know how you have to pay extra for the center meat of a watermelon because it is the best part. Well, this story is like that. Hartness took a novel's worth of story and carved out the best part of it. Not sure why the melon comparison, but I love watermelon so made sense at the time.

Action packed from start to finish. Every character is strong, snarky, fun and I love them all, even the big bad. Not to mention a clever take on the whole Dracula/Harker/Renfield/Van Helsing stories.

Quote from book. Everytime Quincy Harker speaks it contains many, many colorful words so if you want to read just highlight it .
5 "We are Pitchfork" Sheep
http://www.ismellsheep.com/2015/08/bo...

[Vakaris the Nosferatu · Rating 5 out of 5]

all reviews in one place:
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu

About the Book: Someone’s hunting in Uncle Luke’s territory, dramatically turning victims into vampires. It would be an understandable event, just another vampire trying to butt-in on other vampire’s territory. But it just so happens that Uncle Luke is no other than Dracula, Vlad the Impaler himself. And there’s only one idiot ballsy enough to believe he can take on the vampire from books and legends…

My Opinion: This is a very funny and badass book, full of supernatural fights, flawed characters, and exemplary writing style. Seriously if you love vampires, if you love Dracula, but are tired from all the romances, and would rather have something in Supernatural series style, this is it.

Yep, loved it. Can recommend if you just want a funny little break, for it’s like no pages at all, and it gets a firm 5 out of 5 from me.

[Ken Finlay · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Hell on Heels", third in the Quincy Harker series, introduces two new characters - Augustus Renfield, Dracula's original, servant and Gabby van Helsing, the great granddaughter of vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing.
Renfield, who Dracula refused to turn into a vampire as promised, found another way and has become a tremendously powerful vampire in his own right, as well as being stark raving bonkers. He and Dracula (aka uncle Luke) have unfinished business.
Gabby has followed in the family tradition and hunts the creatures of the night with gusto.
Quincy, Van Helsing, Flynn and Smith (who'd thunk that he's a, no that would be giving too much away!) must track Augustus to his lair before all hell breaks loose in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Great fun.
As with the entire series it makes a lot of sense to have read the original 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker - if you haven't you will be missing out on a lot of the fun.
3.5 Stars raised to 4 Stars.

[Justin Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not really sure what there is to say about this book series that I haven't all ready said before. Even now, 3 books in, despite the shortness of these books, I'm still very much into them. Just like the previous 2 books in this series, Hell On Heels brings a different element into the books, even if it will end up being short lived all things considered. This time around the Great Granddaughter of Abraham Van Helsing pops into town shortly after things have gone south for Quincy & Co. In the end, things end on a solid note, without any unnecessary cliff hangers. I look forward to book 4 & beyond.

[Brian Mcclain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great entry, Quincy's cleaning up a job, is given another job, and runs into none other than Gabby Van Helsing the great granddaughter of the legendary vampire hunter who "killed Dracula". Balancing that new and obviously testy relationship is the sub plot as they take on a new threat that happens to be from some of their pasts.

[JM · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read the "Year One" collection, and then had a chance to listen to the audiobook. The guy reading it did a great job, performing the characters and not merely reading the text. Made it more fun than text version. His Quincy sounds even more like a self-aware asshole than he does in my mind.

[Trevor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harker and the team return, this time they are up against a vampire, who has history with Uncle 'Dracula' Luke. Again another good story, which also casts a look back into Harker's past and deepens the mystery around who or what Smith is.

[Johnny King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Augustus renfield decides to make an appearance, a great-granddaughter of Van Helsing tries to make short work of Quincy and speaking of Quincy, he blows up a building and helps leave another littered with bodies and blood. I very much enjoyed this and laughed out loud more than once.

[Karsyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun and enjoyable. Not as good as the first, better than the 2nd. I like Quincy, he's great. :)

[Donna Halloran · Rating 4 out of 5]

see previous

[Dena · Rating 4 out of 5]

audio

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

DRACULA AND VAN HELSING

What a great story. I love the characters and a spin on a old story. Its made me want to start reading more.

[Charl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the title was a bit of an exaggeration; Gabby wasn't that bad. Just dedicated to what she thought was the best course of action.

