The Vampire Files: Bloodlist

The Vampire Files: Bloodlist (1990) P.N. Elrod

It’s Chicago, in 1936 and reporter Jack Flemming is investigating a case he takes rather personally–his own death. (I feel like I’ve written or read that sentence before. Strange.)

I picked up this three book omnibus because we found three later books in this series used. Michael read one–book 7 I think–and wasn’t very impressed. I figured that starting a series at book seven probably wasn’t the best idea, and so found a copy of the first three books together (Three books for one! And I got it used! Deal!) I was far more impressed by the first book than Michael was starting on book seven. Unsurprisingly.

I’m fond of hard boiled mysteries (in fact I’ve been perusing used book stories for Raymond Chandler and Mickey Spillane), and I like fantasy, so I was predisposed to like this (now I feel like I have to go back and figure out who wrote the first vampire mystery. Copyright in 1990, this comes a year before Tanya Huff‘s Blood Price.

Bloodlist is actually pretty good. It has the hard boiled tone down pretty well, and I enjoyed the fact that the story is set in 1936. All three books in this collection are set in 1936. I’m very curious as to whether Jack Flemming moves through time or remains in the 1930s. However, I’m not 100% convinced by the setting. The details are correct, but I found myself forgetting that we were in Capone’s Chicago instead of modern Chicago. Though to be honest, I didn’t mind.

And as I’ve said previously, I’m fascinated by the way that different writers interpret the vampire mythology. Jack can enter a room uninvited, isn’t bothered by crosses, and can change into a mist, but can’t tolerate food or alcohol, and has trouble crossing water. I like the way that different writers give vampires different strengths and vulnerabilities.

This was an interesting story, and although I didn’t necessarily believe that they were in Chicago, the dialog was fun anyway, and the mystery was interesting. And I’ve already started the second book.
Rating: 7/10

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