Hard Day's Knight (Black Knight Chronicles, #1)

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Hard Day's Knight (Black Knight Chronicles #1)

by John G. Hartness (Goodreads Author)

3.67 of 5 stars 3.67 · rating details · 488 ratings · 85 reviews

Children are missing.

The police are stumped.

Halloween is coming, with an ancient evil on the horizon.

The vampires are the good guys.

This is not your ordinary fall weekend in Charlotte, NC. Vampire private detectives Jimmy Black and Greg Knightwood have been hired to keep a young client from being cursed for all eternity, but end up in a bigger mess than they ever imagi...more

Paperback, 196 pages

Published October 21st 2010 by Createspace

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Sep 30, 2011 Rane rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, keeper

There’s nothing better then having a great laugh and Hard’s Day Knight was packed full of humor and action with two adorable vampire leads in Jimmy Black and Greg Knightwood. Both are just your avenge vampire joes who happen to get themselves into some major trouble without trying very hard.
John Hartness created a fun world with vampires and your everyday creatures of the night just trying to make an everyday living, while trying not to get staked in the progress. Much of the world was based...more
There’s nothing better then having a great laugh and Hard’s Day Knight was packed full of humor and action with two adorable vampire leads in Jimmy Black and Greg Knightwood. Both are just your avenge vampire joes who happen to get themselves into some major trouble without trying very hard.
John Hartness created a fun world with vampires and your everyday creatures of the night just trying to make an everyday living, while trying not to get staked in the progress. Much of the world was based on the old school lore of vampires, with a few questions some have asked and never have gotten an answered to like How do vampires have sex or do vampires poop?

""Hey guys, is it true you can't, you know, get it up unless you've fed recently? I mean it makes sense, it is a blood flow thing." Cue sound effect of crickets chirping"

These burning questions are sorta answered by our vampire detective duo, which after being turned decided that the vampire life sucked, and wanted to help others. With the help of their bf priest (aka Dad) Mike- Jimmy and Greg go out to fight crime. And pretty much get their ass kick and do a little ass kicking themselves. We first meet our duo when Jimmy is tied up by a punk teen whose been cursed by a witch, sadly their new case isn’t as cut as dry when they find out there maybe a demon involved whose out to bring hell to earth..Jimmy and Greg just can’t get a break!

""For a skinny little gamer-geek he'd done a good job tying me up. I guess that's another thing we can thank the Internet for -- unlimited access to fetish porn has improved the knot-tying ability of men who can't get dates.”

Fun and past paced this book will have you laughing and enjoying the action, the story was very easy to get into with Jimmy’s voice very enjoyable with his thoughts and sense of humor. While the story was quick there was two glaring troubles in the book.

Not all perfect-grammar-wise myself there were a few typos that were pretty stand-out and a info dump of Greg and Jimmy’s past and being turned to vampires that could have been spread throughout the story then just laid out for the reader in one big chunk.

Even with the few little bumps along the way, the book turned out to just down right fun!

""...we're detective vampires. We're the good guys. Like Batman, only with dietary restrictions."
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Oct 27, 2012 Robot rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Wow.

First off I feel there are two pertinent pieces of information I must share for this review. First, I love Jim Butcher's Dresden Files; it's my absolute favorite series and within the series is my favorite book. Secondly, I really am on the verge of hating vampires. I think they are overused and have become glorified sex obsessed humans in recent literature.

What's the point in knowing those two pieces of information? Well, the main characters in this book were vampires and I thought it [Ha...more Wow.

First off I feel there are two pertinent pieces of information I must share for this review. First, I love Jim Butcher's Dresden Files; it's my absolute favorite series and within the series is my favorite book. Secondly, I really am on the verge of hating vampires. I think they are overused and have become glorified sex obsessed humans in recent literature.

What's the point in knowing those two pieces of information? Well, the main characters in this book were vampires and I thought it [Hard Day's Knight] was on par with Butcher's Dresden Files. Now, that should give a bit of perspective on just how impressed I was with this novel.

I'm also moving the sequel to this onto my "release day read" list and on said day I will probably gobble it up in one sitting like I did with this one.

What makes this book so great was the characters. It's a relatively small cast for this first book, but they were all great. James Black, the character who's [whom?] we read the book through, is just plain awesome. Ya know, I've read so many urban fantasy novels and I'll keep reading them, but one of the main problems I see in these books is that the protagonist is always made out to be a badass. The authors go on and on about how awesome their character is and why - usually because of some clothing or weapons they carry or some traumatic past experience, but in the end it's always rubbish. Their characters are supposed to be these great, just plain ol' badasses, but they never are. This is where John Hartness excels with his characters. He doesn't need to talk about how awesome they are describe every pain staking detail about them, he let's their actions and their words speak for them. What Hartness has created here, is a genuine, monster ass-kicking badass.

