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Tom and Liz Austen #8
Vampires of Ottawa
Within the walls of a gloomy estate known as Blackwater, Liz Austen discovers the strange world of Baron Nicolai Zaba, a man who lives in constant fear. What is the secret of the ancient chapel's underground vault? Why are the words In Evil Memory scrawled on a wall? Who secretly threatens the Baron? All the answers lie within these pages but be reading this book will make your blood run cold.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
About the author
Eric Wilson
37 books59 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Eric Wilson is a Canadian children's author and now living in Victoria, British Columbia.
Eric Wilson is a Canadian children's author and now living in Victoria, British Columbia.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 5, 2022
This was a fantastic middle grade adventure that highlighted the city of Ottawa beautifully while also telling a fantastic Vanpire adventure. If you can find this book, it’s a short, cheesy good tine.
February 12, 2014
Anyone familiar with my reading habits will find “Vampires Of Ottawa”, 1984, out of synch! I chortle about vampires! What I am following is Eric Wilson’s long-running series, set all over Canadian with sleuths from my city, Winnipeg. With an author my Dad’s age, both fans of “The Hardy Boys”; I’ve felt a few of the ‘Tom Austen’ adventures contradicted realistic behaviour, with a sense of being contrived. After all, he’s emulating literature of the 1920s. A delightful surprise for me was to find ‘Liz Austen’ joining her brother in some of these novels and better still, omitting him and taking the helm. Something about her personality and logic ring far truer for me and the ratings I delegate to those titles soars to four stars. I didn’t think she would encounter vampires in Ottawa and the adventure was excellent.
Foremost, Eric devises with much more plausibility, back stories explaining Liz’s exposure to mysteries. She is in the nation’s capital as a finalist in a speaking competition. At a peculiar billeting facility - a defunct prison - she befriends a Romanian tour guide. With a speech pondering the lore and possibility of vampires, this acquaintance if opportune. I doubt there’s need to tell today’s readers of the hype that the original legend is Roma.
Her Mother’s culinary notoriety is the reason for their emigration to the mansion of a wealthy Romanian. When she and Liz bear witness to the near-drowning of his fiancé, a red flag signals trouble. Liz is invited to the mansion in gratitude for saving her and thus our adventure ensues. Though no fan of vampires, I was instantly swept up in the spooky atmosphere, far more mysterious than other volumes succeeded to be. Vast hallways and grounds undoubtedly assist in building the eeriness and gripping pace.
Foremost, Eric devises with much more plausibility, back stories explaining Liz’s exposure to mysteries. She is in the nation’s capital as a finalist in a speaking competition. At a peculiar billeting facility - a defunct prison - she befriends a Romanian tour guide. With a speech pondering the lore and possibility of vampires, this acquaintance if opportune. I doubt there’s need to tell today’s readers of the hype that the original legend is Roma.
Her Mother’s culinary notoriety is the reason for their emigration to the mansion of a wealthy Romanian. When she and Liz bear witness to the near-drowning of his fiancé, a red flag signals trouble. Liz is invited to the mansion in gratitude for saving her and thus our adventure ensues. Though no fan of vampires, I was instantly swept up in the spooky atmosphere, far more mysterious than other volumes succeeded to be. Vast hallways and grounds undoubtedly assist in building the eeriness and gripping pace.
December 29, 2015
Vampires of Ottawa is not...quite how it sounds. It's less of a Vampire book and more of a Nancy Drew meets Mystery Inc tale. Complete with slight cheesiness that comes with the concept of a teenager investigating crime, it's still an intriguing tale.
It begins with Liz's accommodations, The Ottawa Jail Hostel where she is sleeping in what was previously, a death row cell. Know what's particularly cool about this haunted place? It's actually real! I stayed there on my own trip to Ottawa. At the time of initially reading this tale, I had no idea the Jail hostel was real, and even after staying there, I didn't make the connection under later on.
Part of what I love about Eric Wilson's stories, is that although the mysteries themselves might be far fetched, Terror in Winnipeg for example, they are surrounded by truth. Yes this hotel exists, yes this restaurant, or park is truly where he describes it to be.
He describes the tulips planted all over Ottawa in celebration of Holland's gift to Canada which is celebrated annually with the tulip festival, which surprisingly was also happening during my trip there.
