The book takes place in 1850 partially in Mexico but the main setting is London. This story starts of with Jack Harkett, a street urchin living on the docks of London. One night Jack sees a merchant ship sailing into port. He finds this an opportunity to make some money. But Jack feels strange as the ship stops and a number of bats suddenly fly out of the back of the ship. Then Jack watches a man, with proper clothes, walk down from the ship. Jack gets an eerie feeling as the man brushes past him, Jack also got a slight glimpse of a young boy on the ship, who had started to walk down from the ship. He runs after the boy and finally catches him. The boy told Jack his name was Benedict Cole and that he just returned from an ill-fated trip from Mexico. Benedict or Ben tells Jack how he, his father (Harisson Cole), Ben''s godfather (Edwin Sherwood), Sir Donald (the man who brushed past Jack) had a very interesting voyage to Mexico and also tells Jack about Sir Donald becoming possessed by the Mayan bat-god Camazotz. During the voyage, Sir Donald killed, one by one, some tribe people helping them and got hold of some bats which are Vampires as well as Harisson Cole and Edwin Sherwood. Jack joins Ben in helping him to destroy Sir Donald, which they later realize is Camatotz, a fearsome vampire God banished over a thousand years ago during the Mayan Empire. There is a sequel to this book called Vampire Plagues Paris, Vampire Plagues Mexico, Vampire Plagues Outbreak, The Bitch Vampire, Vampire Plagues Epidemic, and Vampire Plagues Extermination.

Vampire Plagues:London 1850

The book is set in and around the small town of Santa Eulària des Riu, on Ibiza, where Paul had lived since 1931. In the first part of the book Elliot Paul describes the town and many of the characters who live and work there. He details their family lives, their hopes, their aspirations, and their politics. He provides details of the people at work and at play, and describes how he becomes part of the community of the town. Paul also writes of other ex-patriates who have made their homes in and around the town. Part two starts with Paul and his family returning to Ibiza, after some time away. The narrative is set in 1936 in the week leading up to the outbreak of hostilities on Ibiza during the Spanish Civil Warand describes the events that eventually lead to Paul, his family and other refugees from the violence, fleeing the island. It tells the story of civil disobedience, collaboration and the violence that split a once-happy community, although the narrative finishes before the tragic turn of events reaches its conclusion. The postscript, written by Paul, dated 14 June 1937, details events following his departure from Ibiza and describes his hopes and fears for his friends on the island and a way of life that he thought would change for ever.

Life and Death of a Spanish Town

Ba''al commissions General Mustul and alchemist Grushon to study and document a variety of mythical creatures from their world, including the fearsome Shataiki bats and their interesting counterparts, the Roush. Ba''al compiles their accounts into his journal, known as a blood book. He also includes stolen journal entries from his enemy Thomas Hunter and his master, the Shataiki queen Marsuuv. It contains sketches of various creatures and locations featured in Other Earth. A certain Blood Book, though not Ba''al''s, as there were more than one, also plays a significant role in the plot of Immanuel''s Veins, as the main character Toma Nicolescu uses the information contained within to defeat the villainous Vlad van Valerick. It appears that the concept of Ba''al''s Blood Book was adapted after the release of Immanuel''s Veins, as it contains both new and different content than what was mentioned in Immanuel''s Veins, and is missing certain other details. A man whom Toma called Saint Thomas the Beast Hunter is implied to be the one who penned Toma''s Blood Book. Ba''al''s Blood Book was also mentioned briefly in Dekker''s novel Green, as it was compiled only about a year before Green took place.

The Blood Book

One wintry night in London, two murders are committed in quick succession. In both cases, the murderer has seemingly vanished into thin air. In the first case, he has disappeared from Professor Grimaud''s study after shooting the professor—without leaving a trace, with the only door to the room locked from the inside, and with people present in the hall outside the room. Both the ground below the window and the roof above it are covered with unbroken snow. In the second case, a man walking in the middle of a deserted cul-de-sac at about the same time is evidently shot at close range, with the same revolver that killed Grimaud and only minutes afterward, but there is no one else near the man; this is witnessed from some distance by three passersby—two tourists and a police constable—who happen to be walking on the pavement. It takes Dr Gideon Fell, scholar and "a pompous pain in the neck," who keeps hinting at the solution without giving it away, some 200 pages to finally condescend and minutely reconstruct the two crimes and thus solve the mystery.