His partner, Greg Knightwood, is equally awesome. He's a goofy, lovable vampire that you'll not expect much from at first, but will grow to really enjoy. He is definitely a great match for James Black. In fact, he's more than the typical sidekick and doesn't suffer from being left out of the spotlight. We've also got their friend Mike the priest, Phil the fallen angel, Lilith the ultimate feminist, and Sabrina the straight as a razor's edge detective. So that's the cast of the good guys, or the mostly good guys, and they seem like types of characters used before you say? Well, yes, we've seen these types of characters before, but we've seen every character type before. The different here is that Hartness has managed to actually capture what's great about them and make the characters feel real. They're not just forced cliches an author feels he or she needs to include in their book. They are real characters.

As for the story, it's your hero saving the day by having his butt kicked and then proceeding to kick some butt himself. It's simple, but effective and doesn't suffer from a convoluted plot or forced cliches. It's just good fun. What's also nice is that there were little things here and there that feel like hints of what could come in later stories. Mr Hartness has done what many authors have forgotten about - foreshadowing. He didn't try to throw every single idea into one book, but opted to show you that he had more ideas ready. Another great thing about the story, or characters?, was that there was stupidly, out of place sex scene thrown in for kicks. I love an author that understands that sex does not make for a more interesting book. I can't begin to describe how happy I was to not have to read about sex. Oh, and no true love at first site BS in this novel either.

Oh there's even a small appearance by God and ya know what? It's not groan worthy and is actually very touching - and that's coming from an atheist.

Only bad thing I can say about the book is that there were a few noticeable errors in the grammar department. I would have also liked to see a little less of the game references. Don't get me wrong, I love my 360, but for some reason I just didn't want to read about it. Maybe it's because it was just some of the largest gaming series listed... a lesser known title here or there would have me believing the guys actually played it. (less)

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May 09, 2013 J. S. Turner rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-read

4 1/2 STARS

What a fun and enjoyable read Hard Day's Knight turned out to be! I had almost given up hope on the entire genre. Either the vampires sparkled, or they were romantic heartthrobs or brooding fools. Book #1 of the Black Knight Chronicles is none of those. Hartness takes a part of Buffy, a part of Angel (without the brooding), a sprinkle of Kick Ass and a dash of Zombieland, kneads like so and bakes a laugh out loud vampire tale.

Jimmy and Greg are not your "average vampires". Their best...more

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Mar 30, 2012 Ami rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy-with-male-protagonist

3.5 stars

My mood deteriorated even further when I heard a voice behind me say “It’s about time you woke up, bloodsucker.” I mean, seriously, why do people have to be so rude? It’s a condition, like freckles. I’m a vampire. Deal with it. But we can do without the slurs, thank you very much.

With that kind of narration in the first chapter, I am hooked :). I really must thank Goodreads because it has given me so many recommendations. I stumble into this title when I'm browsing book recs on the righ...more 3.5 stars

My mood deteriorated even further when I heard a voice behind me say “It’s about time you woke up, bloodsucker.” I mean, seriously, why do people have to be so rude? It’s a condition, like freckles. I’m a vampire. Deal with it. But we can do without the slurs, thank you very much.

With that kind of narration in the first chapter, I am hooked :). I really must thank Goodreads because it has given me so many recommendations. I stumble into this title when I'm browsing book recs on the right side, when I'm writing my review on one urban fantasy book. Seeing that this is with male lead (which is rare) and only cost $0.9 at Amazon.com, I figure, heck, why not?!

James Black is a vampire -- he's 36 years old, but was turned when he was 22, so he looks young. His partner at Black Knight Investigation is Gregory W. Knightswood IV, James's best friend, who's good with computers. Oh, yes, when they were turned into vampires, they DID NOT change into handsome vampires (or sparkle :p), but stayed on the last condition they were in. So James still has skinny frame and Grey is still pudgy.

The two vampires are the good guys (although James admit that he still likes to drink directly from human). They have a priest, Mike, as friend (who used to part of their gang, before James and Greg turned into vampire). They ocassionally ask help from fallen angel, Phil, who also owns a strip club. And in this story, they are trying to find missing kids, who turn out to be part of sacrifice plan to get a high-power demon into Earth. To complicate matter, is a female detective, Sabrina Law, who is hot on the case.

The book is choc with hilarity, especially the first several chapters. I chuckle along, reading quips after quips coming from James. Though after they investigation moves along, I feel like it sort of losing the 'fun'. Then again, they're facing a very powerful demon, so it has to be serious.

A couple of reviews are pointing out the plot-holes; but I'm never good with details, so I don't pay big attention to that. However, one thing does feel a bit over-the-top ((view spoiler)) and the sort-of path to romance in the end feels forced. But in overall, this is a good read, and entertaining for under 200 pages. I will probably check the next title.
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Aug 12, 2011 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars

First off, you have to respect a book and, by extension, an author who credits a series of amazing teachers in the dedication of the book. I'm just saying.

Second, one thing that the world needs more of (and I am not being sarcastic so do not look at me like that) is snarky vampires. The world of vampire books has a sad tendency to take itself very seriously and to be Seriously Unamused if others don't share that seriousness. Hard Day's Knight does not suffer from this affliction, and reading the...more First off, you have to respect a book and, by extension, an author who credits a series of amazing teachers in the dedication of the book. I'm just saying.

Second, one thing that the world needs more of (and I am not being sarcastic so do not look at me like that) is snarky vampires. The world of vampire books has a sad tendency to take itself very seriously and to be Seriously Unamused if others don't share that seriousness. Hard Day's Knight does not suffer from this affliction, and reading the story was an excellent way to pass time if I may say so myself.

Vampire Jimmy Black is having an unfortunately bad day when we first meet him. He's been abducted by an obnoxious weasel of a guy who's managed through bullying and general insensitivity to piss off a seriously powerful witch. The witch laid a death curse on him and his entire family, and Jimmy turns to his partner in robot detective business, Greg Knightwood, to mastermind an escape. The plot thickens as it becomes apparent that this isn't schoolyard heartache at all, but seriously bad news for everyone.

The dynamics between Jimmy, Greg, and their friend, Father Mike (they call him Dad) are awesome. They were friends in high school, and now they have a working relationship that includes trying to solve mysteries. They snark, they argue, they make fun of each other; every page was full of excellent one liners and I really enjoyed watching them get their digs in at one another. Take this gem, from a sparring match where the issue of Greg being a dork has just come up:

“Dude, you still wear Underoos. Your geek-fu is so much stronger than mine it’s ridiculous. You are the Mister Miyagi of geek-fu. You are the geek ninja. You are the first person in history to be granted a P.H.Geek from Oxdork University."

Love it! Jimmy and Greg's retelling of how they became vampires is my favorite "being turned into a vampire" backstory I've come across so far. As Jimmy and Greg barreled towards dealing with the bad guy and saving the day I couldn't help but get more excited as to how they would figure it all out, or hell, if they would figure it out.

People who take their vampire stories super seriously will probably develop a case of hurt butt over this story, but that just makes it better in my opinion. Anything that simultaneously lampoons a genre and celebrates it at the same time is excellent in my book.

This is the perfect summer book- smart, funny, snarky (have I mentioned this book is snarky?), and adventurous, with just enough self-reflection to keep things on track. We learn a lot about Jimmy, Greg, and Mike, and I was happy to learn that the second book, Back in Black, is already available so I can keep reading. It doesn't get better than that!(less)

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May 21, 2011 Tishia (Paranormal Opinion) rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have to say that this is not the type of book I usually read. I love paranormal - but usually go for the romantic/steamy type. I think this book is the funniest book I've ever read! Hard Day's Knight is about a couple of vampire detectives named Jimmy and Greg who seem to have a knack for getting themselves into a lot of trouble. These are not your typical suave and sexy vampires. These are basically a couple of dorky guys who just happen to have vampire speed and strength. It's a nice change...more

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May 14, 2011 Mel Windham rated it 4 of 5 stars

"Hard Day's Knight" is the first of a series. It features a duo of vampire detectives. Even though they are damned souls, they still have good hearts - or at least what's left of their heart. It turns out that some things about vampires are true, and other things are just myths. I'll give you one clue. As John Hartness says, they don't twinkle in the sunlight.

The story reminds me of the "Dresden Files" television show. (I hear the Butcher books are better than the show. I haven't read them, but...more

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May 11, 2011 Celia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: celia-can-read

Storyline: Beatles’ fans can relax! No groupies were harmed in the reading of this book! Hard Day’s Knight Vol 1 written by John Hartness is a surprisingly refreshing take on the sudden interest in all things fang and blood sucking related.

