Review: Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco

Following the events of Stalking Jack the Ripper, Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell leave London to attend a forensics school in a small Romanian town. Just when the two thought they were leaving all of the Jack the Ripper drama behind them, Audrey and Thomas witness a murder on a train. After the killer leaves a trail of victims– all either impaled or drained of their blood–, local townspeople believe Vlad the Impaler has returned. 

Fearing their classmates are in danger, Audrey and Thomas begin their own investigation, all while fighting for spots at their elite school and navigating their intense feelings for one another. The book also tackles the topic of sexism, as Audrey Rose is continually the brunt of sexist jokes and ridicule by her male classmates. 

As their classmates begin to die, Audrey and Thomas scour the castle their school is housed in to uncover the mystery behind Vlad the Impaler’s supposed return from the dead. Despite their best efforts, the fearless duo find the killer is always one step ahead of them. Will Audrey Rose and Thomas solve the mystery before they, too, become victims? 

Just like Stalking Jack the Ripper, we enjoyed Hunting Prince Dracula from start to finish. Maniscalco created the perfect murder mystery, where the reader is both surprised by the reveal and at the same time left wondering how they did not see the clues all along. 

As if it were even possible, Audrey and Thomas’s relationship was cuter in the second book. The two never fail to challenge each other with science and witty banter. Not to mention that Thomas was swoonworthy throughout the entire novel! If Audrey Rose doesn’t scoop him up then we will. 🙂 

Best of all, Maniscalco did not fall into the trap of writing a disappointing sequel. Bring on book three, Escaping from Houdini. We need more Cressworth! 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️