Dakota Shelton is a cowboy unhappy to be in NYC. Dakota, who has also been a vampire for the past 50 years, works as a sentry, some sort of policeman for the supernatural government, the Presidium. Punkette Trixie LaRoux has been on his radar ever since he laid his eyes on her, two years before; although they're as different as can be, she intrigues him. Trixie has made the wrong decisions during her human life, and since becoming a vampire, she tries not to repeat mistakes that got her in trouble the first time around, so she shuns intimacy with almost everyone. Avoiding Dakota is not easy; he always seems to be around, and upon hearing her friends say she and Dakota might be bloodmates, fated mates, she refuses to believe it. It would explain the attraction she feels for the cowboy, even if he ruffles her feathers. Trixie's friends have noticed she has been disappearing recently for short amounts of time, and they ask Dakota to check up on her and see what she's hiding. Trixie resents his snooping, but Dakota discovers disturbing things and Trixie begins to see another side of him...

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE VAMPIRE is the latest instalment in the Dead in the City series, and if some subtleties might escape a newcomer, it won't affect the overall enjoyment of this highly entertaining book. THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE VAMPIRE starts off at a leisurely pace as Dakota attempts to court Trixie. I liked both characters very much, they are very engaging, and Dakota is irresistible: he is a gentleman, he's very understanding, and I love how he behaved towards the skittish Trixie. I was very pleasantly surprised at how the bloodmate situation evolved: even though it's nearly an inescapable situation, there was no instantaneous lust-fest. Dakota, although a bit reluctant at first, soon sees the benefits of not being alone in the world anymore, but Trixie needs much more convincing because of her past.

When the reason for Trixie's disappearing act is revealed, the pace picks up big-time, and things become very exciting: secrets are revealed, relationships between characters change drastically, and I believe Ms. Humphreys can add many more instalments to this series without things ever getting stale. The writing flows smoothly, the dialogues are often inspired, and the romance is simply delectable; Sara Humphreys' winning streak continues!