Subject: Bloodlist by P.N. Elrod Book Review by C. Douglas Baker

From: [email-masked] (cb52)
Date: 26 Feb 94 00:55:51 GMT

BLOODLIST by P. N. Elrod
                 Book Review by C. Douglas Baker

     If you like comic book quality action/adventure with a bit
of the supernatural thrown in you will like __Bloodlist__, Book
One of The Vampire Files.  __Bloodlist__ cannot really be
considered part of the horror genre because, really, it isn't
that scary.  That is unless an inept vampire getting riddled with
bullet holes and blundering into trouble constantly constitutes
"horror".

     Set in a gangster ridden Chicago, circa late 1930's, Jack
Fleming, an unemployed reporter, is murdered.  Jack comes back as
a vampire as a result of an extended affair with a vampire,
Maureen.  He likens vampirism to a disease that is not contagious
and is hard to catch or "we would be up to our armpits in
vampires".  The mysterious Maureen has inexplicably disappeared,
leaving an obvious opening for the next book in the series.  But
I digress.  Jack has been murdered by gangsters but his post-
transformation amnesia leaves him with few clues as to why he was
murdered; so he snoops around.  Along the way he runs into a
personable private eye, Charles Escott.  Together they try to
unravel the mystery, rather clumsily if the truth be known.  Both
are rather worse for the wear by the end of the adventure.  And
the mystery is really solved by....well, lets not spoil it.

     __Bloodlist__ certainly is not great literature but it is
rather fun.  Characterization is surprisingly well done and while
the plot is not exceptional it does keep the reader's interest. 
If you want a relaxing read where little mental energy has to be
expended and the story is both humorous and fast paced, then
check out __Bloodlist__.  On the other hand, if you are still
searching for the next coming of Anne Rice's __The Vampire
Chronicles__ steer well clear.

%T Bloodlist
%A P.N. Elrod
%C New York
%D 1990
%I Ace  $3.95 (pbk)
%G ISBN 0-441-06795-6 (pbk)
%P 200

C. DOUGLAS BAKER
Email: [email-masked]