Unholy Awakening - (Hanno Stiffeniis Mysteries) by Michael Gregorio (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A woman's body has been found at the bottom of a well. The death wounds are startling: two small, round punctures to the jugular vein. . . .

Vampire fever is spreading throughout the countryside, and suspicions soon fall on the recently arrived Emma Rimmele. Investigator Hanno Stiffeniis must do everything he can to find the true culprit before the mob's hysteria reaches its breaking point and turns violent.

Set in a nineteenth-century world where people truly believed in vampires, Unholy Awakening pits rational, scientific detection against unhindered, violent superstition.

Review Quotes

"What fertile ground 19th-century Prussia provides for the vampire theme in Gregorio's fourth outstanding historical! Written in the understated and often leisurely tradition of Bram Stoker's Dracula and Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian, this mystery pits the rational scholarly thought of the day against ancient superstition. For historical fans seeking a page-turner with bite." --Library Journal

"Once again Gregorio (the pen name of Michal G. Jacob and Daniela De Gregorio) conjures up a pervasive atmosphere of fear and menace, while using the plot line to provide insights into the heart and mind of his complicated lead." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Maintains suspense and an authentic period feel throughout." --Kirkus Reviews

"One of those books that any true fan of historical crime fiction will love. Characters are fascinating, the setting superb, and the deduction is highly intelligent, and it's done perfectly true to the history." --The Globe and Mail (Canada) on A Visible Darkness

"Gregorio again demonstrates a rare gift for constructing a compelling whodunit rich with the kinds of psychological insights typical of the work of such contemporary crime masters as Ruth Rendell and Minette Walters." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Days of Atonement

"Sherlock Holmes himself would struggle to keep up with the master sleuth Gregorio brings to life . . .in this compelling historical mystery." --Booklist (starred review) on Critique of Criminal Reason

"Maintains suspense and an authentic period feel throughout." --Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Michael Gregorio is the pen name of Michael G. Jacob and Daniela De Gregorio. She teaches philosophy; he teaches English. They live in Spoleto, Italy. Michael Gregorio was awarded the Umbria del Cuore prize in 2007.