They Own the Night

by Amy McCaw

Dracula as you've never seen him before - Get ready for your new obsession. ~ M. A. Kuzniar (Midnight in Everwood)

The new pulse-pounding 1980’s Dracula retelling from YA Booktuber and author of the Mina and the Undead trilogy, Amy McCaw. This Stranger Things meets Buffy meets Only Murders in the Building thriller is perfect for fans of Cynthia Murphy, Kathryn Foxfield and Kalynn Bayron.

Mia and Johnny have always been there for each other - particularly since their father was revealed to be a serial killer and is now serving a life sentence for murdering thirteen people.

Studying in a small university town near Edinburgh, Mia's coping mechanisms are hiding behind sarcasm, horror writing and her somewhat illegal true crime radio station, while Johnny steps up as her warm, sensitive brother and keeps her out of trouble.

But when journalist-wannabe Johnny accepts an offer he cannot refuse - the chance to interview a reclusive mega rock star who disappeared from public view three years ago, Mia finds herself stuck on campus when two male students are found dead.

As Johnny grapples with the enigmatic musician, he realises that something about the star's nocturnal habits doesn't quite add up. Meanwhile, Mia's investigation takes her to the most unexpected places - including her dad's prison...

Genres: Horror, Vampires, Young Adult, Fantasy, Autumn, Halloween, LGBT

387 pages, Paperback

First published September 25, 2025

About the author

Amy McCaw is a YA writer and BookTuber. She's the author of the 'Mina and the Undead' series, a YA murder mystery set in 1995 New Orleans. She also curated 'A Taste of Darkness' YA horror anthology.

Her main interests are books, movies and the macabre, and her debut novel has elements of all of these. If Amy's not at a book event or reading, she can usually be found scribbling away in her writing room, surrounded by movie memorabilia and an out-of-control signed books collection. Unsurprisingly, she's a huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan and has gone to conventions to meet James Marsters more times than she cares to admit.

Amy also loves travelling and has a particular affinity for America. She's visited 29 states, 13 Man Vs Food restaurants and many bookish locations, including the cities where Twilight, Interview with a Vampire and Vampire Diaries were set.

If you want to talk with Amy about books or 90s movies, you can find her on Twitter.

Reviews

[thevampireslibrary]

This was EVERYTHING 👏 80s vibes, rock stars, a serial killer, gory stuff, a murder mystery, DRACULA! I devoured this 🧛‍♂️ it felt like Lost Boys x Dracula x Buffy (three of my obsessions) but with Amy's own signature style, infused with nostalgia, pop culture references, vampire lore and characters that feel completely real, i hope we get more in this series because the ending is left somewhat open 👀 (10 book series pls thanks)

[Beth, BooksNest]

A 1980’s queer Dracula retelling? Sign me up! As always, Amy McCaw has done a brilliant job of creating nostalgia in her historical fantasies, this was littered with fun pop culture and vampire lore. Loved it!

[Matthew]

Overall a decent book could have been a 5 star but the mystery part wasn’t that mysterious and not a fan of insta love so the romance between Johnny and Vlad fell flat.

Mia was a good character and the book went at a good enough page to be entertaining.

[Heather]

I loved this book so much. I read most of it in one sitting on a Sunday, but it took me three days total to read which shows how much I loved it because for me that's a quick read.
I love how nostalgic this authors writing makes me feel. I'm instantly transported to the books I read as a teen due to the style and setting. I got slight Interview with a Vampire/Queen of the Damned vibes from the story which I adored as I was obsessed with those films.
It's been a long time since I read the original Dracula, but I can remember that I found it a difficult read and that I wasn't absorbed by it, but this story I followed along perfectly even with a large number of characters and a mix of then and now timelines.
I appreciated the small snippets of memos/diary entries too, it was a nice addition to build the story without being too much (I've seen other authors lean into the mixed media aspect a bit too much for me so this was a nice balance).
Admittedly I can't remember much of the original Dracula but throughout this story there were a good few moments when something I didn't expect happened which made it an exciting read for me.
Overall a fab read, I love this authors writing and I think I will always read anything she writes.
Thanks to NetGalley/Bonnier Books for the e-arc.

