Synopsis
A new volume in the popular series The Vampire Files, finds Chicago detective Jack Fleming, who also happens to be a vampire, coping with blackmail in high society, his partner being wounded, and a radio star chasing after Jack's girlfriend.
Reviews
Times are tough in gangster-run 1937 Chicago, but for Jack Fleming, newsman turned vampire-hardboiled detective, lifeAor rather deathAcouldn't be better. In this latest entry in the Vampire Files (after A Chill in the Blood), vampirism's slight inconveniences (having to drink blood from cows at the stockyards, going comatose at dawn, etc.) are far outweighed by its blessings (invisibility, near immortality and so on). Jack's got a great girlfriendAplatinum blonde singer/dancer bombshell Bobbi Smythe, who's opening in a new revue at the Nightcrawler ClubAprotection from the mob and a tidy nest egg with which he hopes to launch his own nightclub. Jack's human partner, however, dapper Brit and former thespian Charles Escott, isn't faring as well. He's mysteriously troubled and going without sleep, although insomnia doesn't prevent him from taking on a case involving retrieving mysterious papers for a saltine-cracker heiress recently engaged to a European prince. Jack's on the case, too, but work takes second place to supporting Bobbi's bid for stardom. Somehow the plot twists into a dark, dangerous journey into Escott's past and the source of his troubled dreams, and only Jack and Escott's longtime pal Shoe Coldfield can save him. Winning characterizations and enough period detail for flavor enhance a clever and fast-paced detective story. Readers acquainted with the series will be particularly pleased to discover more about Escott's background and his connection to Coldfield. New readers will enjoy this one on its own, and gain a taste for earlier (and future) drafts from the same vein.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Another case for vampire gumshoe Jack Fleming on the dangerous streets of 1930s Chicago (A Chill in the Blood, 1998). It seems a fairly trivial matter, recovering important documents from big Scotsman Jason McCallen, who stole them from his ex-lover, wealthy socialite Mary Sommerfeld (she's now engaged to a minor European prince and wishes to avoid embarrassment). Complications ensue, though, as McCallen and his mysterious partner have another agenda. Meanwhile, Jack's girlfriend, stunning nightclub singer Bobbi Smythe, is being schmoozed by big-shot radio singer/comedian Archy Grant and his gangster associate Ike LaCelle, who sends hoods to follow Jack who's following McCallen. The agreeable narrative offers lots of wonderful lines, such as the first: ``Normally I wouldn't be caught deador even undeadin this kind of cafc.'' With its thin plot and limited action, the yarn coasts along on blackish wit and above-average characters. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
This is the eighth novel in Elrod's popular "Vampire Files" series (e.g., A Chill in the Blood, LJ 6/15/98) featuring the adventures of the undead detective hero Jack Fleming. As with most of the stories in the series, the setting is 1930s Chicago, when mobster influence was prevalent. Jack narrates the tale in his usual wisecracking way. This time he is helping his friend, private investigator Charles Escott, recover some valuable papers stolen from a wealthy client. The endeavor turns out to be more complex than anticipated. Meanwhile, Jack's girlfriend, Bobbi, a singer, has a chance for a big break in show business. Unfortunately, this brings her into contact with rather shady, dangerous characters, and in such a situation it helps to have a vampire boyfriend. It must be said that Jack is not one of the evil undead, just an average guy who happens to be a vampire.This is an entertaining, nicely paced mystery with lots of period atmosphere. For mystery and fantasy collections.APatricia Altner, Information Seekers, Bowie, MD
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
In this eighth installment in the Vampire Files series, Elrod seems a little unsure of herself. However, flaws in the novel's construction--Elrod alternates awkwardly between two competing plot lines while keeping the pace a tad too lethargic--are not enough to distract most readers from the story's fundamental charm. For this is no ordinary private-eye tale: set in Chicago in the late 1930s, the series features as its central character (and narrator) a former journalist who's now a vampire. He's a rather good-natured bloodsucker, happy with who he is and a far cry from Anne Rice's tragic figures. The cleverness of the premise and Elrod's attention to detail should keep most readers from being too troubled by the novel's shortcomings. A must for the author's devoted fans. David Pitt
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