Drawing Dead

Faolan O'Connor, Book 1

By: Brian McKinley

Narrated by: Brian Rollins

Faolan O'Connor spent his life killing for men like Legs Diamond and Lucky Luciano, and now it's his turn to face the music. But when vampire Darcy Killian offers him immortality, Faolan enters a world of violence, wealth, and power beyond anything he's ever imagined.

Driven by ambition and guilt, Faolan fights his way up the ranks in a battle to justify his sins with success. He s learned the hard way that relationships are vulnerabilities and friends are just enemies in disguise, but he also knows that he can't conquer a city alone.

Aided by an emotionally crippled genius and a warm-hearted call girl, Faolan builds a loyal crew with which to challenge the tyrannical Killian's rule. However, will this re-awakened humanity prove a fatal flaw or his ace in the hole? With his life and the future of the city he loves at stake, can Faolan play his cards right or is he drawing dead?

©2013, 2016 Brian McKinley (P)2017 Brian McKinley

For Love of New York

Faolan O’Connor knows how to kill. When he is offered immortality by Killian he doesn’t know that he will kill more as a vampire than he ever did as a mobster. Although, Faolan is known for killing his own bosses when there is a need, it is quickly established that he has a real love of his hometown and a deep seated need to find loyal companions who will love him for who he is and not for what he can do for him. This awakening to his emotions sets Faolan up to play a long poker game where the stakes are high and losing most likely means death.

I enjoyed this listen and thought the narration was good. Faolan is a complicated man and an even more complicated vampire. The voice Brian Rollins used belied this complexity because he used a Bronx or Queens accent and this made him sound not that bright at times but once you get a glimpse into his inner thoughts you know he is a bright light in Killian’s army.

I received this audiobook for free through Audiobook Boom! in exchange for an honest review.

Hooked on Drawing Dead

Brian McKinley's work never disappoints. Drawing Dead is a brilliant and twisted tale, beautifully and skillfully crafted. His characters are classic in more ways than we expect. The further back in time we go, the harsher, more violent, dark things were. Drawing Dead puts a paranormal spin on a romanticized however dark era.

A Wonderful New Take on the Genre

What made the experience of listening to Drawing Dead the most enjoyable?

The narrator's voices. Great characters and wonderful to listen to. The action sequences were fantastic.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Absolutely! It was great to follow along with Faolin's path.

What does Brian Rollins bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I'm a huge fan of the narrator and I always love his characters and voices.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I think the climax after the poker game. I don't want to give too much away, but it was really cool how it ended.

Any additional comments?

I'm not usually a reader of vampire fiction, but I follow the narrator's work and love it. Great work by the author and reader!

Great Read

Any additional comments?

Drawing Dead by Brian McKinley was a good read. When Faolan O'Connor dies, he finds out that there is life after death. Faolan is a mobster who finds out that vampire's do exist after he died. I enjoyed reading this unique take on vampire stories.

1930s mob noir with a vampire twist

What made the experience of listening to Drawing Dead the most enjoyable?

The concept of old time gangster vampires was like nothing I have heard before. Elaborate character and world building within the vampire mob was very interesting. The main character has a complex personality that doesn't immediately make him the hero of the book. Through the interaction s with the other characters and events he becomes more understandable and sympathetic. A take on the vampire genre I have not come across held my interest to the end. I would be interested in the evolution of Faolan in other books. This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review