[Sharron Joy Reads]

Mia loves horror and runs a pirate true crime station whilst her brother Johnny wants to be a journalist. Both are studying in Edinburgh when Johnny gets the chance to interview the reclusive rock star, Vlad, at his isolated home but he has to keep it a secret. Back at college, young men start dying horrifically and young women are attacked and bitten, Mia and her friends investigate and stumble into a world they had no idea existed.

A modern Dracula retelling set in the 80’s, with a mysterious rock star, murderous mutilations and legends come true. It is soaked in 80’s nostalgia, the clothes, the pop culture references, the music, the movies, it is all such a vibe!

Mia, feisty and determined to find the truth. Johnny, quiet and enamoured with his new love. Vlad, effortlessly cool and intoxicating to be near. There is a dreamlike feel to many of the scenes as characters beguile and bewitch with ease.

College students are plunged into the dark underbelly of the supernatural and it is deliciously compelling. With multimedia elements throughout and the narration running in two timelines through the main characters, this is Dracula reimagined and living it up in the 80s.

[Holli]

I posted my review . It is in the comment section. Also I think having the main lead be male and gay ruined the opportunity to take us back to that nostalgic past. It erased it and may as well have taken place now.

[Kirsty Stanley]

#TheyOwnTheNight is a fabulous retelling of #Dracula. Set in the 80s. Featuring serial killers, true crime podcasts, music journalism, band comebacks, saucy shenanigans and police interviews. Another vampiric smash from @yaundermyskin

[Siobhan]

They Own The Night is a young adult novel set in the 1980s about two siblings whose serial killer father was the main drama in their lives until they discover that vampires are real. Mia and Johnny's dad is in prison, having been revealed to be a serial killer, and they are both now at university near Edinburgh, trying to make their own way. Mia loves horror and has a true crime radio show, whereas Johnny is a budding music journalist with an invite to interview a reclusive rock star. As Mia uncovers secrets close to home and Johnny finds himself falling for the bad boy musician, they both discover that horror might be more relevant than they expected.

This is a Dracula retelling that has a good balance between being a retelling and actually having its own plot and character arcs. Having read the first book in McCaw's Mina and the Undead series previously, I was interested to see what this one would be like. The narrative is told through Mia being interviewed in the 'present' by a police detective as well as snippets from 'then' from the perspectives of both siblings. There's also bits of Mia's radio show mixed in, and this combination has a flavour of the format of Dracula without being too epistolary in nature (it is more similar to Interview with the Vampire really in terms of format).

Having both siblings' perspectives and stories makes the book feel a lot more complex and vivid, especially as Johnny's story is more ill-advised queer romance and Mia's is more group of friends become monster hunters. Sometimes plot points feel a bit forced to make the Dracula retelling and multiple narrative arcs work (the radio show, for example, is plot-relevant, but feels like it could've been a bit more). The 80s setting is fun, though it does rely a bit on modern teenagers liking The Lost Boys (saying that, but as a 2000s teenager I would've loved this book, which feels like a great follow on from 2000s children's vampire series like The Saga of Darren Shan).

As an adult who likes trashy vampire media and who particularly loved trashy vampire media as a teenager, from my perspective They Own The Night is a fun way of retelling Dracula. I like that it plays on the tension between Jonathan and Dracula in other versions of the story and doesn't feel the need to stick too close to the original narrative whilst still having a lot of the same plot beats.

[Emily Bayliss]

It was a very different writing style to anything I’d read before, almost chatty—in the sense that someone was next to me recapping the events. The timeframe was clear, and the switches between the times were smooth, working well with the story itself—without hindering it.
I enjoyed that it threw you off who was actually the cause of everything through Jonathons pov. Overall I enjoyed the book, however I wasn’t hooked in, so it took me longer to read than usual.

