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gets closer to the finale, the culture and rituals of the various countries are carefully penciled into the background as the characters continue to unravel the Dracula myth. Technically, the book is quite complex, but the story gathers momentum as the climax approaches and Kostova writes with an eloquence that has endeared her to critics and provided much of the foundation for her initial success.

Where the book doesn't do so well is in its propensity for drama. In the original "Dracula" book, Stoker managed to charge the proceedings with a dread that came from the evil vampire activities that infected a middle-class England. Along with its sexuality, Stoker appealed to the Victorian need for scandal and desire. "The Historian" plots a very different course taking the reader on a literary treasure hunt of letters and parchments, half-truths and lies with only the interruption from a troublesome vampire, more-often-than-not, causing mischief in a library, in an attempt to stop the characters in the book from further discovery. In a way, it reminded me of "The Da Vinci Code" with its carefully crafted conspiracy theories and chain of clues. With a similar sort of atmosphere, chances are it will appeal to the same readership.

I did enjoy "The Historian" although it lacked a dynamism that its predecessor managed, so often re-imagined through the movie industry. The success of this book suggests that it is only a matter of time before it translates to the big screen although I'd be surprised if some artistic license wasn't applied to spice things up. Basically, the book is a thriller in the Dan Brown mould although written infinitely better. For those who enjoy their vampire lore then this will be for you albeit a little tame. Dracula, it seems, was real after all. Whether he was a vampire or not is moot, we love the myth anyway and, in literature and media, he will continue to fuel a thousand ghost stories.

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