Bloodcircle

Vampire Files #3

by P.N. Elrod

Detective-cum-vampire Jack Fleming's quest for the mysterious woman who made him a vampire takes him to the palatial estate of a wealthy widow, where a two-hundred-year-old gigolo tries to throw him off the trail. Reissue.

Genres: Vampires, Fantasy, Mystery, Urban Fantasy, Fiction, Paranormal, Horror

202 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1990

About the author

Patricia 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

Reviews

[Wanda Pedersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of my 2020 Social Distancing Read-a-thon

And with that, I am finished all of the books I had signed out of the library before it closed because of covid-19. At least it ended with a bang, not a whimper.

Ms Elrod, I do hope you keep on writing, as I have enjoyed everything of yours that I've read so far. Your sense of timing is terrific—you know when to end a chapter and how to end a book in a way to draw readers on to the next installment. When my library reopens, I'll be continuing with the adventures of Jack Fleming. I hope the poor guy doesn't get clobbered as often in the future. He gets beaten up as much as Philip Marlowe!

Elrod's vampires have interesting weaknesses and I'm intrigued by what she will think up next to torment poor Jack. I wonder if his new acquaintance Barrett will feature in the next volume? I hope so!

Now I'm off to check the stacks of books that have been languishing on my shelves to see what lòoks good.

[Vakaris the Nosferatu · Rating 3 out of 5]

all reviews in one place:
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu

About the Book: Jack remains determined to find the vampire who turned him. This time the lead brings him to a murder and funeral scene, where an elderly lady who had no right to have this many enemies – has many murder suspects indeed. Among which the ones most capable of such a heinous act are completely innocent. Such as her vampire lover.

My Opinion: Story very oddly both remains fully attached the the previous one, following solid and steady timeline, something I’m really missing in stories way too often, but at the same time Jack’s just… suddenly there. And as a reader I neither understand nor know where, who, why, how come is happening. Tale isn’t much captivating either, but, if I’m being honest, it’s not bad either. Wasn’t boring, wasn’t dull. So it seems like I’ll continue my journey alongside Jack.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 enjoyable

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

This was my favorite of the series so far. They seem to get better each time. In this one we find out more about Jack's past, and the mystery about Maureen. Pretty pivotal volume.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find this take on vampires to be an interesting one,and I'm really liking this series so far. It's to bad Jack had to find out the one he loved was murdered. Now that Jack has learned of Maureen's demise, and the last 3 books were spent looking for her mostly, I now wonder what is in store for Jack and Escott. I am also looking forward to see how his and Bobbi's relationship starts to pan out.

[Jon]

In this third book in the Vampire Files series, Fleming and Escott use their latest leads to track down the fate of Jack's old lover, who turned him, Maureen. They find that she left a phone number where she could be reached in an emergency, belonging to an old neighbor, and that neighbor, in turn, leads them to the household of Emily Francher, wealthy spinster socialite, and her gentleman friend, Jonathan Barrett.

Barrett is wary of the duo when they arrive and begin asking questions, but he claims that he only saw Maureen briefly when she was escaping her sister, and that she spent the night at the Francher mansion, then left by cab the next morning without saying a word to him or anyone else. She has not been heard from since.

This story doesn't completely satisfy Jack and Charles, so they hang around town continue to make inquiries from the townsfolk, and Jack takes a sneaky reconnoiter around the place the following evening, eavesdropping on Barrett, Emily, and her ward, Laura, who seems to have a young woman's crush on Barrett, even though he and Emily are obviously lovers, and the couple have taken steps to bring Emily "life" after death.

When the pair take a ride with the cab driver who drove Maureen away from the mansion that day, they put him in serious danger, and shortly afterwards Jack stumbles upon the scene of a brutal attack on the poor, innocent fellow. Jack, himself, is blindsided when the attacker returns while he is trying to help the cabbie, and beaten so badly that the locals mistake him for truly dead, and he has to be rescued from the morgue by Charles before an autopsy is performed.

It becomes fairly obvious where this is all leading early on in the story, but our friends have to play the whole game to its bitter end.

[Skye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I forgot about how much I enjoy P.N. Elrod's writing. It did take me a little while to get into Bloodcircle, partly because I spent a lot of time trying to place who people were and the politics of the whole story line. But once I got everything straight in my mind's eye... I couldn't stop thinking about it. And I most definitely couldn't stop turning the pages.

I love this vampire noir feeling throughout this story. Not that I've read many noir stories or tales which are set in this time. But with the vampire twist... this is just amazing. I'm transported into a world that I rarely get to spend much time in. One that I'm kind of eager to rejoin again.

I love that this story is a quest for Jack Fleming's lost love. A quest for answers that he really needs. I feel a lot of Bobbi in this, because I have a lot of hope for them as a couple in the future. But it also shows how much care Jack has for those he loves.

This is a fantastic mystery that will hook you quickly. It may have taken me about 3 chapters to get hooked, but once I did... it was almost impossible to look away. Just what I want in a good mystery / noir genre novel.

[Iona Caldwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This third installment tugged on my heart strings. Jack Fleming returns to New York with his dear PI Agent friend, Charles Escott in hopes to track down the lovely vampire and one time lover of Jack's.

Elrod does an astonishing thing by introducing rhe dashing Jonathan Barrett, a character from another of Elrod's series which I will be reading as well.

