The Dracula Dossier
The Dracula Dossier: A Novel of Suspense by James Reese
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks(September 8, 2009)
ISBN-10: 0061233552
From Publishers Weekly
In Reese's scrupulously imagined thriller, told largely through entries from a lost journal kept by the author of Dracula in 1888, Bram Stoker attends an indoctrination ceremony of the Order of the Golden Dawn, at the behest of Oscar Wilde's mum and a young William Butler Yeats. The ceremony goes horribly awry, resulting in one participant—Francis Tumblety, a patent medicine salesman newly arrived from America—becoming a vessel for the evil Egyptian god Set and applying his surgical skills to the slaughter of Whitechapel prostitutes in order to draw Stoker out for a supernatural showdown. Bestseller Reese (The Witchery) so perfectly pastiches the journal format that initially his story reads as dry and boringly as most private diaries. With Tumblety's malignant conversion, though, the novel turns into a rip-roaring penny dreadful that compels reading to the end. Dracula fans will appreciate the nods to well-known works that Stoker wrote supposedly following this confrontation.
Hooray, I finished my first book for RIP!
I"m not sure where I got this book but it has the black mark on the bottom pages and it only cost me 5.00 !
I think I can safely say that I do like books that are written as "letters" and or "journal entries" as this book is, and others I have read. Also I have found that I do like books using historical names I know in a fictional story. I like it because although the story is fictional, the historical parts are not and I learn much as well as enjoy the story. It's a good combination.
I did enjoy this read. It started off well but eventually it hit a point where things seemed to drag somewhat.. but that didn't last long! As in most good suspense stories the more you read, the faster you begin to read to know what's next, and this book was no exception.
The story takes place well before Stoker writes Dracula, and harbors names such as Yeats and Oscar Wilde, just to name a few, and of course brings in Jack the Ripper. I think this qualified well for the RIP Challenge don't you?!
I am not a good review person and don't like to give away much of the book... the Amazon Review will suffice in that.
Did I enjoy it? Oh, yes. ..however, I am still waiting for books that come up to the likes of The Thirteenth Tale and Drood !
posted by DesLily | 7:11 AM
14 Comments:
I think I'll definitely have to read this one at some stage. I like the sound of it a lot. Gyles Brandreth's 'Oscar Wilde' mysteries are pretty good, btw. Just thought I'd squeeze that in case you had no books to read and no wishlist. hahahahahaha. heh.
This has been on my 'interested in' list (B&N calls it my wish list, but I put everything I find I might be interested in reading on it!) for a while. Even if I stopped finding books I would like to read today and continued reading steadily, I would have to live to be about 150 to finish up ;)
Glad you enjoyed your first read of the RIP challenge!
Yeah, The Thirteenth Tale is hard to top! I really must reread that! I also must finish DROOD. I was liking it, got rather far into it, and then stopped reading...
cath: if you like stories using "famous names" you will most likely like this book.. i love it cause I learn about those names.
jj: well if you get it I hope you like it! lol.. i always fear that just because i enjoyed a book that someone who goes and buys it won't! I'd feel guilty because money it tight for everyone so you want to enjoy every penny spent!
Thanks Kathleen, me too haha!
kelly: I so loved both books! the 13th tale is what got me to so enjoy RIP !
When I read books like this which contain fictional stories about well known authors from times gone by, all I can think is, 'Hmm...I wonder if someday, people will be reading these types of stories with characters such as Stephen King, Audrey Niffenegger, etc.etc.?'. Interesting thought, I think:)
overflowing: yes, it certainly is a thought! One wonders, no matter how famous our current writers are (re: Stephen King) if they will be remembered as well as the "classic authors" are to many today?? I've read very little classic really but the names are always known.
I'm adding this one to my list! Hope the library has a copy!
On to the To Read list with this one! I'm deep into my second read of Elizabeth Kostova's "The Historian", and like the characters in it, I feel compelled to read anything even tangentially related to Dracula.
Also, Cath mentioned some Oscar Wilde mysteries? Haven't heard of them, but am going straight from here to my library's online catalog to investigate. Thank you both for the recommendations!
Kari, the first Oscar Wilde mystery to read is Oscar Wilde and the Candlelight Murders *or* Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance if you live in the US I believe. They are a light, fun read.
jenclair: I hope you find it!
kari: ohhhh i enjoyed the Historian too!!!!
I must reread The Historian. I loved it but don't remember a whole lot about it so I'm sure it would be even better the second time around.
I started this one a year or two ago but was in the wrong mood for the bloody scene at the beginning. Maybe I'll try it again this year!
Kristen: well there had to be a murder to solve. nothing else real grusome after that (so far).
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