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Love Like Blood
'I've chased him for over twenty years, and across countless miles, and though often I was running, there have been many times when I could do nothing but sit and wait. Now I am only desperate for it to be finished.'In 1944, just days after the liberation of Paris, Charles Jackson sees something a man, apparently drinking the blood of a murdered woman. Terrified, he does nothing, telling himself afterwards that worse things happen in wars.Seven years later he returns to the city - and sees the same man dining in the company of a fascinating young woman. When they leave the restaurant, Charles decides to follow...A Love Like Blood is a dark, compelling thriller about how a man's life can change in a moment; about where the desire for truth - and for revenge - can lead; about love and fear and hatred. And it is also about the question of blood.
320 pages, Paperback
First published March 25, 2014
11 people are currently reading
1386 people want to read
About the author
Marcus Sedgwick
107 books1,583 followersMarcus Sedgwickwas a British writer and illustrator. He authored several young adult and children's books and picture books, a work of nonfiction and several novels for adults, and illustrated a collection of myths and a book of folk tales for adults.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews
August 7, 2014
A Love Like Blood is a pretty disturbing book. I wasn't sure that to expect when I requested it from Bookbridgr, and I'm a little worried that everything I say or tag it with is going to spoil the story somewhat. It's a mystery, a slowly unravelling one, and part of that mystery is actually what genre we're in here. I suggest you don't read beyond here in this review if you're planning on reading this; while I'll try not to include spoilers as such, it still might inform your reading of the novel.
Given Sedgwick's previous work, I expected it to have paranormal elements; I wasn't expecting the darkness of this story, though perhaps from this quote on the back, I should've: "the worst monsters are entirely human." I'm still not sure how exactly I feel about that bait-and-switch -- everything about it seemed to suggest a sort of gothic vampire novel, especially with Lindqvist blurbing it.
In fact, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the whole thing. I admire the structure of it, the way it plays with the reader's expectations: it's very conscious of other books in the various related genres, I think. I admire the way it comes together, and of course it leaves me thinking back over the story and what each little event described means -- because it does all mean something.
I'm a bit baffled by the way some reviewers reached the end of this and then still complained the character was not likeable enough to follow for the whole book. Well, if you read for likeable characters, then that's valid, but I can't understand finishing the book and then feeling that Sedgwick accidentally made his protagonist a creep.
In terms of the writing style, I found it a pretty easy read. It's written in a slightly old-fashioned style, since it's narrated from the point of view of an educated Englishman during/post WWII; I thought that was reasonably well handled, though I do find myself wondering why the narrator is telling the story, and to who.
All in all, I think I'm rating this a slightly uneasy 3/5. It possibly deserves more in some respects, but I can't say I liked it. This is a compromise between the fact that I found it interesting but also repellant.
Given Sedgwick's previous work, I expected it to have paranormal elements; I wasn't expecting the darkness of this story, though perhaps from this quote on the back, I should've: "the worst monsters are entirely human." I'm still not sure how exactly I feel about that bait-and-switch -- everything about it seemed to suggest a sort of gothic vampire novel, especially with Lindqvist blurbing it.
In fact, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the whole thing. I admire the structure of it, the way it plays with the reader's expectations: it's very conscious of other books in the various related genres, I think. I admire the way it comes together, and of course it leaves me thinking back over the story and what each little event described means -- because it does all mean something.
I'm a bit baffled by the way some reviewers reached the end of this and then still complained the character was not likeable enough to follow for the whole book. Well, if you read for likeable characters, then that's valid, but I can't understand finishing the book and then feeling that Sedgwick accidentally made his protagonist a creep.
In terms of the writing style, I found it a pretty easy read. It's written in a slightly old-fashioned style, since it's narrated from the point of view of an educated Englishman during/post WWII; I thought that was reasonably well handled, though I do find myself wondering why the narrator is telling the story, and to who.
All in all, I think I'm rating this a slightly uneasy 3/5. It possibly deserves more in some respects, but I can't say I liked it. This is a compromise between the fact that I found it interesting but also repellant.
September 14, 2015
It’s 1944, Charles Jackson, an English Army Corporal heads over to Paris for a brief stay with his Sergeant. Together they visit a museum on the outskirts of Paris. Charles was wandering the grounds of the museum when he spots a cave. Charles enters and to finds man leaning over a woman, drinking her blood. Charles flees the cave in fright.
Over the next 20 years, the image of the man haunts Charles mind, and the feeling of guilt that he didn’t stay around to see if he could save the woman. But on his next visit Paris, years later, Charles sees an opportunity to fix it; he catches a glimpse of the same man dining out with beautiful woman in a café, and later follows him. From that point on, Charles interest in the man becomes a damaging obsession; he neglect his career, state of mind is troubled and friendships are lost. Determined to find out just who and what this man is, Charles starts his own investigation. However, as he digs deeper he realizes that the situation is far bigger then he anticipated; there’s corruption, murder, kidnapping, and he’s in the firing line. It’s not a matter of curiosity or interest any more, but a fight for survival.
This is my first book by Marcus Sedgwick. What I can gather from his previous books is that he’s an established writer for Young Adult and Middle Grade readers. A Love Like Blood is his first novel for Adult readers, and I hope he doesn’t stop there - it’s a brilliant. On first impression it seems as though it’s a Vampire novel. It’s brushes on the subject briefly but the main theme of this book is blood; it explores it on all levels; from religion perspective, to scientific view, to myths and then to lust and desires.
The first part of the book, I had a sense that you were reading a classic horror novel. The clothing and some medical references were the only indication that it’s set in a recent era, but otherwise it felt very old style. I LOVED the setting. Charles travelled to many locations across European where he was either spying, researching or dining. These locations were so beautifully described with a haunting gothic atmosphere that was enhanced into the plot.
The novel was extremely suspenseful and a great build up of plot. As Charles is getting further into the investigation, you a sickening sense that it’s slowly overtaking him. He is not thinking rationally and taking risk that is jeopardizing his life. You are on the edge of your seat, just waiting patiently for the explosion to erupt.
And boy did it erupt!! The plot shifted to an electrifying pace, with a touch of espionage. It was bloody, gruesome and very dark. It was one of those shifts where you are constantly looking over your shoulder; when you think that Charles had deceived them, they are always that one step ahead of him. It was a pure adrenaline rush that I couldn’t sit still.
It’s been a long time since a novel had me literally pacing the floor with the book in my hand (not since Tallula Rising) but this one nailed it. Yes it was very gruesome towards the end, I had to skip a couple of pages because of my weak stomach, but it didn’t alter my opinion of the overall enjoyment and thrill factor of the book. I thought it was a spot on, brilliant read. 4 ½ stars
#Litexp14 - Horror
Thanks to Hachette Australia and Netgalley for my review copy
Over the next 20 years, the image of the man haunts Charles mind, and the feeling of guilt that he didn’t stay around to see if he could save the woman. But on his next visit Paris, years later, Charles sees an opportunity to fix it; he catches a glimpse of the same man dining out with beautiful woman in a café, and later follows him. From that point on, Charles interest in the man becomes a damaging obsession; he neglect his career, state of mind is troubled and friendships are lost. Determined to find out just who and what this man is, Charles starts his own investigation. However, as he digs deeper he realizes that the situation is far bigger then he anticipated; there’s corruption, murder, kidnapping, and he’s in the firing line. It’s not a matter of curiosity or interest any more, but a fight for survival.
