What do you think?
Rate this book
Hellfire Universe #2
Speakeasy Dead
Bright Young DEAD Things
Have Clara Woodsen's attempts to save her silent film idol from an untimely death unleashed a zombie plague? Or are her speakeasy customers just really bad at dancing the Charleston?
Speakeasy manager Clara Woodsen will do anything to save her silent film idol from an untimely death. Even summon a demon. Even bet her soul she can teach his half-human/half-cheetah assistant to foxtrot. But Clara's devotion is tested when the love of her life turns out to be one of the walking dead. What's more, people around her are beginning to act strange.
Have Clara's efforts unleashed a zombie plague? Or are her customers just really bad at dancing the Charleston? And can Clara find true happiness with the man of her dreams if she uses her...brains?
A P.G. Wodehouse-Inspired Romantic Zombie Comedy
Have Clara Woodsen's attempts to save her silent film idol from an untimely death unleashed a zombie plague? Or are her speakeasy customers just really bad at dancing the Charleston?
Speakeasy manager Clara Woodsen will do anything to save her silent film idol from an untimely death. Even summon a demon. Even bet her soul she can teach his half-human/half-cheetah assistant to foxtrot. But Clara's devotion is tested when the love of her life turns out to be one of the walking dead. What's more, people around her are beginning to act strange.
Have Clara's efforts unleashed a zombie plague? Or are her customers just really bad at dancing the Charleston? And can Clara find true happiness with the man of her dreams if she uses her...brains?
A P.G. Wodehouse-Inspired Romantic Zombie Comedy
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 9, 2013
1 person is currently reading
134 people want to read
About the author
Vicky Loebel
12 books38 followersVicky Loebel began her professional life as a systems programmer for NASA and moved through successively more challenging careers before settling in as a writer of tightly-plotted, romantic fiction. She lives on the slopes of Mt. Lemmon, AZ with her sister, three dogs, a rotating assortment of children, and a husband who has the patience of a saint.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 27, 2017
I expected more. I should have stopped reading it as soon as I realised one of the protagonists is a seventeen year old girl. I am rarely lucky with those. Clara is not very likeable, to put it mildly. I hated her. Bernie is the other point of view in this story and his chapters are a bit better, but he never gets to shine.
There are some things and views that belong to this age and not in 1920s and some others too, but I won't waste my time writing about that.
There are some things and views that belong to this age and not in 1920s and some others too, but I won't waste my time writing about that.
October 8, 2013
Let's just call this book what it is - Brilliant! Speakeasy Dead is full of humor, the subtle intelligent kind, and it is a fast paced read with witty characters that are absolutely endearing. Vicky Loebel is a writer I greatly admire because her writing reads effortlessly. This was my first time reading anything zombie related but I picked it up because I enjoyed Loebel's other book, Keys to the Coven, so much. I surprised myself by how easily I could slip into the world of zombies and demons, witches and warlocks, so I can only imagine how much other readers who like anything zombie related are going to love this. Read it. You're in for a treat.
January 12, 2015
Yay! This is the first book I finished in 2015 and it was awesome.- If I was a believer of signs, I'd say that this is going to be an awesome year for reading!!!
April 7, 2017
Think of the romantic comedies of P. G. Wodehouse, and toss in bootleggers, zombies, witches, warlocks, ghosts, demons, and sex. Not too much sex, though, PG-13 or so, and just a little bit of goriness. Zombies, after all. The humor is excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
November 13, 2016
Mobsters and zombies, witches and warlocks, golems and ghosts, dance contests and prohibition liquor, embalming fluid and some literary license....this is a unique, fun read that had me smiling through most of it. Very enjoyable read.
May 22, 2018
A clever story, well written and entertaining.
March 26, 2017
Note: This book and it’s loosely tied-in sequel, Keys to the Coven, can each work just fine as stand alones.
Set in Falstaff, Arizona in the 1920s during Prohibition, the Woodsens run a speakeasy bar and also sell some of their surplus alcohol to others. Now a Chicago-based mob is trying to move in and run the alcohol trade. They will be surprised at how little pushing it takes to upset a witch. Meanwhile, the youngest of the Woodsen cousins, teen Clara, is desperate to save her beloved movie star Beau Beauregard. She’s willing to break some rules in the name of true love (or her first crush). Her older cousin, Bernard (Bernie) Benjamin, is just the guy to help her out, even if he has to be lured to the basement and tied to the center of a pentagram. Demons and zombies have never had so much fun as they will during the dance competition!
