Underdead

Underdead Mystery #1

by Liz Jasper

Underdead By Liz Jasper Science teacher Jo Gartner thinks teaching geology to hormonal pre-teens is deadly...until she is bitten by an inept vampire and becomes Underdead all the problems of being a vampire, none of the perks. When she finds a body on her classroom floor with teeth marks in his neck, she must figure out whodunnit before her Underdead secret gets out. But she's running out of time. The detective in charge of the case is dogging her every move, her vampire traits are evolving in new and embarrassing ways, and someone wants Jo dead...the traditional way!

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Vampires, Mystery, Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy, Fiction

276 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Liz Jasper's first novel, UNDERDEAD, won the 2008 EPPIE Award for Best Mystery. The sequel, UNDERDEAD IN DENIAL, was published the following year to critical acclaim. She took a brief break from humorous vampire mysteries to write the first novel in the Crimson trilogy, CRIMSON IN THE VERY WRONG FAIRY TALE Liz is hard at work on the next book in both series.

Liz's first job out of college was teaching middle school science. Apparently jealous of all the work her students got to do, she eventually went back to school to earn a couple of master's degrees and now works as a financial advisor. With this career path, writing paranormal novels is not only natural—it is necessary.

Liz lives in California near hiking trails and good public libraries, in a house where chocolate is welcome and the resident cat gets fatter and lazier every year. She loves hearing from fans. If you enjoyed this novel, please write a review.

Visit Liz at her website where you can find links to all her books and everywhere else she hangs out online: http::/lizjasper.com.

Reviews

[Joanne Moyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*s

Science teacher Jo Gartner thinks her life can not get much worse... then she meets Mr Tall Dark and Handsome at the faculty Christmas party and is smitten... kind of.. She's not sure what's going on with the attraction and later realizes that he's a vampire and has bitten her ... kind of. She's not undead and not really alive... she's Underdead. She has some vampire abilities but not really enough to do her any good
and she's not too crazy about the afflictions, like being sensitive to sunlight and suddenly craving bloody raw meat, but she manages as well as she can. When another teacher is killed at the school and she is a suspect, she decides to use what she can to clear her name and find the real killer.
Not real deep, not horror, kind of a cozy with vampires, but a bit more. Well written with fun characters and very entertaining

[Inara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jo Gartner, 22 years old and eighth grade science teacher has never met a man like Will. At the School´s boring christmas party at a restaurant she notices a gorgeous man who´s looking at her with interest and her co-workers coax her into speakingwith him. It´s a pleasurable conversation and Jo is really taken with her new acquaintance and when Will wants to give her a kiss she doesn´t really resist. But when Will suddenly bites her, Jo´s indignant, defends herself and gets away. She doesn´t know she´s been bitten by vampire and since her turning isn´t complete she´s in the awkward state of being "underdead".
This book was entertaining and it was very amusing to read how Jo deals with her suddenly developed sun allergy and her craving for raw meat. When a teacher at her school is being killed and Jo realizes that she was the intended target she decides to investigate of her own – much to the chagrin of Gavin Raines, a police officer and vampire hunter. And there is still Will who wants to finish what he started...
I really liked this book! Jo is a likeable character and lives in denial what has happened to her but Gavin helps her to face the truth. Jo´s despaired at her new state and her still existing fascination for her would-be sire Will upsets her greatly but she learns to deal with it.
It was an enjoyable book to read, funny, fast paced and with a quite suspenseful murder mystery and since I´m not very good at solving a crime I didn´t know till the end who the killer was. Of course there is no resolution between Jo, Will and Gavin and it makes me curious for the next book in this series "Underdead in Denial". Unfortunately this book is only available in e-book and as I have a natural aversion against reading at my computer, I don´t know when I will overcome this issue and start reading...
P.S.: This book is written in first person!

Website of the author: http://www.lizjasper.com/

[Beanbag Love · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paranormal mystery series about a science teacher who gets partially turned into a vampire. It's an odd combination that had its moments. Unfortunately, I felt the need to skim a lot as it just wasn't keeping my interest. The scene resolving the mystery was fairly disappointing as well. But there is an interesting relationship that seems to be building -- although there's also a triangle of sorts which is kryptonite to me as a reader -- that might be worth following to the second book.

