The Devil You Know

The Devil You Know (2009) P. N. Elrod

I like PN Elrod’s Jack Fleming series. Jack is a vampire, living in the 1930s, who works as a private eye, owns a nightclub, and quite accidentally developed ties to the Chicago mob. It’s fun, and I enjoy the setting immensely.

In this story, Jack receives a telegram from Jonathan Barrett, a vampire from the 1700s, telling him that the body of the woman they both loved has finally been found, and that Jack is invited to the funeral service.

Barrett and Flemming don’t get along particularly well, and Jack expects a confrontation at any turn. Instead Barrett provides Flemming with a mystery–one that ends up taking them into New York city and the mobsters there.

I can’t say this was my favorite Jack Flemming story. I–like Jack–found Barrett rather annoying, and found Jonathan’s 1700s worldview difficult to deal with in the 1930s–especially when both are foreign to the twenty first century. It was a difficult combination to pull off, and for me at least it didn’t work. The mystery itself was quite interesting, and I enjoyed Izzy the female reporter, but could have done with a lot less of Jack’s angst, even if it was immanently appropriate for the situation.

If you have not read a Jack Flemming book, you could easily jump into the series here. But it’s certainly not the strongest story in the series, and I think you’d be better served starting elsewhere.
Rating: 6/10

Published by VampWriter Books

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