Joe Pitt Casebooks Books In Order

Publication Order of Joe Pitt Books

“Joe Pitt Casebooks” is a supernatural noir thriller series written by Charlie Huston that follows Joe Pitt’s life and his struggles in the underground vampyre clans in New York. Joe’s real name is Simon. Pitt finds himself a vampyre who has no affiliations to any of the other clans, but does odd jobs, as freelance detective, for the different clans to get both freedom and blood. You get to see Pitt’s life evolve and change because his situation changes with different things that happen.

The events of the first book have caused the Coalition (an extremely powerful vampyre clan that has much more resources and members than the other clans) to be pretty peeved at Joe, and it makes him have to join The Society (another clan led by Terry Byrd). This gives him immunity for his crimes from the Coalition because of certain things that have been put in place and to avoid a war.

Joe has a girlfriend. Her name is Evie (with red hair), and she is a human with HIV who waitresses at a bar that Joe goes to frequently. She does not want to take part in any sexual contact with Joe (and probably anyone else too) because she does not want to infect anyone. Joe knows a way that he can cure the HIV, but is afraid of what the side effects are. This makes him keep his vampyrism a secret from her.

Terry Byrd leads The Society Clan and is a vampyre that is a bit of a hippie. He has a bit of a fondness for Joe and sees that he has a sharp wit. Terry acts like a father figure for some vampyres who need it.

Vampyres in this series are in different clans. Each of the clans in the series have organized themselves in a loose manner, that have taken different pieces of territory on Manhattan Island. As the vampyre’s population grows, it gets harder and harder to feed on humans in an unnoticed manner, something that is quite vital to their continued existence. This makes them a little resistant to other vampyres coming onto their territory. That and limited blood for them to get their hands on. Rogues are those vampyres that do not have a clan.

“Already Dead” is the first novel in the “Joe Pitt Casebooks” series by Charlie Huston that was released in the year 2005. Joe Pitt tries to figure out where a zombie epidemic came from and stop it. Joe is tasked with finding a rich man’s gothic daughter, who pressures him into taking the case. A disease is going through town that gives anyone bitten or infected with this disease zombie like symptoms. They are turned into Shamblers. Joe is supposed to find the carrier of the disease.

Fans of the novel enjoyed the humor and the way it broke up all of the darkness that is also found in the novel. The ending to the book was fascinating too and held the readers attention, all they wanted was to finish the book so that they could find out what happened with everything. Some liked the way that Huston wrote the dialogue and his prose in general. Some found that the would return for future installments, this one was that good.

“No Dominion” is the second novel in the “Joe Pitt Casebooks” series by Charlie Huston that was released in the year 2006. Joe Pitt is currently in a bad way at the moment. He his low on his supply on blood and owes back rent. Joe decides to ask his former boss Terry Bird to throw him a bone. Bird has a job ready for him, and it has Joe looking for the source of a new drug that has hit the streets. It is a drug that is powerful enough to make those with Vampyre Vyrus freak out. He has to cross Coalition turf to do so; so that he can get to Harlem, where the Hood, a vampyre clan, call home.

Fans of the novel found that the characters are true to life, and well drawn. The story here was a great one that features some things that was unpredictable. Fans find that this is quite a series, where every novel is to be read multiple times. It pulls the readers in and does not let go for a single moment. Fans liked the way that there is a history between the clans (both the good things and bad) that is explored more deeply here. This novel made some unable to do anything else but continue to read, causing a lot of things that they were supposed to do to go unfinished.

“Half the Blood of Brooklyn” is the third novel in the “Joe Pitt Casebooks” series by Charlie Huston that was released in the year 2007. The Clans want to know why Vyrus infected dregs are coming into their territory. They do not like to share their turf because there is only so much blood and room to go around for everyone. Circumstances for Joe Pitt have made it so that he is a part of the Society Clan (one of the renegade clans). Now he must pay a price, go across the bridge onto Coney Island and finding the Freak Clan to ask why they all of a sudden want to come to the Society’s door. The answer is in Gravesend. A place with a lot of graves. A fight is coming, and it will be full out war.

Fans of the novel find that the dark dialogue captures the attention, and it plays into one of Huston’s strengths as a writer. Parts of the novel also play to what happens in real life. You hurt when Joe himself hurts, something that a good writer is able to do. This series makes you forget that there are vampyres and all of that in the novel; for awhile, you think you are in a noir novel, like that of Chandler and Hammett. Fans find themselves wanting to read the next novels in the series to find out what happens next in this wonderful series.