"Enthralling Vampire Tale"

Kostova's lengthy debut novel involves a thoroughly intense modern-day search for Dracula amidst the underpinnings of the history behind his legend. In 1972, a sixteen-year-old student is living in Amsterdam with her professor father Paul when she discovers in his library a letter addressed to "My Dear and Unfortunate Successor". Paul explains the letter through first person reminiscences of events that happened some decades prior. The author of the letter, Paul's former mentor, Professor Rossi, had disappeared without a trace when Paul joined forces with Rossi's daughter Helen to locate the missing man. Paul's journey to find Rossi is intertwined with his search for Vlad Tepes, the Impaler, a fifteenth century ruler, (AKA Dracula)whom Paul believes may be Rossi's abductor. The journey to locate Rossi is cleverly detailed as Helen and Paul travel from the U.S. to Istanbul and Bulgaria, as the author brings to life each locale, brimming with fascinating detail.

Alternating chapters return the reader to 1972, when the teenager leaves Amsterdam to search for her father, whom she believes is in grave danger, though he is merely away on a business trip. Paul's quest to find Rossi and his daughter's decades later trip to find Paul offer interesting parallels, as both protagonists encounter mysterious vampire-like personas throughout their respective quests.

Given that both Paul and his daughter's journeys are written in the first person, the reader may experience some confusion at the onset of the novel. As the plotline of the read continues to flow, father and daughter's stories become more distinct, firmly engaging readers in the mystery behind the legendary Dracula. Kostova's extensive historical research into both the myth and historical accuracy regarding Dracula add impressive detail to this original, smoothly plotted novel, which craftily combines elements of paranormal with real life experiences.

Reviewed by Sheri Melnick
Posted July 3, 2005