If you’re tired of the current glut of wimpy, sparkly-shiny vampires, this book is the perfect antidote. Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan have given us vampires that are brutal, disgusting, ravenous monsters — and they are out to take over Manhattan. 

Ephraim Goodweather heads up the Canary Project, a “rapid-response team of field epidemiologists organized to detect and identify incipient biological threats.” These could be biological weapons, man-made outbreaks or naturally occurring viruses that become a danger to the population. When a plane lands at JFK under unusual circumstances, his team is called in to assess the situation.

The mysterious landing of Flight 753 (Berlin to New York) is one of the creepiest things I’ve read in a long time. The landing is perfect…then the plane just stops. It sits there on the runway — no power, no lights, no engines, and every single window shade pulled down tight. The atmosphere described by the authors is so ominous that you’ve got goosebumps well before Ephraim and his team show up. Look at what happens when airport employee Lorenza Ruiz is sent out to have a look at the silent plane:

Then she noticed that one of the shades was up now. The fine hairs went so prickly on the back of her neck, she put her hand there to console them, like soothing a jumpy pet. She had missed seeing that shade before. It had always been up — always.

Maybe…

Inside the plane, the darkness stirred.

Of course, there was a vampire on that flight. Ancient and powerful. These vampires don’t just spread their disease by biting; they have other ways to get under your skin. Really freaky, horrible ways to get under your skin — they don‘t conveniently turn to dust when you stake them. However, there is one man in Manhattan who is very familiar with this particular vampire, an old pawnshop owner named Abraham Setrakian. He will join forces with Eph; Eph’s son, Zack; his partner, Nora; and an exterminator named Vasily Fet. Fet has spent his whole life killing vermin — he may have a useful trick up his sleeve.

I loved this book! I love a good scare and this one delivers. The vamps are creepy, there is plenty of atmosphere and the story just sucks you in. I would expect no less from Guillermo del Toro (The Devil‘s Backbone is one of my favorite movies).  I’m not as familiar with Chuck Hogan’s work, but I will definitely be checking him out.

The Strain is the first book in a trilogy and it is scheduled for release June 2, 2009. I’m giving you plenty of time to get your copy pre-ordered.

 

This is my first column for When Falls the Coliseum, and I hope you’ll stop back every Tuesday to check out what I’ve been reading!

 

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