The Hollow Man

Kendra is being held captive by the Society of the Evening Star, and her brother Seth Sorenson is depressed at his sister''s sudden death. With the help of an anonymous person, Kendra uses a knapsack to escape along with a victim of her captor lectoblix Torina. An undercover agent of the Society of the Evening Star had explained that a lectoblix sucked the youth out of victims previously. Reading Patton Burgess'' Journal of Secrets, Kendra learns the location of the key to the Translocator, one of the keys to the demon prison. But in order to recover it, the Knights of the Dawn must take on their biggest and most dangerous task: to enter a dragon sanctuary closed to human interference, a death trap called Wyrmroost. In order to retrieve the key to the Translocator''s vault, the team must brave the forbidden Dragon Temple, which brings challenges more dangerous than any before. Gavin''s true identity is revealed as Navarog, the evil dragon that was the original occupant of the Quiet Box at Fablehaven. Gavin intends to eat Kendra before Raxtus devoured him. Meanwhile, Kendra returns home in despair of betrayals to hear shocking news.

Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary

This book is told from the perspective of Detective Mike Hoolihan, a female detective who is charged with the task of finding the motivation for Jennifer Rockwell''s suicide. Jennifer, a beautiful astrophysicist with a seemingly perfect life seems to have had no reason to kill herself. Thematically this book touches on cosmology and chaos theory, and their relation to the human condition as a possible motive for suicide. Hoolihan is a recovering alcoholic and former homicide detective who lives with an obese man named Tobe in an unnamed American city (presumably based on Seattle or Portland). She reveals that she had been sexually abused as a child, revolted violently against the abuse at the age of ten, and then pursued a number of affairs with abusive or unworthy men. Despite her disadvantages, she becomes a successful detective before her illness forces her to accept less demanding work seizing assets from criminals. Her experiences lead her to examine gender roles in police work. Her former boss, mentor, and personal friend ''Colonel'' Tom Rockwell asks that she investigate the apparent suicide of his daughter Jennifer who, as a beautiful, intelligent, cheerful, popular woman has no obvious reason for taking her own life. Rockwell suspects Jennifer''s lover Trader Faulkner, a distinguished academic, of murdering Jennifer. Hoolihan attempts to pressure Faulkner into confessing, but fails. She discovers that Jennifer was taking lithium, met a philandering salesman in the bar of a local hotel, and made uncharacteristic mistakes at work shortly before her death. Hoolihan then deduces that these factors are merely ''blinds'' - or clues - deliberately planted by Jennifer for the benefit of an investigation at the behest of her father. Hoolihan concludes that these blinds are meant either to provide the less astute investigator with a sense of ''closure'', or to indicate a greater bleakness, or nihilism. After breaking down while attempting to communicate her findings to Rockwell - who immediately expresses his concern - Hoolihan heads for the nearest bar, knowing that the alcohol will kill her.

