The Crypt of Dracula

Gilmour warns at the outset to the book that he is a big fan of the 70s and earlier incarnations of Count Dracula, and he sticks to that warning throughout the book while doing a superb job of showing what vampires are SUPPOSED to be like.

From the opening scene of the book where a pile of ash gets bloody and a creature arises, to the first time we see our hero and see the reaction of the villagers when they are told where he is going to be working, to the first time we see Castle Dracula, and at every point in this book... you get the dark, mysterious, awe inspiring power of evil that is Vampire.

None of that sparkly, angsty, weak crap here. The only romance you'll see is just a touch of it between our hero and his wife - who are both subsequently put in mortal danger along with a couple of their friends.

Instead, you get intriguing mystery - what happened at this castle? Why is it in such disrepair? Who is the mysterious Count? Why are his servants never seen? - and fast paced action.

With a particularly good ending.

If you want to see what Vempires - and particularly the infamous Count Dracula - are REALLY supposed to be, do yourself a favor and pick up this book!