Vladimir Tod has a secret. His mother was human, but his father was a vampire...With no idea of the extent of his prowess and no one to teach him, thirteen-year-old Vlad struggles daily with his blood cravings and enlarged fangs. And when a strange substitute teacher begins to question him a little too closely, Vlad worries that his cover is about to be blown. But then he realises he has a much bigger problem. He's being hunted by a vampire killer who is closing in . . . fast!