We Love the Nightlife by Rachel Koller Croft is a creative thriller, with a unique concept that sets it apart from its contemporaries. With glamorous vibes, fabulous clothes, and beautiful vampires, this book will keep readers hooked until the final page.
A vampire thriller set in London, We Love the Nightlife moves through time from 1979 to 2021, following Nicola and Amber as they navigate their lives partying their way through the nightlife scene. At its core, it’s a story about toxic female friendship—something every woman can relate to (or maybe not, but boy did I have some really fucked up friendships there for a while, so I connected to this theme.)
Nicola is a vampire who’s been frequenting London’s social scene for nearly two hundred years, but nothing has captured her love quite like a disco dance floor. When she sees Amber Wells, a gorgeous but bored housewife, commanding attention under the club’s spotlights, dancing like she’s made for it, Nicola offers her a deal. She offers Amber an eternity living for the nightlife. But fifty years later, after Nicola breaks her trust, Amber begins to wonder if she made the right decision after all. The party can’t last forever.
Both Nicola and Amber are multi-faceted characters, and as the story goes on, readers learn that there’s more to either of these women than it seems. Neither of them are perfect women, far from it, but their deep flaws are what makes them such great characters. Some of the supporting characters felt a little underdeveloped, but it makes sense given that Nicola and Amber are meant to be the stars of the show.
At one point, there is an epic scene involving a disastrous party with ‘Mr. Brightside’ by the Killers playing in the background, and it is a truly perfect scene. I was told in grad school to never make pop culture references in my writing. I do believe this book proved that professor wrong on that particular point once and for all. I could feel that scene, and picture it so perfectly in my mind, and this book is worth reading not only for the creative premise but for visceral scenes like this.
From 1979 to 2021, these women go on a journey involving devious lies and gruesome murders, but through it all, the party never stops. Until it does. All the truths are revealed with shocking twists and incredible drama. We Love the Nightlife is a phenomenal, fast-paced read that adds something incredible and new to the world of thrillers.
Writing: 4
Leave a Reply