The Vampire and the Man-eater by G. A. Hauser is a story about finding love in unexpected places. Brock Hart is living the high life. A self-proclaimed narcissist, he spends his days working as a highly-paid investment consultant and his nights picking up men at his favorite bar. He has never had a serious relationship and has no interest in ever settling down with one man. That is, until one night when Brock meets Daniel Wolf – a beautiful man capable of giving incredible pleasure who has a tendency to nibble on Brock’s neck.
Daniel is a four hundred fifty-three year old vampire who has found that Brock is his favorite snack. What Brock sees as a blood fetish is survival for him. Their relationship rapidly progresses from being purely sexual to being one of mutual addiction. Brock believes that his lover is human – albeit a kinky human – however, and Daniel is loathe to tell him the truth about himself. Will Brock give up his promiscuous ways for Daniel? Will he even want to once he discovers Daniel’s true nature? Brock and Daniel will both have to undergo a change in attitude in order to learn the true meaning of the phrase “love conquers all.”
After reading The Vampire and the Man-eater, one has little doubt about why G. A. Hauser is such a popular writer. Her stories mix intriguing characters, real emotion, and lighthearted fun into a very entertaining cocktail. In this story, neither Brock nor Daniel begin as sympathetic characters. Brock appears obnoxious and shallow and completely full of himself, while Daniel just seems to be an opportunistic predator. The interaction between Daniel and Brock is affectionate and frequently hilarious, however, and this reader enjoyed watching these two unfold throughout the story and transform from two-dimensional stick figures into multi-faceted characters. An added bonus in this story for fans of Ms. Hauser is a cameo appearance towards the end by Claire Epstein, who is one of the characters in an earlier novel named The Kiss. This reader, who is admittedly biased towards liking most of Ms. Hauser’s work, believes that The Vampire and the Man-eater is lively and entertaining and well worth a reader’s time.
