The old adage "don't judge a book by its cover" is proven right once again. I picked up "Nightlife" because I loved the cover art. It had a Dresden Files kind of look (perhaps the same artist?), and the plot sounded intriguing enough from the back copy. Alas, no. While the lead characters, brother Cal (short for Caliban) and Niko Leandros, are interesting and quirky enough to be worth a read, the writing itself is incredibly self-conscious and snarky. The plotline never really lives up to its billing, and the narrative just doesn't hold together well enough to create a satisfying experience. I was tempted many times to just walk away mid-book, but stuck with it until the end. While I can't say that it ever actually got better, by the time I finished "Nightlife" I found myself wondering -- just a smidge -- where the author might go next with this series. So although I don't actually recommend this book and can't say that I enjoyed reading it, I also can't rule out the possibility of picking up the next one -- maybe just morbid curiosity to see if the writing is really as bad as I thought?