Review: Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco

Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco

Stalking Jack the Ripper #2

Publisher: Little, Brown & Company

Publication Date: September 19th, 2017

Rating: 4 Stars

Source: Borrowed

Format: Physical ARC

Pages: 448

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Summary (from Goodreads):

In this hotly anticipated sequel to the haunting #1 bestseller Stalking Jack the Ripper, bizarre murders are discovered in the castle of Prince Vlad the Impaler, otherwise known as Dracula. Could it be a copycat killer...or has the depraved prince been brought back to life?

Following the grief and horror of her discovery of Jack the Ripper's true identity, Audrey Rose Wadsworth has no choice but to flee London and its memories. Together with the arrogant yet charming Thomas Cresswell, she journeys to the dark heart of Romania, home to one of Europe's best schools of forensic medicine...and to another notorious killer, Vlad the Impaler, whose thirst for blood became legend.

But her life's dream is soon tainted by blood-soaked discoveries in the halls of the school's forbidding castle, and Audrey Rose is compelled to investigate the strangely familiar murders. What she finds brings all her terrifying fears to life once again.

A few weeks after the revelation of the identity of Jack the Ripper in London, Audrey Rose and Thomas are on their way to Romania to study forensics at the Academy of Forensic Medicine and Science. Audrey Rose has been struggling since the conclusion of the Ripper case. Her imagination is getting the best of her, making her believe that she is seeing things.

Before they even arrive at the academy, a body has turned up and superstitious locals are attributing it  to the Immortal Prince, Vlad Dracula. A second victim is slain outside of Audrey Rose's compartment on the train to Romania. So obviously Audrey Rose and Thomas have a new case to crack.

Audrey Rose is just as amazing as she was in Stalking Jack the Ripper. I love that she doesn't have to worry QUITE as much about rules and restrictions in this book. She still does have to deal with gender related issues, though. She has to prove to her classmates and instructors at the academy that she belongs and that she is just as capable as any man there.

I just love her so much. She doesn't take shit from anyone. She pushes herself hard to succeed, despite anything that may get in her way. I love how she deals with everything that she has to go through in this book. She is just such a badass, I want to be her.

Thomas Cresswell is his same self. He is such a shameless flirt. I would love to see him in a setting where there are no rules and restrictions because I want to see Thomas Cresswell at his full ridiculous potential. He is perfect and I love him.

I absolutely adore Audrey Rose and Thomas together. Audrey Rose is so levelheaded and Thomas is just ridiculous all the time. They have a bit of a bump in the road in their relationship in this book and I love seeing how they get through it. THEY'RE SO PERFECT TOGETHER.

If I was going to complain about this book at all, I would say that I felt like the beginning was kind of slow. 

The mystery in this book was also awesome. Obviously Vlad the Impaler didn't come back from the dead to stake people through the heart and suck their blood, but I liked how the suspicion jumped around so much in this book. I thought I had it at one point and I was wrong. I didn't see it coming at all when it was all revealed!! I loved where it all went in the end.

Overall, this was an EXCELLENT sequel to Stalking Jack the Ripper. The characters and romance are just as amazing as I remember them being. This new case is just as interesting and twisty as the first one and I am SUPER excited to see where the 3rd case will go!

If you liked the first book or you like gothic mysteries with badass characters and a swoon-worthy romance, I highly recommend you read this series! It would be the perfect series to read this fall!!

Have you read Stalking Jack the Ripper and/or Hunting Prince Dracula yet?