The book starts with a brief introduction to the nineteenth century master detective, Edmund Robert Satz who compiled the information within Journal 97. At times, it is hard to determine whether his notes are fact, fiction, or the ramblings of a diluted mind. When his notes are told as a story, his odd philosophy causes the heartfelt, warm characters to swim in an ever-changing undercurrent of subtle humor. The story begins in Wallachia, the birthplace of the vampire legends in the year 1380. Vladoff is a young aristocrat who survives a brutal vampire attack and is taken prisoner. He is forced to travel south on a killing spree for almost a year. Yuri is from the town of Lastari. Hating where he lives, Yuri decides to run away to get beyond the reach of a tyrant’s control. This unlikely pair are thrown together by their individual circumstances and carve out a new life for themselves. Just when everything seems perfect, they are suddenly threatened and must flee in order to survive. In the end, they find their rightful place in the world, and E.R.Satz’s discovery is revealed.