by Jonathan Janz
2022, Cemetery Dance Publications
In 1912, a divorced American author travels to England and meets a woman seeking help for her younger sister, who has been seduced by a depraved older Count. After a great deal of talking and atmosphere things ramp up, with the Count and his minions taking prisoners and lopping off body parts.
Less of a short novel and more of a long short story, with only a handful of scenes. Interesting as a genre exercise. The cover evokes 60s gothic romance, he keeps the narration in character throughout, with references to Poe and Shelley, though the story is more shudder pulp than Daphne du Maurier, and the ending is more adventure than horror. Taken on it's own merits as just a story, the long-winded narrative style went on long enough for me to forget what was happening in the scene, and the lengthy epilogue didn't help with the pace.
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