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Jonathan Barrett, Gentleman Vampire #4
Dance of Death
Seemingly invincible since his transformation into a vampire, Jonathan Barrett must admit his own weakness when he unexpectedly meets a four-year-old boy who strangely resembles him. Armed with a powerful weapon to use against him, his love for his son, Jonathan's enemies have gained an advantage. The only hope for Jonathan and his child's survival lies in the return of the mysterious Nora Jones.
264 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
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About the author
P.N. Elrod
95 books592 followersPatricia Nead Elrod is an American fantasy writer specializing in novels about vampires. Her work falls into areas of fantasy and (in some cases) mystery or historical fiction, but normally not horror, since her vampires are the heroes. -Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
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March 22, 2021Dance of Death, the fourth in P.N Elrod’s chronicles of Jonathan Barrett, is a ho-hum continuation of a series that started with great promise, but which will probably fade into mediocrity. The undead Jonathan Barrett and his “living only as sympathetic sidekick” relatives blunder their way through another couple of weeks of tawdry intrigue and gloomy adventure.
The enemies defeated in Death Masque rise again (though none so dramatically as Barrett) to cause him yet more trouble. We are also subjected too many times to scenes of Jonathan playing “horsey” with Richard, his bastard son by Clarinda, whom he now has been given to raise by Edmund, her oft-cuckolded husband, I suspect merely for the sole purpose of illustrating how deeply Jonathan loves the boy, so that we can sympathize with his deep spiritual anguish when the boy is kidnapped and held for ransom. Quite frankly, nothing we are shown about Richard’s character (spoiled little rich kid) through these expositions would have motivated me to dive into the ocean to save him from drowning.
We also finally see Barrett reunited with his lost vampiric love Nora. What a disappointment. Throughout the last couple of novels in the series, Elrod has raised the suspense level and dropped sinister hints regarding Nora’s disappearance, but when she comes back, it turns out she was with her aged aunt, taking the waters at Bath. Elrod breaks with vampirish lore in their reunion and allows the two to make love and to exchange blood, though the reunion could really have been made poignant and tragic by sticking to tradition and forcing them to settle for a passionate yet platonic eternity.
As always, Barrett keeps getting shot, stabbed, and clubbed into insensibility, then making a recovery after the villains have fled. No one ever seems to twig to the occult possibilities, possible because he predictably uses his hypnotic powers to erase suspicions. If I’d just seen someone shot or stabbed to death, who healed in the space of a few minutes, I think I’d protest rather loudly if his loyal cousin tried to take me in for a private conference. Feets, do your duty!
The enemies defeated in Death Masque rise again (though none so dramatically as Barrett) to cause him yet more trouble. We are also subjected too many times to scenes of Jonathan playing “horsey” with Richard, his bastard son by Clarinda, whom he now has been given to raise by Edmund, her oft-cuckolded husband, I suspect merely for the sole purpose of illustrating how deeply Jonathan loves the boy, so that we can sympathize with his deep spiritual anguish when the boy is kidnapped and held for ransom. Quite frankly, nothing we are shown about Richard’s character (spoiled little rich kid) through these expositions would have motivated me to dive into the ocean to save him from drowning.
We also finally see Barrett reunited with his lost vampiric love Nora. What a disappointment. Throughout the last couple of novels in the series, Elrod has raised the suspense level and dropped sinister hints regarding Nora’s disappearance, but when she comes back, it turns out she was with her aged aunt, taking the waters at Bath. Elrod breaks with vampirish lore in their reunion and allows the two to make love and to exchange blood, though the reunion could really have been made poignant and tragic by sticking to tradition and forcing them to settle for a passionate yet platonic eternity.
As always, Barrett keeps getting shot, stabbed, and clubbed into insensibility, then making a recovery after the villains have fled. No one ever seems to twig to the occult possibilities, possible because he predictably uses his hypnotic powers to erase suspicions. If I’d just seen someone shot or stabbed to death, who healed in the space of a few minutes, I think I’d protest rather loudly if his loyal cousin tried to take me in for a private conference. Feets, do your duty!
April 26, 2025
Have I mentioned how much I despise and HATE Clarinda who is Richard's mother?
Book four to Jonathan's story is a coaster of "huh", "wait what" and "hold up" for me. Edward giving Richard to Jonathan because of Jonathan wanting to step up and be in his son's life is just top tier. With his change, Jonathan can't leave behind an heir so him wanting to be in Richard's life is beautiful to read.
Jonathan bonding with Richard and making sure he is loved and cared for is amazing to read in that time period. For Jonathan, it was making sure Richard had the things he had at Edward's house to feel safe with Jonathan and his family. But Jonathan was also making sure he knew what the activities happened for the day so he can provide the next day to be the same amount of thrill or to be better than the day of. The way Jonathan saved Richard from the icy sea and how he risked himself is cute and beautiful. He did not care about his own being but that of his son.
I do want to know what happens next. How does Jonathan's dad and mother react to him having Richard with someone who was married at the time? How does Father react to be a grandparent now. How does Richard grow and become his own young man. I need answers!
You can not end the story with them meeting before we get the reaction. I need to know!
Book four to Jonathan's story is a coaster of "huh", "wait what" and "hold up" for me. Edward giving Richard to Jonathan because of Jonathan wanting to step up and be in his son's life is just top tier. With his change, Jonathan can't leave behind an heir so him wanting to be in Richard's life is beautiful to read.
Jonathan bonding with Richard and making sure he is loved and cared for is amazing to read in that time period. For Jonathan, it was making sure Richard had the things he had at Edward's house to feel safe with Jonathan and his family. But Jonathan was also making sure he knew what the activities happened for the day so he can provide the next day to be the same amount of thrill or to be better than the day of. The way Jonathan saved Richard from the icy sea and how he risked himself is cute and beautiful. He did not care about his own being but that of his son.
I do want to know what happens next. How does Jonathan's dad and mother react to him having Richard with someone who was married at the time? How does Father react to be a grandparent now. How does Richard grow and become his own young man. I need answers!
You can not end the story with them meeting before we get the reaction. I need to know!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2025
Read the others in this series long ago and decided it was time to finish off what I had. Not a bad read.
June 28, 2025
An exciting entry in the series.
August 30, 2010
INTENSE. It always amazes me that such evil exists... don't know why.
Read this series before the Jack Fleming one; its main character has a run-in with Jack.
P. N. Elrod has a very different take on the vampire; hers are good!?!
I DO hope she writes more in her Barrett series.
Read this series before the Jack Fleming one; its main character has a run-in with Jack.
P. N. Elrod has a very different take on the vampire; hers are good!?!
I DO hope she writes more in her Barrett series.
August 28, 2023
Probably the best of them I think, revolves around Jonathan's new role as a father, Nora, and the fall out involving Clarinda.
Moved well, was satisfying, though again... this world seriously wanted Jonathan dead as a human man.
Moved well, was satisfying, though again... this world seriously wanted Jonathan dead as a human man.
March 1, 2014
The current end of her Revolutionary War vampire quartet wrapped up perfectly pleasantly.
August 16, 2016
Risks being "happily ever after" prone, but still a bit of fun.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews