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The Vampire
Jason Sterling never meant to put his life, or anyone else's in danger when he accepts an unusual job offer. The job has great perks and the Genier law firm's longstanding reputation, going back 170 years, assures him all is well. The alluring and mysterious Augere becomes his obsession. Jason knows little about him and he has a strong desire, a compulsion, to be in his presence and learn all he can. Augere's sumptuous home on Beacon Hill in Boston is far from the bayous of New Orleans and the now decaying structure in Savannah that holds the secrets- places where Augere's existence was forever changed. Events on a dream trip to Europe begin to suggest a reality that is very different from the one Jason knows. When a terrifying incident causes Jason to believe he has stumbled on a secret he was never meant to know he thinks he has become the victim of a bitter betrayal. But all is not as it seems.
638 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2015
5 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
Sandrine Genier
5 books32 followersI write the kinds of books that I want to read and have not been able to find. I am interested in the intimate, micro view of my characters and how the interpersonal relationships are effected by events in the story. I enjoy exploring themes of obsession, friendship, and acceptance of what makes each of us unique.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 5, 2017
There are thousands of vampire novels out there today. It's become a part of our culture. That particular sub-genre of horror / mystery is a difficult one to take on. But Sandrine rises to the challenge!
Her writing is poetic and graceful, luring us into a captivating tale that is truly unforgettable. I found myself stopping occasionally to be grateful for being lucky enough to read such incredible writing. The story was excellent, but the way she told it was remarkable.
I haven't read a vampire book in quite some time, and I was eager to dive back into the sub-genre to see what Sandrine had to offer. I am beyond glad that I did.
I am unsure what my predictions were, but I didn't expect this. We focus on the growth of the two central characters. We have a man unaware that his new boss is in fact, a servant of darkness. Which eventually leads us on a journey where he meets Augere in New Orleans, ending up her assistant.
After a terrifying incident, Jason must confront his inner demons and face the facts.
We glide along with an even, well-structured pace. The developments of each character are exquisite. Clearly, the author has taken a great deal of time to cover all aspects and how the characters should respond, given who they are and how they respond to objectives and objections.
I have to note, that aside from her writing being beautiful, the depictions of the settings are particularly strong. We don't so much 'read' as become involved and soaked into the atmosphere, immersed in the surroundings, no matter how tense or unsettling.
Her writing is poetic and graceful, luring us into a captivating tale that is truly unforgettable. I found myself stopping occasionally to be grateful for being lucky enough to read such incredible writing. The story was excellent, but the way she told it was remarkable.
I haven't read a vampire book in quite some time, and I was eager to dive back into the sub-genre to see what Sandrine had to offer. I am beyond glad that I did.
I am unsure what my predictions were, but I didn't expect this. We focus on the growth of the two central characters. We have a man unaware that his new boss is in fact, a servant of darkness. Which eventually leads us on a journey where he meets Augere in New Orleans, ending up her assistant.
After a terrifying incident, Jason must confront his inner demons and face the facts.
We glide along with an even, well-structured pace. The developments of each character are exquisite. Clearly, the author has taken a great deal of time to cover all aspects and how the characters should respond, given who they are and how they respond to objectives and objections.
I have to note, that aside from her writing being beautiful, the depictions of the settings are particularly strong. We don't so much 'read' as become involved and soaked into the atmosphere, immersed in the surroundings, no matter how tense or unsettling.
July 16, 2015
It started out as a dream job—luxurious housing, travel, use of a high-end car, and more money than he could ever possibly use. Jason is curious though—when is the actual work supposed to start?
His employer, Laurent Augere, is secretive, elusive, temperamental—and rarely communicates with Jason, who is supposed to be his “assistant”. Mr. Augere’s lawyers only give Jason enough information to keep him quiet, and he fairly willing to go along with their answers.
At least at first. Then things start happening that arouse Jason’s curiosity. Events happen that are – impossible. Such as Augere’s ability to move faster than Jason’s vision can follow, and the way others are almost hypnotized by his very presence. Jason dismisses them as a trick of the eye or a certain tiredness on his part.