All-in-all, I'd say it's not bad, but it has some sections that disappoint.

[Bluegravity · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alright- to begin, I know I'm being shallow, but the cover really has to go. Not only is it too childish for the storyline itself, but it does not convey the attributes, physical and otherwise, of the main character it is supposed to portray. Instead, it is a picture of a girl seemingly playing dress-up with lipstick on her teeth. I almost regretted getting it until I got to page....45? or so. The author tries to portray age and passion and all that, but it seems a little forced. As well, her "conservative" disposition seems to clash with her actual personality in the story- confusing to say the least. I do admit that the "idea" is good, but I think it really needs to be fleshed out more, especially concerning the vampire constitution and a hypothesis on her "underdead-ness"- obviously she's a science teacher, and would thus also have thought of it in this sense, no? I would think she would study herself, take notes and whatnot- being a science-nerd myself, that is obviously what I would do. Alright, enough ragging- I apologise- but this book is okay, a nice light read, but I wouldn't go out of my way to read it. The end was okay, everything got well wrapped up, but the end of the story was alittle confusing. You're reading and you're like, "WHa- what does that mean? Why is she-" and so on. If you have it, why not read it, if you don't, well- it's your choice.

[Kat Jorgensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read with great plot and interesting characters.

[Star · Rating 4 out of 5]

unique from all other vampire stories. read even if you're not a vampire fan.

[Lizi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one took me a while to complete, which is abnormal. I wasn’t hooked at any particular point. So here’s my honest review.

Jo is a middle school science teacher who is just trying to get through the year without being the subject of gossip. As the new teacher she feels as if she needs to prove herself. But when sitting at the Christmas dinner she is noticed by a very handsome man, which her friends proceed to point out. They encourage her to go near him and when she does she is drawn to him. He’s not like most superficial men. But when he suddenly takes a kiss too far Jo flips out and has to leave the party.

Following the event she hears about murders of women with similar features as hers. And when she sees that a detective is in on the vampire hunt she befriends him. Detective Gavin encourages Jo not to take any chances outdoors. And as she begins developing half-vampire symptoms she finds that to be the least of her worries. She is becoming a detective herself. Keeping her eyes and ears open around the school for any leads. But that means stepping into the gossip pool. And soon one of her coworkers turns up dead so rumors start to swirl. Gossip is a give and take deal. And now Jo is very popular.

As she struggles with her messed up skin, blurry eyesight, and sensitivity to sunlight Jo attempts to carry on a normal life. So….What’s my issue with this one you may ask? Well, I found her quite dull. She goes to work, goes home. Goes to work, goes home. Back and forth with nothing shocking happening. Pretty boy vampire guy appears maybe three times in the entire story with hardly any input aside from a short chat then vanishing. And though I was slightly interested to hear about her finding new clues, I was disappointed that some things seemed to fall through the cracks. You don’t hear about any more vampire murders after the initial couple. Nothing seems to come together until the very end, which is typical of a mystery I know, and it seems like it is grasping at straws. And I couldn’t connect with the sudden mood swings she or Gavin were having seemingly without cause.

And though I had issues with it I can’t help but wonder if this is one of those “first books“. And what I mean by that is that in the first book of a series often an author feels the need to explain all necessary information. Which, in turn, can make a first book quite dull or confusing. So I am planning to take on the second one to see if that is the case. (If you still don’t understand the “first book” concept read The Host By Stephenie Meyer. Awesome story, really difficult beginning to understand, as if a “first book”.) Who knows, it may turn my opinion around, which I really hope it does.

I’m still looking forward to the second one. But as it currently stands I would have to give this book a four out of a possible ten. Though I enjoyed trying to piece the puzzle together and find out who knew Jo’s secret some of the ending just didn’t add up. The ending is the main point where it really picked up and I almost couldn’t put it down. But don’t just take my word for it, take the time.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jo is an 8th grade earth science teacher, gorgeous, redheaded, single, with a tiny apartment, a huge workload and a love life which is DOA. Then, a chance meeting at a deathly boring work night out puts her in the arms and clutches of Will, a compelling, tall dark stranger, and a kiss turns into something more exciting, terrifying and confusing than anything Jo has ever endured, but will she survive it?

