The Dead Travel Fast

January 11, 2010
Excitement, danger, and romance await independent, headstrong writer Theodora Lestrange when she flees 1858 Scotland and miserable spinsterhood for the wilds of Transylvania, joining a childhood friend who will soon be wed. Ensconced in a crumbling castle steeped in sinister legend, Theodora finds herself drawn equally to its gloomy atmosphere and its rakish master, Count Andrei Dragulescu. Rita Award–winning author Raybourn (the Lady Julia Grey series) delightfully evokes the language, tension, and sweeping grandeur of 19th-century gothic novels. Theodora is a delightful heroine, so much so that cruel, petty, misogynistic Andrei never really seems worthy of her. The book unfortunately drags during the middle, and its leading man’s motives are confused throughout, but Raybourn’s intriguing treatment of vampire legends will delight fans of the genre.

February 1, 2010
Miss Theodora Lestrange received a small inheritance after her grandfather's passing, but she'd prefer to earn her own way as a successful authoress. When she gets an invitation to visit her old school friend Cosmina Dragulescu in Transylvania, Theodora accepts as she's curious to experience the world of Cosmina's girlhood stories (huge wolves, the walking dead) and perhaps find inspiration for a novel. Arriving at Castle Dragulescu, built into the side of a mountain in the Carpathians, Theodora realizes the most frightening things roaming the Carpathians are actually found inside the castle. VERDICT In a change of pace from her Lady Julia Grey Victorian mysteries ("Silent on the Moor"), Raybourn has written a wonderfully spooky, classic gothic romance but wisely adds a few modern touches for wider audience appeal. The characters are complex and charming, the suspense is palatable, and the ending is satisfyingly happy. A great choice for fans of Barbara Michaels, Mary Stewart, or Victoria Holt.Stacey Hayman, Rocky River P.L., OH

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2010
Author Theodora LeStrange leaves Victorian Scotland for a castle in Transylvania to visit her childhood friend Cosmina, and work on her new novel. Arriving in Transylvania, Theodora finds herself drawn to the handsome Count Andrei Dragulescu, Cosminas cousin and her intended. But Andrei has now refused to marry Cosmina, to Cosminas relief, allowing Theodora to indulge her attraction to him. The shocking murder of a servant girl shatters the idyllic peace, and the two bite marks on her neck lead Andrei and his mother to fear that his cruel father has returned from the dead as a vampire. As Theodora learns more about the superstitions of the region from a Hungarian doctor who tends to the family, the countess urges Andrei to perform a ritual that will guarantee his father will never rise again, a step Andrei is reluctant to take. Atmospheric and lush, this appealing gothic romance offers more than a few surprising twists and turns.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)