[DJBookgirl]

An absolutely brilliant dracula retelling with...

❤️ A queer romance
🎵 80s references
🦇 The Lost Boys vibes
🔍 A mystery to solve
📼 Ongoing police interviews

Such an interesting structure and a great mystery..a seriously underrated fantasy thriller.

[Neve]

Preordered the SECOND I saw this. I can’t wait to read this in spooky season!!

(Vamp looks like Spike… brb gonna rewatch the entirety of Buffy)

[Courtney]

Amy has once again knocked it out the park.

[Chloe Reads Books]

I'm so appreciative that Amy sent me a copy of her new book - They Own the Night!
I thought this was brilliant! We have vampires, true crime, a serial killer, and some romance.. what more could you want?!

[Carrie]

I received this book for Christmas off a friend, who was recommended it by a independent book shop. This is not my usual cup of tea when it comes to books but thought I shall give it a go. I'm glad I did, it has been a lovely light read. Elements of it made my heart gladden to read and there were some humorous moments. This is a Dracula retelling set in the 80's and had some lovely little Easter eggs and references throughout. It loses a point as I thought moments that were quite important (final showdown) felt quite rushed that maybe bits were removed to make the book shorter. I think it had so much detail at the beginning which I loved and the world building, but I felt let down by the finale. Still a very enjoyable and chill read and I will look into other books by this author.

[Ellie Lofthouse]

✨️5 stars✨️
This book was right up my alley, so many vibes of all my favourite vampire/supernatural pop culture moments! Also the perfect intimacy levels and plot twists that caught me off guard. This was absolutely amazing!

[Robyn Daile]

I love a good Dracula retelling and this 80s, queer romance version did not disappoint! The plot was a little slow to begin with but I really enjoyed the third act!

[Helen Austin]

They Own the Night is a fun retelling of Dracula set against the back drop of 1980s Edinburgh. Sibllings Mia and Johnny have had a tough few years and are finally settled at university. Mia has started to make friends and Johnny is offered the chance to interview pop-rock recluse Vlad Tepez as he gears up to make his musical comeback!

About the Book 📖

Johnny signs a NDA and without telling Mia where hes going sets off to join Vlad on his private estate. With only a few days to complete the interview Johnny is eager to get down to business but Vlad shuts him down and instead behaves oddly causing Johnny to look for a way home alone. Finding the doors locked Johnny must confront Vlad and hope for a way out.

Mia meanwhile is investigating a series of student murders which bear a striking resemblance to other deaths she’s all too familiar with. With her dad behind bars and labelled a serial killer Mia is already concerned when more bodies start piling up. Pulling her only friend Luke and new friend Alex into the fray the trio begin their own investigation which leads them to a peculiar conclusion that points them back to Mia’s family.

When Johnny doesn’t arrive home on time Mia reports him missing and is fobbed off by the police but she doesn’t have much time to dwell on it as more strange occurances continue to plagued the group. Finally, Johnny reappers along with Vlad and his bandmates but he’s reluctant to explain his disappearence to Mia. Things only seem to get creepier with the return of self proclaimed vampire Vlad and enthralled Johnny.

My Thoughts 💭

This was an interesting twist on the classic Dracula story. Mia was my favourite character, with her determination to protect her friends and find her brother I really like her tenacity.The 1980s setting was great and made Johnny’s lack of communication with Mia whilst he was away more understadnable. In a time before computers and mobile phones it makes sense that Mia would panic when he didn’t come home. Her inability to simply google things also helps to back up Mia intense need to seek answers from anywhere possible even if it’s the last place she wants to go.

