'48(1996)

James Herbert

James Herbert transcends the horror medium with '48, a blistering tale of post-World War II London overrun with fear and blood. Delivering not only terrifying imagery, but pulse-pounding action and historical adventure, it is destined to become a classic.It is a London Too Terrifying to Imagine. Already crippled by the relentless Nazi bombing, this once-beautiful city has been depopulated by a hideous blood plague unleashed in the final convulsive collapse of the German regime. Now, human vampires wander the rubble-strewn streets, desperately searching for the only thing that can cure them...

But not all survivors have been afflicted, and Hoke -- a lone hero accompanied only by his trusty dog and bitter memories -- is relentlessly pursued for the clean blood that courses through his veins. Yet his flight soon takes on a different meaning as he saves two women and a former German soldier. Banding together, they flee into the city's underground tunnels where an unexpected betrayal that delivers them right into the hands of their deadly adversaries prompts Hoke to take a stand against these monsters once and for all.

"With '48, James Herbert delivers another triumphant thriller that blends two-fisted action with the supernatural". -- Douglas E. Winter