L. A. K. (owingsreader) reviewed on 6/12/2011 + 6 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 2

I ordered this book on the suggestion of another PBS member who, like myself, was very disappointed with Deborah Harkness's "A Discovery of Witches". I'm glad I did: "The Historian" is a beautifully written and complex story that takes place both in the 1930's and the 1970's. It follows the research among several generations of historians into where Vlad Tepes, aka Dracula, the hideously cruel Wallachian torturer and impaler of 20,000 people, is really buried. The story is full of insights from history and fascinating (and sometimes horrific) details about medieval Europe, ancient Constantinople (now Istanbul), Bulgarian monasteries, Romanian villages, as well as modern-day Oxford, Paris, and Amsterdam, all described brilliantly as the backdrop for the mounting tension and horror as our intrepid academics close in on the shocking truth about Dracula. This is an absorbing, intelligent thriller that I highly recommend.

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