I loved this story. I love the supernatural books, vamps, supes, werewolves etc but this one immediately struck me as different. Jo is not the typical damsel in distress, dressed up to the nines and screaming for her life at every turn. She wears sweats, bakes, eats chocolate, moans to herself about her co-workers and works too much. I used to live alone as a workaholic with no love life, and now I am a student teacher with a husband and two rampaging toddlers at home, so Jo struck a chord with me, both as a teacher with work to do, and as a singleton watching TV eating my body weight in chocolate and being very happy to do so.

Will is a vampire, Gavin is a cop with a hatred for him and all their kind, yet both guys have certain charms and appeal and obvious designs on Jo, whether unspoken or not.

Then there is a murder in her classroom, and suddenly Jo does not know which way to turn, and who to trust....all this coupled with her weird colleagues, martyr mother, and you have a witty, funny read with more than enough mystery, intrigue and romantic tension to keep you reading till the last page....I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am already reading the sequel UNDERDEAD IN DENIAL, and I hear that the author is working on Book 3....keep them coming Liz!

4 stars! Rachel Dove, The Kindle Book Review

[Annette M Guerriero Nishimoto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Today's review is on Underdead by Liz Jasper

I will be the first to admit that I often like to take a break from my normal paranormal flavor of books to enjoy one a little less serious and with a little more snark. Underdead fits that bill.

When Jo Gartner; an eighth-grade science teacher; is bitten by the stunningly, handsome Will, she thinks that she may have contracted AIDS or some other disease only to be assured by the ER that all is as it should be. When she suddenly becomes allergic to the sun and the garlic on shrimp scampi sends her running to the bathroom, she's not so sure.

Detective Gavin Raines, is the only person that knows what has happened to Jo and promises her that the police will protect her. When a teacher is murdered in her classroom however, Jo is more scared than ever. Did Will kill the other teacher? She doesn't know, but she intends to find out by doing her own sleuthing.

In between trying to solve the mystery surrounding her friends death and coming to terms with being one of the undead, Jo realizes that though she is not a full vampire she may slowly be becoming one.

She is also trying to get a firm grasp on how she really feels about Will. She is fighting against the blood bond between the two of them and hating him for turning her into a "monster". (Though personally I would rather she get together with Gavin.)

Though not quite a bestseller, Underdead is a good first book. It just needs a little more of this and a little less of that, given a good spit and polish and who knows. I'll just have to read the second book to see how the author has grown.

3 of 5 stars

[A Voracious Reader (a.k.a. Carol) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jo Gartner is an 8th grade science teacher out to dinner with the Science Dept. when she meets a hot, handsome hunk named Will. They discuss books for awhile then all of a sudden Will kisses her leaving Jo under his spell. Literally. When he bites her neck she comes to her senses and with a few well-placed jabs gets away from him.

She wakes up the next morning in her own apartment with no idea how she got there, but she feels as if she’s been on a ten-day bender. When she walks out to her living room a strange man is there, explaining he was the taxi driver, Gavin Raines, who brought her home and he was worried about leaving her apartment without being able to lock the deadbolt for her. Fuzzy in the head, she accepts his explanation then kicks him out. Her life gets extremely weird after that.

Smooth-flowing, excellent writing, very funny, with well-rounded characters and a murder mystery I had a hard time solving. I really enjoyed reading about Jo’s experience in being what she calls underdead. Technically, she’s not human and she’s not a vampire, but stuck between two worlds. She doesn’t want to be a vampire, so she’s doing everything she can to live a normal, human, life. Even if she can’t go out in the sun or the only cravings she has is for chocolate, coffee and very rare red meat.

I look forward to reading more in this series!

*The author provided a copy of this book to me for review. Please see disclaimer page on my blog.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. Jo Gartner is a middle school Earth Science teacher. So not only does she have to deal with pre-teens but all the fun stuff that comes with being a teacher, like faculty Christmas parties. She finds herself, with the "help" of her Chemistry teacher friend Becky meeting an incredibly attractive man named Will, who after a few minutes of conversation bites her! What follows next is a pretty standard crime cozy with the added problems of the now "underdead" Jo. Not a vampire, but not 100% human anymore. Jo has to deal with her new issues, like a sun allergy, a murdered who has Jo in their sights & seems to know her secret, Will, her magnetic would-be maker, Gavin Raines-the police detective set to protect her or stake her if necassary & still find time to grade.