When he can no longer deny the truth, he must make a decision that could mean his life.
This book is a treasure, and I don’t mean that lightly. The author has a gift that is rare—the ability to tease the reader along, page by page and paragraph by paragraph, giving out only enough information to keep the interest super-charged without giving anything away. The well-timed pace is often interrupted by a sudden galloping of drama that is totally unexpected.
Laurent Augere is anything but the classical vampire. I won’t give anything away, because he is too fascinating to betray in that manner. However, it is safe to say that he is a blend of sophistication and innocence, vulnerability and viciousness. The experiences he has are both poignant and hilarious. (The part where he is tending to a sick Jason is a great example of this.)
I have to be honest—when I finished this book, I felt like the door to a wonderful world was closed to me. Now I am one of the growing ranks of readers who is clamoring for the next book in the series to be released.
His employer, Laurent Augere, is secretive, elusive, temperamental—and rarely communicates with Jason, who is supposed to be his “assistant”. Mr. Augere’s lawyers only give Jason enough information to keep him quiet, and he fairly willing to go along with their answers.
At least at first. Then things start happening that arouse Jason’s curiosity. Events happen that are – impossible. Such as Augere’s ability to move faster than Jason’s vision can follow, and the way others are almost hypnotized by his very presence. Jason dismisses them as a trick of the eye or a certain tiredness on his part.
When he can no longer deny the truth, he must make a decision that could mean his life.
This book is a treasure, and I don’t mean that lightly. The author has a gift that is rare—the ability to tease the reader along, page by page and paragraph by paragraph, giving out only enough information to keep the interest super-charged without giving anything away. The well-timed pace is often interrupted by a sudden galloping of drama that is totally unexpected.
Laurent Augere is anything but the classical vampire. I won’t give anything away, because he is too fascinating to betray in that manner. However, it is safe to say that he is a blend of sophistication and innocence, vulnerability and viciousness. The experiences he has are both poignant and hilarious. (The part where he is tending to a sick Jason is a great example of this.)
I have to be honest—when I finished this book, I felt like the door to a wonderful world was closed to me. Now I am one of the growing ranks of readers who is clamoring for the next book in the series to be released.
Want to read
October 11, 2017I received this copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!
June 3, 2017
Tantalizing!
This is one of those vampire stories that are out of the norm. I loved it. It has a sense of immortality with a touch of humanism. It's not your stereotypical vampire story, and the plot was an intense and captivating plot. Some things seem impossible, but that's the beauty of a story that works, even the impossible is probable and lends to great storytelling. I look forward to reading the second book in the series.
This is one of those vampire stories that are out of the norm. I loved it. It has a sense of immortality with a touch of humanism. It's not your stereotypical vampire story, and the plot was an intense and captivating plot. Some things seem impossible, but that's the beauty of a story that works, even the impossible is probable and lends to great storytelling. I look forward to reading the second book in the series.
November 24, 2015
The cover fits the theme of the novel nicely, with Augere being old and mysterious and it's pretty eye-catching. Admittedly, it's also a bit on the nose with the title, and given the length of time it takes the protagonist to realize what his new boss is, the novel might have been a tad bit stronger if this wasn't immediately revealed from the start. But, in this case the cover works fairly well.
I'll start with a positive on this one-I absolutely love the relationship between Augere and Jason. This is not a typical vampire story, and Augere is not a typical vampire. Instead he is somewhat reclusive, and it's not immediately clear what his desires or motivations are. Figuring those out are what drives Jason, a man who is given the job of a lifetime while also being a fan of exploring the paranormal. I really enjoyed their first interactions together as Augere 'hires' Jason, and it's not clear why for quite some time.
Another strong point in the book is the descriptive language as a great deal of time and care was spent describing each city Jason and Augere travel to. However, this is also somewhat an issue. The Vampire's biggest problem is its length. It clocks in at 636 pages on my reader, whereas most horror novels are completed around the 400 page mark. This would be fine if the story could carry that length. Having read this, I feel that about 100 pages or so could have been edited out of this, particularly in the first half. Like I said, there is a goldmine of descriptive language, as Jason explores different cities as he works for Augere. But there are several occasions where Jason explores an area, suspects that something is not quite right Augere, then returns home. Then he goes out again and does the same thing. This happens quite a few times and some of them could easily be edited out.
