I downloaded this book for my Nook primarily because I had received a review from Publisher’s Weekly that mentioned it while saying my own book, “Sherlock Holmes and the Whitechapel Vampire” wasn’t very imaginative in that the Holmes-Dracula connection had been done. Since it mentioned this book, I thought I would read it to see for myself. I must say I disagree with the reviewer as this book isn’t even close to my own except it does have a vampire and Sherlock Holmes. I thought and still do think that my book is original in its premise that Ripper could have been a vampire.
Having explained that, I will say I found this novel entertaining and would certainly have given it a higher rating had I not found the relationship described between Sherlock Holmes and the vampire to be superfluous, unnecessary and simply unsatisfying. In my opinion, the book would have been much improved had the author left the two with less of a personal relationship. Beyond that, which for me was just too much, I found the book a good read.
Ah, it probably would have made more sense for you if you read the book that comes before it. This is book two of a Dracula book series. The first one is The Dracula Tape. There are about nine of them. The order is
The Dracula Tape
The Holmes Dracula File
An old Friend of the family (A very good one dealing with a 1970s kidnapping)
Thorn
Dominion (I don’t like that one)
Matter of Taste (love this one, deals with The Borgias)
A question of Time (I really don’t like that one)
Seance for a vampire (another Sherlock Holmes cross over)
A coldness in the blood
And finally the two short stories. Box number Fifty which can be found in the book Dracula in London and From the Tree of Time which can be found in the book Gaslight Arcanum.
The whole thing is an on-going book series told from Dracula’s point of view. The ones set in contemporary times deal with The Southerland Family, direct descendants of Mina Harker whom Dracula has decided to protect, whether they like it or not. They’re really fun but you probably should read them in order.
Thank you…I will have to expand my reading to include these..you are a Saberhagen fan?