This is my first book by Marcus Sedgwick. What I can gather from his previous books is that he’s an established writer for Young Adult and Middle Grade readers. A Love Like Blood is his first novel for Adult readers, and I hope he doesn’t stop there - it’s a brilliant. On first impression it seems as though it’s a Vampire novel. It’s brushes on the subject briefly but the main theme of this book is blood; it explores it on all levels; from religion perspective, to scientific view, to myths and then to lust and desires.
The first part of the book, I had a sense that you were reading a classic horror novel. The clothing and some medical references were the only indication that it’s set in a recent era, but otherwise it felt very old style. I LOVED the setting. Charles travelled to many locations across European where he was either spying, researching or dining. These locations were so beautifully described with a haunting gothic atmosphere that was enhanced into the plot.
The novel was extremely suspenseful and a great build up of plot. As Charles is getting further into the investigation, you a sickening sense that it’s slowly overtaking him. He is not thinking rationally and taking risk that is jeopardizing his life. You are on the edge of your seat, just waiting patiently for the explosion to erupt.
And boy did it erupt!! The plot shifted to an electrifying pace, with a touch of espionage. It was bloody, gruesome and very dark. It was one of those shifts where you are constantly looking over your shoulder; when you think that Charles had deceived them, they are always that one step ahead of him. It was a pure adrenaline rush that I couldn’t sit still.
It’s been a long time since a novel had me literally pacing the floor with the book in my hand (not since Tallula Rising) but this one nailed it. Yes it was very gruesome towards the end, I had to skip a couple of pages because of my weak stomach, but it didn’t alter my opinion of the overall enjoyment and thrill factor of the book. I thought it was a spot on, brilliant read. 4 ½ stars
#Litexp14 - Horror
Thanks to Hachette Australia and Netgalley for my review copy
December 3, 2013
An excellent piece of story crafting with echoes of Mary Shelley and Bram Stoker, this is a dark and macabre launch into the world of adult fiction for Sedgwick as he deals with themes of obsession and dissociation in the pursuit of a perverse killer.
Charles is a riveting lead and his descent into the world of blood and desire markedly changes him as the story progresses and he begins to lose grasp on his own humanity.
Great stuff, this will stick in my mind just as much as the author's previous books have done so.
Charles is a riveting lead and his descent into the world of blood and desire markedly changes him as the story progresses and he begins to lose grasp on his own humanity.
Great stuff, this will stick in my mind just as much as the author's previous books have done so.
July 6, 2022
I was undecided between 2 and 3 stars. So maybe it's more of a 2.5 star book.
Our narrator is in France at the end of World War 2, and he sees a man drinking the blood of a young woman, and in fear he runs away. The image haunts him for years, and then one day he sees the man again, with another woman. He decides that he has to follow this time to learn more about this man and what is going on.
This book is about obsessions, and more particularly obsessions with blood.
It reminded me of other books I've read similar to this, like the Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, just not as well-written. It didn't help that our main character was such a creep who just followed random women around all the time and objectified them completely.
I was hoping for a supernatural vampire story, but alas, that is not what I got.
Our narrator is in France at the end of World War 2, and he sees a man drinking the blood of a young woman, and in fear he runs away. The image haunts him for years, and then one day he sees the man again, with another woman. He decides that he has to follow this time to learn more about this man and what is going on.
This book is about obsessions, and more particularly obsessions with blood.
It reminded me of other books I've read similar to this, like the Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, just not as well-written. It didn't help that our main character was such a creep who just followed random women around all the time and objectified them completely.
I was hoping for a supernatural vampire story, but alas, that is not what I got.
February 26, 2014
Spanning the years 1944 to 1968, this is a tale of depravity, obsession, revenge and blood. Our hero (actually often delightfully un-heroic) is a young Captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps. Charles Jackson has spent the war finding safe sources of drinking water, setting up showers and organising latrines for the troops as they advance across Europe – an unglamorous but necessary occupation. In 1944 he finds himself in a newly liberated Paris, visiting the Chateau de Saint-Germain-en-laye with his Commanding Officer. The Chateau had been Germany Army Headquarters during the war years, but had previously been a museum, which his CO wants to visit. Wandering in the grounds, Charles comes across a bunker. Without any idea that it will change his life, he steps inside and sees a man drinking a woman’s blood – the man looks up, meets his eye, and looks amused... Shocked, he stumbles outside, horrified and afraid. Charles later gathers enough courage to go back, but both the man and woman have vanished and he is unsure that he really witnessed the scene that comes to haunt him.
After the war, Charles Jackson returns to Cambridge and obtains a post in the Department of Haematology. However, the sight he saw that day in 1944 continues to play on his mind. When he returns to Paris he begins an investigation which results in his chasing the elusive Count Verovkin over twenty years and several countries. During this novel Charles Jackson discovers love, is duped, attacked, threatened, disbelieved and is both hunted and the hunter. In theme, it is a little like “The Historian,” with a chase over several years and in many different locations. Overriding everything is the theme of blood – from Charles Jackson, the doctor and researcher, and his work into haemophilia, to tales of gruesome crimes committed by those obsessed with blood.
I first became aware of author Marcus Sedgwick as an author of YA novels, whose books were greatly liked by one of my sons. This is his first adult novel and it is a well crafted book with dark themes. Charles Jackson is a very likeable main character and there are a good array of others who help flesh out the storyline. Often there are some gaps which, although realistic, do slow down the action a little and, sometimes, you feel that Charles is just a little too gullible. However, overall, this was an enjoyable read which will appeal to a wider audience than he usually receives. Some of his YA novels are easily comparable in style though and, if you like this, then I would recommend trying some of his earlier work, such as “My Swordhand is Singing” or “Blood Red, Snow White."
After the war, Charles Jackson returns to Cambridge and obtains a post in the Department of Haematology. However, the sight he saw that day in 1944 continues to play on his mind. When he returns to Paris he begins an investigation which results in his chasing the elusive Count Verovkin over twenty years and several countries. During this novel Charles Jackson discovers love, is duped, attacked, threatened, disbelieved and is both hunted and the hunter. In theme, it is a little like “The Historian,” with a chase over several years and in many different locations. Overriding everything is the theme of blood – from Charles Jackson, the doctor and researcher, and his work into haemophilia, to tales of gruesome crimes committed by those obsessed with blood.
I first became aware of author Marcus Sedgwick as an author of YA novels, whose books were greatly liked by one of my sons. This is his first adult novel and it is a well crafted book with dark themes. Charles Jackson is a very likeable main character and there are a good array of others who help flesh out the storyline. Often there are some gaps which, although realistic, do slow down the action a little and, sometimes, you feel that Charles is just a little too gullible. However, overall, this was an enjoyable read which will appeal to a wider audience than he usually receives. Some of his YA novels are easily comparable in style though and, if you like this, then I would recommend trying some of his earlier work, such as “My Swordhand is Singing” or “Blood Red, Snow White."
September 3, 2014
Really REALLY a most excellent read as far as I am concerned. Some dark and seemingly mystical themes all tied up in a novel of obsession, love, loss and right at the heart of it all a battle of wills between two unforgettable characters.
