Department 19 by Will Hill

Abraham van Helsing thought that, after the events described in Dracula, vampires were eradicated and so posed no more threat to humans. In 1892, the famous vampire hunter learned he was wrong. There were still vampires out there, threatening human lives. And so Department 19--England's most secret government organization--was created to fight vampires, werewolves, and other monsters.

The descendants of Department 19's founding families are automatically invited to join the organization, also known as Blacklight, upon their 21st birthday. Jamie Carpenter is only sixteen, but when he learns of Blacklight's existence, he is determined to earn a place in it right away. Because he can't waste any time, not if he wants to find his mother, who was just kidnapped by vampires.

Will Hill's Department 19 is like the Alex Rider spy series on steroids. With, as the van Helsing reference implies, a couple of characters from classic literature and some twists on vampire mythology. It's long--over 500 pages--but filled with action and reads much more quickly than its length might suggest. If you like high octane action and would rather see vampires splatter rather than sparkle, give this book a try. It kicks off a series with the same name; book two will be published in August.