The Vampire Files, Volume One
by P. N. Elrod
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Book Summary Information
Author: P. N. ElrodEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-10-07
ISBN: 0441010903
Number of pages: 464
Publisher: Ace Trade
Book Reviews of The Vampire Files, Volume One
Book Review: A great way to begin reading The Vampire Files.
Summary: 4 Stars
SYNOPSIS:
This is Volume One of The Vampire Files and contains the first three books in the series, Bloodlist, Lifeblood, and Bloodcircle. I have also seen the books titled as Blood List, Life Blood, and Blood Circle, but the first example is how they are presented in my copy of the collection.
BLOODLIST, book one, 4.5 stars
This is the first book in the series and introduces Jack Fleming as the main character and the vampire of the series. Jack finds himself being hunted by killers who want "the list". Jack would probably be glad to give it to them but since he has amnesia he can't even remember what the list is. To add to Jack's woes he looks in the rearview mirror of the car he is driving and is shocked to find that he casts no reflection. Not only is he hurt, not only does he have amnesia, but now he finds he is also a vampire.
I liked this novel very much. P N Elrod used the recovery from amnesia device to fill in the back story for Jack over the length of the book as he was dealing with the killers who were trying to retrieve something he didn't seem to have. During these efforts Elrod placed the character of Charles Escott within the story to provide Jack with the aid he needed in order to remain undetected as a vampire in the world of 1936 Chicago. This story is violent since Jack and Charles are dealing with gangsters, but at least the author made the violence an essential part of the story and didn't just add it for effect. Jack Fleming is a very believably confused man because of all the changes he has undergone in such a short space of time. I liked his character very much, but Escott almost stole the entire show for me. Charles Escott I really liked a lot.
LIFEBLOOD, book two, 3 stars
This second story in the series picks up within days of the ending of the first book. We are now in September of 1936 Chicago. Jack has developed an attachment for the nightclub singer, Bobbi Smythe, from the previous book and he and Charles Escott have formed a working relationship and the beginnings of a deep friendship. Suddenly a fanatical zealot arrives on the scene to rid the world of vampires. Jack finds himself being hunted by this zealot and his young acolyte who will not be content until Jack is dead, again. There are links revealed to Jack's former fiancee Maureen who is responsible for his present empiric state. If Jack can only reason with these fanatics he might be able to find Maureen after five years of fruitless searching.
This second story wasn't as enjoyable for me. I felt that the plot was rather weak and Ms Elrod never convinced me that James Braxton and his young sidekick Matheus Webber were nearly as fanatical as they needed to be in order to be on their mission. There were just too, too many questions about why they had suddenly decided to show up and even how they knew where to show up. I still am glad I read the story and feel that it is a good idea to know what happens in this episode because Jack has begun to utilize his special vampire talents now. He is much more resigned to the inevitable direction his life has taken, but still has many things to learn. I must say though, if I had picked this book up as a standalone and tried to understand the happenings, I would have been rather confused.
BLOODCIRCLE, book three, 4 stars
Jack and Charles travel to New York to zero in on the search for Maureen in this third story which begins within days of book two ending. They are able to trace her to an estate on Long Island, but then the trail runs cold. What they do find is the vampire Maureen was involved with when she was first turned. Jonathan Barrett will be their best resource for finding the truth about where Maureen is. Of course, there is that pesky little problem of Jack waking up on a slab in the morgue. Leave it to Charles to figure a way out of this predicament.
Story number three jumped right back up almost to the level of the first book for me. I thought the handling of all the new characters introduced for this series of adventures was very well conceived and believable. Jonathan Barrett was the vampire involved with Maureen and wanted to find her almost as much as Jack Fleming. I liked the pace at which this story moved and the tension and twists to the story kept me completely entertained.
RECOMMENDATION:
These three stories are all very worthwhile reading to fully understand the complete background involving how Jack Fleming became not only a vampire, but also came to be involved with Charles Escott in his private investigations. I heartily recommend reading all three books to have the characters firmly fixed in your mind so that you (and I) can continue with this very entertaining and well written series. Having them together here in a single volume is a convenient way to read them all.
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