[Mai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still reading. One more to go.

[Fee · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great series! In this part there’s a new, great temporary (?) team member. There are also new revelations about the existing team. So the backstory evolves and that keeps it interesting

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A "Want To Read" Goals list read.

[Nannette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audible Review
Hell on Heels: A Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter Novella
Written by: John G. Hartness
Narrated by: James Foster
Length: 2 hrs and 47 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:01-15-16
Publisher: Falstaff Media

The Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter series, is still going strong in Hell on Heels, the third title in the series. Harker and Detective Flynn have had changes in their relationship, a very slow building of trust and possibly a hint of friendship. Quincy’s language and attitude both remain foul, especially before, during and after any breath he takes.

The entity Quincy is fighting in this book is Renfield. Not that Renfield, the original. This is one of his successors. When you are Count Dracula, you do not have to remember servants names. You just call them all by their predecessors name. Makes life easier. Unfortunately one of the previous Renfield was disturbed, more than bug eating disturbed and has come back to seek revenge on the Count, or as Harker calls his, Uncle Luke. Disturbed Renfield has no problem with killing present Reinfeld to get his revenge on his former employer. Harker and Flynn are working together to help Dracula. With that the story is off and running and like others has great action and pacing.

When I wrote my review of the Kindle version of Hell on Heels, I stated, “The only way this book could have been any better is if it had been an audiobook read by James Foster.” And I was right. I enjoyed reading the book but listening to it narrated by James Foster is the difference between smelling chocolate cookies and eating them. His narration of the Quincy Harker series takes a two dimensional page and makes it three dimensional. He breathes life into the characters on the pages.

I received a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for a fair review.

Kindle Review
The third installment in the Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter series, Hell on Hells, is just as strong as the previous two. Harker and Detective Flynn have had changes in their relationship. Although they are starting to work together, Quincy in no way softens up. His language and attitude both remain foul. The adversary in this book is Renfield. Not that Renfield. This is one of his successors. When you are Count Dracula, you do not have to remember servants names. You just call them all by their predecessors name. Makes life easier. Unfortunately one of the previous Renfield was disturbed, more than bug eating disturbed and has come back to seek revenge on the Count, or as Harker calls his, Uncle Luke. This story like the others has great action and pacing. It also advances the characters and helps the reader understand how they arrived where they are. The only way this book could have been any better is if it had been an audio book read by James Foster.

I bought the Kindle edition.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

(This is a solid 4.5 star novella. I am reviewing the audiobook, available from Audible...)
Hell on Heels is a novella in a series of novellas (so far). Personally, I haven't read/listened to any of the others yet but I did just add "Raising Hell" (the 1st novella in the series) to my wishlist. I didn't have any trouble following this story, even though I had not read any of the other novellas. The protagonist is a half-vampire hunter of the bad things that go bump in the night. He is also a funny smartass and I took an instant liking to him at the first paragraph.

First the story: very engaging. Mr Hartness did an outstanding job of grabbing my attention immediately and making me want to finish this 3hr story in one sitting. He accomplished this with witty dialogue, an interesting and fast paced plot, and concise world building. Personally, I don't do many short stories or novellas; I prefer 12+hr stories that offer plenty of opportunity for expounding on characters and setting so I was prepared to give Hell on Heels one strike from the get/go for the shortness. I am happy to say Mr Hartness didn't need that extra space/time to tell a complete story but I needed it simply cause I was enjoying the ride and didn't want it to stop.

Now for the audio performance: If you are an audiophile like me, then you understand how special it is when the book you are listening to has the perfect narrator. The book could have a great narrator but just not the right choice for that book. Well, somebody chose the perfect narrator for this book and that combination of a very good story told very well results in a listening experience greater than the sum of its parts. I have been trying to think of the proper word to describe that feeling that comes from that perfect combination and I think "giddiness" comes closest: that feeling of finding valuable jewelry in a dresser in the basement you haven't opened in years.

In closing, Hell On Heels is a very worthy candidate for your hard earned money. It has humor, vampires (and not the sparkily angst ones either), and a fast paced, well written story. I just wish the story could have been twice the duration.

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast.

[AudioBookReviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My original Hell on Heels audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

Hell on Heels is the third installment of the crass and humorous Quincy Harker, half vampire demon hunter. If you have listened to the previous audiobooks in this series of novella, do yourself a favor and get this one too. You will not be disappointed. If you haven’t, not sure why you wouldn’t, but if you haven’t listened to any of these stories. You will be happy to know that they all could stand alone as individual novels and you would not miss much.

Hartness has found the precarious balance between paranormal story lines, with fantastical scenarios. With humor bordering on pubescent slapstick without going grade school. Creating characters that carry much more depth than you would expect in shorter stories.

In this installment, there is a new, err, old vampire in Quincy’s town. Uncle Luke will not stand for this. Especially because this vampire in town is a Renfield and a former servant who has found a way to become immortal. If that wasn’t enough, there’s a new vampire hunter in town too. The fight scenes are very well choreographed.

In Hell on Heels, Hartness gives us so much more background information on Quincy. All of the information I have been craving. While I know I have said this before. But, I want a full blown Quincy Harker full length novel, so bad.

This is the best book in the series so far! It has it all, action, humor, vampire battles, vampire vs half-vampire, half-vampire vs human, and intrigue. This one really captured my imagination.

James Foster once again brings harmony to a plethora of different characters. Ranging from young females to centuries old vampires. He does it all with a style that I have come to expect from Foster. Quickening the pace for the action bits, slowing down for the meaningful bits. This is one of my favorite things that any narrator can do with a story.

Audiobook was provided for review the narrator.

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars Audible Edition

This was an excellent addition to the Quincy Harker series. It is fast paced, action packed, laugh out loud funny and entertaining as hell. We get to learn more about our interesting cast of characters in this installment and we are introduced to a new character. Gabriela Van Helsing.

Quincy Harker is one of the best characters I have read in a long time and that is due, in part, to James Foster’s narration. He brings Quincy to life with his foul mouth, snarky attitude and heart of gold. Well, maybe not gold but he’s still a good guy at heart. I love this series and highly recommend it to fans of Urban Fantasy/Paranormal.

**This audiobook was provided by Audiobookblast dot com in exchange for an honest review.**

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little followup that's written in the vein of a "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" Episodic, (or something similar of the like), this is the third book, which I didn't realize until I was 2-3 chapters in (I'll have to back and read the second.) The writing is a bit crisper than the first, with a bit less of the good old 4-letter emphasis used as a dash on every page. Gives some history of the characters, and plays out Q. Harker basically leaving the heavy lifting to another character (I don't know is this is a thread throughout, but in books one and three, it's how things end.)

If it's the usual schtick, I'm sure it'll wear thin in time, but the overall writing is good enough for me to jump back to book 2, and then move forward.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quincy Harker is trying to keep his town free of demons. Det. Bex Flynn is a human working with Quincy and a Homeland Security guy going by the name of John Smith. There's a new vampire in town leaving a trail of undead and wanting to kill Dracula, Quincy's uncle. Enter a new vampire slayer, a young woman by the name of VanHelsing. With lots of snarky humor, this novella makes a nice break from reality.
James Foster is really great as the narrative voice of Quincy Harker.

[Amy Parrish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read!

This is the third Quincy Harker story and it did not disappoint. The action moved nicely and we learn more about Quincy and Uncle Luke.
The Kindle edition also includes a short story by Gail Z. And Larry Martin called Resurrection Night. It is steampunk with animated corpses and lots of neat gadgets. Fans of Gail's other works, such as The Summoner or Deadly Curiosities series won't be disappointed.

[Erin Penn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuing my journey with Quincy Harker, I get a blast from Uncle Luke's past. The FIRST Renfield, who is even more crazy than what the Stoker book said, and Van Helsing, well his great-granddaughter, who is every bit as determine to kill vampires as old Abraham. They are both in town at the same time, looking for one old man who Quincy calls Uncle.

A marvelous ode to the original storyline while undeniably Quincy Harker.

(Read through Kindle Unlimited)

[Rodger Nelson]

I find this series pretty amusing.. The whole premise is interesting and the author just keeps throwing in new characters with links to folk lore. I wonder how this series will continue.