David Wellington: 13 Bullets: New York: Three Rivers Press: New York: 2007.

For conoisseurs of zombie fiction, David Wellington is the author of the celebrated zombie apocalypse Monster trilogy. Well, in this new series, he remakes the vampire mythos, and one of the central characters is a lesbian.

For a straight guy, Wellington writes some fairly good lesbian characters - almost as good as fellow horror genre author Caitlin Kiernan, whose work I also admire. So, here’s the premise- vampires actually exist. However, they are not the sleek, cultivated and courtly likes of Angel, Drusilla and early Spike from Buffy and Angel.  Nor are they Poppy Z. Brite’s alternative hipster undead from Lost Souls.

Nope, this version is built like Arnold the classic Terminator, has a milky white complexion, and is fiercely predatory. Then there’s the disgusting habit that it has of regurgitating its sanguine repast and vomiting it up all over its sire and other ancestral but dessicated vampires, for the reason of revitalising them. There’s only one way to deal with them, which is to get in a heart shot, if you’re lucky.

So, anyway, cue the protagonists. Arkeley is a taciturn and stoic Clint Eastwood/Mel Gibson weathered patriarch type, who had a near-death experience with Lares, a vampire that he luckily managed to destroy. However, in a derelict corner of Pennsylvania’s rustbelt, Lares’ sire, Justinia Malvern, exists in a highly tenuous state of unexistence, tortured by her human keepers to keep her alive.

Arkeley’s associate is Laura Caxton, a tough dyke Pennsylvania state trooper, in a relationship with Deanna, an artist from a highly dysfunctional family, and both of them are crazy about dogs. Well, yeah, lesbian household, stands to reason. Problem is, as with any good cop, Caxton is overly committed to her job, and Arkeley exploits her commitment, which is placing strains on her relationship. Then enter vivacious and witty Clara Hsu, gorgeous femme police photographer. Hey, at least all of these women have lives, unlike Arkeley.

As with many a mentor and protege relationship, they have a series of tetchy liaisons, misunderstandings, personal battles and reconciliations, but they eventually come to grudging mutual respect- particularly after the vamps attack Deanna. Filled with rage, Caxton takes it back to the lair of the attackers sire, Reyes, and destroys him after a gruelling contest, leaving a trace of his undead soul within her mind.

Unhappily for Caxton and Deanna, it doesn’t end there. The vampires have seduced Deanna to their side of the ledger, and Caxton at first mourns her lover’s death, and then comes face to face with a resurrected undead version of that woman, offering revenant immortality to Caxton. Will she accept her lover’s undead embrace and its legacy?

Clue. There’s a sequel to this- 99 Coffins. Wellington’s take on vampires is new and original and Caxton, Deanna and Clara are the best lesbian characters I’ve seen outside the pages of lesbian fiction proper itself.  Regardless of your feelings about the horror genre, if you like strong, resourceful and believable lesbian protagonists, then get this book.