His Father's Son

This decent if unoriginal vampire thriller, the sequel to the authors' Keeper of the King (1997), resumes the adventures of Richard d'Orleans, who became a vampire at some unspecified medieval date and had to leave home to avoid a fatal confrontation with his viciously abusive father. A tie-in to the Forever Knight TV show starring Bennett, who's also a stage and film actor, most of the book concerns a contemporary mystery, as Richard tries to save, then avenge, his godchildren and their mother. His enemies at first appear to be Colombian drug dealers, but the mystery complicates and recomplicates itself in classic and intelligent fashion. Interspersed with this contemporary action are more historical vignettes of Richard's past and progeny he was once Arthur's Sir Lancelot, and unlike many vampires, he definitely did not lose his sexual capacity. Quite the contrary. The authors are good on visual effects, and the writing quality is much better than one would expect in a TV novelization. Though the story doesn't escape some of the standard gimmicks and limits on characterization associated with tie-in work, it's certain to have a strong appeal to the Forever Knight's dedicated fans. Nor will it be a failure with the large and variegated audience for the vampire tale in general. (Apr.) FYI: Elrod is the author of more than 20 fantasy and horror novels, including the I, Strahd novels and the Vampire Files series.