Jimmy and his best friend, Greg, are detectives who also happen to moonlight (Get it! HA!) as vampires. They are, or were, two 20somethings with only a minimal life outside of videogames, being nerds and just flying below the radar… until they were turned into...more Storyline: Beatles’ fans can relax! No groupies were harmed in the reading of this book! Hard Day’s Knight Vol 1 written by John Hartness is a surprisingly refreshing take on the sudden interest in all things fang and blood sucking related.

Jimmy and his best friend, Greg, are detectives who also happen to moonlight (Get it! HA!) as vampires. They are, or were, two 20somethings with only a minimal life outside of videogames, being nerds and just flying below the radar… until they were turned into vampires and decided to be good guys. Now, they may have bitten (Oh my God! Somebody STOP me! HA!) off more than they can swallow!

It appears that someone or something is kidnapping children in Charlotte, NC for a Halloween ritual that will undoubtedly end poorly for everyone inovolved. Jimmy and Greg, along with the best friend come priest, Mike, must figure out how to stop the dead from rising, the world from ending and the police from arresting them before time runs out.

Grammar/Spelling: I noticed a couple of punctuation issues throughout. Hardly worth mentioning.

Character Development: The story is told from Jimmy’s sarcastic and twisted perspective. He’s quick to point out that his strengths (or weaknesses – depending on if someone finds him funny or not) lay in his humor, quick-thinking and his loyalty to Greg and Mike. Jimmy is also more of the action “man” in their partnership; whereas Greg is more the brains of the operation. They definitely have a symbiotic relationship. As much as they would deny it… Both of these guys could be friends of mine – hell! I probably DO have friends like this!

Writing Style: From beginning to end, Jimmy’s flowing narrative carries the reader from his unfortunate kidnapping to fighting zombies in the middle of town. I really enjoyed the swipes that he took at the more *ahem* sparkly of his brethren and dispelled a lot of misconceptions that are associated with creatures of the night. Mr. Hartness does a phenomenal job with keeping the story fluid (HA! ANOTHER vampire pun! It’s like I have a SICKNESS!) and contemporary with enough pop culture references to keep it current without overdoing it.

The story contains adult language, violence and situations. So, it’s not for everyone.

Continuity: No issues with continuity.

Overall Rating: 5

I really enjoyed this book and believe that Hard Day’s Night Vol. 1 will be a wonderfully entertaining series. Mr. John Hartness has written a fang-tastic (Last one…I promise!) vampire novel that isn’t just an ordinary self-loathing, angst-ridden story about a sad vampire who is just trying to fit in. He’s started a vampire detective series that I hope has many volumes! (less)

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Apr 04, 2011 Grace Krispy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This first novel in the "Black Knight" series by John Hartness, "Hard Day's Knight" is a humorous, tongue-in-cheek look at the underworld. Gorgeous vampires with perfect teeth and sparkly skin? Not in this book. Jimmy and Greg are dorky and, unfortunately, joining the undead didn't improve upon their looks at all. Never knew a vampire could be a little chunky? Well, now you do. Sometimes clever, sometimes just plain silly, this book never fails to entertain. Jimmy's got sarcasm oozing from his p...more

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Apr 15, 2011 Karissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I got this book to read for a blog tour sponsered by Bookish Snob Promotions. It sounded right up my alley and was a very fun read. Definitely a lot of satire here, a lot of witty (or not so witty) banter, and a lot of action.

Jimmy Black and his buddy Greg are vampires, they aren't very old and they have recently been licensed as private investigators. When a teenage boy hires them to stop a teenage girl from cursing him and his family the Black Knight investigtors stumble into something much mo...more I got this book to read for a blog tour sponsered by Bookish Snob Promotions. It sounded right up my alley and was a very fun read. Definitely a lot of satire here, a lot of witty (or not so witty) banter, and a lot of action.

Jimmy Black and his buddy Greg are vampires, they aren't very old and they have recently been licensed as private investigators. When a teenage boy hires them to stop a teenage girl from cursing him and his family the Black Knight investigtors stumble into something much more dangerous than teenage witch. Suddenly they are being chased by demon possessed children, fighting zombies, and hunting down a real baddie of a demon.

This was a hilarious book. The book is very satiric and pokes fun at both modern vampire literature (Twilight and others) and traditional vampire myths. Jimmy has a quip every couple lines and Greg is a pudgy vampires with a penchant for comic books. They are both hilarious and yet somehow still manage to make the book feel heartfelt at points.

