TOURIST STUDENT VAMPIRE SPY

In this supernatural thriller set in the 1980s, an American vampire is studying abroad when his trip takes a perilous turn.

Samuel Johnson is a vampire who plans to leave Knox College in Illinois to study Russian language and culture in the Soviet Union. At the Gogol Institute of Russian Language in Moscow, he befriends Kathy, a fellow bloodsucker. Samuel’s parents are part of an organization called Vampires Against the Evil, which aims to protect humans from vampires. Samuel, who’s also part of this organization and mission, soon finds that his trip to the USSR will take him far from the classroom. He meets Vladimir Bobrinsky, the Director of Special Foreign Students, and Edward Sutton, vampire leader of the American College Teachers of Russia. He and Kathy help deliver fortified blood to an ailing vampire leader who could help mend the relationship between the Soviet Union and the United States. Also, strangely, they are asked to spy on their fellow students at the Gogol Institute and report suspicious activities. But Samuel’s dabbling in espionage may complicate the relationship between the CIA and KGB. To add to his and Kathy’s woes, there are Russian criminals who don’t appreciate the young vamps’ meddling. At first, Samuel assumes they are random delinquents but, it turns out, they’re a part of a much larger threat to human- and vampire-kind. Carpenter has crafted an excellent paranormal thriller with multiple twists and a standout cast. Samuel is a likable, relatable lead, and Kathy is equally interesting (she can repair injuries by turning into mist and back into a vampire). Vicious foes add to the fun: “Still vamped out, Maksim launched toward me. This time he wasn’t attempting to grab me but to slash me with his claws. As he flashed by me, his claws raked my chest, sides, and back.” Another great addition to the Samuel Johnson series.

An entertaining, tense thriller with die-hard heroes.