Night Train

The novel which focuses on what could be called the tragedy of the Valdemaran Herald Lavan Firestorm. A boy (Lavan) from a mercantile family born with frightening abilities is misunderstood by his peers and family. The book begins when Lavan''s father decides to move the family from the countryside to the city of Haven. Lavan finds himself stuck in a mercantile school he does not care for and with nasty bullies for senior students. Life does not seem good for Lavan as he becomes the target of the leader of the Seniors. All this changes when quite suddenly during a bout of heavy-handed bullying a huge fire started around Lavan causing the storage room to burn, along with several of the students who had been bullying him. The constant bullying had finally thrown open Lavan''s innate ability to create and control fires, called Firestarting. After the fire, he is brought to the palace complex, given some medical attention (from the effect of the bullying and burns from the fire - his abilities do not protect him from fire''s harm), and questioned about the event. He becomes agitated, and large torches nearby are set on fire. With the fires raging out of control, a Companion named Kalira "chooses" Lavan. Companions are spirits of Valdemar who choose people to become Heralds, who roam the land dispensing justice. Lavan in a single moment of panic and rage becomes a Herald Trainee. The book goes to tell of Lavan''s time as a Herald-trainee to his reluctant experience as a Herald. Much of the book speaks of the teenager''s inability to control his own power. Due to the constant bullying, Lavan''s power to start fires is intricately connected to his rage and anger. Without his Companion, Lavan has no way to control his Firestarter powers. It is also mentioned that Kalira and Lavan are Lifebonded, or soulmates. This is regarded with astonishment by many, as Lifebonds rarely happen, especially among Heralds-and even less frequently when one is a Companion. Elanor, Lavan''s Herald mentor''s daughter, learns of this later on in the book-much to her dismay, as she believes that she is in love with Lavan. Soon Lavan''s strange power is needed as the neighbouring country Karse begins to invade Valdemaran borders not just with enemy soldiers but unexplainable horrors of the night. Only Lavan Firestorm is able to combat this strange threat. The books ends with Lavan''s rather violent death right after crossbow bolts/arrows hit Kalira and she is wounded mortally.

Brightly Burning

Since the events of Den of Thieves, Cat has been living with Frank and Lizzie. She is very happy with them, and then Frank''s cousin Mr Dixon arrives. He is very nice to Cat and suggests that they all go a ball, even though Cat isn''t nobility. Cat gets a beautiful dress, but the ball turns out to be a disaster. Frank is very awkward and doesn''t ask her to dance. Then Billy forces a kiss on her which both Frank and Mr Dixon witness. Mortified, they return home with Cat ashamed and upset. Frank tells her off for unladylike behavior, but they soon make up and go riding. They soon get a letter that their friend Syd has not returned home, and worried, they decide to check the docks for any sign of him. They are looking for a boat when they are savagely attacked by a press gang, who throw Frank, Pedro and Cat on board the HMS Courageous and stab Mr Dixon in the stomach. On board Cat is forced to pretend do be a boy by a sailor named Maclean. He threatens Cat and makes her do a lot of chores. Meanwhile, Syd is also on board after being tricked by his manager. He is furious that his friends have also been captured, but there is nothing he can do. Then Cat asks him for a fight so the other sailors respect her more, but Syd refuses. However, he is pushed into it by the Captain and Cat taunts him desperate to be hit, and Syd finally punches her after she remarks that he''s a rubbish kisser and Billy is better. Syd is really angry with himself for losing his temper but soon forgives himself after a heart-to-heart with Cat. Then Cat tries to run away when the ship docks but she is chased by Maclean. Cat is rescued by an Indian tribe and she befriends a girl called Kanawha. The Indian chief banishes Maclean and Cat settles in with the ship, but deep down she wants to return home. Cat soon discovers that Dixon had faked his own death to get Frank''s wealth as he was broke. Enraged, Cat rides to Philadelphia, to a meeting discussing sending a search party out for her, There, she revels Dixon''s treacherous deceit and he is disowned by Frank. Frank finally summons up enough courage to ask Cat to dance, and then Lizzie gives birth to her and Johnny''s first child, who is Cat''s god-daughter and who is named after her, Catherine Elizabeth Fitzroy.