It was a nice premise, but I found myself kinda bored throughout a majority of the story. Once I got to the last quarter of the book though I was really into it. Jo is a great character, she is incredibly realistic & her transition is fun to watch. Will-the vampire & Gavin, the man looking to destroy Will & protect Jo are both pretty enigmatic characters. All of the tertiary characters (mainly Jo's teacher friends & Jo's mother) are really well developed.

All in all it was a nice starting book for a series if you can get through it & there is more than enough there to continue for several books. Worth a shot & only $2.99 on the Kindle

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very promising first book in what I hope becomes a long term series. It did have some minor editing problems but nothing that will make you run screaming. The lack of sexual tension was refreshing to me, since this particular genre is filled with that. I won't say that there is no interest between the sexes, but Ms Jasper is going to (at least it seems to me) take her time in building the relationships first, the sexual stuff seems secondary or even tertiary. I love that because it will give us time to figure out just who we want Jo to end up with.

So early in the series and the character of Jo is already nicely fleshed out, the Vampires have remained for the most part in the back-ground so we don't know a whole lot about them. Gavin, the cop who is hunting the vampires is about half way fleshed out and I anticipate le3arning more with the next book.

This book was fairly fast paced, funny, witty, frustrating, and while sometimes cliched, it has a lot of moments where the story being told is fresh and fun.

This is something that most anyone can read and feel perfectly comfortable with.

Enjoy!

[Linda Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Middle school science teacher Jo Gartner is having a faculty Christmas party to remember. It starts with a boring speech by the department head and end with an interlude on the balcony that leaves her bitten on the neck and partially turned into a vampire. The sun allergies and disappearing reflection are only part of her problems. When a fellow science teacher ends up dead, she becomes the prime suspect and an object of rumor and innuendo.

Underdead is a quirky mystery set against the backdrop of an exclusive private school. Jo is the perfect heroine--she's smart, funny and not at all in love with the idea of going full-on vamp--which makes the attraction triangle between the vampire Will and Detective Gavin Raines all the more fun, in a stake her or take her kind of way. With an eclectic supporting cast, Ms. Jasper has penned a wonderful cozy mystery with a very unique twist.

Underdead is the first book in a series well worth reading.

[Mara · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 1/2

I'm not sure if this is a self pub book. In theory it has a publisher, but there are too many typos and missing words to be considered edited.

The story is cute, even if the plot is at times confusing. Both the mystery and the story surrounding the vamps are less then clear. The ending (with the culprit revealed) was particularly weird for me.

This is mostly a chick-lit kind of book: fun and fluffy. With the exception of Jo, all the other characters were mostly one-dimensional and in more than one instance the story went from fluffy to downright stupid. Moreover the entire book has a YA feel, above all because the teachers behave as teens.

If you like light UF I'll suggest you try it. My review is influenced by my tastes than run on the darker side.

From my friend Nyasa I'd like to know if science teachers are really that competitive and if schools are really such a hotspot of gossip. :P

[Lisa Maddison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the premise of the story, a young science teacher is a christmas party and bored, so when a friend comments that a handsome stranger is checking her out, she decides to take advantage of the situation to get away from some of her co-workers. Unfortunately the handsome strangers is someone she is not expecting a vampire and when he bites her and she is able to get away but later finds out that she is slowly be turned into a vampire herself, this teacher doesn't know what to do. When a detective tells her to be aware, she starts to worry about the vampire coming back to get her, but is not prepared when one of her co-workers is killed and killer seems to be coming after her. The book has great writing, nice mystery, a lot of knowledge of teaching middle school adolescents, and the great story-line of a 22 year old worried about turning into a vampire. It adds great fun and the supporting cast is great. A nice story and fun read.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

My friend left her e-reader at our house after a party and while snooping I found the Underdead series. I'll admit I was a little hesitant wondering how on earth a middle school teacher be entertaining but man was I wrong. I completely fell in love with Jo who was oblivious to her own appeal, a science geek and a stress baker. She was quirky without being over the top and I found myself giggling and laughing during this book enough that my husband gave me a weird look as he was walking past the living room. I read the first book straight through and it was totally worth the pins and needles in my arms and legs when I finally stood up. I cannot wait for the 3rd book.