Through reading these fun mysteries we learn about and are engaged in Canadian history. Plus Liz is also from Winnipeg just like me which I mean, come on that's pretty cool.
Reading these books was an inspiration to my writing not only because I got to read about places and things I was familiar with but because I saw that a fellow Canadian could succeed and with Canadian content!
If you like Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew type tales I definitely recommend giving the Austen mysteries a read, you might even learn something new!
see the fill review: http://yafangirlreviews.blogspot.ca/2...
It begins with Liz's accommodations, The Ottawa Jail Hostel where she is sleeping in what was previously, a death row cell. Know what's particularly cool about this haunted place? It's actually real! I stayed there on my own trip to Ottawa. At the time of initially reading this tale, I had no idea the Jail hostel was real, and even after staying there, I didn't make the connection under later on.
Part of what I love about Eric Wilson's stories, is that although the mysteries themselves might be far fetched, Terror in Winnipeg for example, they are surrounded by truth. Yes this hotel exists, yes this restaurant, or park is truly where he describes it to be.
He describes the tulips planted all over Ottawa in celebration of Holland's gift to Canada which is celebrated annually with the tulip festival, which surprisingly was also happening during my trip there.
Through reading these fun mysteries we learn about and are engaged in Canadian history. Plus Liz is also from Winnipeg just like me which I mean, come on that's pretty cool.
Reading these books was an inspiration to my writing not only because I got to read about places and things I was familiar with but because I saw that a fellow Canadian could succeed and with Canadian content!
If you like Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew type tales I definitely recommend giving the Austen mysteries a read, you might even learn something new!
see the fill review: http://yafangirlreviews.blogspot.ca/2...
January 28, 2021
This series apparently sold one million copies at the time 'Vampires' came out. Reading this, there is literally no reason for that, other than that the main character is from Winnipeg, Canada and the setting of the book is true to life. This is one of those books I took to writing in just to get through it.
The writing is jumpy and jerky, hopping from location to location between sentences. It has that old-timey young adult book feel in every hyper-detailed description of every room she walks into and the clothes she and others wear. As the book progresses she becomes more and more superstitious, just as Orli's accent becomes more and more pronounced as Liz gets to know her.
Having actually given a speech on vampires myself, I was pretty disappointed in hers. Saying that people were 'leaning forward' during her recounting of the history of belief and defences was laughable. Pretty sure even at this point all of this information was old news - but she didn't even fully cover her topic, since directly after her speech, a fellow contestant says dubiously "But nobody really believes in vampires anymore, do they?"
Liz is pretty weird and inconsistent. Apart from her ever-increasing fears about everything, she constantly brings up vampires to everyone she meets, then mentally freaks out that everyone is suddenly interested in vampires. Though she did all the research for her speech, she doesn't get that people from Transylvania, or people working with the Transylvanian Baron, would be pretty tired of hearing about vampires from every Northern American they meet - Liz thinks instead that it's suspicious the Baron's staff get mildly offended whenever she starts asking them about vamps.
And this entire book, I was dying for someone to finish the saying: "Curiosity kills the cat - BUT SATISFACTION BROUGHT IT BACK."
The writing is jumpy and jerky, hopping from location to location between sentences. It has that old-timey young adult book feel in every hyper-detailed description of every room she walks into and the clothes she and others wear. As the book progresses she becomes more and more superstitious, just as Orli's accent becomes more and more pronounced as Liz gets to know her.
Having actually given a speech on vampires myself, I was pretty disappointed in hers. Saying that people were 'leaning forward' during her recounting of the history of belief and defences was laughable. Pretty sure even at this point all of this information was old news - but she didn't even fully cover her topic, since directly after her speech, a fellow contestant says dubiously "But nobody really believes in vampires anymore, do they?"
Liz is pretty weird and inconsistent. Apart from her ever-increasing fears about everything, she constantly brings up vampires to everyone she meets, then mentally freaks out that everyone is suddenly interested in vampires. Though she did all the research for her speech, she doesn't get that people from Transylvania, or people working with the Transylvanian Baron, would be pretty tired of hearing about vampires from every Northern American they meet - Liz thinks instead that it's suspicious the Baron's staff get mildly offended whenever she starts asking them about vamps.
