Grief-stricken by his wife's untimely death, a wealthy New York banker turns to sexual abandon in the bordellos of 1907 New York. Then one fateful night, after a mysterious attack, he dies to his old life and is reborn a Vampyre. Once obsessed solely with making money and social advancement, he's now driven by a new, perverse hunger for blood. Written in a period voice, this deeply erotic work takes us into dark corners of the psyche as it explores a secret world of power and obsession.
"Thanks to haunting detail and a literate style that evokes the chill of Poe, the reader is easily drawn into turn of the century New York and to the melancholy life of a vampyre with powers that would make even Dracula jealous. The story is equal parts erotic and disturbing, told with incredible detail and character depth, and will surely grip you like the best of dreams and the very worst of nightmares."
—Rob Rosen, author of Hot Lava
"Raphael unravels the vampire tale in an extremely original way in [The Vampyre of Gotham] and paints a startlingly bold, sensual portrayal of a man discovering life through death. As readers, we can appreciate Rosedale's rawness and see a man transformed literally and figuratively. There is a refreshing quality about this rich yet compact tale that leaves you wanting to know more. In an intense journey of self-discovery, Raphael touches on myriad topics including the struggles of class and ideology, sexuality and new found courage, love and loss. Breaking free from the traditional vampire tale to create Rosedale, Raphael has left room for new ideas about these creatures of the night who we thought we knew fairly well—yet are always delighted to meet again."
—Keri English, Indie Reader
" [The Vampyre of Gotham] is a clever way of exploring the process of physical transformation... this is an erotic and provocative novella describing the elevation of a downtrodden Jewish 'millionaire' into a self-confident bloodsucker. I was intrigued!"
—The Opionator, Thinking About Books
Five Stars in The National Examiner & Horrornews.net
* This book was previously published as Rosedale the Vampyre.
© Lev Raphael.