Hunting Prince Dracula is the second book in Kerri Maniscalco's Stalking Jack the Ripper series. After the horrifying events of Stalking Jack the Ripper, Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell are on a train heading to the Academy of Forensic Medicine and Science. The academy, however, is in the former home of Vlad Tepes, also known as Count Dracula. As the two studiously fight for the only two prestigious spots at the academy, they also fight against the evidence that the Immortal Lord has risen. With murders abound, Audrey Rose must find a way to control her own demons, prove her worth against prejudicial men, solve riddles and murder, and come to terms with the love interest of Thomas Cresswell before Death comes to find her.
I have always been a fan of Dracula by Bram Stoker. No matter what I read that book every Halloween. Its not so much the immortality that has the allure, but the artistry and the history. Dracula is a real person with a home and a family. Bram Stoker took the history and made it a legend. Kerri Maniscalco takes the legend and turns it back into reality. She capitalizes on the history of Vlad Tepes, his home Bran castle, but never forgets the legend. She illustrates the village's fears, superstitions, and their culture. Maniscalco makes the reader want to take a trip to Romania and see Bran Castle, if for no other reason than to simply say "I was in the Count's home."
Kerri Maniscalco's main character Audrey Rose is exemplary. I truly believed that I could feel everything that Audrey Rose was feeling. I felt my heart stop when Audrey's did, and I felt her annoyance with her companion Thomas Cresswell. Audrey Rose goes through her own demons following the Jack the Ripper adventure and the reader can't help but want to slay those demons. The witty banter that is both annoying and reassuringly welcome makes the chemistry between Thomas and Audrey more real for the reader. The faults of the characters (Audrey's need for independence and Thomas's lack of social skills) assist the reader in connecting with them. These are the personality quirks that make it easier to become lost in the book. To feel a part of the story.
I rate this story 5 out of 5 stars. I finished the book in one day because I simply could not put it down. There is history, mystery, thrills, chills, witty banter, and love all encompassed in 434 pages. I recommend this book for anyone who believes in the supernatural but also in science.
I have always been a fan of Dracula by Bram Stoker. No matter what I read that book every Halloween. Its not so much the immortality that has the allure, but the artistry and the history. Dracula is a real person with a home and a family. Bram Stoker took the history and made it a legend. Kerri Maniscalco takes the legend and turns it back into reality. She capitalizes on the history of Vlad Tepes, his home Bran castle, but never forgets the legend. She illustrates the village's fears, superstitions, and their culture. Maniscalco makes the reader want to take a trip to Romania and see Bran Castle, if for no other reason than to simply say "I was in the Count's home."
Kerri Maniscalco's main character Audrey Rose is exemplary. I truly believed that I could feel everything that Audrey Rose was feeling. I felt my heart stop when Audrey's did, and I felt her annoyance with her companion Thomas Cresswell. Audrey Rose goes through her own demons following the Jack the Ripper adventure and the reader can't help but want to slay those demons. The witty banter that is both annoying and reassuringly welcome makes the chemistry between Thomas and Audrey more real for the reader. The faults of the characters (Audrey's need for independence and Thomas's lack of social skills) assist the reader in connecting with them. These are the personality quirks that make it easier to become lost in the book. To feel a part of the story.
I rate this story 5 out of 5 stars. I finished the book in one day because I simply could not put it down. There is history, mystery, thrills, chills, witty banter, and love all encompassed in 434 pages. I recommend this book for anyone who believes in the supernatural but also in science.
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