Cat O''Nine Tails

Prague opens on the afternoon of May 25, 1990 with five North American expatriates living in the city of Budapest. The expatriates are, for the most part, optimistic about their prospects in the Central European city. John Price seeks a reconciliation with his older brother, Scott, who has come to Budapest to separate himself from his earlier life in the United States. Emily Oliver, an idealistic worker at the American Embassy, hopes to begin a distinguished diplomatic career. Mark Payton, a Canadian researching a history of nostalgia, relishes the chance to be immersed in a place with interesting history. Only Charles Gábor, a Hungarian-American venture capitalist who resents his co-workers and has contempt for his fellow Magyars, displays any pessimism at the story''s outset. The five young expatriates enjoy the nightlife and new opportunities in the historic city. John is instantly attracted to Emily, and plots to win her love, but she ignores him. He finds a job as a columnist for an English-language newspaper, BudapesToday. Still a virgin at the age of 24, he is initiated by his co-worker Karen, but finds the experience to be quite anticlimactic. He later commits "fradultery" with his brother''s future wife, Mária. Part II presents the complex history of the Horváth Kiadó (Horvath Press), a family-run publishing company – which also serves as a history of Budapest from the early nineteenth century to the present day. Presently, the head of the publishing house is Imre Horváth, who until recently had been exiled in Vienna. During the Communist regime, the Horváth Kiadó was a state-owned business; after the fall of communism, it is due to be privatized. Imre seeks an investment from Charles'' venture capital firm in order to buy the press''s assets and restart it in Budapest. John frequently fraternizes with an elderly jazz bar pianist named Nádja. He is entranced by the romantic stories she tells of her past, but his friends are less than convinced of their veracity. In particular, John is dismayed by Emily''s dismissal of Nádja as an "amazing liar". He is also dismayed that Emily pulls away when he tries to kiss her. John becomes involved with Nicky, a photographer and artist who wants a physical, but not an emotional, relationship. Charles'' firm rejects his proposal to fund the Horváth Kiadó. With the help of John, who writes supportive newspaper columns and serves as Charles'' aide, Charles secures independent funding for this venture. He resigns from his firm and becomes a partner in the new Horváth Kiadó. Mark Payton''s research into nostalgia becomes a personal obsession. He takes an inordinate interest in gramophone music and riding in a funicular carriage. He later becomes preoccupied with the contemporary Gulf War and its continuous coverage on CNN. In September 1990, Mark leaves Budapest suddenly, due to his declining mental health. In autumn 1990, Scott marries Mária and moves to Romania with her, telling John that he never wants to see him again. John continues to desire Emily and be jealous of other men she talks to. Charles and John learn that other parties may want to bid for the Horváth Kiadó assets. In January 1991, Imre Horváth suffers a stroke and goes into a coma. Charles Gábor effectively becomes sole head of the publishing company. He accepts a takeover bid by a multinational media corporation, headed by the Australian billionaire Hubert Melchior (a parody of Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation). Horváth recovers, but not in time to prevent his historic publishing firm from being absorbed into the multinational publishing empire. In March, John says that he loves Emily, even though he knows she is a "spy." The next day, John is fired from his job for having accused an embassy employee of being a spy. Emily, who was having a lesbian relationship with Nicky, leaves the city to escape the accusation. Charles returns to America. Finally, John leaves Budapest as well, traveling by train to the more promising city of Prague.