Charles Jackson, during wartime, was witness to an unspeakable act of violence from which he never really recovers. From then on, in sometimes subtle and sometimes violent ways this impacts on his life as he becomes obsessed with one man and his proclivity for blood…
There is a haunted and evocative feel to the prose with some stunning imagery, dark exploration of man’s obsessive nature and adds in a gritty realistic tone that makes even the fantastic seem entirely plausible. Whilst this is not a supernatural novel, it has supernatural undertones, done with subtlety and flair which allows the reader to interpret things in different ways – the true nature of “Verovkin” , a man Charles seems willing to hunt to the ends of the earth, is never truly clear. He was absolutely fascinating – but not NEARLY as fascinating as Charles himself, as he develops and changes.
A scientist and Doctor who is hunting for a cure for Haemophilia, at first Charles is a pragmatic man with his head firmly in reality, but as things progress he grows steadily wilder and much darker in character. By the end he is truly a changed man. This book is really his journey from light into darkness – and as such is addictive reading and often very frightening. I found the whole thing completely riveting, and it had one of those endings which makes you take a step back and consider what has gone before.
Overall very very good – recommended for readers who love a tense, atmospheric novel which could not be said to be any one thing. Excellent stuff.
Happy Reading Folks!
Charles Jackson, during wartime, was witness to an unspeakable act of violence from which he never really recovers. From then on, in sometimes subtle and sometimes violent ways this impacts on his life as he becomes obsessed with one man and his proclivity for blood…
There is a haunted and evocative feel to the prose with some stunning imagery, dark exploration of man’s obsessive nature and adds in a gritty realistic tone that makes even the fantastic seem entirely plausible. Whilst this is not a supernatural novel, it has supernatural undertones, done with subtlety and flair which allows the reader to interpret things in different ways – the true nature of “Verovkin” , a man Charles seems willing to hunt to the ends of the earth, is never truly clear. He was absolutely fascinating – but not NEARLY as fascinating as Charles himself, as he develops and changes.
A scientist and Doctor who is hunting for a cure for Haemophilia, at first Charles is a pragmatic man with his head firmly in reality, but as things progress he grows steadily wilder and much darker in character. By the end he is truly a changed man. This book is really his journey from light into darkness – and as such is addictive reading and often very frightening. I found the whole thing completely riveting, and it had one of those endings which makes you take a step back and consider what has gone before.
Overall very very good – recommended for readers who love a tense, atmospheric novel which could not be said to be any one thing. Excellent stuff.
Happy Reading Folks!
January 12, 2015
I’m quite the fan of the more subtle and intelligent ‘vampire’ fiction that sometimes infiltrates this overburdened genre, much of which is utter tripe. Looking for something on a par with Jasper Kent’s brilliant series, this was a real treat, and I thoroughly enjoyed the historical touches that underscore a completely absorbing thriller. I loved the slightly tongue in cheek humour of Jackson’s later employment as a haematologist, and Sedgwick’s overall razor sharp observations of his protagonist’s individual obsessions with blood. However, what really carried the book for me was Sedgwick’s precise and empathetic portrayal of Jackson’s descent into obsession, capturing perfectly what lengths he will go to in search of justice, with more than a nod to some of the great tropes of Gothic literature that enthral and intrigue us still.
January 3, 2016
I received this free from the publishers via NetGalley
'If the city was a beast, I had penetrated its very centre. Seen the heart, in which was a thirst. If the city was a beast, it was now, for a short time at least, a sated one, bloated and content with its offering of blood.'
It is 1944 and Paris has just been liberated. Charles Jackson stumbles upon a man who seems to be drinking the blood of a young woman and he runs. Years later he returns to the city and he sees the man he saw seven years earlier, with a woman. He decides to follow them both and eventually falls for the fascinating woman and gets soon dragged into the mystery which shrouds the man.
I am going to start this review by saying this is not what I expected. I expected there to be a paranormal aspect. How wrong I was. I really did love Marcus Sedgwick's Blood Red Snow White, and I this is the third book of his that I have read, including White Crow, and both times I have been surely disappointed. Neither is as good as the first book of his I read and my expectations were very high going into both of them. I really did not like A Love Like Blood. It was sadistic and horrifying, so if you want a book with these things then I do suggest you give this book a go. However, for me, it just was not my cup of tea. The book revolved too much around blood, and It just freaked me out, and It was very disturbing to read.
I did not like Charles. He was too obsessed about the man, despite his life being put in danger, and also despite putting others life in danger. His friends, the woman he loved, his family, and the lives of people he passes. Yet he does not care. He chases the man determined to find the truth about him and he just will not let it go. He was told numerous times by his friend to drop it, because it was not worth it but he just did not listen. He was safe at one point, he was wealthy, but his drive for answers and revenge ruined all that and, ultimately, cost him his life, but not in the sense of death.
The end was horrific and I really did not like it. But as I said before, it may be your type of thing if you are looking for horror mystery, but it just was not my type of book.
'If the city was a beast, I had penetrated its very centre. Seen the heart, in which was a thirst. If the city was a beast, it was now, for a short time at least, a sated one, bloated and content with its offering of blood.'
It is 1944 and Paris has just been liberated. Charles Jackson stumbles upon a man who seems to be drinking the blood of a young woman and he runs. Years later he returns to the city and he sees the man he saw seven years earlier, with a woman. He decides to follow them both and eventually falls for the fascinating woman and gets soon dragged into the mystery which shrouds the man.
I am going to start this review by saying this is not what I expected. I expected there to be a paranormal aspect. How wrong I was. I really did love Marcus Sedgwick's Blood Red Snow White, and I this is the third book of his that I have read, including White Crow, and both times I have been surely disappointed. Neither is as good as the first book of his I read and my expectations were very high going into both of them. I really did not like A Love Like Blood. It was sadistic and horrifying, so if you want a book with these things then I do suggest you give this book a go. However, for me, it just was not my cup of tea. The book revolved too much around blood, and It just freaked me out, and It was very disturbing to read.
I did not like Charles. He was too obsessed about the man, despite his life being put in danger, and also despite putting others life in danger. His friends, the woman he loved, his family, and the lives of people he passes. Yet he does not care. He chases the man determined to find the truth about him and he just will not let it go. He was told numerous times by his friend to drop it, because it was not worth it but he just did not listen. He was safe at one point, he was wealthy, but his drive for answers and revenge ruined all that and, ultimately, cost him his life, but not in the sense of death.
The end was horrific and I really did not like it. But as I said before, it may be your type of thing if you are looking for horror mystery, but it just was not my type of book.
October 6, 2014
During a recent trip to my favourite bookshop, two books caught my eye, both with red covers and both with similar themes. This was one and the other was The Devil in the Marshalsea. I must have been having a weird moment as this sort of book is not normally what does it for me. Things looked even gloomier when I was told Marcus Sedgwick writes for children and young adults but I am glad to report that this was definitely written for adults.
Also glad to report that I found this skillfully written and paced. It was pretty much unputdownable without one boring page or unnecessary sentence. The (yes it was silly but who cares) story of a haematologist on the heels of an individual (who's passion I will keep secret for the purpose of this review) over many decades and many countries was one well worth reading.
Also glad to report that I found this skillfully written and paced. It was pretty much unputdownable without one boring page or unnecessary sentence. The (yes it was silly but who cares) story of a haematologist on the heels of an individual (who's passion I will keep secret for the purpose of this review) over many decades and many countries was one well worth reading.