Yet despite its length...it feels like more could be added. I think this novel might have benefited by a antagonist, one which could have made Jason and Augere's life difficult. We get hints of bad things happening ahead, and it would be interesting to see that develop in the future installments. I would have liked to see more of that develop here, particularly towards the end, but it looks like that is in store for the sequels.
Overall, the mystery of Jason and Augere's relationship is the driving force behind the story. But the absence of an antagonist also means that their is too little tension, which is sorely missed and could have helped with the length of the novel.
I'll start with a positive on this one-I absolutely love the relationship between Augere and Jason. This is not a typical vampire story, and Augere is not a typical vampire. Instead he is somewhat reclusive, and it's not immediately clear what his desires or motivations are. Figuring those out are what drives Jason, a man who is given the job of a lifetime while also being a fan of exploring the paranormal. I really enjoyed their first interactions together as Augere 'hires' Jason, and it's not clear why for quite some time.
Another strong point in the book is the descriptive language as a great deal of time and care was spent describing each city Jason and Augere travel to. However, this is also somewhat an issue. The Vampire's biggest problem is its length. It clocks in at 636 pages on my reader, whereas most horror novels are completed around the 400 page mark. This would be fine if the story could carry that length. Having read this, I feel that about 100 pages or so could have been edited out of this, particularly in the first half. Like I said, there is a goldmine of descriptive language, as Jason explores different cities as he works for Augere. But there are several occasions where Jason explores an area, suspects that something is not quite right Augere, then returns home. Then he goes out again and does the same thing. This happens quite a few times and some of them could easily be edited out.
Yet despite its length...it feels like more could be added. I think this novel might have benefited by a antagonist, one which could have made Jason and Augere's life difficult. We get hints of bad things happening ahead, and it would be interesting to see that develop in the future installments. I would have liked to see more of that develop here, particularly towards the end, but it looks like that is in store for the sequels.
Overall, the mystery of Jason and Augere's relationship is the driving force behind the story. But the absence of an antagonist also means that their is too little tension, which is sorely missed and could have helped with the length of the novel.
May 12, 2016
Disclaimer: I received this in exchange for an honest review.
Erin's Book Reviews: http://erinbedford.com/bookreviews
In preparation for losing his job and being forced to move back in with his parents, Jason Sterling decides to have one last hooray in the culture filled city of New Orleans. There he finds himself offered the job of a life time. Cars, extravagant houses, and a pay check that would buy a world supply of chimichangas. But the only down side is his creepy boss that seems normal on the surface, but after some terrifying events Jason realizes his boss might not be the living variety, but that of myths and the undead.
So let me start off by saying how happy I was to get a book that was longer than a few hundred pages. I could rant for days about having short books, but that would not do this book justice.
I was ecstatic to find out that Laurent was not like any of the vampires of today's world. The fluffy, cutesy, sometimes sexy, unfortunately sparkly kind. He actually makes me think more of Anne Rice vampires with his sophisticated yet vicious, but also with that small human element that just can't be squashed by years of immortality.
Now, normally, I don't read vamp books unless there is some kind of romantic plot going on, but this one had me on the edge of my seat almost the entire time. There is a slow build up that gives you small pieces of the puzzle at a time. Only enough to keep you turning the next page and the next, until it's four am and you have to be up at six.
If you want a thrilling suspenseful, yet hilarious read this book is for you!
Definitely, a five bunnies read!
Erin's Book Reviews: http://erinbedford.com/bookreviews
In preparation for losing his job and being forced to move back in with his parents, Jason Sterling decides to have one last hooray in the culture filled city of New Orleans. There he finds himself offered the job of a life time. Cars, extravagant houses, and a pay check that would buy a world supply of chimichangas. But the only down side is his creepy boss that seems normal on the surface, but after some terrifying events Jason realizes his boss might not be the living variety, but that of myths and the undead.
