A Sharpness on the Neck

In 1792, Philip Radcliffe, the bastard son of Benjamin Franklin, comes to France to deliver a letter to Thomas Paine--only to get caught up in a conflict far more horrifying than the Revolution. By foiling a powerful vampire's attempt at fratricide, Radcliffe dooms himself and his descendants to suffer the vampire's eternal vengeance.
In present day, Philip and June Radcliffe are kidnapped on their honeymoon. Their captor, a mysterious Mr. Graves, swears that he aims to protect them. Yet as the thrilling story unfolds, involving Napoleon, the Marquis de Sade, and the Scarlet Pimpernel, as well as Jerry Cruncher and Detective Dupin, the young couple refuses to believe him--a mistake that is certain to cost them their lives.
From show more Publishers Weekly A year before Anne Rice published Interview with the Vampire, Saberhagen published The Dracula Tape (1975), in which he dreamed up a sympathetic vampire of his own, launching a horror subgenre. Now Saberhagen's Vlad Dracula returns for his ninth novel (after A Matter of Taste, etc.), still driven by a sense of honor and still explaining himself to humans; here, to two whose survival depends on their believing his supernatural origins and history. Thrills and chills are provided by Vlad's malevolent brother, Radu. The narrative flickers between two eras: Revolutionary France, where Vlad and his gypsy-vampire companion, Constantia, try to save Phillip Radcliffe, an illegitimate son of Benjamin Franklin, from Radu and the guillotine, and modern America, where they kidnap Radcliffe's identically named descendant and his wife in order to save them from the still-vengeful Radu. There's plenty of crisp historical detail, including appearances by Napoleon and the Marquis de Sade. The series' ironic contrast between Vlad's innocence and the bloodlust of humans continues, with Vlad's aristocratic narrative voice (which alternates with third-person passages) continuing to impress. To be sure, the pace is languorous at times, but when you're spending quality time with someone who has centuries on his undead hands, what's the hurry?
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Booklist Saberhagen adds another volume to his long-running, sadly underrated Dracula series that masterfully mixes historical and contemporary characters and settings. In 1790s France, Philip Radcliffe, an illegitimate son of Benjamin Franklin, befriends Vlad Dracula, thereby incurring the enmity of Vlad's brother, Radu. Two hundred years later, a Radcliffe descendant and his bride are kidnapped and imprisoned by one Mr. Graves--for their own protection, he says. In fact, Radu is on the prowl again, and the Dracula version of a family feud has caught up with the young couple. By now, Saberhagen's well-imagined Dracula is almost an old friend to long-term followers of the series. Since this latest entry is well up to the highest standards, nobody is likely to be disappointed, unless libraries fail to shelve this one with its predecessors. Roland Green show less