[Milena Widdowson]

Dracula is one of my absolute favourite classics and I love a good retelling when it is done well with imagination. I absolutely LOVED They Own The Night! It’s such a fresh take on the beloved classic and so much (dark) fun! The combination of a really well-crafted, rich narrative (with clever use of mixed media and a dual timeline), quirky, complex characters and an abundance of 80s nostalgia had me reading the book in a day as I couldn’t step away!

Setting wise, I really appreciated that the book takes place in Scotland, a country with such a wealth of spooky folklore that deserves much more recognition. And the fact that the story takes place in the 80s was like catnip for me: lots of fab nostalgic references and there’s even a playlist included at the end. I particularly enjoyed the fact that Mia broadcasts a true crime pirate radio show from her uni bedroom – podcast old style (and a clever way to add layers to the story)!

The characters leap from the page: I either wanted to be friends with them or be part of the gang that tries to take them down! I was fully invested in sparky, determined Mia, sweet, quiet Johnny with his inner fire and intriguing rockstar Vlad, who is deliciously dark and compelling but also shows glimpses of very human vulnerability. As for the relationship that develops between Johnny and Vlad – wow! I so saw a chemistry between Jonathan Harker and Count Dracula in the original so this is all kinds of great from my point of view. The chemistry is brilliantly written and I found the exploration of power imbalance and age difference sensitively handled.

And the ending – I’m desperate for a sequel! Although this is a stand-alone, the last chapters have so much potential for further vampire hunting adventures for Mia and the gang. I’m keeping everything crossed!

[Rebecca Dee Reads]

Dracula retelling, set in the 80s... say less....

Mia and her brother Johnny have always been close, getting through the fact that their dad was sent to prison for being a serial killer will do that.

So when Johnny gets the interview of a lifetime, but can't tell Mia about it, this causes a bit of an issue.... but it might be worse if she knew it was with Vlad Tepes... reclusive Rockstar who was her celeb crush.

Mia is left worrying when Johnny doesn't return as planned, and there are teen boys turning up dead, in the same style as her father used to use.

Can Mia figure out what is going on, and can Johnny escape Vlads spell to get back to her.

I honestly loved this, the setting was impeccable and the vibes spot on. I loved making the parallels between these characters and the ones from the original tale.

The mixed media way of telling the story always kept me wanting to keep reading to find out more and I loved the twists and turns.

Out 26 Sept so perfect timing for spooky season. Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier/ Ink Road books for the review copy, and Pride Book Tours for the spot. All opinions my own.

[Katie_thebookslayer]

4.5 stars - grateful for an advance readers copy of this book! the lead up to this book coming has been insane and the wait was totally worth it!

I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and their development, particularly Mia and Johnny. I also have a heavy love for the side characters too. The mix of loved fandoms that went into this book were a perfect blend. I loved the 80s references, the spooky vibes and myth of Scotland too.

This story was constantly unfolding to keep my attention. At the start, I found it hard to keep track of the timelines going back and forward with the dual points of view too, so this took a smidge of the enjoyment out of reading for me. But overall, I really loved it!

[Rachel]

They Own the Night is a Dracula retelling set in the 80s - think pop cultures references and neon colours alongside murderous bats and shifty boyfriends. This is a book for people who thought Mina was badass, felt sorry for Lucy and thought there was something more going on with Dracula and Johnathan.

Mia and Johnny are at university in Edinburgh, trying to settle into a life away from the crimes of their father - who was sentenced to life imprisonment for serial killings. Things start to get weird when Johnny gets the gig of a lifetime - interviewing an elusive and reclusive pop star who hasn’t been seen in years. The only catch, he has to do the interview at a castle in a remote location.
Back at university bodies start appearing on campus. Mia begins investigations for her true crime radio show, but is left with more questions than answers - especially when the evidence leads her to her father.
When the siblings paths appear to converge questions are raised - what’s really going on with the enigmatic rockstar and is he somehow connected to the mysterious campus deaths?

