The Hand of Dracula by Robert Lory

The Dracula Horror Series 2
The Hand of Dracula
by Robert Lory
1973, Pinnacle

Horror meets Men's Adventure in this unique series. Criminologist and telekinetic Dr. Damien Harmon has revived Count Dracula, and keeps him under control through a sliver of wood embedded next to his heart. Aided by former cop Cameron Sanchez and Dracula's thrall Ktara, they fight crime.

Dr. Harmon's niece has a friend falsely accused of murder, and the group vow to clear his name, encountering an evil cult, an inhumanly strong hunchback, and a mob-connected necrophilic undertaker.

Fun enough when things get going, but Lory indulges in almost Rev. Fanthorpe padding, dragging out the most inconsequential actions and conversations for pages on end.

Paperback from AbeBooks

The Dracula Horror Series 1: Dracula Returns by Robert Lory

Dracula Returns
The Dracula Horror Series 1
by Robert Lory
Pinnacle 1973

Professor and ex-cop Damien Harmon, with the aid of his assistant Cameron Sanchez and the mysterious psychic Ktara, resurrect Dracula, surgically implanting a sliver of a wooden stake near his heart set to go off if Professor Harmon dies.

Slow going at first as the bulk of the book deals with the trip to Transylvania and back.  For some reason Harmon shipped the micro-batteries for the implant in a separate crate, doesn't have any spares, and can't buy anymore.  They get stolen, and Sanchez and Ktara go chasing after the McGuffin.

They recover it, and Sanchez reveals his motivation - he uses Dracula to wipe out the mafia.  This is a Pinnacle book, after all.  Dracula plays along for his own purposes, Ktara is subtly defiant towards her master for, and we don't know Harmon's endgame yet.

But we've got nine more books to go, and lucky for you people I managed to grab them all.  I was skeptical about this being a horror/men's adventure crossover, especially after the slow first half, but it delivers on the premise by the end.

The first installment just came out in Ebook.  Snatch it up so that they publish the other nine.

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