3.5 stars--BLOODLAW is the first instalment in Blaise Ramsay’s historical, adult VAMPIRE CHICAGO paranormal, mystery series focusing on former Chicago ADA Alastair Maddox.

Told from first person perspective ( Alastair Maddox) following two timelines, BLOODLAW focuses on former Chicago ADA Alastair Maddox, before his death, and after he rises as a new born vampire. Former detective turned ADA, Alastair Maddox has faced down his enemies more times than he can remember but always lived to tell his tale. With Al Capone and Dean O’Bannion ruling Chicago’s underworld, Alastair Maddox, one of the few members of law enforcement not on the take by the Chicago mob, continues to clean up when and where he is able but a suspected serial killer, a woman named Alexandra DeLane, becomes the object of Alastair’s obsession, an obsession that renders our hero vampire and dead. Struggling with his new powers and need to feed, Alastair will be befriended by a stranger, Mason Downing, a mysterious man who knows about the who and what of our story line hero. As Mason and Alastair begin an investigation into Alastair’s death and subsequent rising, the Chicago mobsters target the former ADA, and in doing so, Alastair begins to piece together the story of his demise. Along with Mason Downing, Alastair Maddox works behind the scenes in an effort to solve the crimes riddling Prohibition era Chicago, and the mob’s stranglehold of law enforcement and the docks.


We are introduced to Alastair’s girlfriend and reporter Charlaine ‘Charlie’ Ware; Alistair’s former partner with the ADA Paul Stone; attorney Bill Thomas; vampire Alexandra DeLane; Mason Downing; and several members of the Chicago PD. The requisite evil has many faces.

BLOODLAW reads like a script for a Saturday afternoon detective series- think Sam Spade or Phillip Marlowe only our hero has special abilities, drinks blood and sleeps during the day. Alastair Maddox narrates the story of his new life, and the adventures of a former detective turned attorney turned vampire, struggling to make sense of his new world and his new powers. There were a few ‘eye rolling’ scenarios, and a few more questions regarding Alastair’s apparent acquiescence and easy acceptance of his new life style ( with little to no explanation about some of the how and why) although Alastair’s need for revenge is what fuels the new-born vampire forward. An interesting and imaginative story with over the top, 1920’s gangster/ law enforcement slang interspersed with modern day language –a bit awkward but not unexpected.


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