Prague: A Novel

Set in Dublin before and during the 1916 Easter Rising, At Swim, Two Boys tells the love story of two young Irish men: Jim Mack and Doyler Doyle. Jim goes to school on a scholarship (for which he is looked down upon) – he is quiet, studious, thoughtful, and naïve. In contrast, Doyler is outspoken, rebellious, brave, and affectionate. Doyler might once have received a scholarship, like Jim, but Doyler withdrew from school to find work and support his impoverished family, leading them to grow apart. They have an additional connection through their fathers, who served in the army together during the Boer War, and were once best friends. Jim attends a Catholic school, regularly visits church, and plays in the church''s flute band, where he is the object of his Latin teacher''s obsession. Brother Polycarp likes to have extra prayer sessions with him; Jim reminds him of his own past. Unbeknown to his father, Jim is offered the chance at a vocation, to join the brothers of the church. When Doyler enters the flute band, their old friendship is renewed. Doyler takes Jim out to the Forty Foot for a swim, a well known swimming area in Dublin Bay. The two boys make a pact: Doyler will teach Jim to swim, and in a year, on Easter Sunday, 1916, they will swim to the distant island of Muglins Rock and claim it for themselves. As their friendship grows, Jim reconsiders the vocation, ultimately refusing; Brother Polycarp is emotionally stricken and has to resign. Meanwhile, patriots appear on the novel''s stage: Madame Eveline MacMurrough continues to support the idea of Ireland''s liberty. The clergy also supports the patriotic body of thought, in particular, Father Amen O''Toiler – who pushes the boys church''s flute band to resemble a regimental band. Even Jim''s father, Mr. Mack, who is proud having served as a soldier in an Irish Battalion, is swollen with pride for the boys in MacMurrough''s garden, seeing them all in uniform kilts. Only Anthony MacMurrough, the nephew of Eveline MacMurrough, turns away from their politics. After his return from imprisonment in England, for acts of gross indecency, his nationalist aunt Eveline MacMurrough is determined to redeem his reputation through a prosperous marriage. In a garden party, Eveline MacMurrough introduces him to Irish society, pushing him to follow her patriotic ideals. However, MacMurrough is still caught up in his memories of imprisonment, conversing with the internal voice of his dead prison-mate, Scrotes, on the fate of homosexuals. In the meantime, Doyler works to help support his family, which has been driven to poverty by Mr. Doyle''s alcoholism and illness. Hidden to others but knowing of his sexual desires, he can make an earning out of it. MacMurrough and Doyler meet intimately, but MacMurrough fails in attracting the boy. Doyler being a vehement Socialist and outcast by the patriotic society of his home place, joins the Irish Citizen Army at Dublin leaving home. Jim, left alone from his pal of his heart Doyler, befriends MacMurrough. He becomes a mentor to Jim, teaching about swimming as well as homosexuality and philosophy. MacMurrough finds that he is unable to rid himself of his fascination with the two boys, their relationship and their pact to swimming, claiming the Muglins. The night before Easter Sunday, Doyler leaves his duties as army member and visits Jim: They renew their pact, confessing their love for each other. The next morning, Easter Sunday, Jim and Doyler successfully swim to the Muglins. Not only do they claim the islands with an Irish green flag, but they also make love to one another. On their swim back to Forty Foot, as Doyler is close to drowning, MacMurrough rescues both of them. While Doyler rests and recovers at MacMurrough''s house, Jim feels responsible for the duties his friend cannot carry out. As the Easter Rising takes place, Jim grabs the uniform of Doyler and joins the fighting for the Irish Volunteers at Dublin downtown. Meanwhile, MacMurrough does not realize Jim''s action. Moreover, MacMurrough is attracted by the physical presence of Doyler in a way he cannot withstand. When Doyler discovers what Jim has done, both Doyler and MacMurrough go searching for Jim. As they approach downtown Dublin where the fighting is occurring, Doyler sees Jim standing in the open. Just as the two are about to be reunited, Doyler is himself fatally wounded.

At Swim, Two Boys

In Hong Kong, Flashman is convinced by Phoebe Carpenter, a lovely minister''s wife, to take a shipment of opium into Canton, with the promise of a later, more pleasant meeting. On the way he discovers that instead of opium he is carrying guns to the Taiping rebels. In Canton, Flashman manages to convince Harry Smith Parkes that he was trying to stop the shipment. However, instead of being able to head for home as he originally intended, he is put on the intelligence staff in Shanghai. From Shanghai he travels to Nanking and meets the leaders of the Taiping rebels, in order to convince them not to march on Shanghai. Flashman then proceeds to the mouth of the Peiho to join Lord Elgin''s staff for his march to Pekin. After being captured by the Imperials, he meets Xianfeng Emperor and becomes the prisoner and lover of Yehonala, the imperial concubine. When the British army arrives at Pekin, he witnesses the destruction of the imperial Summer Palace. But after that event, while heading for home, he is drugged and apparently kidnapped while attempting to fulfill his promise with Pheobe Carpenter. There the story ends, and it is never revealed in any subsequent volume what then became of him.