Once again, Vicky Loebel has given me something original and very funny. There’s a bit of sexy (though it’s pretty PG-13 for this book) as well. Clara is a driven character who’s young enough to not know to look at the bigger picture when it comes to love, yet old enough to have just enough responsibility and autonomy to get into big trouble. She’s dead set on saving her ‘beloved’ Beau even if he has no idea she exists (and that’s because they’ve never met). She’s even willing to become a warlock by summoning a demon and striking a bargain with it. Hans is the handsome demon that appears and somehow he talks things around so that his demon familiar, Ruth, will enter a dance contest. The pit just gets deeper from there on out.
With the Chicago mob, Bernie and his personal schemes, Gladys the Golem, Beau’s resentment over the whole mess, zombies, stolen booze, and an older Woodsen sibling arriving soonish, Clara really does have her hands full. It was so funny! There’s plenty of clever lines and each person really has their own agenda in mind. Clara wants love from Beau, and to not get caught. Bernie doesn’t want to die a horrible death (which is surely what will happen when Clara’s older witch sisters find out about this whole mess). The mob want their booze, the money, and control (and they seem constantly surprised when that doesn’t happen easily). Beau is quite angry with his situation and Clara is totally surprised by what he truly wants. Gladys just wants to get back to housekeeping.
I really enjoyed the various magical elements. There’s the demon Hans and his familiar Ruth which have their intricate little dos and don’ts. Then Gladys who is a Golem and rather protective of young Bernie. One of Clara’s best friends is a ghost whisperer and she has a ghost familiar (Gaspar, complete with Spanish accent). Loebel manages to pull each one into the storyline seamlessly. Moreover, she gives each one rules to work with and she keeps them within those rules. With a comedy, it would be easy to have these various magical folk breaking rules, so I appreciated that once the author laid down a law of this is how this type of magic works, she kept her characters in line.
I did quite enjoy all the flirty, sexy behavior that popped up here and there. Demons love to trade on sex because it builds up their karma, which is basically spiritual coinage. Clara knows all this from her older witch sisters and her book on demons. Yet when the offers are made to her, she’s tempted. Bernie isn’t as naive but he’s not as well-schooled as he likes to pretend either. Ruth, being a large hunting cat most of the time, has a sexy confidence all the time, even when she’s totally mangling her dance partner’s foot during practice. There’s plenty of wit and humor with the sexy bits, making them just as fun as the rest of the book.
Having listened to both audiobook set in this urban fantasy world, I really hope Loebel gives us more. The humor is a bit unique and I love the mix of serious situations, magic, and laughter. Not everyone makes it out of this story unscathed. In many ways, Clara comes of age in this tale. Loved it and looking forward to more of it!
I received a free copy of this book.
Narration: Emily Beresford and Nick Podehl once again did a great job on this book. Even though they voiced totally different characters for Keys to the Coven, I read them far enough apart that I didn’t have character echos in my head, as can sometimes happen when you listen to books set in the same universe that have different characters yet the same narrators. These two are great with all the emotions and also delivering straight lines so the humor is left hanging there for the reader/listener to catch even as the story moves onward.
Set in Falstaff, Arizona in the 1920s during Prohibition, the Woodsens run a speakeasy bar and also sell some of their surplus alcohol to others. Now a Chicago-based mob is trying to move in and run the alcohol trade. They will be surprised at how little pushing it takes to upset a witch. Meanwhile, the youngest of the Woodsen cousins, teen Clara, is desperate to save her beloved movie star Beau Beauregard. She’s willing to break some rules in the name of true love (or her first crush). Her older cousin, Bernard (Bernie) Benjamin, is just the guy to help her out, even if he has to be lured to the basement and tied to the center of a pentagram. Demons and zombies have never had so much fun as they will during the dance competition!
Once again, Vicky Loebel has given me something original and very funny. There’s a bit of sexy (though it’s pretty PG-13 for this book) as well. Clara is a driven character who’s young enough to not know to look at the bigger picture when it comes to love, yet old enough to have just enough responsibility and autonomy to get into big trouble. She’s dead set on saving her ‘beloved’ Beau even if he has no idea she exists (and that’s because they’ve never met). She’s even willing to become a warlock by summoning a demon and striking a bargain with it. Hans is the handsome demon that appears and somehow he talks things around so that his demon familiar, Ruth, will enter a dance contest. The pit just gets deeper from there on out.
With the Chicago mob, Bernie and his personal schemes, Gladys the Golem, Beau’s resentment over the whole mess, zombies, stolen booze, and an older Woodsen sibling arriving soonish, Clara really does have her hands full. It was so funny! There’s plenty of clever lines and each person really has their own agenda in mind. Clara wants love from Beau, and to not get caught. Bernie doesn’t want to die a horrible death (which is surely what will happen when Clara’s older witch sisters find out about this whole mess). The mob want their booze, the money, and control (and they seem constantly surprised when that doesn’t happen easily). Beau is quite angry with his situation and Clara is totally surprised by what he truly wants. Gladys just wants to get back to housekeeping.
I really enjoyed the various magical elements. There’s the demon Hans and his familiar Ruth which have their intricate little dos and don’ts. Then Gladys who is a Golem and rather protective of young Bernie. One of Clara’s best friends is a ghost whisperer and she has a ghost familiar (Gaspar, complete with Spanish accent). Loebel manages to pull each one into the storyline seamlessly. Moreover, she gives each one rules to work with and she keeps them within those rules. With a comedy, it would be easy to have these various magical folk breaking rules, so I appreciated that once the author laid down a law of this is how this type of magic works, she kept her characters in line.
I did quite enjoy all the flirty, sexy behavior that popped up here and there. Demons love to trade on sex because it builds up their karma, which is basically spiritual coinage. Clara knows all this from her older witch sisters and her book on demons. Yet when the offers are made to her, she’s tempted. Bernie isn’t as naive but he’s not as well-schooled as he likes to pretend either. Ruth, being a large hunting cat most of the time, has a sexy confidence all the time, even when she’s totally mangling her dance partner’s foot during practice. There’s plenty of wit and humor with the sexy bits, making them just as fun as the rest of the book.
Having listened to both audiobook set in this urban fantasy world, I really hope Loebel gives us more. The humor is a bit unique and I love the mix of serious situations, magic, and laughter. Not everyone makes it out of this story unscathed. In many ways, Clara comes of age in this tale. Loved it and looking forward to more of it!
I received a free copy of this book.
Narration: Emily Beresford and Nick Podehl once again did a great job on this book. Even though they voiced totally different characters for Keys to the Coven, I read them far enough apart that I didn’t have character echos in my head, as can sometimes happen when you listen to books set in the same universe that have different characters yet the same narrators. These two are great with all the emotions and also delivering straight lines so the humor is left hanging there for the reader/listener to catch even as the story moves onward.
July 11, 2015
Full review at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
Speakeasy Dead is being marketed as a romantic comedy. It has all the ingredients to be a great screwball 1920’s comedy, including bootleggers, movie stars, fabulous clothes, and zombies. Unfortunately, the characters aren’t very sympathetic or interesting, and the romance is almost non-existent. It’s a fairly entertaining light read, but not terribly engrossing and certainly not romantic.
It’s a hard plot to explain, which is fine, because that’s what screwball comedies are all about – everything makes sense, it just keeps madly escalating until it grows from a small matter involving three people to a multi-pronged disaster involving the whole town and, potentially, the world.
The problem with the book is the people, not the plot. Clara is the ditzy ingénue who makes a lot of mistakes and then matures – but I never felt sympathetic to her. I thought she was pretty amoral all through the book, although she did get more responsible as the story went on. Bernie is a sweetie pie but he never got to come into his own. I did not care what happened to any of these people. Other characters showed up but were so poorly defined that they might as will have been represented by little stick figures, or a set of initials. They were place holders – the cute kid, the sleazy bootleggers, the scary sister…none of them even remotely felt to me like actual characters.
- Carrie S.
Speakeasy Dead is being marketed as a romantic comedy. It has all the ingredients to be a great screwball 1920’s comedy, including bootleggers, movie stars, fabulous clothes, and zombies. Unfortunately, the characters aren’t very sympathetic or interesting, and the romance is almost non-existent. It’s a fairly entertaining light read, but not terribly engrossing and certainly not romantic.
It’s a hard plot to explain, which is fine, because that’s what screwball comedies are all about – everything makes sense, it just keeps madly escalating until it grows from a small matter involving three people to a multi-pronged disaster involving the whole town and, potentially, the world.
The problem with the book is the people, not the plot. Clara is the ditzy ingénue who makes a lot of mistakes and then matures – but I never felt sympathetic to her. I thought she was pretty amoral all through the book, although she did get more responsible as the story went on. Bernie is a sweetie pie but he never got to come into his own. I did not care what happened to any of these people. Other characters showed up but were so poorly defined that they might as will have been represented by little stick figures, or a set of initials. They were place holders – the cute kid, the sleazy bootleggers, the scary sister…none of them even remotely felt to me like actual characters.
- Carrie S.
November 5, 2015
"I loved it!"
Where does Speakeasy Dead rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
This is a very entertaining book. I loved the book. It is very different than other books I've listened to.
What did you like best about this story?
The 20's setting. I thought that it was interesting to listen to the author write about a bar that had witches running the bar being harassed by the mob guys.
What does Nick Podehl and Emily Beresford bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
The both brought the characters to life. Each had a unique quality to their voices to make the book much more fun and interesting to listen too.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I think that this book keeps you all over the place, You get a feeling of shock, nervous for the main characters and sad for Bernard Benjamin he seems to get screwed over a bit by his cousin Clara a bit too much. I think I would listen to the book again. It was fun to listen to.
Any additional comments?
I was provided this audio book at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com
Where does Speakeasy Dead rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
This is a very entertaining book. I loved the book. It is very different than other books I've listened to.
What did you like best about this story?
The 20's setting. I thought that it was interesting to listen to the author write about a bar that had witches running the bar being harassed by the mob guys.
What does Nick Podehl and Emily Beresford bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
The both brought the characters to life. Each had a unique quality to their voices to make the book much more fun and interesting to listen too.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I think that this book keeps you all over the place, You get a feeling of shock, nervous for the main characters and sad for Bernard Benjamin he seems to get screwed over a bit by his cousin Clara a bit too much. I think I would listen to the book again. It was fun to listen to.
Any additional comments?
I was provided this audio book at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com
January 24, 2015
What a fun read! Set in the Roaring 20's in Falstaff, Arizona during prohibition, a young lady decides she will become a warlock by calling up a demon to say her beloved silent film star Beau Beauregard. Clara is more successful than she thinks. Now Beau is a zombie attached to her. How does she keep him from making more zombies?
I laughed so hard while reading. It was fun! I loved the pictures that were painted by Ms. Loebel's words. She has a delightful way of putting prose on paper. Her use of words and phrases was wonderful. I'll read her again just to see how well she does it again.
I loved these characters, Clara and Bernie. I also enjoyed that the story was told from each one's point of view. Beau and Hans were great as foils to Clara. The secondary characters were colorful as well. Lots of undercurrents run through Falstaff. I cannot wait to read more of this town and its characters.
I laughed so hard while reading. It was fun! I loved the pictures that were painted by Ms. Loebel's words. She has a delightful way of putting prose on paper. Her use of words and phrases was wonderful. I'll read her again just to see how well she does it again.
I loved these characters, Clara and Bernie. I also enjoyed that the story was told from each one's point of view. Beau and Hans were great as foils to Clara. The secondary characters were colorful as well. Lots of undercurrents run through Falstaff. I cannot wait to read more of this town and its characters.
November 15, 2016
This review was originally published on NetGalley.
In two words: Absolutely Brilliant! This book has a bit of everything, from horror to adventure and humor. I'm not a big fan of zombie fiction but this one really got to me. The characters are brilliant and witty, it's impossible not to fall in love with them. The alternative perspectives leave no strings hanging and the rhythm of events is really good.
I loved the writing style of Vicky Loebel. I could really visualize the settings, the characters. It's a musical and colorful prose. Beautiful! The humor in this novel really made me laugh and it adds the final spice to the story.
I definitely want to read more of the works of this author.
I highly recommend this book! You wouldn't regret it!
Read my other reviews at: http://booktraveller.weebly.com/
In two words: Absolutely Brilliant! This book has a bit of everything, from horror to adventure and humor. I'm not a big fan of zombie fiction but this one really got to me. The characters are brilliant and witty, it's impossible not to fall in love with them. The alternative perspectives leave no strings hanging and the rhythm of events is really good.