And this entire book, I was dying for someone to finish the saying: "Curiosity kills the cat - BUT SATISFACTION BROUGHT IT BACK."
November 9, 2018
I've read a handful of Wilson's satisfying books over the years with my fave being Murder on The Canadian.
This one is a quick fast-paced story for the 8-10 reader. Liz Austen a likable and recurring character, heads to Ottawa for a public speaking event with a group of other students. Of course, there's trouble right away: a vampire sighting!, a plunge in the Rideau, a meet and greet with a handful of devious shifty characters from a hunky chauffeur to a mysterious Baron Zaba. Along the way we visit the Parliament buildings, Rideau Hall and enjoy a ballet before more vampires make their way from an open crypt! Someone is after the Baron's money. Find out who!
Love reading about stories set in my home country and Wilson delivers a fantastic plot, solid characters and history without being preachy, a win-win.
This one is a quick fast-paced story for the 8-10 reader. Liz Austen a likable and recurring character, heads to Ottawa for a public speaking event with a group of other students. Of course, there's trouble right away: a vampire sighting!, a plunge in the Rideau, a meet and greet with a handful of devious shifty characters from a hunky chauffeur to a mysterious Baron Zaba. Along the way we visit the Parliament buildings, Rideau Hall and enjoy a ballet before more vampires make their way from an open crypt! Someone is after the Baron's money. Find out who!
Love reading about stories set in my home country and Wilson delivers a fantastic plot, solid characters and history without being preachy, a win-win.
November 13, 2008
Liz Austen sets track on adventures with her new friend in great Ottawa. Only Orli is new in Canada and invites Liz to visit with her. While in Ottawa Liz visited familiar sites, and while she is really on tour with other students Liz sees such attractions as the Rideau hill and the Rideau Canal.
Liz learns of vampires by a woman she helped from drowning. Liz wants nothing more than to investigate the mystery. Will Orli help?
Liz learns of vampires by a woman she helped from drowning. Liz wants nothing more than to investigate the mystery. Will Orli help?
October 25, 2014
The Tom and Liz Austen mysteries was a series of books I loved as a teen, and I think I've read most if not all of them. One of the things that made these books so great was that they mainly took place in Canadian cities, so it really brought the book home for me.
I know I've read this one before, but I didn't remember much about it. It was good and I liked Liz. It was a fun read, and it made me remember why I liked reading these books years ago.
I know I've read this one before, but I didn't remember much about it. It was good and I liked Liz. It was a fun read, and it made me remember why I liked reading these books years ago.
December 4, 2018
I’ve lived in Ottawa for eight years, and I’ve yet to meet any vampires (but I kind of wish I would).
August 31, 2024
I've been excited to re-read some novels from my preteen years when I read as much as I do now. I was THRILLED to find a copy of Vampires of Ottawa as I had fond memories of reading it. As an adult, I'm pretty disappointed in the character development and inconsistencies (why is a high school kid staying overnight in an old jail and have so little supervision to be befriended and hosted by a stranger to the program AND then be hired as a detective while on this trip? This plot isn't supported by the character description of her). The mystery was fun and kept me guessing, but the explanation at the end felt rushed and implausible. Not recommended.
August 23, 2020
Another Eric Wilson book from my childhood down. Despite this taking place in Ottawa which usually means I'd like it, I found this story to be too cheesy and simple for my liking. Overall it was ok, but definitely not one of his best.
May 16, 2025
This was a fun romp and a flashback to my childhood.
October 17, 2016
for young adult in the pre-teen phase, this is pretty decent reading, and i enjoyed all the Ottawa area references.
January 20, 2012
It wasn't bad considering as it was published in 1984 (I think), although I did find it vaguely cheesey. It didn't hold a candle to a Nancy Drew mystery or even Trixie Belden but it was refreshing to read a different kind of vampire story - before the literary world was polluted with too much love for the frightening creaturs ;)
June 7, 2016
Este libro tiene un primer capitulo bastante interesante que te hace querer seguir leyendo mas la historia, pero esta intensidad decae rápidamente en el segundo capitulo y sigue haciéndolo a lo largo del libro, desvelando una trama sencilla y un tanto infantil, recomendado solo para pasar el rato.
Want to Read
November 12, 2018the book is ok
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews