The Vampire Shrink

Hilburn (Undead in the City) launches a series about a psychologist who treats vampires, but drowns the intriguing premise in a cliché-strewn retread of good vampires clashing with bad vampires over possession of a desirable human female. When Denver shrink Dr. Kismet Knight takes on a young goth named Midnight who is mesmerized by a vampire coven, the stage is set for an examination of the “scary occult sensationalism” of the undead. What unfolds, however, is an overwrought love triangle of Kismet, smokin’ hot vampire leader Devereux, and Alan Stevens, an FBI agent investigating recent killings in the area. As Midnight describes Kismet as a cross between Megan Fox and Angelina Jolie, Devereux performs a super-sexy dance number as a protective spell, and warring covens provide a purely conventional backdrop for vampire orgies, it’s never clear whether Hilburn is satirizing the genre, mocking its readers, or just missing the mark. Agent: Robert Gottlieb, Trident Media Group. (Apr.)