The undead are stalking the streets of Cleveland, Ohio in this vampire noir novel by S. A. Swiniarski. For Detective Stefan Ryzard the meanings of evil and carnage are about to be redefined as but the first in a line of bodies appears washed up on a beach in 1935. Over the years and as the case progresses we will fallow Detective Ryzard along as the bodies and the questions begin to pile higher and higher, while the truth of the matter becomes harder and harder to grasp. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is either a "detective story type" of reader or a "vampire story type" of reader, also anyone who would greatly enjoy the mixture of both styles. ( )

My reaction to reading this novel in 1998. Spoilers follow.

I’ve very much enjoyed Swiniarski’s Moreau series his Hostile Takeover series, both published under the pen name S. Andrew Swann. I’m normally not a fan of vampire novels, but I decided to read this one because of its author and an historical setting involving Cleveland’s notorious Torso Killer.

Surprisingly, given that he’s a Cleveland native and set two of this three Moreau books in Cleveland, I really didn’t get a sense of place from Swiniarski here or in his other Cleveland books. His characters are interesting and serviceable enough to interest one while reading but not real memorable. His real skill is plotting, and this novel is no exception. The story starts out quickly, and Swiniarski introduces many unexpected plot complications (as well as doing his usual fine job of suspenseful pacing), not the least of which is having main protagonist Stefan Ryzard succumb to vampire Melchior and become a vampire, later redeemed (at least until he kills Melchior in a suicide mission known to history as the East Ohio Gas Company explosion) by his Catholic faith.

The mystical details of vampire telepathy and thralldom are, as befitting a horror fantasy, rather vague though I liked the reasonable society of vampires utterly outclassed and destroyed (the rationale for the Torso Killer’s decapitations) by Melchior. The relationship between veteran detective Ryzard and new detective, Nuri Lapados went through many unexpected turns. I thought Swiniarski would kill off Nuri, but he didn’t. Nor did he save Ryzard from becoming a thrall to Melchior. I thought, when he went off to war, Nuri was gone for good (after helping to save Ryzard’s soul and I liked the idea of communion freeing him from Melchior by, in effect, substituting the power of Christ’s blood for Melchior. However, he returned to witness (but not really provide any aid) Ryzard’s killing of Melchior. ( )

True crime meets internecine vampire warfare in a reinterpretation of Ohio history. Swiniarski uses historical figures and events - most notably the Torso Murders of the 1930s - to tell an emotionally uninvolved tale of politics and horror. Fans of the "true crime" genre or afficionados of Cleveland local history may find this book more entertaining than I did. ( )