Halfway to the Grave

Night Huntress, Book 1

By: Jeaniene Frost

Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert

Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father - the one responsible for ruining her mother's life. Then she's captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unlikely partnership.

In exchange for help finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She's amazed she doesn't end up as his dinner…are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon, Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn't have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side...and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.

©2007 Jeaniene Frost (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Take one half-human/half-vampire female with serious anger and parental issues, add in a sexy ancient vampire with his own agenda, and you have the makings for a truly combustible series. Sign me up for the sequel!” (Romantic Times)

Excellent Audio Book

I loved this book and the narrator. Can't wait for the other books in the series to be made into audio books.

Maybe audible should have a section were people could place books that people would like to see on audio and list them so that people can add their votes to existing requests or add new ones.

If you liked this book and are looking for something that is not fluffed out with endless sex, microscopic descriptions of people and their clothing and women that become morons after around self centred, neanderthal males after awhile.

Then i would like to recommend you also listen to Molly Harpers Nice Girl series. If you like kick ass females i suggest you read the Jane Yellow Rock series by Faith Hunter. Both series have more substance that the average Feehan etc novel eg the Dark series

Truly talented writer and narrator!

Would you listen to Halfway to the Grave again? Why?

Yes, I would listen again and I have. I truly love the story of a half-vampire half-human trying to make her way in the world trying to protect humans from the evil vampires.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked Cat and how she deals with her strange life in between the human world and the vampire one.

What about Tavia Gilbert’s performance did you like?

I believe that Tavia Gilbert's voicing of the characters made the book for me. She is a great voice talent.

more of the same trashy fun

A friend of mine recommended this series. If you're looking for another vampire hunting love story then you will probably like this. Unlike some of the genre it doesn't focus on a single murder, but kind of on finding a suspected murderer....kind of. The book isn't really that concerned with the plot, as evidenced by the disappointingly anti-climactic confrontation with Hennesey. Sure there are tons of other plot holes and inconsistencies, but it's not the kind of book that you think too hard about. I would have given the narrator a higher rating, but her voice for Bones just killed it. If you are hoping for a suave accent for the British vampire Bones, be prepared to be disappointed. Bones is saddled with a gratingly cockney accent which would have made the most cliched Dickensian urchin proud. If the next book in the series goes on some great sale I might get it, but I won't be spending a credit on it.

All in the Narrator! Story line counts too. Wow!

Finally! Right Author and right Narrator. Love this book and plan to listen to the others. This is soooooo good! Thanks again audible. Can't wait for Book 7. Hurry, this is addictive!

He's poor english

Would you be willing to try another one of Tavia Gilbert’s performances?

i don't believe so

Did Halfway to the Grave inspire you to do anything?

no

Any additional comments?

just to let you know, i think as fans of this genre, we expect our leading men(the vampire) to be rich and cultured, do not expect that with this leading man. the narrator does use a proper british accent it is just that it is the Cockney accent which is a lower class dialect in london/england. Any one who has seen My Fair Lady knows what i am talking about. And with hero's past it fits is character, i just didn't like the reader's voice at all. completely turned me off could not even finish the story.

Great start to the series!! Loved Cat & Bones! :D

5 stars

This was a great story. I love Cat and Bones! I've read the whole series up to book #6 and am now doing a reread of the whole series before the final book in the series (book #7) comes out soon. The whole series is great but fair warning...Cat and Bones don't end this book with a HEA. You'll have to wait until book #2 for that. :D

Catherine (aka Cat) has not had an easy life. She grew up in a small town and since she was born out of wedlock all her neighbors have treated her mother and her like they're the lowest of the low. She also has had problems because she's different from everyone else and has had to try to hide her differences all her life. She found out on her 16th birthday that she was the product of her mother being raped by a vampire (which means her mother also treats her barely ok). She's lived with the guilt over the circumstances of her birth for years and (in an effort to make up for her birth to her mother and gain some sort of approval from her) she started hunting vampires and killing them on her own. She's 22 years old and has been hunting vampires for years when the book begins.

Bones is a Vampire that's a couple hundred years old and is a very strong vamp. He currently is working as a vampire bounty hunter but this is partially a cover as he's going after a bad vamp that is running a sex/blood slave trade. Bones is after someone for info when he comes across Cat. Not realizing what she actually is, he takes her captive trying to find out who she works for.

Bones and Cat get off to a bumpy start but once Bones finds out that Cat is actually half-vamp (which are almost unheard of and extremely rare) he decides that they should team up with them hunting together. Cat isn't very thrilled about this and tries to get out of it but Bones pretty much traps her in to the deal with threats of harm to her family if she ducks out of their deal. In the end, Bones helps Cat get in much better shape and to fight a heck of a lot better so she is content to a point. When they first started their deal, Bones acted all cold and tough but the longer they were together the better things became between them. She's rather freaked at working with a vamp and actually having to trust him to an extent. To this point she's lived her life hearing her mother's psychotic talk about vampires being the devils beings and demons and she'd only ever met the vamps she hunted and killed as they were trying to drink her so she's never met a vampire that was decent. Now Cat is getting to know Bones and she's starting to like him and feel like he's her first true friend. The whole thing is unsettling for Cat and she has a hard time working through her feelings and all.

While Cat and Bones start working together and taking out vamps while trying to find info to take down the bad vamp, Bones starts showing more of an interest in Cat. Not really pursuing Cat but making random comments that indicate there might be deeper feelings. These feelings eventually come out and Bones does his best to convince Cat that his feelings are true, to convince her to give them a chance and to get past the last of her prejudices about vamps. When he makes progress with Cat and finally gets her to give him a chance things get pretty hot between the two. Around this time, Cat starts going to college and gets her own apartment (she had been living with her family up to this point). There's a bit of a conflict as Cat makes friends with the boy next door but things mostly focus on the relationship between Cat and Bones and the mystery of the slave ring they're trying to take down. There's a lot to deal with as things progress and the ending has action and victory combined with loss and sadness. As I noted above, the relationship between Cat and Bones doesn't end in an HEA in this book but if you continue the series you'll get it and it'll be good. :)

This is a great book. I love the characters, both the MCs and the secondary characters. Cat and Bones are one of my all time fave PNR couples and I love their chemistry together and their witty banter. They story is well done with a great balance between the action and romance story lines. I'd highly recommend this book. 2 thumbs up! :D

Starting to Crave...

What did you love best about Halfway to the Grave?

This Audiobook series has given me a naughty reason to use the bookmarks! After this first book I just craved to listen to the next and the next. Its so good I am now re-listening to this set. I enjoy all the characters and the Narrator did a wonderful job! Love Love Love it!!

Very entertaining

Not the best, but pretty good. The narrator didn't bother me. She sounds like a 22 year-old, like the character. If you like any of the darkfever series, this is a good audiobook for you.

I LOVE this series. Even the spin off!

There were some cheesy parts in the scene with bones interrogating her, but I fell in love once I pushed past that. The narrator also did not read it them same way I would have, but I think that happens to me with every audible book. I have read every book in this series including the spin-offs. I can't get enough! I highly recommend this series and I am about to re-read them. I am addicted!!

Can't wait for book 2!!

Loved it! I couldn't wait for the second book so I purchased the series and finished book 1-4 in four days. With a busy two year old, school, and pt work that's not too bad! I can't wait for the second book to arrive on audible, I will purchase it in audio form even though I have now read the book twice. Great paranormal romance series with some kick butt action!