August 28, 2014
Includes one of my pet hates which is not specifying if the villain is a real vampire or not until the last chapter and thinking that this is perfectly fine as long as you mention all the research the author has done, none of which is ever confirmed in regard to the villain we are just meant to assume that it is correct. It also doesn't waste time explaining what anybody gets out of working for this guy or how he manages to get anything done across all of Europe except a guess that he must have access to lots of money. Basically it advertises itself to the vampire fan fraternity when it really wants to be a dissertation on blood.
March 22, 2017
This was a bit of a strange story. I can't really say that I loved it. The author has a good writing style that kept me reading this book. At the end of the book, I just wanted to cry for the main character, Charles Jackson because I felt like he wasted his entire life by chasing something that he saw in Paris in 1944. He let what he saw slowly ruin his life for decades. He could have had a grand life if not for his obsession.
did-not-finish
February 25, 2017Abandoned around the 20% mark. Sedgwick is an established author of YA fiction, this is his first adult novel, and the YA influence is obvious: short, very fast-paced chapters and not enough detail. The story is potentially intriguing, but I don't really like the narrator and I can't bear to read another word about his MPDG girlfriend. I'm unlikely to pick this up again.
January 28, 2022
Not your typical vampire novel, but it definitely kept me intrigued. The answer to the mystery was always just a bit out of reach. Enjoyed it.
July 23, 2025
I hated the main character so much
July 30, 2024
oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god.
can someone read this so i can talk about it bc psychologically im having a difficult time recovering.
can someone read this so i can talk about it bc psychologically im having a difficult time recovering.
June 21, 2014
C J Dee reviewed the Girl with All the Gifts; for more reviews by C J, see C J Dee on Dark Matter Zine.
Charles Jackson is a young soldier when he first arrives in Paris. It is 1944 and Paris has just been liberated so his CO takes him on a cultural tour. It is there that Charles sees a man devouring the blood of a woman. Charles flees the sight, the war ends and he returns to his normal life as a haematologist in London.
A few years later, the opportunity arises for Charles to return to Paris and he has a chance encounter with the man who horrified him so many years ago. Through this encounter Charles meets Marian, a red-haired American with whom he is instantly smitten. In an effort to save Marian from the blood-drinking man, Charles inadvertently alienates her. A decade later Charles finds that Marian’s silence wasn’t caused by indignation but by death.
It’s now Charles’s self-imposed responsibility to find who caused Marian’s premature death and bring them to justice by any means necessary.
Where do I begin? Let’s start at the beginning I guess, as good a place as any considering that’s where I first had misgivings about A Love Like Blood. The writing itself.
From the first page, I had the impression that the author had grabbed a thesaurus and chosen words at random to replace with fancier sounding words. For example, on the first page the author uses the word ‘quotidian’ when ‘daily’ would have fit just as well if not better. It continues like this throughout A Love Like Blood, though to be fair it is told from the perspective of an English scientist so perhaps stuffy language was used to portray this in the character. However, the end result felt disjointed and unenjoyable.
As a large portion of the story is set in Paris, it makes sense that a majority of the characters speak French. However, again the French text in A Love Like Blood made the story difficult to follow at times as large chunks of text are written in French. I have a very basic grasp of the French language but ended up sitting hunched over my phone typing blocks of French text into Google Translate so as to understand what was being said. It did not work well at all and I felt upon reading the translations that some of the things being said were relatively important, yet weren’t reiterated or translated into English for the reader.
The sentence structure of A Love Like Blood was incredibly difficult to read at times. It was as though the author had put the beginning of a sentence at the end, the middle at the beginning and the end at the beginning then thrown in half a dozen commas for good measure. There were some sentences I had to read three or four times before finally understanding what the author was trying to say. Once again, it was very disjointed and caused the story to suffer.
The story in itself of A Love Like Blood was reasonably weak. There were long drawn out passages where the ‘protagonist’ was doing not much of anything at all.
You may notice in that last sentence I used sarcastic punctuation. I like a flawed protagonist as much as anyone, but the ‘protagonist’ of A Love Like Blood was not flawed. He was deranged. He was sick. He was obsessive. He was a creep. He was a bit of a pervert. He stalked people at the drop of a hat. He threw his entire life away and took on a crusade to avenge a woman he purportedly loved, but whom realistically he had only met on a few occasions. I found myself disliking the ‘protagonist’ more than the ‘antagonist’.
Speaking of the ‘antagonist’. Save for the French sermon he gives to his cult, the author doesn’t have the antagonist say more than a handful of words for the entire book. Then within the last 50 pages he has a long, rambling, boring, repetitive speech that goes on for four pages. Let me repeat that: the villain rambles on for FOUR PAGES.
I could not in good conscience recommend this book to anyone. I could not find anything redeemable about A Love Like Blood. The plot, the characters, the writing itself – the big three when it comes to engaging storytelling were all lacking or devastatingly flawed. If you want to read a story about people drinking blood, read Salem’s Lot instead.
Charles Jackson is a young soldier when he first arrives in Paris. It is 1944 and Paris has just been liberated so his CO takes him on a cultural tour. It is there that Charles sees a man devouring the blood of a woman. Charles flees the sight, the war ends and he returns to his normal life as a haematologist in London.
A few years later, the opportunity arises for Charles to return to Paris and he has a chance encounter with the man who horrified him so many years ago. Through this encounter Charles meets Marian, a red-haired American with whom he is instantly smitten. In an effort to save Marian from the blood-drinking man, Charles inadvertently alienates her. A decade later Charles finds that Marian’s silence wasn’t caused by indignation but by death.
It’s now Charles’s self-imposed responsibility to find who caused Marian’s premature death and bring them to justice by any means necessary.
Where do I begin? Let’s start at the beginning I guess, as good a place as any considering that’s where I first had misgivings about A Love Like Blood. The writing itself.
From the first page, I had the impression that the author had grabbed a thesaurus and chosen words at random to replace with fancier sounding words. For example, on the first page the author uses the word ‘quotidian’ when ‘daily’ would have fit just as well if not better. It continues like this throughout A Love Like Blood, though to be fair it is told from the perspective of an English scientist so perhaps stuffy language was used to portray this in the character. However, the end result felt disjointed and unenjoyable.
As a large portion of the story is set in Paris, it makes sense that a majority of the characters speak French. However, again the French text in A Love Like Blood made the story difficult to follow at times as large chunks of text are written in French. I have a very basic grasp of the French language but ended up sitting hunched over my phone typing blocks of French text into Google Translate so as to understand what was being said. It did not work well at all and I felt upon reading the translations that some of the things being said were relatively important, yet weren’t reiterated or translated into English for the reader.
The sentence structure of A Love Like Blood was incredibly difficult to read at times. It was as though the author had put the beginning of a sentence at the end, the middle at the beginning and the end at the beginning then thrown in half a dozen commas for good measure. There were some sentences I had to read three or four times before finally understanding what the author was trying to say. Once again, it was very disjointed and caused the story to suffer.
The story in itself of A Love Like Blood was reasonably weak. There were long drawn out passages where the ‘protagonist’ was doing not much of anything at all.
