The Carpathian Assignment
The True History of the Apprehension and Death of Dracula Vlad Tepes, Count and Voivode of the Principality of Transylvania
by Chip Wagar
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Pub Date May 28 2014 | Archive Date Oct 24 2014
Description
Located in the remote province of Transylvania in late nineteenth-century Hungary, Bistritz is a quaint provincial city nestled in the Carpathian mountains and forests. For one looking forward to a quiet retirement, the pretty Baroque town seems ideal. Such are the thoughts of Kálváry Istvan, a recently widowed and retired cavalry colonel, as he arrives to take up his last assignment as Chief of Police in the Spring of 1896.
Istvan's expectations are dashed almost immediately upon his arrival.He learns that his predecessor’s sudden and unexplained disappearance, along with his pretty wife, was the reason for his appointment. The authorities in Budapest also neglected to mention a manhunt underway in the district lead by Gábor Kasza, a brilliant young investigator from the Royal Hungarian Gendarmerie. Kasza's superiors suspect a serial killer haunts the streets of Bistritz and the surrounding Carpathian farms and villages.
Applying the latest methods of detection in the new field of scientific, deductive reasoning, and psychiatry, Istvan and Kasza suspect the Roma, a persecuted minority making their home in a hidden village in the thick forests of the Carpathian Mountains. While investigating the strange activities of the Roma, the detectives find that the isolated mountain people of the Carpathians have a different explanation for the killings. They point to the ancient, abandoned castle towering over the Borgo Pass - and fearfully whisper a name: Dracula.
A Note From the Publisher
Author is available for interviews, blog tours, autographed book giveaways, contents, and book club discussions.
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Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781495498909 |
| PRICE | $11.85 (USD) |
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Featured Reviews
Reviewer 194202
Absolutely fantastic story of Count Dracula prior to Bram Stoker's classic tale. The Carpathian Assignment provided an enthralling take on the wrath of Dracula as he traveled the Transylvanian country side killing a lot of people in his wake. I thoroughly enjoyed this and will definitely be looking for more by this author.
Full review posted on my blog in October as part of the blog tour for this book.
Ionia F, Reviewer
So...this is possibly the best sort-of-Dracula-like-book I have ever read. It is also possibly the worst ARC copy that I have ever bloody seen. Through no fault of the author, there are large chunks of text missing and most of the beginnings of each paragraph. The Final copy, of course will not look like this, so it is of no real concern to the finished novel readers, but I would have felt bad if I didn't mention that there were parts of the book I did not get to read.
As far as the story goes, this is very well written and has the historical backing that most books of the sort completely lack. It is obvious that Chip Wagar is familiar with the geography of the places he writes about as well as the historical matter. This was a nice change from many books that simply have Dracula featured as a bloodthirsty vampire.
This story progressed nicely and at a good clip, with lots of mysteries to be solved and a villain that did not simply skulk off into hiding or get defeated at the drop of a....wooden stake. I liked that the historical angle was used to back up the story and flesh it out.
The only thing that irked me about this novel, were the sex scenes. It wasn't that they were poorly written, but they seemed misplaced, as though they were an afterthought. People have been dying for years due to this monster, we should have sex! Really, it just didn't work for me.
An entertaining romp into the remote Carpathian wilds, exciting for a girl from Romania. If you are interested in the historical Dracula, then you will likely enjoy this novel.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Mallory Anne-Marie H, Reviewer
A well-written, patiently-researched, intriguingly convoluted historical novel, The Carpathian Assignment pits an individual, talented and skilled, yes-but still only human, against a legendary "monster," while hunting an elusive serial killer in late 19th century Hungary: an era and a region noted for efficiency and bureaucracy. I predict fans of historical fiction will devour this novel, especially those who, like me, fell in love with THE HISTORIAN and with VROLOK. This novel has the same way of drawing in the reader to the story, like sinking into a comfy, cosy, couch.
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