In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the virus continues to evolve and the world’snew normal involves vaccines and masks in public places, the discussion surroundingviruses and their effect on the general population has become a part of our daily discussion as a society. In an effort to be able to come to terms with the impact this pandemic has had, as well as the concern surrounding viruses as a whole, many have turned to fiction to try to express the fears and worries that have arisen. In author Don W. Hill’s Vampiro Trilogy: Volume I: The Night Crawler Protocol, the author explores the fears and worries that a virus outbreak can have on a small-town community through the horror genre. In a small southwestern town, an outbreak of human vampirism begins to spread every two decades or so, when one of the ghouls of the bloodthirsty undead roam into town, devastating the community once more. The last event took place a few years earlier, when Lorena Pastore was only 25 years old. Expecting to be middle aged when next dealing with the outbreak, she is shocked when a powerful new outbreak arrives less than a decade later, and shows up on her very own doorstep. The author did a great job of balancing out the terrifying horror elements of this narrative with the more thematic and culturally relevant discussions this narrative brings up. The exploration of the spread of a virus is certainly felt through the act of vampirism, especially human vampirism, and the idea of this being a legitimate virus is definitely a terrifying thought. Add to that the authors unique and expert infusion of the Hispanic culture, especially in Southwest America, and the authors ability to weave in story elements and characters from his previous series (The DNR Trilogy), while not making this a direct sequel, made this a fantastic and creative story. This is the perfect read for those who enjoy vampire horror storytelling, especially those which include medical thriller and horror elements, drama, and a twist of Hispanic culture. As someone who comes from a Hispanic background and a fan of horror, I loved the authors approach to the vampire genre and the unique twists he took. The vampire genre always runs the risk of becoming too saturated, and finding new ways of exploring the storytelling elements of this genre is essential to good vampire stories in our modern age, and the author’s creativity is definitely on display with this genre. Engaging, chilling, and captivating, author Don W. Hill’s Vampiro Trilogy: Volume I: The Night Crawler Protocol is a must-read vampire horror novel to read in 2022. The perfect start to a brand-new theme, the author does an amazing job of telling a well-rounded and thrilling story. The balance of culture and history with vampire lore and medical thriller storytelling elements make this one story readers are going to be hard-pressed to ignore.