Sunday, January 6, 2008

Review: Bloodlist (Jack Fleming #1)

...you guessed it. I, Jack Fleming, ace reporter, have been transformed into...a vampire!

Which has its advantages.

You never die, you never grow old, you sleep all day, and best of all... You can hunt down your own murderer.


Bloodlist, the first book of the Vampire Files series, by P. N. Elrod, is an adventurous, suspenseful story of the journalist-turned-vampire hero, Jack Fleming. It is the 1930s, and the Great Depression has impacted the nation. The bootlegging industry is king. The ganglords rule half the city of Chicago. If you cross the line, you may not see the next dawn. In the beginning, all Jack could remember was that someone was after him for a special *list*. When he finally wakes up, someone tries to kill him. He realizes after killing the thug that his clothes were in ruins and he was unharmed! He quickly gathers his things, and drinks blood before the sun rises and stays in a hotel. He has become a vampire!

Fleming notices that his items are missing from his hotel room. He reads a note that states if he ever want to see this belongings, he must meet the mystery man at a station. With no other choice, Fleming obliges. This is when Fleming meets Chicago's unofficial British private agent, Charles Escott. Clever and innovative, he helps Fleming on a new case to discover why someone wants Jack dead. The two work together to find clues from local friends and villains like Frank Paco and Slick Morelli. Meanwhile, Jack falls in love with a showgirl singer, Bobbi, at Morelli's She reminds him of his previous girlfriend, Maureen. Fleming has a few surprises for both these villains as he seeks his revenge and discovers why he was wanted dead.

As the first book of the Vampire File series, it introduces the main characters and sets the stage for the rest of the series. The protagonist, Jack Fleming, is your street-smart, ex-journalist who demands answers about his death and whereabouts before his supernatural change. I love Elrod's writing style because it flows well, and her anguage is humorous and clever. She knows her history and popular culture of 1930s Chicago very well. I highly recommend this series to paranormal history and romance readers. There are at least eleven more books in this series on the adventures of Jack and Charles. Keep in touch!

Stay tuned to the review of the 2nd book of the Vampire Files series, Lifeblood
.

We learn that Jack Fleming has a few supernatural tricks and weaknesses:

  • He cannot age and looks much younger than his real age before death.

  • He can disappear completely or become a faint shadow.


  • He can hypnotize people and scare away animals.


  • He has no reflection in mirrors. (He's un-dead!)


  • His canine fangs lengthen to the smell or taste of blood.


  • He has supernatural body strength (twice as strong as the average man).


  • He refuses to drink human blood (only feeds on cow's blood).


  • Sunlight, water and wood can paralze and kill vampires.


  • He pumps his lungs or fake pain to act human around people.


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