Character Analysis
Big, bald, suave, and sneaky, Straker's a great bad guy, sacrificing Ralphie Glick to the devil one minute and charming all the women of 'Salem's Lot the next. Who else could get Mabel Watts to giggle? Even his death is a blast—bashed in the head, all his blood sucked out by his vampire master, then hung upside down for the horrified good guys to find.
Unfortunately, being dead means Straker isn't around to do evil deeds anymore, and so for the back end of the book, we have to settle for Barlow, who's okay, but totally not as much fun.
And say… have you noticed you never see Straker and Barlow together?
Richard Throckett Straker's Timeline