So let me start off by saying how happy I was to get a book that was longer than a few hundred pages. I could rant for days about having short books, but that would not do this book justice.
I was ecstatic to find out that Laurent was not like any of the vampires of today's world. The fluffy, cutesy, sometimes sexy, unfortunately sparkly kind. He actually makes me think more of Anne Rice vampires with his sophisticated yet vicious, but also with that small human element that just can't be squashed by years of immortality.
Now, normally, I don't read vamp books unless there is some kind of romantic plot going on, but this one had me on the edge of my seat almost the entire time. There is a slow build up that gives you small pieces of the puzzle at a time. Only enough to keep you turning the next page and the next, until it's four am and you have to be up at six.
If you want a thrilling suspenseful, yet hilarious read this book is for you!
Definitely, a five bunnies read!
May 28, 2015
This book was a real surprise to me. I don't normally read vampire books, and I was expecting something very different. This book is far more about the development of the two main characters, then it is about the life of a vampire. For a long time, Jason does not even realise that his mysterious new boss is a vampire. The story follows his chance encounter with Augere in New Orleans, which results in him taking up an unusual job offer to become Mr Augere's personal assistant. From the start, both Jason and the reader realise that all is not as it seems. Augere is mysterious, dark, brooding, and doesn't seem to quite fit into the modern world. Jason quickly becomes transfixed, even obsessed with him. Finally, after a particularly frightening incident, Jason's fears are confirmed and he is forced to make a choice. This book has a gentle, calm pace which allowed the reader to really get to know the characters', feeling at times like a fly on the wall, watching with bated breath as their relationship flounders, accelerates, and even implodes. I was constantly curious to find out what would or could happen between them.The writing is gorgeous, the descriptions of all the places they visit together were exceptionally visual and impressive. I felt like I was right there with them. This is a very well written book which leaves me wanting more. I feel involved with these two men, and I am desperate to know how their unusual relationship will unfold. Looking out for the next volume!
January 31, 2016
I am so glad I found The Vampire Book 1, by Sandrine Genier! I’m not going to retell the story here; you can read the other reviews for that. I just want to say I found the writing to be engaging and immersive. I couldn’t put The Vampire down and when I was reading it I didn’t know what was going on around me in the “real world.” I found myself in Jason’s skin–I held whatever items he held, I saw what he saw. I was in the town Jason was in–the sunshine or rain that fell on his skin fell on me–Sandrine Genier is that good. The author’s range of knowledge seems to be without bounds, I was constantly amazed. The Vampire by Sandrine Genier is a significant book.
November 26, 2015
Jason goes to New Orleans for a vacation and while he is there he meets a man who offers him a job. When he witnesses some strange things, he soon realises that his new boss is actually a vampire. This was well written, with some detailed descriptions of the different settings which I enjoyed reading about. I love New Orleans and felt it was well depicted. The author takes the time to paint a picture of both main characters and I did like this as sometimes books have very two dimensional characters. I would definitely recommend this book.
March 4, 2016
Very good, can't wait till the next ones
October 15, 2019
Really enjoyed this different style vampire book
Very interesting getting to know the characters so well. A different take on a vampire's perspective. Bought the second book already.
Very interesting getting to know the characters so well. A different take on a vampire's perspective. Bought the second book already.
August 15, 2015
The Vampire by Sandrine Genier While on vacation in New Orleans, Jason Sterling receives a job offer to be a personal assistant to L. L. Augere in Boston. While working for him, Jason notices strange occurrences and begins to worry about his life and the lives on those he loves.
Sandrine Genier’s The Vampire is a well-written book full of foreshadowing, symbolism, and mystery.
Jason is a worthy hero. Being Goth, he likes the freedom to be himself working for Augere, who does not mind how he dresses. I enjoyed his thought process and humor. He really thinks (and over thinks) things through. His interests in ghost, and paranormal investigation was unique. I also enjoyed his fascination with movies.
Augere is a captivating character. He has lived through so much. I love when he lets his dry humor out. He can be very amusing. He rightfully has some trust issues. He is a complex character that is intriguing.