You may notice in that last sentence I used sarcastic punctuation. I like a flawed protagonist as much as anyone, but the ‘protagonist’ of A Love Like Blood was not flawed. He was deranged. He was sick. He was obsessive. He was a creep. He was a bit of a pervert. He stalked people at the drop of a hat. He threw his entire life away and took on a crusade to avenge a woman he purportedly loved, but whom realistically he had only met on a few occasions. I found myself disliking the ‘protagonist’ more than the ‘antagonist’.
Speaking of the ‘antagonist’. Save for the French sermon he gives to his cult, the author doesn’t have the antagonist say more than a handful of words for the entire book. Then within the last 50 pages he has a long, rambling, boring, repetitive speech that goes on for four pages. Let me repeat that: the villain rambles on for FOUR PAGES.
I could not in good conscience recommend this book to anyone. I could not find anything redeemable about A Love Like Blood. The plot, the characters, the writing itself – the big three when it comes to engaging storytelling were all lacking or devastatingly flawed. If you want to read a story about people drinking blood, read Salem’s Lot instead.
September 26, 2014
I have to say, I didn't care much for this book.
I find it hard to care about stories where the characters make choices that I find not only bizarrely odd but underdeveloped and unrealistic.
I didn't buy this book's premise from the start.
Okay, so it's a glimpsed event in a character's life. Maybe it's me but I guess I didn't find said event as interesting/intriguing as the character/author. I found the first few chapters very boring.
It definitely ramped up near the end as the foolish and imbecilic main character (Christ, what a dullard) realised he was in over his head and reverts to truly grotesque and shocking means in an attempt to prevail - but it was too little too late for me personally.
This is a chase tale where the two main leads spend literally minutes together. Instead of enjoying the interplay between two slightly disturbed yet kindred spirits, we get one loser's doomed obsession and a road movie with no real soul in it's journey.
The ending didn't shock me. Unfortunately, I predicted it - and I'm never able to do that.
A let down.
I find it hard to care about stories where the characters make choices that I find not only bizarrely odd but underdeveloped and unrealistic.
I didn't buy this book's premise from the start.
Okay, so it's a glimpsed event in a character's life. Maybe it's me but I guess I didn't find said event as interesting/intriguing as the character/author. I found the first few chapters very boring.
It definitely ramped up near the end as the foolish and imbecilic main character (Christ, what a dullard) realised he was in over his head and reverts to truly grotesque and shocking means in an attempt to prevail - but it was too little too late for me personally.
This is a chase tale where the two main leads spend literally minutes together. Instead of enjoying the interplay between two slightly disturbed yet kindred spirits, we get one loser's doomed obsession and a road movie with no real soul in it's journey.
The ending didn't shock me. Unfortunately, I predicted it - and I'm never able to do that.
A let down.
November 4, 2015
I wish I liked this so much more than I did. It was just plain weird. I always feel bad when an author does something truly original, but I end up hating it. Always almost want to give them bonus stars for going against the grain, but I just can't muster it here.
May 22, 2015
3.5 but couldn't commit to giving it 4 stars. An enjoyable read, though I spent some of it rolling my eyes. A bit anti climactic but I don't regret reading it.
Read
April 7, 2015three women died to give this idiot his motivation and tragic backstory before I gave up. deeply boring.
April 25, 2014
Holy crap the ending of this was crazy!
August 30, 2018
It began in the ground, in Paris, in the days after the liberation. What I saw there I saw only for the time it takes a match to burn down, and yet it decided the rest of my life.
I tried to forget it at first, to ignore it, but I could not. It came back to me; he came back to me. He hurt people I loved... And so I took the first step on a journey from which there would be no return; a path that led me to fear, to hatred and to revenge - but, above all else, to blood.
This was an interesting book. When I bought it, years ago, I figured it was a vampire novel. The title, the cover, the review from John Ajvide Lindqvist on the cover, the synopsis - it all made me think I was picking up a vampire book, albeit a different kind than the ones I was used to seeing. I couldn't have been more wrong. This is a horror novel, but not a vampire one.
The story follows Charles Jackson, a young doctor who specialises, ironically, in blood. He begins with a tale of something he saw after Paris was liberated in 1944, and then goes on to explain how this affected his life after. What follows is a story of Charles's hunt for the man he saw in 1944 committing a horrific crime, a crime which has haunted him since, and his descent into obsession as he follows this man around the world for the next twenty years.
This is not a story for everyone, I have to say - it's gruesome at times, with graphic descriptions of blood, both in a clinical sense and a gory sense that you would expect to see in a horror novel. There's also a particularly disturbing scene towards the end of the book which may not sit well with the more squeamish readers (but then, why are you reading this?).
That being said, I enjoyed it very much, more than I was expecting to. I liked the writing and how Sedgwick sets the scene and the atmosphere. It's almost Victorian Gothic in the way it reads, perhaps a nod to the famous novels of that era. The pacing was also very well done, and the shortness (at 320 pages, this is one of the shorter books I've read this year) really worked - any longer and it might not have done.
Charles was a fascinating, if flawed, character. The story really focuses on him, and any secondary characters we see are not around for long. Something that could be seen as a negative point is Charles' generally creepy nature. He has a habit of following or stalking women, which did not sit well with me when it came up in the story. The reason I say it 'could' have been a negative point, is that maybe the author wanted to get this across as part of Charles's character - he was a creepy, flawed person, and we are not meant to sympathise that much with him?
Charles' obsession with the count really dominates the story, yet I was never bored. The only times I wanted to put this down were in particularly difficult to read chapters (such as the scene I mentioned before, towards the end of the book - you'll know what I mean if you've read it).
Overall, it was an interesting read, and I rated it four stars for the writing, the story, the characters, and the general disturbing nature of the book. I would recommend it, but only to those who like a more disturbing take on horror and flawed characters.
I tried to forget it at first, to ignore it, but I could not. It came back to me; he came back to me. He hurt people I loved... And so I took the first step on a journey from which there would be no return; a path that led me to fear, to hatred and to revenge - but, above all else, to blood.
This was an interesting book. When I bought it, years ago, I figured it was a vampire novel. The title, the cover, the review from John Ajvide Lindqvist on the cover, the synopsis - it all made me think I was picking up a vampire book, albeit a different kind than the ones I was used to seeing. I couldn't have been more wrong. This is a horror novel, but not a vampire one.
The story follows Charles Jackson, a young doctor who specialises, ironically, in blood. He begins with a tale of something he saw after Paris was liberated in 1944, and then goes on to explain how this affected his life after. What follows is a story of Charles's hunt for the man he saw in 1944 committing a horrific crime, a crime which has haunted him since, and his descent into obsession as he follows this man around the world for the next twenty years.
This is not a story for everyone, I have to say - it's gruesome at times, with graphic descriptions of blood, both in a clinical sense and a gory sense that you would expect to see in a horror novel. There's also a particularly disturbing scene towards the end of the book which may not sit well with the more squeamish readers (but then, why are you reading this?).
That being said, I enjoyed it very much, more than I was expecting to. I liked the writing and how Sedgwick sets the scene and the atmosphere. It's almost Victorian Gothic in the way it reads, perhaps a nod to the famous novels of that era. The pacing was also very well done, and the shortness (at 320 pages, this is one of the shorter books I've read this year) really worked - any longer and it might not have done.
Charles was a fascinating, if flawed, character. The story really focuses on him, and any secondary characters we see are not around for long. Something that could be seen as a negative point is Charles' generally creepy nature. He has a habit of following or stalking women, which did not sit well with me when it came up in the story. The reason I say it 'could' have been a negative point, is that maybe the author wanted to get this across as part of Charles's character - he was a creepy, flawed person, and we are not meant to sympathise that much with him?
Charles' obsession with the count really dominates the story, yet I was never bored. The only times I wanted to put this down were in particularly difficult to read chapters (such as the scene I mentioned before, towards the end of the book - you'll know what I mean if you've read it).
Overall, it was an interesting read, and I rated it four stars for the writing, the story, the characters, and the general disturbing nature of the book. I would recommend it, but only to those who like a more disturbing take on horror and flawed characters.
April 17, 2014
Originally posted at: http://thebookplank.blogspot.nl/2014/...
Every once in a while you come across a book that has a very catchy synopsis and readily invites you to pick it up and devour it I had just this feeling when I read the synopsis of A Love Like Blood. It in someway tells what the main idea of the story is but already promises so much more, especially the sense of the narration by I presumed the main protagonist. it really got me excited and I finished this book in a single setting! What really separates A Love Like Blood from the other horror/vampire stories is that this story is so much more than just vampire hunting. The way that the story is brought to you as a reader is just spot on and readily submerges the reader in an rich story. A Love Like Blood is written by Marcus Sedgwick who is better known for his books in the Young-Adult genre.
I am always a big fan of books that follow a first person narration, in most of the cases it really helps out to let the intentions, actions and perhaps the most important one reactions of the protagonist resonate that much stronger. And what better narration could there be in the case of a story of personal love and grief? This is exactly how Marcus Sedgwick tells his story. When I looked back on the story as an whole I don't think the narration could have gotten any better. Marcus Sedgwick did an amazing job with showing the story in this way, and it's written in a clear and to the point kind of way, but with a very strong emotional under current in when it comes down to the main protagonist Charles Jackson and everything that he is going through.
The story of A Love Like Blood opens up with a scene in the present before taking you back to the past to show how it all got started. Again this is something I really like to read, as you get thrown in the depths of a present timeline, everything is new and there is hardly any explanation - yet - this also raises a lot of question and really got me stoked for the remainder of the story. After the introduction, Charles Jackson starts his story back in 1944 and how it all came to be. He serves as an soldier in Britain's Royal Army in the Army Medical Corps division. One day back in 1944 he is walking down the streets in Paris and stumbles upon something, a man struggling and drinking the blood of a women, but with all the stuff that he has seen in the war, Charles discards this as a war trauma and continues as normal. After the war Charles is given a new position on the department of Haematology in Cambridge. On a return visit to Paris, Charles sees the same man from back in 1944, in a cafe and leaving with another girl, and the horrific scene he witnessed is again back in his mind. Charles manages to collect enough courage and follows this strange man. Trying to find an explanation as to what this man was doing to that young girl back in 1944 and he is likely to strike again. This short explanation only covers the first few pages of the book and is only the initial setup of the story as Charles' quest soon turn into something of an obsession and personal vengeance. The whole story spans about 20 years from 1944 till 1968 and only continues to develop and pick up pace more and more as Charles start to unearth secrets that could have better stayed buried. The best thing in here is that the locations aren't only focused in the parts of Paris and Cambridge but the investigation that Charles leads takes him to some dark and historical places that add a lot of creepy atmosphere to the story.
The main protagonist of A Love Like Blood, Charles Jackson, is an incredible strong protagonist and from the start of the book it is impossible not to relate to him. The solidity of his character is really drawn from how Marcus Sedgwick used the narration and the setting of the whole book. Of course the events along the way influence Charles' character in terms of developing him on several emotional sides. Because what first started out as a horrific scene, one he would have much rather not experienced and even faster have truly forgotten, soon turns out into a deadly obsession. It's part by the obsession to catch the killer that a lot of other emotions come to show. I can safely say that Charles is determined to get to the bottom of it all and with even some amount of disregard for his own life. This on many fronts again adds a nice few layer to his character as there are some unexpected and unpredictable events taking place along the course of this story. As for secondary characters there aren't actually any that you really get to follow in A Love Like Blood, the focus is really on Charles and how he navigates through this turbulent world. You do however get to know many different friend or rivals of Charles but not as in that much depth as Charles himself. And frankly to be honest, this isn't required at all since the focus is on Charles and how he came to this obsession. One thing that I did enjoy reading about where the scenes with the Count Verovkin. These parts with the bad guy added a whole new and dangerous persepective.
Like I said above the story in itself is very cleverly executed with the narration. But there are also other elements that help build a very tight and intense atmosphere. A Love Like Blood is a story about vampires, but this word is hardly used and a lot is kept in the dark, dark background of the story. One of the things that really works in the favor of this storyline is that it is written in our own history 1944-1968 and there aren't any elaborate scenes or flashy moves by the vampires that make it turn more into the mainstream ones. Instead by keeping close to our own world, for me the dark crime/thriller elements only became that much stronger. Marcus Sedgwick really knows how to build up a great sense surrounding his story. A definite plus!
With A Love Like Blood, Marcus Sedgwick has created a very solid entry in the horror genre. It has a very unique concept using the backdrop of vampirism to create an utterly engaging story. When you look on the whole of the story it is a true horror story, the horror elements that Marcus Sedgwick introduces are brought to life in the fullest by the very strong first person narration and the emotions that the main protagonist, Charles Jackson, has to face. These go from elated joy down to cold hearted revenge and perhaps an unhealthy obsession. You can clearly see that Marcus Sedgwick knows how to bring out the best of his idea's in A Love Like Blood. I don't think I have encountered such a book during my reading ventures yet. This might sound conflicting since it's a horror story but it's a true pleasure to read and get lost in the personal dealing of Charles. Marcus Sedgwick executes his story in A Love Like Blood with masterful strokes from start to finish. I am definitely in for more of his stories.
Every once in a while you come across a book that has a very catchy synopsis and readily invites you to pick it up and devour it I had just this feeling when I read the synopsis of A Love Like Blood. It in someway tells what the main idea of the story is but already promises so much more, especially the sense of the narration by I presumed the main protagonist. it really got me excited and I finished this book in a single setting! What really separates A Love Like Blood from the other horror/vampire stories is that this story is so much more than just vampire hunting. The way that the story is brought to you as a reader is just spot on and readily submerges the reader in an rich story. A Love Like Blood is written by Marcus Sedgwick who is better known for his books in the Young-Adult genre.
I am always a big fan of books that follow a first person narration, in most of the cases it really helps out to let the intentions, actions and perhaps the most important one reactions of the protagonist resonate that much stronger. And what better narration could there be in the case of a story of personal love and grief? This is exactly how Marcus Sedgwick tells his story. When I looked back on the story as an whole I don't think the narration could have gotten any better. Marcus Sedgwick did an amazing job with showing the story in this way, and it's written in a clear and to the point kind of way, but with a very strong emotional under current in when it comes down to the main protagonist Charles Jackson and everything that he is going through.
The story of A Love Like Blood opens up with a scene in the present before taking you back to the past to show how it all got started. Again this is something I really like to read, as you get thrown in the depths of a present timeline, everything is new and there is hardly any explanation - yet - this also raises a lot of question and really got me stoked for the remainder of the story. After the introduction, Charles Jackson starts his story back in 1944 and how it all came to be. He serves as an soldier in Britain's Royal Army in the Army Medical Corps division. One day back in 1944 he is walking down the streets in Paris and stumbles upon something, a man struggling and drinking the blood of a women, but with all the stuff that he has seen in the war, Charles discards this as a war trauma and continues as normal. After the war Charles is given a new position on the department of Haematology in Cambridge. On a return visit to Paris, Charles sees the same man from back in 1944, in a cafe and leaving with another girl, and the horrific scene he witnessed is again back in his mind. Charles manages to collect enough courage and follows this strange man. Trying to find an explanation as to what this man was doing to that young girl back in 1944 and he is likely to strike again. This short explanation only covers the first few pages of the book and is only the initial setup of the story as Charles' quest soon turn into something of an obsession and personal vengeance. The whole story spans about 20 years from 1944 till 1968 and only continues to develop and pick up pace more and more as Charles start to unearth secrets that could have better stayed buried. The best thing in here is that the locations aren't only focused in the parts of Paris and Cambridge but the investigation that Charles leads takes him to some dark and historical places that add a lot of creepy atmosphere to the story.
The main protagonist of A Love Like Blood, Charles Jackson, is an incredible strong protagonist and from the start of the book it is impossible not to relate to him. The solidity of his character is really drawn from how Marcus Sedgwick used the narration and the setting of the whole book. Of course the events along the way influence Charles' character in terms of developing him on several emotional sides. Because what first started out as a horrific scene, one he would have much rather not experienced and even faster have truly forgotten, soon turns out into a deadly obsession. It's part by the obsession to catch the killer that a lot of other emotions come to show. I can safely say that Charles is determined to get to the bottom of it all and with even some amount of disregard for his own life. This on many fronts again adds a nice few layer to his character as there are some unexpected and unpredictable events taking place along the course of this story. As for secondary characters there aren't actually any that you really get to follow in A Love Like Blood, the focus is really on Charles and how he navigates through this turbulent world. You do however get to know many different friend or rivals of Charles but not as in that much depth as Charles himself. And frankly to be honest, this isn't required at all since the focus is on Charles and how he came to this obsession. One thing that I did enjoy reading about where the scenes with the Count Verovkin. These parts with the bad guy added a whole new and dangerous persepective.
Like I said above the story in itself is very cleverly executed with the narration. But there are also other elements that help build a very tight and intense atmosphere. A Love Like Blood is a story about vampires, but this word is hardly used and a lot is kept in the dark, dark background of the story. One of the things that really works in the favor of this storyline is that it is written in our own history 1944-1968 and there aren't any elaborate scenes or flashy moves by the vampires that make it turn more into the mainstream ones. Instead by keeping close to our own world, for me the dark crime/thriller elements only became that much stronger. Marcus Sedgwick really knows how to build up a great sense surrounding his story. A definite plus!
With A Love Like Blood, Marcus Sedgwick has created a very solid entry in the horror genre. It has a very unique concept using the backdrop of vampirism to create an utterly engaging story. When you look on the whole of the story it is a true horror story, the horror elements that Marcus Sedgwick introduces are brought to life in the fullest by the very strong first person narration and the emotions that the main protagonist, Charles Jackson, has to face. These go from elated joy down to cold hearted revenge and perhaps an unhealthy obsession. You can clearly see that Marcus Sedgwick knows how to bring out the best of his idea's in A Love Like Blood. I don't think I have encountered such a book during my reading ventures yet. This might sound conflicting since it's a horror story but it's a true pleasure to read and get lost in the personal dealing of Charles. Marcus Sedgwick executes his story in A Love Like Blood with masterful strokes from start to finish. I am definitely in for more of his stories.
July 31, 2019
A Love Like Blood (2014) by Marcus Sedgwick is a gripping mystery starting in 1944 and spanning over two decades from 1944 to 1968. Known for being a YA writer, this was Sedgwick’s first novel for adults.
The main character Charles Jackson who is an English Army Corporal sees a man drinking a woman’s blood from her possibly lifeless body in 1944. From there the incident doesn’t leave his mind and seven years later when he comes back to Paris, where he seen the terrifying incident, he sees this man again. Intent on finding the truth he makes it his mission to stop this man and bring justice finally to the woman’s memory or to possibly find her alive. This book centres a lot on guilt and responsibility and Jackson, though he thinks she was dead, is unsure whether she was and whether he could have saved her if he had acted at the time. This pushes him further on to find out what happened to her and to do something about it now. It also shows the fear which comes from doubt.
Absolutely chilling, this book is part mystery, part horror and very psychological. It is told from the point of view of the protagonist and we see the whole story unfold through his eyes which is rather enthralling. A very dark and disturbing book but a great thriller.
I think this is an excellent book. The ending stayed with me long after. A fantastic, as well as creepy, ending. Very compelling, you end up reading more of it than you plan on doing so as each chapter sets you off on a new journey or a new clue with Jackson. Much history can be learned from this novel too and it is very well researched by the author.
A stunningly crafted story. A very compelling read.
The main character Charles Jackson who is an English Army Corporal sees a man drinking a woman’s blood from her possibly lifeless body in 1944. From there the incident doesn’t leave his mind and seven years later when he comes back to Paris, where he seen the terrifying incident, he sees this man again. Intent on finding the truth he makes it his mission to stop this man and bring justice finally to the woman’s memory or to possibly find her alive. This book centres a lot on guilt and responsibility and Jackson, though he thinks she was dead, is unsure whether she was and whether he could have saved her if he had acted at the time. This pushes him further on to find out what happened to her and to do something about it now. It also shows the fear which comes from doubt.
Absolutely chilling, this book is part mystery, part horror and very psychological. It is told from the point of view of the protagonist and we see the whole story unfold through his eyes which is rather enthralling. A very dark and disturbing book but a great thriller.
I think this is an excellent book. The ending stayed with me long after. A fantastic, as well as creepy, ending. Very compelling, you end up reading more of it than you plan on doing so as each chapter sets you off on a new journey or a new clue with Jackson. Much history can be learned from this novel too and it is very well researched by the author.
A stunningly crafted story. A very compelling read.
November 13, 2016
Marcus Sedgwick is a prolific writer of unusual, often dark and disturbing YA fiction. A Love Like Blood is his first adult novel, and it's not for the squeamish.
A Love Like Blood has the propulsive energy and desperate drive of a classic vampire story, although that's not precisely what this is. The book's heartbeat is the obsessive hunter's drive to track down his prey, a figure representing ultimate evil, at whatever cost and over however many years it takes.
The pacing and sense of lurking doom and desperation remind me of books such as The Historian, or even Dracula itself. As I said, I wouldn't exactly call this a vampire novel (nothing shiny or sparkly or supernaturally sexy here, to be sure), although the topic of vampires is broached as the main character tries to apply a scientific lens to a fascination with blood and what that means.
A Love Like Blood is about a man haunted by one fateful wartime moment, whose life eventually becomes singularly focused on what he saw and what it means, and his quest to punish the man whose actions hang over every moment he experiences from that point forward.
The horror here is mostly psychological, although there are some more graphic moments too. Definitely not a light or pleasant read, but well worth checking out if you enjoy tales of obsession and dread. A Love Like Blood is creepy and chilling, and impossible to put down.
A Love Like Blood has the propulsive energy and desperate drive of a classic vampire story, although that's not precisely what this is. The book's heartbeat is the obsessive hunter's drive to track down his prey, a figure representing ultimate evil, at whatever cost and over however many years it takes.
The pacing and sense of lurking doom and desperation remind me of books such as The Historian, or even Dracula itself. As I said, I wouldn't exactly call this a vampire novel (nothing shiny or sparkly or supernaturally sexy here, to be sure), although the topic of vampires is broached as the main character tries to apply a scientific lens to a fascination with blood and what that means.
A Love Like Blood is about a man haunted by one fateful wartime moment, whose life eventually becomes singularly focused on what he saw and what it means, and his quest to punish the man whose actions hang over every moment he experiences from that point forward.
The horror here is mostly psychological, although there are some more graphic moments too. Definitely not a light or pleasant read, but well worth checking out if you enjoy tales of obsession and dread. A Love Like Blood is creepy and chilling, and impossible to put down.
August 26, 2021
I should start by letting you know that I bought this book at ShopRite after picking it off a table wedged between sushi and cheese counters. That is probably the only pleasant image I have about this creepy book! Actually there were some things that appealed to be as I was drawn into the fact that the initial setting was Paris at the end of WWII when the narrator, Charles Jackson accidentally stumbles across a frightening image. Without giving anything away, perhaps I should have stopped at this first image, but little did I realize that this was only the beginning of a procession of dark and horrifying images. Can I mention the word blood? OK, then the images were dark, bloody and horrifying. There were things I enjoyed about this book as it engaged the reader with an easy reading narration, mindful of perhaps how Rod Serling would engage us in the Twilight Zone. Anyway, I also enjoyed the settings beginning with Park and then on to a variety of locations across Europe with descriptions of castles and scenery that were easy to visualize. Hence the three stars for this award winning author. I am not sure that I recommend anyone read this book as the images are so disturbing. Regardless, the book was written in 2014 so perhaps not even available generally, which explains why ShopRite had it on the “dated book” table for $3.99.
November 2, 2024
This dark gothic horror hooked me with its synopsis and kept me reading with historical vibes and skilled writing.
The story takes place over the span of 20 years when Charles Jackson finds himself horrified and fascinated by a man he sees drinking the blood of a dead woman. Though this starts at the end of WWII, the gothic writing style feels older, more akin to the pacing of 1800s horror like Frankenstein or Dracula, yet more accessible for modern audiences. Sedgwick does an amazing job at balancing the gothic mood with action and easy reading. It is just detailed enough that the people, the surroundings, the interactions feel real without lingering too long.
The main character is likable and imperfect, often failing to act when he should, especially early on, reserved and not the most socially apt. He is smart enough not to get killed or seriously hurt throughout the book (both skill and luck) but also messes up enough that he is believable as an ordinary but smart man.
I found the ending satisfying and eerie. I totally recommend this one for a fall read, curled up next to a fire, with a nice glass of…something red….
The story takes place over the span of 20 years when Charles Jackson finds himself horrified and fascinated by a man he sees drinking the blood of a dead woman. Though this starts at the end of WWII, the gothic writing style feels older, more akin to the pacing of 1800s horror like Frankenstein or Dracula, yet more accessible for modern audiences. Sedgwick does an amazing job at balancing the gothic mood with action and easy reading. It is just detailed enough that the people, the surroundings, the interactions feel real without lingering too long.
The main character is likable and imperfect, often failing to act when he should, especially early on, reserved and not the most socially apt. He is smart enough not to get killed or seriously hurt throughout the book (both skill and luck) but also messes up enough that he is believable as an ordinary but smart man.
I found the ending satisfying and eerie. I totally recommend this one for a fall read, curled up next to a fire, with a nice glass of…something red….
April 19, 2025
1944, Charles Jackson is in Paris and sees a man drinking the blood of a murdered woman. Seven years later he sees the same man again and decides to follow him.
I picked this book up as part of my halloween reads. With the blurb on the back and its content I thought it was going to be about vampires. It was however about a man who has a desire to drink blood rather than the supernatural creatures that are vampires.
The story did start off very well and I was enjoying the narrative by Charles. The story then became apparant what it was and where it was going. The narrative was still very good but for a long time all Charles seemed to do was wait and wander. He waits for the man Verovkin to make an appearance and is constantly trying to find him. I found at times thinking this story is more like The Thirty Nine Steps rather than a horror story.
I enjoyed the story in the beginning but then became a little bored especially towards the end. I kept going waiting for the final showdown which in itself was a let down. That final big twist didn't really happen either. Not a book to read if you are looking for a supernatural story, just a thriller with very little chills.
I picked this book up as part of my halloween reads. With the blurb on the back and its content I thought it was going to be about vampires. It was however about a man who has a desire to drink blood rather than the supernatural creatures that are vampires.
The story did start off very well and I was enjoying the narrative by Charles. The story then became apparant what it was and where it was going. The narrative was still very good but for a long time all Charles seemed to do was wait and wander. He waits for the man Verovkin to make an appearance and is constantly trying to find him. I found at times thinking this story is more like The Thirty Nine Steps rather than a horror story.
I enjoyed the story in the beginning but then became a little bored especially towards the end. I kept going waiting for the final showdown which in itself was a let down. That final big twist didn't really happen either. Not a book to read if you are looking for a supernatural story, just a thriller with very little chills.
March 2, 2025
You would think that an audible rating of 2.2 and a Goodreads rating of 3.1 would put me off, but I have been a quiet fan of Marcus Sedgwick for ages, so here I am. The thing I like about him is that he presents something within a particular genre but it is never quite what you expect. This one is presented as a vampire mystery, which starts with our narrator seeing a man apparently drinking the blood of a murdered woman when in Paris at the time of the city’s liberation. It is when he returns to the city several years later and sees the same man that things really begin in a story that continues for decades. If you are looking for a story of vampires turning into bats and seducing women or stake wielding heroes creeping up on them while they sleep in their coffins, then this is certainly not for you. There is very little action at all and none of it is neck biting or stake wielding. I enjoyed it a lot and really liked the thought provoking ending.
September 15, 2017
I don't like being duped.
Oh, sure, I enjoy the good kind, where you give a magician or a mystery writer permission to dupe you and appreciate the cleverness even if you don't figure it out.
That's not what's here. This book begins by seeming to offer a novel of mystery and justice but, after a few unpleasant deaths followed by several pounds of psychobabble, becomes a horror story.
I don't like horror stories, especially nasty ones like this, where evil triumphs.
If you think you'll actually enjoy this, despite my bitterness, I propose you read the very last page. (I promise, that's not really a spoiler but what the thing's been barreling toward for its last few chapters, even though I was naive enough to hope it wasn't.) If you want to read a novel that ends that way, well, there ya go!
Oh, sure, I enjoy the good kind, where you give a magician or a mystery writer permission to dupe you and appreciate the cleverness even if you don't figure it out.
That's not what's here. This book begins by seeming to offer a novel of mystery and justice but, after a few unpleasant deaths followed by several pounds of psychobabble, becomes a horror story.
I don't like horror stories, especially nasty ones like this, where evil triumphs.
If you think you'll actually enjoy this, despite my bitterness, I propose you read the very last page. (I promise, that's not really a spoiler but what the thing's been barreling toward for its last few chapters, even though I was naive enough to hope it wasn't.) If you want to read a novel that ends that way, well, there ya go!
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