Red Death

This entertaining first installment in a new series by the author of The Vampire Files offers deft touches of wit, beauty and suspense. Amidst the tumult of pre-Revolutionary War America, 17-year-old country gentleman Jonathan Barrett happily prepares to attend Harvard. However, Jonathan's mother, a loyalist whose devotion to the Crown is exceeded only by her quick temper, decides that Cambridge University would afford her son a more proper education. Jonathan resolves to avail himself of the opportunity to study law and carnal pleasure, too. Upon arrival in England, he makes the acquaintance of Nora Jones, a seductive beauty who seems to hold an uncommon sway over her numerous suitors. Soon, Jonathan becomes Nora's favorite, and before long, he is made aware of the bloody source of her power through their frequent trysts, which often resemble a vampiric communion. Later, Jonathan is called home to the troubled colonies, where he is felled by a fatal musket shot, only to rise as one of the undead. Learning to cope with his new existence, he becomes enmeshed in the rebellion while still pining for Nora. (Nov.)