All of the characters are fairly well (if a bit over) characterized. The action bits are very well done and make the action easy to visualize. The plot is well put together and engaging as well. This is a solid humor filled urban fantasy investigation type of story.

Within the book the author diverges from the story a bit, once it's to tell the history of how Jimmy and Greg became undead and another time to talk about the angel Phil's fall from heaven. These asides were well-done but the transitions felt a bit awkward to me. At times the story goes to the point of being a little too over the top, but not often and not so horribly that it becomes irritating. My only other quibble is the world-building here is very loose; we don't get much of idea about anything outside of Jimmy and Greg and their lives. I would have liked to learn more about the world they live in.

Overall very funny and a well-written light read about vamps and possessed demon children (I know that sounds weird..but...that's what it is). If you like satire, sarcasm, and laugh a minutes banter then this is the book for you. It is especially heavy on the vampire satire and there are a lot of pop culture references in here that span many age groups. Check it out for a good laugh and a tongue-in-cheek investigation and mystery.(less)

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Jun 12, 2011 Crystal ♥ RBtWBC rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: request-blog-tour

Hard Day’s Knight is a fantastically humorous novel about two vampire detectives that aren’t at all the tall, dark, handsome or sparkling vampires that you’ve come to expect from today’s paranormal novels.

When Detective Jimmy Black wakes up tied to a chair with silver the last thing he expects is to find a young man intent on having Jimmy change him over. But the teen is desperate, thinking himself cursed by a witch and his whole family in danger because of his teasing actions. So Jimmy and his...more

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Apr 06, 2011 Scott rated it 5 of 5 stars

Hard Day's Knight is the story of two vampires who have a detective agency. They are also best friends with a priest and try not to feed on people often. Jimmie and Greg take a simple job that ends up being much more complex then they ever imagined. They end up fighting demons, clashing with the local police, dealing with witches, and consorting with fallen angels. Their often outrageous banter had me laughing out loud several times while reading the book and sharing several quotes with my wife....more

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Jun 24, 2011 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

This is not your typical vampire tale and I love that about it! Vampires that are also private investigators is an interesting premise and the story lives up to my expectation and then exceeds it! I love when a story can make me laugh and Hard Day’s Knight did that! I also loved that this was not a story about how sexy vampires are, these guys are just regular guys that have been turned to vampires, a fun change of pace.

Jimmy and Greg also make a great duo, a fun friendship like this is pretty r...more

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Aug 10, 2011 Michelle Potter rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance

This book has plot holes you can drive a truck through. A Mack truck. First off, the vampire lore, what we are given and what we see, is full of contradictions. Midway through the book we are told that vampires do not sleep like the dead, but that makes the kidnapping in the first chapter totally inexplicable. We're told that vampires do not have supernatural agility, then they do. One of the main characters spends most of the book tripping over his own feet, then pulls off some impressive gymna...more This book has plot holes you can drive a truck through. A Mack truck. First off, the vampire lore, what we are given and what we see, is full of contradictions. Midway through the book we are told that vampires do not sleep like the dead, but that makes the kidnapping in the first chapter totally inexplicable. We're told that vampires do not have supernatural agility, then they do. One of the main characters spends most of the book tripping over his own feet, then pulls off some impressive gymnastics in the final scene. And apparently vampire strength comes and goes on a minute by minute basis: first our hero can't break a plastic chair, then he crushes a pair of solid metal handcuffs into a little ball. First he gets beat up by a girl, then he lifts her, and her chair, into the air with one hand.

There are other contradictions, like why did Detective Law have to go buy a cross necklace, when she was described as already wearing one? And there are a ton of dangling plot points. What happened to Tommy? The little girl witch? The little girls in the forest? Detective Law and the vampire mojo? Lilith and the supposed danger of drinking her blood? Were we just supposed to forget all of these?

But it was really the ending that did it for me - or rather, didn't. First off, they found the bad guys because there was one link between the missing children, but then we find out that she wasn't even involved when the kids disappeared?? How does that make sense? Then, something important happens to explain how we can expect a happy ending - but the author totally forgets to tell us it happened. He just refers to it later like we're supposed to know. Trust me, I flipped back and read it again, and he didn't mention it. Finally, worst of all, one of the main problems apparently doesn't get resolved, and no one seems to notice! It's not a little thing, either! I kept waiting for a footnote to say, oh and that got worked out, but nothing!