I loved the writing style of Vicky Loebel. I could really visualize the settings, the characters. It's a musical and colorful prose. Beautiful! The humor in this novel really made me laugh and it adds the final spice to the story.
I definitely want to read more of the works of this author.
I highly recommend this book! You wouldn't regret it!
Read my other reviews at: http://booktraveller.weebly.com/
May 9, 2015
Imagine a young witch left to mind a bar while the coven is away. She engages her cousin in a spell to summon a demon with stolen hellfire from the coven, in order to get her man. This backfires, making her beau a zombie. The next thing I know, there is a zombie plague around town, a missing dead body, gangsters stealing the coven's booze...it was rollicking great fun. I especially liked all the secondary characters, and that is rare in a novel nowadays. I desperately hope Vicki Loebel publishes another novel soon, because her universe is refreshingly different than the standard paranormal fantasy.
August 30, 2015
This book was funny, sometimes scary and at all times interesting. The narrator does an excellent job giving each character in the story a unique voice. The writing alternates between the main characters, Clara, a lovesick teen and Bernie, her cousin and partner in crime. Because of Clara's crush on her silent movie idol, Beau, she unwittingly subjects them all to the machinations of a Demon. Throw in mobsters, zombies and tainted hooch and you have the makings of a huge disaster. I look forward to more works from this author.
"This audiobook was provided by the author at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review "
"This audiobook was provided by the author at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review "
October 8, 2015
A lot of fun! This was a very riveting story. It is outside of my normal fare but I enjoyed it immensely! It was a little distracting the way the point of view jumped about and the ending wasn't what I expected. Go ahead and read it. You won't be disappointed.
3 may seem low but it isn't. My scale goes like this.
1-Seriously? This got published? It's horrible.
2-This needs a lot of work. Better luck next time.
3-This was an an enjoyable book.
4-This was an exceptional book that I will read again to savor.
5-This is absolutely one of the best books ever written. I will judge all others against it in the future.
I mean, come on, if every book is a five...
3 may seem low but it isn't. My scale goes like this.
1-Seriously? This got published? It's horrible.
2-This needs a lot of work. Better luck next time.
3-This was an an enjoyable book.
4-This was an exceptional book that I will read again to savor.
5-This is absolutely one of the best books ever written. I will judge all others against it in the future.
I mean, come on, if every book is a five...
December 19, 2014
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, so here I am being honest. I tried for 3 weeks to read this book, every time getting only a few pages further. I simply couldn't make it even halfway through. The character development was dismal and the plot flimsy at best. While I'm not well versed in pulp fiction and noir, I could tell the writer was attempting this style and maybe it's just not my bag. I wouldn't be able to recommend this book based on my own tastes, however, if you liked cheesy fiction, then I would say it would be fun for you.
October 29, 2016
Demons, Witches, and Zombies..
This was an odd story with developed characters, a decent plot, and its told from multiple
points of view.
There is also a little humor, a hint of romance, and a few twists and turns, through out the
story line.
Overall, a slightly interesting read or listen with a different take on Zombies.
Nick Podehl did really well with the narration.
Note:
"This audio book was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review."
March 23, 2017
This is a prequel book to Keys to the Coven. Both books are great as a stand alone or together. I definitely hoping for more in this series! This book switches perspectives from Clara Woodsmen to her cousin Bernard Benjamin as it switches narrators. Yes, the same Woodsmen family from Keys to the Coven, just a little further back in the family tree. This book even adds zombies! I loved it! Of course there was sex! Can't have witches, warlocks, and demons without sex! Great story and excellent narration! Looking forward to the next book!
August 29, 2015
This is a perfectly mash up of genres for me yet I never really could get into the story. It just never flowed. Shame as I loved the idea but I felt like I was dumped into a series where I was missing some key information on the characters. Still, our darling soon to be flapper witch/warlock, Clara, becomes involved in a sort of craziness reminiscent of PG Wodehouse and the wild romps his Bertie Wooster would take the reader along on.
December 13, 2014
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review for LoP. Clara wanted to save her favorite movie star. It backfired he became a zombie. Clara was trying to do what she thought was right. Honestly this book was okay not my all time favorite but overall good book.
June 7, 2014
Not really a Zombie book but a good read overall
September 26, 2014
Good book.
This was a very good. book. I received this book free in exchange for a honest opinion of it.
Ethel
This was a very good. book. I received this book free in exchange for a honest opinion of it.
Ethel
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews