The Vampire Chronicles: Vampires and gumshoes

THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES Vol 1: BloodList, LifeBlood, BloodCircle by P.N. Elrod

The Vampire Chronicles compiles the first three books in P.N. Elrod’s series featuring Jack Fleming who, in case you haven’t deduced by the title, is a vampire.

What makes this series different from most other recent vampire novels is that Elrod combines an old familiar trope with something familiar but not usually associated with vampires: noir detectives. Her characters are believably of the gumshoe type and include those hopeful yet gray sensibilities that were products of that era. That is easily Elrod’s strength, so if you’re a fan of the pulps and radio dramas (Elrod even references The Shadow multiple times throughout the novels), this is perhaps the series for you.

THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES are a quick and easy read and cover everything from our protagonist’s origin (in which he suffers from amnesia) to clashes with fellow vampires. One doesn’t necessarily need to read the books in order, for they’re the type that stand well on their own and they immediately dive deep into the action. The Vampire Chronicles isn’t the great American novel but if you’re a fan of the pulps or want something different to sink your teeth into, this collection might appeal to you. If you’re looking for something more “modern,” steer clear of this one.

FanLit thanks Charles Tan from Bibliophile Stalker for contributing this guest review.