All in all, this book was a major waste of an evening. My husband keeps saying the second one is better, but I'm seriously doubting that I'm even going to give it a chance.

Oh, and one other thing. 5'9" is not short, and definitely not comparable to Danny Devito. Devito is 4'9"! (less)

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Jul 18, 2011 Michele Minor rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-books

This book is a good book where two every day type of guys who happen to be vampires try to save the city of Charlotte from an evil spirit who is kidnapping the children of Charlotte. The action in the book is fast paced and the two main vampires in the book are characters that everyone can relate to. Even the female Detective in the book is believable as a hard nose police detective who has a hard time in believing the two vampires at first. The book is written from a Catholic slant and the two...more

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May 31, 2011 Jessica at Book Sake rated it 3 of 5 stars

Right off the bat, the humor in this book is what hooked me. Straight up and serious vampires have their place in books too, but I love getting a departure that feels more like we are entering Whedon-verse than hohumville. While not everyone will love the type of humor that resides in the humor – there will be a great many fans that will be devouring the pages quickly and left wanting more.

The vampire heroes have a very unlikely friend in the priest, which adds to the offbeat attitude that the e...more

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Apr 23, 2011 Cathy Lail rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Private investigators that are vampires? Seriously? When I picked up this read, I was pretty certain it would be a simple, predictable, and sometimes humorous read. Since it's not the type of book I'd usually reach for, what really surprised me is how much I enjoyed this book!

Hartness writes the story in a way that's easy to follow and his view of typical vampire characteristics is refreshing. Even the most challenging parts of the story were easy to keep up with. The Black and Knightwood pair m...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Meg rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: noir-fusion

The first chapter is painfully rough and repetitive. Many things are mentioned in first person exposition and then stated in speech immediately after. Writing quality improves as book goes on, but remains rough. The strong first person voice is both the only thing carrying the narrative at points and yet completely annoying at others.

Greg, the overweight best friend vampire, is both amusing and kind of sad as a character. His defining features are being a vampire, a nerd, and overweight. He is...more

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Jan 31, 2011 L.C. Evans rated it 5 of 5 stars

Detectives Jimmy and Greg have a problem. They're vampires. This limits their work hours, but they manage. Jimmy, the narrator, is smart-mouthed and funny and kept me laughing with his snarky one-liners. Greg is his best friend and is more of a thinker than a doer, but he's there to come to the rescue when Jimmy needs him. The guys live in Charlotte, NC, where they have to solve a case involving missing children. And witches and demons. The demons are trying to take over the world. The witches h...more

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May 29, 2013 minervasowl rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: angels-and-or-demons, urban-fantasy, vampire

If Goodreads allowed half stars, I would rate this book with three and a half stars.

It's a fun read about a pair of PI vampires -- James (prefers Jimmy) Black and Greg Knightwood -- who take what seems like a simple case of tracking down a kid dabbling in witchcraft and end up uncovering a demonic plot to take over the world. Along with their best friend Mike, a devout Catholic priest, they set out to foil the plot, recruiting a fallen angel, Adam's first wife, and a ball-busting police detectiv...more

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Jun 08, 2011 Jeannette rated it 4 of 5 stars

After several rides on the emotional roller coaster from other books; this book was just what I needed! It was hilarious. One nice thing about reading something written by a guy is you don't have a lot of repetitive descriptions of how good looking this character is or how flawless that character is. Hard Day's Knight is about two oddballs that happen to be vampire detectives. The fact that they are vampires & dectectives doesn't lessen their geekiness in any way. Their affinity for video ga...more

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May 26, 2011 Mandy rated it 5 of 5 stars

I put off writing this review because any words I put together would not do this book the justice it deserves. The writing is amazing. The main characters, two vampires who were turned in the mid-90s, and stayed the exact way they were then, are hilarious! James Black and Greg Knightswood form Black Knight Investigations. They are normal, everyday kind-of guys that I would probably love hanging out with. They play video games, read comic books, are not physically perfect, steal to get by, and de...more

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Jun 09, 2011 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: secrets-reviewed, paranormal, first-in-a-series

This was an interesting take on the vampire novel. The characters, Jimmy and Greg, are not your typical tall, dark and sexy vampires. They are average, men with average physiques who just happened to be vampires. They are best friends who live in a basement apartment and like to play video games and drink beer.

Sharp, witty dialogue keeps this book moving at a steady pace and the action kept me engaged and interested. The story is interesting, combining vampires, witches and demons from Hell. Th...more

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May 24, 2011 Stacy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: from-publisher-author

Reviewed by http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blo...

I gave it 3.5 stars

It took me a bit to get into HARD DAY'S KNIGHT but it ended up being pleasantly entertaining. There is a ton of sarcasm and humor and the author did a good job with making fun of the typical vampire myths. The private detectives Jimmy and Greg are not your typical vampires, I found them to be a bit nerdy and determined to be the good guys. They were a good team and I enjoyed the bantering between them. There was a lot of thin...more

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May 13, 2011 Morgan rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 28, 2011 jD rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2_kindle_own, 6_new-series, 5_novella, vamps-funny, 2011-read

This book caught me totally off guard. I had started it over a month ago and stopped about 10% in when I discovered two things that worried me – it’s YA and its 1st person POV. My last trip into the mind of a young adult was Bella from Twilight. I was not going back without a fight. I went back because Iron Druid had redeemed my belief in the possibility that a narrator, though youthful, could tell me a detailed, mature story. So…I was partly right.

Jimmy Black and Greg Knightwood are vampires in...more This book caught me totally off guard. I had started it over a month ago and stopped about 10% in when I discovered two things that worried me – it’s YA and its 1st person POV. My last trip into the mind of a young adult was Bella from Twilight. I was not going back without a fight. I went back because Iron Druid had redeemed my belief in the possibility that a narrator, though youthful, could tell me a detailed, mature story. So…I was partly right.

Jimmy Black and Greg Knightwood are vampires in their early twenties or slightly out of their teens. For males, it’s hard to tell sometimes. They live in Charlotte, NC and have a private investigation business. The story starts with Jimmy finding himself kidnapped by a distressed teenager begging to be turned to save himself from a curse which is worst than being undead. Jimmy is saved by Greg and they decide to help the kid out. Everything goes to hell really fast from there and it becomes as much about survival as solving the mystery of a dozen missing kids.

What I loved about this book was the humor (adolescent though it was) it was laugh out loud funny at some points. As a matter of fact, I felt the writer enjoyed these characters and wanted me to have fun with them too. With this thought in mind, I took my ‘serious’ hat off and just let Jimmy’s smart mouth tickle my mind. For example his little speech on why he would not turn the desperate teen.

“Because I don’t turn people. Because this life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Because you’d miss all those romantical sunsets you probably write maudlin poetry about. Because it’s not fair to the ecosystem to add another predator. Because we don’t really sparkle. All of the above. None of the above. Pick a reason, kid, any reason you like. I’m not turning you.”

Although we don’t hear Greg’s voice, we get to know him pretty well through Jimmy’s eyes. This can be tricky sometimes with 1st person but I felt the needed details were present. On the other hand, the supporting characters in the overall story were one dimensional because Jimmy is not introspective or mature in how he views other people. That’s one of the reasons first person doesn’t always work and why I took off one star.

Although not as polished, I highly recommend 'Hard Day's Knight' to fans of Jim Butcher (Author), Simon R Green, and Kevin Hearne. It’s not romantic, poetic, or emotionally engaging. It’s just a really fun book for those who can appreciate the style. The plot is smart, fast paced, and extremely well conceived. It does not feel like a novella. I felt like I had read a full size novel based on the sheer number of plot twist. It’s also a creature fest – we have a little of everything going on. I was never an adolescent boy but I felt I understood Jimmy. The pop culture references were well placed and frequently used which added to realism to Jimmy’s life and experiences. I will keep up with this series and this author for certain.

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May 17, 2011 Wenj rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2011, for-review

Review provided by Black Lagoon Reviews:

Hard Day's Knight, the first novel in the Black Knight Chronicles by John G. Hartness, was something of a pleasant surprise. Fun, witty and above all else utterly entertaining, this novel had me laughing within minutes and completely engaged by the characters. Written with wit and a healthy dose of sarcasm, this novel has been touted to appeal to fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Dresden Files, and as a fan of both, I whole heartedly agree!

First, le...more Review provided by Black Lagoon Reviews:

Hard Day's Knight, the first novel in the Black Knight Chronicles by John G. Hartness, was something of a pleasant surprise. Fun, witty and above all else utterly entertaining, this novel had me laughing within minutes and completely engaged by the characters. Written with wit and a healthy dose of sarcasm, this novel has been touted to appeal to fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Dresden Files, and as a fan of both, I whole heartedly agree!

