| Book Review by C. Douglas Baker If you have not read LIFEBLOOD, Book Two of the Vampire files, warning that this contains spoilers for that book. BLOODCIRCLE, Book Three of the Vampire Files, literally picks up right where Book Two, LIFEBLOOD left off. After surviving his encounter with Gaylen, Maureen's diabolical and homicidal sister, Jack Fleming is found working his hypnotic magic on an initially recalcitrant police official to get out jail. Once on the loose, Fleming and Charles Escott go in search of Maureen, Fleming's long lost vampire lover. Fleming and Escott's search for Maureen is the sole focus of BLOODCIRCLE. Their search leads them to the vampire Jonathan Barrett, Maureen's former lover who she turned to for help after her sister escaped from a mental institution placing Maureen in mortal danger. Little did Maureen expect that she would face danger from less likely quarters. Nor do Jack and Escott, for awhile anyway. Their encounter with Barrett leads to two murders and two attempted murders. And yes, Fleming gets his skull smashed in again (a quite unhealthy habit). Once again Escott plays the Sherlockian role as he pieces together the information he and Fleming gather along to the way to discover who wants Fleming dead (again) and why. Eventually the entire mystery, including that of Maureen, is solved. If you liked the first two books in The Vampire Files then BLOODCIRCLE is definitely for you. Then again, if you did not like the first two books you probably will not read this review or BLOODCIRCLE. |
| After cleaning up a few loose ends from their previous adventure, nice guy vampire Jack Fleming and his private agent friend Charles Escott try to uncover what happened to Maureen, Jack's former lover and vampire sire, when she disappeared five years ago. Apparently on that night she was at the estate of Miss Emily Francher, whose personal assistant Jonathan Barrett not only turns out to be a 160-year-old vampire, but also is revealed to be the one who sired Maureen. With plenty of in-jokes for those who still remember the soap opera "Dark Shadows," P. N. Elrod follows our hero and his faithful human companion as they seek to solve the mystery of Maureen's disappearance, which has been haunting Jack for years. Once again, Elrod saves the best for last, as the climatic chapters of this novel elevate the story line to a new level. What I continue to appreciate with these novels are not only how Elrod deals with the practical aspects of being a vampire, especially once they are staked, but how Jack never responds in a predictable manner. I also like the fact that "Bloodcircle," like its two predecessors in "The Vampire Files," are clearly part of a larger story, always "to be continued" and always compelling our continued interest. These books are fun reads, perfect for a day at the beach or living the commuter lifestyle. |
| The third novel in the series about Jack Fleming, PI and vampire. In this book in the series, Jack goes searching further for Maureen, and winds up meeting Jonathan Barrett, an almost-200-year-old vampire who has landed a cushy job as a private secretary to a recluse. There are several mysteries surrounding the recluse's family and neighbors. Barrett (who appears as the star in a separate Elrod series) also wants to protect himself, and although he's not evil, his ideas about his own best self-interest conflict with Jack's drive to find out more about Maureen. When we find out some of the solution to the mysteries above, we get an interesting depiction of the fine line between sanity and insanity, expressed in terms before the word sociopath was is everyday vocabulary. Those who already know that they like vampire novels, anything at all that features a vampire, can skip this review, and likewise, those who hate the whole idea of vampires can skip it. But for those trying to decide whether or not to read more of this genre, or whether the one vampire novel you've already read was a fluke, it may help to have some ways to categorize these novels. Thus: BunRab's Standard Vampire Classification Guide. First, most authors of vampire novels approach from one of the main genres of genre fiction; thus their background may be primarily in romance, or in science fiction/fantasy, or in murder mysteries, or in horror. Second, many vampire novels come in series; knowing whether this is one of a series, and where in the series it falls, may be helpful. Then we have some particular characteristics: - Is the vampire character (or characters) a "good guy" or a "bad guy"? Or are there some of each? - Are there continuing characters besides the vampire, through the series? - Are there other types of supernatural beings besides vampires? - Can the vampire stand daylight under some circumstances, or not stand daylight at all? - Does the vampire have a few other supernatural characteristics, many other supernatural characteristics, or none other than just being a vampire? (E.g., super strength, change into an animal, turn invisible) - Does the vampire have a regular job and place in society, or is being a vampire his or her entire raison d'etre? - Does the vampire literally drink blood, or is there some other (perhaps metaphorical) method of feeding? - Is sex a major plot element, a minor plot element, or nonexistent? - Is the entire vampire feeding act a metaphor for sex, part of a standard sex act, or unrelated to sex? - Is the story set in one historical period, more than one historical period, or entirely in the present day? - Does the story have elements of humor, or is it strictly serious? - Is the writing style good, or is the writing just there to manage to hold together the plot and characters? P.N. Elrod's series about Jack Fleming is in the hard-boiled detective genre. Fleming is a good guy (although with worries about his own ethics). Fleming is a former journalist (before he died), now working as a sidekick to a private investigator. The series takes place in the Chicago of the '30s, after Al Capone is locked up, but before the Depression ends. Criminal gangs are still a big force in Chicago. Besides Jack and his boss, various criminal mobs, and police both honest and corrupt, are recurring characters in the series. So is Jack's girlfriend, Bobbi, a nightclub singer. Jack drinks blood, but it doesn't have to be human- he uses cows at the Stockyards usually, and likes horses as a treat. He does, however, also drink a little from his girlfriend during sex. Sex is discreet and not too frequent in the series- no explicit details; this is a detective series, not a romance. Jack has a few supernatural powers associated with being a vampire: the usual ones of being stronger and faster than humans, and he also can turn invisible and float through walls. He must sleep during the day, on his native earth - but garlic and crosses don't bother him. There aren't any other kinds of supernatural characters in the series. As befits the detective genre, there is a certain amount of wisecracking in the dialogue; Jack can be a smart-ass sometimes, and the criminals can be inadvertently funny. Overall, the series is a well-done version of the genre, each book being easy to read and most of the characters being well-described and thought out. |
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"3rd in Jack Fleming, Vampire PI series"
"The Vampire Fun Continues"