After revealing the identity of Jack the Ripper in “Stalking Jack the Ripper,” Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell are off to the best forensics school in Romania where they will be faced with brand new challenges. Before even arriving at the school, the duo finds themselves with a new case on their hands. A case filled with supernatural murders that can only suggest that Vlad the Impaler has returned from the dead.

“Hunting Prince Dracula” by Kerri Maniscalco was published Sept. 2017, which is a sequel to “Stalking Jack the Ripper.” It was published in 2016 and it was a haunting foray into the murders of Jack the Ripper in the late 1800’s.

Just as in the first book, Maniscalco continued to incorporate the location into the story. The forensics school itself was located at Bran Castle, which only adds to the mystery. The school is filled with dark crevices and secret tunnels.

Maniscalco describes the setting in a way that is magical and it makes readers feel that they are actually there with the students.

“Vlad Dracula’s castle was alive with a malevolent anticipation as we pulled in front of the fortress. It felt as if the academy couldn’t wait to sink its teeth into us” (Maniscalco 334).

Given that the story takes place in a historic castle, Maniscalco makes sure to include an immense amount of history throughout the story. She gives readers an insight on the stories behind Vlad the Impaler.

The book puts emphasis on the power that women have. Audrey Rose Wadsworth is the only woman attending the Academy of Forensic Medicine and Science and she is faced with sexist ideologies from both the students and the Headmaster.

“Perhaps it was time for fathers to teach their sons how to behave around young women. They were not superior, no matter how society falsely conditioned them. We were all equals here” (69).

At times the book can seem a little unrealistic. It would be impossible for a woman to get as far as the main character has in real life. In a way, though, that adds to its intrigue.

The book was a pleasant read, but there are still parts of the book that could use more work.

In “Stalking Jack the Ripper,” there was a lot of build-up to the climax, which was the revelation of the murderer. But in this book, there wasn’t as much build-up. There was action throughout the book, but it didn’t carry through the climax.

At certain times in the book, there was unnecessary tension that didn’t contribute to the plot itself. The tension involving the romance between the two main characters sometimes got in the way of plot.

Although there were a few things that could be better, the good sides of the novel overshadow the few bad aspects. It was enjoyable and haunting, which makes it the perfect read for Halloween.

Maniscalco is currently working on the third book in the series and it will probably be published in 2018.