Stefan's Diaries Volume 4: The Ripper by L.J. Smith

Harper Teen, 2011. ISBN 978006211393.
(Ages: 14+) This is the fourth book in a spin off book series from the television series The Vampire Diaries. Stefan is a young vampire living in Victorian England on an isolated property, where he is working as a groundskeeper. When he reads about the murders being committed in London by a man dubbed The Ripper he is worried that the murderer may be his estranged brother and fellow vampire Damon.
After his arrival in London he meets up with not only his brother but other new vampires and their callous and evil behavior means that his attempts to save another young women being murdered are ultimately futile. The storyline is not resolved at the end of the book as there is another novel that continues the diaries of Stefan.
Not having read any of the other books in the series or watched the TV show I did find parts of the plot hard to follow as it switched between the present and past events. The book is short and easy to read and I am sure that fans of the other books will be keen to follow the progress of the handsome Stefan. A Year 9 girl assured me that the first in this series was the only book she had finished since Year 5.
Chris Lloyd