Liverpool Vampire, The by Michael Pugh

“Being a vampire brings with it certain advantages; strength, speed, immunity to disease, immortality... But, being a vampire comes at a terrible price. What would actually being a vampire do to a person? What changes would all of that knowledge and power make to the vampire's mind? What does a vampire leave in its wake? The Liverpool Vampire tries to explore and answer those questions, showing how a vampire might develop, how they might operate, how their relationship to humanity would alter over time. The novel also shows the other, human side of the vampire adventure - the story of the victims.

The Liverpool Vampire is not a book about romantic or sexy vampires. It is not about vampires fighting hordes of superhuman enemies in an energetic display of God-like prowess. The Liverpool Vampire is not about vampires seeking understanding from humanity or trying to take over the world. What the book is about, is an examination of a type of magical serial killer able to act with impunity, and the impact that such a person would have on their victims.

The story is told in two parts, describing the life and times of a very old vampire, and the murder investigation into the death of a young woman found in Liverpool city centre on a cold March night in 1965. The vampire's story, beginning in 1295, is one of the fledgling serial killer learning his trade, operating under the radar, giving licence to his plans and passions down the centuries and developing a new, vampires view of mankind. The murder investigation takes place in a few short weeks in March and April 1965 and shows the impact that a vampire has on the society that it feeds on. The story alternates between the long career of the vampire and the progress of the 1965 murder investigation, each alternating chapter speaking to a different part of the vampire/victim equation.” (Summary from Amazon.com)

Paperback Version: available from projectsofpugh.co.uk

Sequel: Judgement of the Vampire