"In Reese's scrupulously imagined thriller, told largely through entries from a lost journal kept by the author of Dracula in 1888, Bram Stoker attends an indoctrination ceremony of the Order of the Golden Dawn, at the behest of Oscar Wilde's mum and a young William Butler Yeats. The ceremony goes horribly awry, resulting in one participant—Francis Tumblety, a patent medicine salesman newly arrived from America—becoming a vessel for the evil Egyptian god Set and applying his surgical skills to the slaughter of Whitechapel prostitutes in order to draw Stoker out for a supernatural showdown. Bestseller Reese so perfectly pastiches the journal format that initially his story reads as dry and boringly as most private diaries. With Tumblety's malignant conversion, though, the novel turns into a rip-roaring penny dreadful that compels reading to the end. Dracula fans will appreciate the nods to well-known works that Stoker wrote supposedly following this confrontation."
—Publishers Weekly
"...Reese cleverly blends the historical accounts of characters and events during this time into a well-told and entertaining possibility."
—Times Record News
"...a clever melding of historical fact and fantasy."
—The Houston Chronicle
"...manages to work as original story, biography, period piece, thriller and homage simultaneously and consequently delivers a thoroughly intriguing twist on vampire lore...Reese successfully imitates Stoker's voice and his evocation of London circa 1888 is rich...vivid for its evocation of a time and a place."
—St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"...dazzles...Highly original and constantly intriguing, The Dracula Dossier makes Jack the Ripper as tangible as the vampire count."
—Madison County Herald
"...stimulation for the brain as well as tingles for the spine."
—Sun-Sentinel
"The Dracula Dossier is ... an homage in style and structure to its namesake novel, an engrossing look into the lives of eminent Victorians, and a smashing, scary read."
—St. Petersburg Times
"Those who enjoy gothic novels set in Victorian times...will revel in James Reese's story...Seamlessly blurring the line between fact and fiction, the book is both character study and speculative fiction folded into a well-told tale."
—Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"Reese has crafted a historical thriller that brings historical figures to life with a deft hand. The Dracula Dossier is a notable addition to the genre of gothic literature."
—Fort-Worth Star Telegram
"...a mesmerizing blend of fact and fiction, with plenty of Gothic chill."
—The Miami Herald
"Spooky and imaginative, this is perfect reading for an October evening."
—The Tucson Citizen
"In 1888 Oscar Wilde's mother and William Butler Yeats invites Bram Stoker to attend the Order of the Golden Dawn indoctrination ritual. Initially fascinated by the ceremony, Bram and other attendees are stunned when something goes wrong. Visiting American patent medicine salesman Francis Tumblety, who also attended, has become possessed by the evil Egyptian god Set. Tumblety-Set is methodically killing Whitechapel prostitutes using his surgeon's skills on these misfortunate women. Scotland Yard is stymied as there appears no motive for the homicides, but Stoker is seen in the area and his knife used as the murder weapon. He becomes the prime suspect. However, Stoker believes he knows the reasons behind the slaughters; he plans to confront Francis-Set whom he believes he has seen stalk the shadows of Whitechapel before someone else dies.
The story line starts off purposely boring to bring a journal methodology as the underpinning to the tale; once established, the plot accelerates and never looks back. Tumblety as an evilly possessed Ripper makes for a perfect opponent to the Dracula author with both characters fully developed. References to the period, the Ripper serial killings and the literary works of Stoker round out an excellent late nineteenth century thriller."
—Harriet Klausner
"The Dracula Dossier is as powerful in its imagination as it is in its dedication to historical detail and social reflection. But what's more is that it's a damn good thriller. James Reese creates a world here that had me mesmerized from chapter one. With Bram Stoker and Jack the Ripper along for the ride, you can't go wrong with this book."
—Michael Connelly
"With James Reese's vivid and chilling novel, readers will gain a whole new appreciation of two gothic landmarks, Dracula and Jack the Ripper. Not only does The Dracula Dossier grip us with its fast paced hunt for history's most notorious killer, it also enchants us with sophisticated and lyrical recreations of its unique period and strong characters. A daring achievement."
—Matthew Pearl