I loved the setting on this one - the 80s University campus backdrop made the novel vibrant and atmospheric. Especially with the Edinburgh location, as this aided the book’s eerie gothic tone. I loved the clash of the gothic classicalism of Dracula with the vibrancy of the 80s. This just made it such a unique and enjoyable retelling.

I also enjoyed the formatting - we get dual POV and dual timeline. I really liked the way we were brought through the story via the Detective interviews and how we pieced all together from multiple perspectives across ‘then’ and ‘now’. I also really enjoyed the mixed media aspects, with interviews and journal entries providing multiple sources of information to forward the overarching plot.

I also really liked the side characters - especially Lucas and Alex - and how their character arcs developed.

Overall this was a fresh reimagining of a classic - that breathed new life into well established characters. It was an entertaining contrast of boy bands and pop culture of the 80s, against the gothic nuances of Dracula. A must read for spooky season!

ARC copy provided by Bonnier Books UK & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[Jo]

Oh my word, what a fantastic novel. It's a loose retelling of Dracula but with a queer twist and set in the 1980s. It has Stoker, Buffy and Supernatural vibes with a dash of Anne Rice. If you're a fan of vampire novels, you're definitely gonna need to read this.

[kelseyslibrary_]

4.5 ⭐️

[Tracy Larner-Brown]

Oh she did it again! Amy pulled me in from the first page and I loved this. Perfect for the season 🎃

[Sophie Leigh]

Dracula in 1980s? sure why not! 👏

[Shelly Mack]

Thank you to Ink Road Books for an early copy.

I love retelling, and #theyownthenight offers its own unique story arc, which keeps the brilliance of Dracula alive whilst offering a new voice to the re-imagining.

Meet Mia, a horror fan who runs her own true crime radio show. An inquisitive girl who exudes confidence to most, but really, is hiding her deep-seated emotion behind the fact her father has been imprisoned for unspeakable crimes. Her close sibling Johnny has demons of his own and can't believe his luck when a rare opportunity arrives to interview Vlad, a once famous rock star who has been off the world's grid for a while. Now summoned to the privacy of a remote castle, he has no idea of what awaits.

Back at Uni, Mia begins to fret over lack of contact with her brother, until mysterious deaths distract her into her own investigations, and this is only the beginning...

For those who have had Mina withdrawal symptoms, this will fill that void. A must-read for Dracula, Buffy, and Lost Boys fans. All tied up in an 80s pop culture bow. Bonus points for being set in Edinburgh, too!

Dark and chilling, with a side of shiver, this book is nothing short of brilliant. The writing is polished, the world immersive, and the characters well drawn. I love complex characters and found family, so it was an absolute winner for me from the get-go. A fanged kiss of perfection!

[Laura]

Did enjoy very lost boys and also a tad of supernatural tv series vibes involved. I loved following Mia i enjoyed her personality and her friendships with Luke and Alex. Always happy to read a book set in edinburgh aswell,good spooky read for summerween

[Reannah Ennis]

Johnny needs to make better decisions.
#justiceforluke
Luke is my favourite obviously
Poor Mia

I loved this book, really tore me out of my reading slump, one of my new favourite books and one of the best vampire books I have read. Really enjoyed this. The twist and turns, the narratives, the different points of views. The twist with the detective is brilliant, I hope her and Mias dad get together.

Ooo spoiler

I think Johnny may try to bring Vlad back? Who knows.

I loved this and I think you will to, give it a chance at least :)

[A.R]

Thank you to NetGalley for proving an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While this book showed potential, it ultimately fell short in terms of plot development. The storyline felt predictable and lacked originality, giving the impression that it has been done before. Additionally, the characters appeared inconsistent, which made it difficult to stay engaged. Overall, while the effort is appreciated, the execution didn’t quite meet expectations.

[Denise]

Amy did it again. very intresting characters and even better atmosphere. the way she Combines the paranormale with our normal world is soo good. I really enjoyed it. and Amy is now definetly my favourite vampire book writer