The employees of the Genier law firm add a lot to the story. The concept of the family firm that has worked for the Augere’s for over one hundred years is clever.
I enjoyed the cultural and historical aspects of the story. The book takes place in numerous locations: New Orleans, Minnesota, Boston, Georgia, Italy, France, and Montreal. They are all so different and add variety to the novel.
Sandrine Genier does an amazing job with the plot and writing of The Vampire. It has been a long time since I picked up a book full of so much detail, foreshadowing, and symbolism. There is a lot going on in the story that makes you think. I will anxiously be awaiting the release of the next book to see where it takes us.
Reviewed by Diane Lynch for Readers' Favorite.
Sandrine Genier’s The Vampire is a well-written book full of foreshadowing, symbolism, and mystery.
Jason is a worthy hero. Being Goth, he likes the freedom to be himself working for Augere, who does not mind how he dresses. I enjoyed his thought process and humor. He really thinks (and over thinks) things through. His interests in ghost, and paranormal investigation was unique. I also enjoyed his fascination with movies.
Augere is a captivating character. He has lived through so much. I love when he lets his dry humor out. He can be very amusing. He rightfully has some trust issues. He is a complex character that is intriguing.
The employees of the Genier law firm add a lot to the story. The concept of the family firm that has worked for the Augere’s for over one hundred years is clever.
I enjoyed the cultural and historical aspects of the story. The book takes place in numerous locations: New Orleans, Minnesota, Boston, Georgia, Italy, France, and Montreal. They are all so different and add variety to the novel.
Sandrine Genier does an amazing job with the plot and writing of The Vampire. It has been a long time since I picked up a book full of so much detail, foreshadowing, and symbolism. There is a lot going on in the story that makes you think. I will anxiously be awaiting the release of the next book to see where it takes us.
Reviewed by Diane Lynch for Readers' Favorite.
February 7, 2016
I was very excited to receive this one in exchange for an honest review. The cover appealed to me as it looked elegant and told me exactly what I was going to be reading, so there were no surprises there.
The story follows Jason Sterling and his relationship with his new employer, Laurent Augere. The book is written in a style that allows for rich descriptions of settings and characters and it takes place in various cities all over the world. The author pays great attention to detail and you can easily picture yourself in the cafes and museums that she describes.
I enjoyed in particular Augere's personality and the author has given great thought and detail to how it would be if you were immortal and had lived for hundreds of years. His attitude and behavior seemed entirely appropriate and realistic. I struggled a little with Jason's behavior and found myself telling him to "wise up" as he seemed to be ignoring several clues to Augere's true nature. After saying that, I've never actually met an ancient Vampire so I can't say how long it would take me to figure it out.
Towards the end of the book, I found myself becoming a little bored with Jason's thought process which was described vividly. This was obviously a natural progression for the character and it will be interesting to see how he develops in the next book. I also enjoyed the little touches sprinkled throughout the book, for example, one of the neighbours' surname is Westenra. All in all I would have to say that The Vampire is a satisfying adult read and very enjoyable.
The story follows Jason Sterling and his relationship with his new employer, Laurent Augere. The book is written in a style that allows for rich descriptions of settings and characters and it takes place in various cities all over the world. The author pays great attention to detail and you can easily picture yourself in the cafes and museums that she describes.
I enjoyed in particular Augere's personality and the author has given great thought and detail to how it would be if you were immortal and had lived for hundreds of years. His attitude and behavior seemed entirely appropriate and realistic. I struggled a little with Jason's behavior and found myself telling him to "wise up" as he seemed to be ignoring several clues to Augere's true nature. After saying that, I've never actually met an ancient Vampire so I can't say how long it would take me to figure it out.
Towards the end of the book, I found myself becoming a little bored with Jason's thought process which was described vividly. This was obviously a natural progression for the character and it will be interesting to see how he develops in the next book. I also enjoyed the little touches sprinkled throughout the book, for example, one of the neighbours' surname is Westenra. All in all I would have to say that The Vampire is a satisfying adult read and very enjoyable.
September 12, 2025
Interesting unique take on vampires. Perfect for fans of all things gothic!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews