Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

In this New York Times bestselling sequel to Kerri Maniscalco's haunting #1 debut 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. 

It was great to continue the series after such a long time! I loved Hunting Prince Dracula even more than Stalking Jack the Ripper. 

I was grabbed right from the beginning just as I was with the first book but there was more of an added tension of sorts to the story. We get to see how Audrey and Thomas were both affected by the aftermath of the Ripper case and how their relationship has changed. Personally, I appreciate it when an author gives main characters issues such as PTSD after witnessing something like Audrey and Thomas went through. It makes for more realistic characters and continuations of series. In order for characters to grow and change they need to have issues to work through. Like I said before, this also changed their relationship with each other. 

I enjoyed the tension between Thomas and Audrey in the first book along with their witty banter with each other. It was increased in this sequel which made it all the more fun and enjoyable.  Their romance was believable and was not rushed at all. There was a perfect amount of romance in the book without it being overbearing and taking over the main plot. I enjoy their relationship because they don't need each other to be complete and are two independent people who know what they want in life. I thought that the issues between them made sense and were in line with their personalities and what was going on in the book.   

I thought that the addition of the horror elements in both the first book and this one as well made for interesting points to the stories. They don't appear to take away from the realism of the books themselves and instead add something special. I did feel that I was more drawn into this element in Hunting Prince Dracula more so than Stalking Jack the Ripper. I think that it is because this book felt more Gothic in nature which I found appealing. 

I had no idea who the culprit was until it was revealed. I am usually very good at deducing who the murderer is in these types of books so if you are like me in that way you may enjoy the mystery more for that very reason. I'm excited to read the next installment to see what kind of adventure is in store for Thomas and Audrey next!