Flashman and the Dragon

Call It Sleep is the story of an Austrian-Jewish immigrant family in New York in the early part of the twentieth century. Six-year-old David Schearl has a close and loving relationship with his mother Genya, but his father Albert is aloof, resentful and angry toward his wife and son. David''s development takes place between fear of his father''s potential violence and the degradation of life in the streets of the tenement slums. After the family has begun settling into their life in New York, Genya''s sister Bertha arrives from Austria to stay with them. Bertha''s coarse and uninhibited nature offends Albert, and her presence in the home renews and exacerbates the tension in the family''s relations. Listening to conversations between Genya and Bertha, David begins to pick up hints that his mother may have had a passionate affair with a non-Jewish Austrian man before marrying Albert. David imagines the romantic setting "in the corn fields" where the pair would secretly meet. Bertha leaves the Schearl household when she marries Nathan, a man she met at the dentist''s office. She and Nathan open a candy store where they live with Nathan''s two daughters, Polly and Esther. David begins his religious education and is quickly identified by his rabbi teacher, Reb Yidel, as an exceptional student of Hebrew. David becomes fascinated with the story of Isaiah 6 after he hears the rabbi translate the passage for an older student; specifically, the image of an angel holding a hot coal to Isaiah''s lips and cleansing his sin. During the Passover holiday, David encounters some older truant children who force him to accompany them and drop a piece of zinc onto a live trolley-car rail. The electrical power released from this becomes associated in David''s mind with the power of God and Isaiah''s coal. Meanwhile, Albert has taken a job as a milk delivery man. David, accompanying his father one day, sees Albert brutally whip a man who attempts to steal some of the milk bottles, possibly killing him. David meets and becomes infatuated with an older Catholic boy named Leo. Leo takes advantage of David''s friendship, and offers him a rosary — which David believes to have special powers of protection — in exchange for the chance to meet David''s step-cousins, Polly and Esther. Leo takes Esther into the basement of the candy store and rapes her. David is thrown into an agitated state. He goes to Reb Yidel and fabricates a story, telling him that Genya is actually his aunt, his true mother is dead, and that he is the son of her affair with the non-Jewish man. Meanwhile, Polly tells Bertha and Nathan about what Leo did with Esther. As the rabbi goes to the Schearl household to inform Genya and Albert of what David told him, Bertha begs Nathan not to confront Albert about David''s role in Leo''s actions. Nathan goes anyway, although he fears Albert''s wrath as well. After Reb Yidel relates David''s story to Genya and Albert, David arrives at the apartment. Albert begins to reveal what he has suspected about David''s birth. He tells Genya that their marriage is a sham, arranged to make one sin cover up the other — her affair, which was kept secret — against his sin, allowing his abusive father to be gored by a bull, widely known in the Austrian village they left. Despite Genya''s denials, Albert reaffirms his belief in his version of the story. He declares that David is not his son but the product of Genya''s affair. At that moment, Nathan and Bertha arrive. Nathan hesitates at the moment of speaking his mind under Albert''s cold fury, but David steps forward to confess to his parents of his part in what took place. He gives his father the whip that was used on the would-be milk thief. As Albert reaches the height of his enraged frenzy, he discovers the rosary that David possesses, believing it to be a sign that proves his suspicions. Albert makes as if to kill his son with the whip. As the others restrain Albert, David flees the apartment and returns to the electrified rail. This time, he touches the rail with his foot and receives an enormous electric shock. Incapacitated, he is discovered by nearby tavern patrons and returned home by a policeman. When his parents are informed what happened, Albert appears remorseful and compassionate toward his son for the first time. As his mother takes him into her arms, David experiences a feeling such that "he might as well call it sleep".

Over 8000 Takeaways For Your Brain!

Read - Listen - Learn

Vampire Plagues:London 1850

By Ben Jeapes

Life and Death of a Spanish Town

By Elliot Paul

The Blood Book

By Ted Dekker

The Hollow Man

By John Dickson Carr

Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary

By Brandon Mull

Night Train

By Martin Amis

Brightly Burning

By Mercedes Lackey

Cat O'Nine Tails

No Author Listed

Prague: A Novel

By Arthur Phillips

At Swim, Two Boys

By Jamie O''Neill

Flashman and the Dragon

By George MacDonald Fraser

Call It Sleep

By Henry Roth