Things turn dark when Jack realizes Maureen has been murdered by a woman whose lust for Jonathan runs deep.

Deep characters, a rich story and a world so developed await anyone who loves vampires, murder and plot twists in this stunning installment.

[RJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chicago, September 1936. Jonathan “Jack” Flemming and his friend Escott continued to look for Maureen, Jack’s Master. In their investigation, they discovered Jonathan Barrett, an old lover of Maureen’s some three decades ago. This was the best lead they had come across. Their investigation now concentrated on Barrett. Did Barrett have something to do with Maureen’s disappearance? What did Barrett know? There were also three women identified in the investigation. What did they know or how were they involved? An exciting conclusion to the series.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review of the audiobook version.

The change in narrators was a little jarring after the first two books had been done by someone else. Sadly Johnny Heller isn't great with English accents. Normally this wouldn't be a problem in a Noir detective novel, but when your character's partner has one it grates.

The story itself was fairly by the numbers, though it did show some excellent building on Elrod's vampire lore. A nice read and good if you're into vampire fiction.

[EscaPe iNTo thE PaGEs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another awesome addition to the series. The mystery what light but it was cool to meet another vampire. We are left on a slight cliff hanger that I guess is open to interpretation. On to the next one!

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liking the world. I'm curious to see where this series goes next. Hopefully I can find the books.

[Aleah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m seriously invested.

[Jessica Lerbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very exciting, good mystery, but sad

[Issam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before Buffy, and even Dracula, Jack Fleming was my first introduction to the bloody and erotic world of vampires, as well as hard-boiled detectives and noir literature. I had originally read Lifeblood (Book #2) back in high school, and was immediately hooked,... but was unable to read anything further at the time. This read-through is an attempt to go back and pick up the story from start to finish, and make sense of the series of events that I unknowingly nose-dived into.

Bloodcircle is the third novel, and it finally wraps up the Maureen arc that was launched in the first book. I'm honestly surprised that it was resolved so quickly,... I was expecting it to come together as a big finale of some sort. I had no opinion on the outcome initially, but I do like it, upon review. It's a completely unspectacular and non-explosive finish, which makes it believable in its own way.

...Although I do have this nagging sense that it isn't quite over just yet.

But even if it is, the rules and mythos for Jack and his vamp-lore are pretty well established at this point, with plenty more to uncover, so it'll be interesting to see where the characters go from here.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

After their adventures in book 2, Fleming and Escott decide to track down the missing vampire, Maureen. Their search takes them to New York and beyond as they try to track her movements of 5 years before. Along the way, they find a mysterious family with many skeletons in the mansion and an ancient vampire with links to Maureen.

I liked this one just as much as the others in the series so far, maybe even a bit more. I am getting to know Fleming and Escott. I also like the time period. (

[Jessie Radford · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book only lasts for a little over 200 pages, but it's definitely a good read. The book starts off slow. But it soon becomes interesting, you can't help but have sympathy for the main character. Who gives a different but still old school feel or vampirism. Add in his private detective ex-stage actor friend, and things get interesting. I will say the ending did catch me as a bit of a surprise. I can't wait to read the next one.

[Bryan457 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jack Fleming and his private agent friend, Charles Escott, try to uncover what happened to Maureen, Jack's former lover and vampire sire. Apparently the night she disappeared she was at the estate of Miss Emily Francher, whose personal assistant is 160-year-old vampire Jonathan Barrett. There is a trilogy of books about him, "Red Death," "Death and the Maiden" and "Death Masque."

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy this authors take on the vampire and 1930s mystery. It depicts the era very well with mobs and the entire environment is very clear to our eyes. I love what this vampire can do and who his friends are.

This 3rd book is a good wrap-up of the previous 2 books complete with a conclusion or stopping point.

[Brandt Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot better than the 2nd book. I definitely like the inclusion of Jonathan Barrett. As much as I like Escott, in a way, he is too good at what he does. Barrett is around 180 years old, prefers his solitude, and is an intellectual. Yet, Escott was able to worm out loads of information out of him by barely doing anything. All and all it was an enjoyable read.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best vampire stories I've read. There's a little romance (it's really hard to find a vampire story that doesn't), but it is 90% very entertaining story line. If you like this genre, I would not pass these novels up.

[Jacqueline · Rating 3 out of 5]

extra 1/2 star.

[Lori S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always interesting to hear an old favorite being read aloud. Story's still great, just wish it had a different narrator.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

He's happy with Bobbi, but Jack can't rest until he finds out what happened to his maker and lost love, Maureen.

A nice addition to the series that adds a hitch to Jack's character and morals.

[Kathy Davie · Rating 5 out of 5]

1930s noir and a vampire with a heart who interacts with the mob.

P. N. Elrod is amazing in her depiction of the time period. You can see, smell, feel, and hear it as you read.

[Krissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this author!!

[Helen Fleischer · Rating 5 out of 5]

picked right up where last ended. made me want more

[Titus Hjelm · Rating 1 out of 5]

Only finished this because I bought it with the previous ones. What began as a mildly interesting mash-up becomes just plain boring here. I'm sure it's good if you like old-school crime. I don't.

[Nessa Glowczewski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still good, but I'm hoping it'll get bigger. The time gap between books isn't enough for a back plot of a story to progress.

[storiwa · Rating 2 out of 5]

11-4-11