[Kribu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled a bit with this at first - the beginning felt a little rough and I wasn't sure I was going to like it - but I ended up enjoying Underdead a fair bit.

It's pretty light and fluffy, which is a big reason why I'm not rounding my 3.5 stars up to four, and could have done with some tighter editing at times, but it was a fun, decent read. I liked the school setting, and while none of the characters really jumped out at me as being incredibly well-drawn, they weren't completely flat either.

[Bitten_by_Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

When first year eighth grade science teacher Jo Gartner is bitten by a vampire named Will, he expects her to turn. She does…somewhat. Jo develops a craving for rare meat and a nasty allergy to the sun but is not a full vampire...

For the entire review please go to the Best Paranormal & Urban Fantasy Review site on the web, Bitten By Books for the review of Underdead in it's entirety. You won't be sorry.

[Jesse Kimmel-Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liz Jasper really takes the modern vampire and spins it on its head with this book. Her story is unique, original, and a great read. The characters are real, and could easily be people that you are neighbors with. I love the fact that Jo is a science teacher and who wouldn't want a Gavin in their life? It was an excellent paced book. I highly recommend it. I cannot wait to read the next one. I hope that she continues to write more with Jo and Gavin in the future!

[Jesse Kimmel-Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liz Jasper really takes the modern vampire and spins it on its head with this book. Her story is unique, original, and a great read. The characters are real, and could easily be people that you are neighbors with. I love the fact that Jo is a science teacher and who wouldn't want a Gavin in their life? It was an excellent paced book. I highly recommend it. I cannot wait to read the next one. I hope that she continues to write more with Jo and Gavin in the future!

[Eileen Magill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to hear Liz Jasper read from her book at the Sisters in Crime Showcase. I was intrigued by the concept and got the books. I have just finished Underdead, the first in the series, and LOVED it. It has a fresh take on the old classic vampire novel, with enough humor without getting silly. I highly recommend this series! I am very hesitant to give 5 stars for reviews, but I enjoyed every aspect of this story, so it gets a 5. I can't wait to get started on book 2 now.

[Lenore Kosinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not even sure how to describe it...it was definitely funny, but also dark at times. A sort of realistic take on vampires in the real world maybe...or rather how you would react after being bitten. Hmmm...not even sure that is what I think, but I really loved it. Just describing some of the scenes to my husband made me giggle. Looking forward to the sequel.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens if you have a run in with vampire, but don't quite make the change? What if you're a high school teacher and have to still keep living your life?

Then you are Underdead.

Great premise, wonderful main character. Readable, fun, complex characters.

I will be reading the rest of the series.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was cute, light, easy to read stuff. It didn't tax my brain too much or make me ponder anything really. The characters were nice, the mystery was slightly predictable and I found myself caring less about the mystery and more about the main character who was cute and likable. Overall, something I will probably read more of when this is the sort of story I want.

[Dianna Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a former third grade teacher this book is one of my all time favorite vampire books. The main char. is well developed and I the reader is drawn into the world. I would rank this book up next to, Sunshine.

[Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished this book last night and I thought it was ok. I'm not into the paranormal but thought I would try a book. It just seemed to start off weird and seemed to be full of cliche's about vampires.

It isn't a horrible read but I just didn't get into it like I do most other books.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to score this one very high because it was well written and was one of the best vampire books I have read. I get tired of the same old, look into his eyes and fall madly in love. Nice read and I'll be reading the next book.

[Carolin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Underdead was special. In a good way. It doesn't follow the ordinary pattern for this kind of book, which makes it a interesting read. A real page-turner, despite the lack of "fighting enormous monster until I almost dies".

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romance, mystery and vampires! What more do you need in a paranormal read? I loved this book!

[Mary Buckham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laughed out loud even as I was cheering the characters on - fun, fast, an enjoyable romp of a read!