Lifeblood (The Vampire Files series- Book 2)(Library Edition) [Unabridged] [Audio CD]

P. N. Elrod (Author), Barrett Whitener (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2009

Jack Fleming was an investigative journalist in Prohibition-era Chicago until he got shot by an unknown assassin, bitten by his vampire girlfriend, and then became one of the undead. Now, this nice-guy nosferatu has a bunch of crazy vampire hunters on his trail, armed with crosses, silver bullets, and sharp wooden stakes. He doesn t know how they found out about him or why they are out for his blood, but it s not a problem for this street-wise gumshoe, until someone starts shooting. Jack himself may be bulletproof, but his friends are not. And Jack is determined to get some answers, even if it kills him again. It s a case of the living versus the undead. But who s hunting whom?

Editorial Reviews

Review

Elrod s got it down. A blend of the hard-boiled detective novel and the vampire tale...good-natured fun. --Locus

About the Author

PATRICIA NEAD ELROD began her writing career doing gaming modules for the company that created Dungeons and Dragons. A lifelong fan of vampire stories, gangster films, and pulp magazines, she is the author of numerous books including the Vampire Files and the Gentleman Vampire series. She lives in Texas with her dogs and books.

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.; Unabridged library edition (November 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1441702644
• ISBN-13: 978-1441702647
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,338,398 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm best known for writing THE VAMPIRE FILES, a series about an undead vampire Jack Fleming whose first case is to solve his OWN murder! There's 12 books and counting, as well as a number of short stories about his adventures.

In addition to writing, I've gone into editing and had the pleasure of working with the top names in urban fantasy with several award-winning collections.

Lately, I've just signed to edit a new anthology for St. Martin's called HEX SYMBOLS and signed a 3-book contract with Tor for a new steampunk series, ON HER MAJESTY'S PSYCHIC SERVICE. I'm currently working on the first book, THE HANGED MAN.

I consider myself to be danged lucky to have a job that I love this much!

There's a lot more info on my website: www.vampwriter.com and, yeah, you figured it, I'm on FaceBook. Far too often for my own good! Drop in and hang out!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent continuation of the series!!, June 8, 2001

By 

Chess Heart "paxbear" (Canton, OH) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Life Blood (Vampire Files, No. 2) (Paperback)

Jack Flemming, ace reporter, had the unusual experience of waking up one evening to find that he was dead. Actually, to find out he was UNdead-- apparently his old lover, Maureen, WASN'T kidding when she said she was a vampire!!

In "Bloodlist", the first book of the Vampire Files series, Jack was in the unique position of being able to track down his own murderers while gaining experience in his new "life" (I use the term loosely, here). In the first book he teamed up with an actor-turned-P.I. named Charles, and the two formed a mutually beneficial relationship: Jack's strength, heightened senses and ability to disappear aided Charles's investigations, while Charles had the helpful ability to move freely about in daylight. The pair are back again in the second in the series, "Lifeblood".

This time around Jack is getting more comfortable with his new condition, but is trying to find his lost lover, Maureen, who mysteriously disappeared 5 years ago. The search for her is suddenly complicated by Maureen's estranged (and possibly dangerous) sister and two bumbling-yet-dangerous vampire hunters who think Jack is some hideous creature of the night. Nothing could be farther from the truth as Jack is an extremely likeable character. He does not feed on humans, preferring cattle at the stockyards with occasional horse blood for treat, he has a girlfriend, and he even sends money home to his parents. Jack is the sort of supernatural creature you would actually LIKE to have as a friend.

Set in Chicago towards the end of the Depression when Capone is in jail but crime lords still rule the city, The Vampire Files is a truly wonderful new genre: hardboiled vampire detective fiction. In the style of great detective stories like "Maltese Falcon", there are a lot verbal jabs and wisecracks in addition to sudden plot twists that keep you guessing. The characters are sometimes a little stylized, like film-noir-- Jack's girlfriend is a nightclub singer who used to perform in a gig called The Nightcrawler, and there's of course the big bruiser of a hitman with nerves like taught piano wire-- but this adds to the drama and flavor of the book and makes it more period and believable.

The writing is excellent and the plot clips along at a fast pace that immediately draws in the reader. The story is fun and unusual with a vampire-cum-investigator as its main character, so even if you're not into vamp novels, you are easily drawn in. This is a series of books, and it's best to begin with #1, "Bloodlist" and work your way through the books. You COULD start here with #2, "Lifeblood", but you'd be missing out on a lot of history, characters and insight into Jack himself. Ms. Elrod doesn't spend much time rehashing what has happened before, so someone new to the series picking it up halfway through won't get all the subtle references.

All in all, I really enjoy this series and highly recommend it!!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Second in the series, lots of plot and action, January 31, 2001

By 

R. Kelly Wagner "[e-mail]" (MD, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Life Blood (Vampire Files, No. 2) (Paperback)

Second novel in the series about Jack Fleming, PI and vampire. Those who already know that they like vampire novels, anything at all that features a vampire, can skip this review, and likewise, those who hate the whole idea of vampires can skip it. But for those trying to decide whether or not to read more of this genre, or whether the one vampire novel you've already read was a fluke, it may help to have some ways to categorize these novels. Thus: BunRab's Standard Vampire Classification Guide. First, most authors of vampire novels approach from one of the main genres of genre fiction; thus their background may be primarily in romance, or in science fiction/fantasy, or in murder mysteries, or in horror. Second, many vampire novels come in series; knowing whether this is one of a series, and where in the series it falls, may be helpful. Then we have some particular characteristics: - Is the vampire character (or characters) a "good guy" or a "bad guy"? Or are there some of each? - Are there continuing characters besides the vampire, through the series? - Are there other types of supernatural beings besides vampires? - Can the vampire stand daylight under some circumstances, or not stand daylight at all? - Does the vampire have a few other supernatural characteristics, many other supernatural characteristics, or none other than just being a vampire? (E.g., super strength, change into an animal, turn invisible) - Does the vampire have a regular job and place in society, or is being a vampire his or her entire raison d'etre? - Does the vampire literally drink blood, or is there some other (perhaps metaphorical) method of feeding? - Is sex a major plot element, a minor plot element, or nonexistent? - Is the entire vampire feeding act a metaphor for sex, part of a standard sex act, or unrelated to sex? - Is the story set in one historical period, more than one historical period, or entirely in the present day? - Does the story have elements of humor, or is it strictly serious? - Is the writing style good, or is the writing just there to manage to hold together the plot and characters?

P.N. Elrod's series about Jack Fleming is in the hard-boiled detective genre. Fleming is a good guy (although with worries about his own ethics). Fleming is a former journalist (before he died), now working as a sidekick to a private investigator. The series takes place in the Chicago of the '30s, after Al Capone is locked up, but before the Depression ends. Criminal gangs are still a big force in Chicago. Besides Jack and his boss, various criminal mobs, and police both honest and corrupt, are recurring characters in the series. So is Jack's girlfriend, Bobbi, a nightclub singer. Jack drinks blood, but it doesn't have to be human- he uses cows at the Stockyards usually, and likes horses as a treat. He does, however, also drink a little from his girlfriend during sex. Sex is discreet and not too frequent in the series- no explicit details; this is a detective series, not a romance. Jack has a few supernatural powers associated with being a vampire: the usual ones of being stronger and faster than humans, and he also can turn invisible and float through walls. He must sleep during the day, on his native earth - but garlic and crosses don't bother him. There aren't any other kinds of supernatural characters in the series. As befits the detective genre, there is a certain amount of wisecracking in the dialogue; Jack can be a smart-ass sometimes, and the criminals can be inadvertently funny. Overall, the series is a well-done version of the genre, each book being easy to read and most of the characters being well-described and thought out.

The second book in the series gives us more information about Jack's first love, Maureen, who turned him into a vampire, and who has been missing for several years. We also learn more about Jack's own family. One caution for new readers: if you haven't read the first book in the series, go back and read it - this series pretty much has to be read in order. Unlike many series, the action in each book here is not separated by some unwritten-about period; the action in each book picks up quite soon after the previous book, often as early as the next day - or night. This book has more than one plot going on; besides the search for Maureen, and meeting with an unusual member of her family, there are also a couple of vampire-hunters after Jack. The vampire hunters are a bit two-dimensional, stereotyped characters - a simple minded young bumpkin following an older religious fanatic. Jack is disgusted with how many people seem to buy every word that Bram Stoker wrote. Hey, Jack's a nice guy, not a villain- he calls his mother regularly, sends money home to help his parents out, and does his best to live as normal a life as one of the undead can! When he kills someone in this book, he is worried, because even though the guy deserved killing, and had tried to kill Jack (ha!), Jack doesn't want to become a killer himself. His worries about the ethics of his condition are interesting to follow.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sublime!, November 1, 1998

By 

Roslyn Carrington "a.k.a. Simona Taylor" (Trinidad and Tobago) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Life Blood (Vampire Files, No. 2) (Paperback)

I will never again watch a movie or read a book about hunting down and eradicating vampires in the same way after having become acquainted with Jack Fleming. From now on, I'm rooting for the vampire.

Jack is the ultimate vampire hero; sexy, smart and supernatural. He is a thrill to know.

Elrod's characters are all, as a matter of fact, great to know, even those who you hate. They are well drawn, finely detailed, until they become living breathing people who leave you confused as to whether you've been reading fact or fantasy. She also knows how to bring the time period alive.

Ms. Elrod you have my assurance that as your newest devotee I will be reading, no, devouring your books, one by one and then waiting for new ones to come out.