First, let me start with the writing. It was fun, fluid and fresh managing to capture the darker world of vampires while making them utterly human and lovable. But, still there was a great sense of mystery and adventure about the story keeping it quick and interesting. The premise was well developed with lots of great aspects and elements spanning from a mere vampire tale to one that delves in to greater demons, fallen angels, zombies, creepy child minion demons and even a quick cameo by the Man Upstairs himself. With such a wide range of creatures, the story still maintains a great focus and wraps up the tale nicely while still leaving the reader wanting more of this dynamic duo.

The characters themselves were wonderful! I really adored them and their subtle quality of dorkdom. And honestly, who doesn't think the suave creature of the night thing is a bit tired. Okay, so definitely not, but still, this was a fresh approach creating a duo of vampires that I really, really loved. They had fun personalities and I enjoyed all of the pop culture references. Truly, if most vampires are ones that you would want to date and fall in to bed with, then these are the two vampires you would most want as friends. The fun banter between them, even the story of their creation, was just plain entertaining and the chemistry between them was wonderful. And there's even a splash of romance in the form of tough as nails detective reminiscent of Murphy from Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files. And really, all of the characters were just as unique and interesting, from the good guys to the 'client'.

The world building was just as well done bringing to life a dark and mysterious Charlotte filled with all sorts of things that went bump in the night. While the atmosphere is mostly fairly light hearted, there is an overlying sense of doom coming, but this is in no way a 'dark' tale. I've seen it posted that fans of Buffy the Vampires Slayer and the Dresden Files will enjoy this series, and I couldn't agree more as a fan of both fandoms. It has a lot of the same qualities bringing to life a supernatural environment that still manages to be fun and dangerous at the same time.

Honestly, this is one of the best books that I've read this year and certainly a new series that I will additively be following from here on out. Hartness has a great voice and writing style that I loved, and my only complaint about the novel? It was too short. Seriously, that's it. So, needless to say, I highly recommend this novella to any one who loves Urban Fantasy with some great humor!

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Jul 14, 2011 Kribu rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action, detective, fantasy, vampires, humour

The rating is really more like a 3.5 on this ... but I enjoyed most of it a lot and it was only really the ending I didn't care for all that much, and I'm in a good mood, so four stars it is.

I suspect this is the sort of book that one can easily dislike, if one doesn't care for the narrative voice - it's sort of borderline between funny and irritating - but it suited the book well and a distinctive narrative voice is always a good thing to have, especially in a first person narrative.

Anyway, fun...more

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Jan 01, 2011 Elise rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people with a taste for paranormal humor.

Oh God, it's even better than The Chosen. This is so much fun it should be illegal.

Love this book, love, love, love it!

"I hate waking up in an unfamiliar place. I’ve slept in pretty much the same bed for the past fifteen years, so when I wake up someplace new, it really throws me off. When that someplace is tied to a metal folding chair in the center of an abandoned warehouse that reeks of stale cigarette smoke, diesel fuel and axle grease - well, that really started my night off on a sparkling...more

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Aug 18, 2011 Valerie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Detectives? Good. Vampire detectives? Even better. And, they are kind of dorks? Count me in!

I tried this on my Kindle reader as a lark, partly because of the bargain price. What I found was a sardonic page turner that was worth more than I've paid for many novels throughout the years.

While Hartness made it clear that this was to be the first in a series, he still provided a complete story that can stand on its own. Kudos to him for that. Even though I did not need to rely on the next book to fin...more

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About John G. Hartness

John Hartness is a recovering theatre geek and award-winning poet from Charlotte, NC. He is the author of The Black Knight Chronicles urban fantasy series, featuring snarky, non-sparkly vampires with bad attitudes and comic book collections to rival Stan Lee's!

A graduate of Winthrop University, John has spent twenty years in some form of theatre, from performing and directing to designing and prod...more

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Books by John G. Hartness

Back In Black (Black Knight Chronicles, #2)

Knight Moves (Black Knight Chronicles, #3)

Voodoo Children - A Bubba the Monster Hunter Short Story

Movie Knight (Black Knight Chronicles Short Story)

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Quotes from Hard Day's Knight

“Because we don't really sparkle.” — 7 people liked it

“GREG ANNOUNCES HIS RESEARCH AS TO WHAT IS GOING ON:
'Alright I have a theory " he announced rejoining us and taking a healthy slug of scotch himself. "And if I'm right we're going to need more booze. And more ammo. And maybe an extra priest.” — 3 people liked it

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Hard Day's Knight (Black Knight Chronicles #1)

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