Genre: Paranormal
Reviewer: Sherry
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About The Book
When college student Muriel Aubrey inherits an old house in a small town, she imagines that moving into the rural community will be deathly dull.
But the old house once belonged to her eccentric granduncle, a professor said to be researching something mysterious before his untimely death. Then Muriel finds the research notes that had been hidden away in the old Victorian; and she discovers what the professor was researching: vampires.
It isn’t long before Muriel meets residents of the small town who knew the professor almost a century ago, and learns that everything he wrote in the notes he kept is true. And then she finds herself stalked by a vampire hunter.
The Review
“Professor Shot Dead,” newspaper headline—Night Home
Muriel Aubrey inherits her great uncle’s estate. Then, of course, the mystery begins. Yes, you can see what’s coming next, but honestly that’s part of the fun. This is an engaging and well written short story.
Her grand uncle, Benjamin, was a professor of some note. He was more than a bit controversial, though. Muriel doesn’t know much about him other than that, and that he had been murdered by a colleague, possibly because of a mysterious research project Benjamin had started.
When she finds some of Benjamin’s hidden notebooks, field notes, and photos, her curiosity is quite piqued. Muriel can’t resist doing some additional research herself – until she discovers vampires live next door, and a charming but creepy fellow who seems especially interested in her is wandering around on the estate grounds.
The neighbors, known colloquially as the nocturnal folk, are fond of Muriel but quite intolerant (perhaps rightly so) of that weird fellow – Darren – since they know exactly who he is and why he’s there.
But what does Darren want from Muriel? More importantly, what do the nocturnal folk want from her? And what, if anything, does all this have to do with Benjamin’s murder, so long before?
The story is intriguing, with believable explanations for well-known vampiric lore and with characters who are easy to like (or dislike). Titus’ short story is made even more interesting by the inclusion of a few illustrative photographs that are evocative and cleverly placed throughout. Although the story is somewhat predictable, it does have a few unexpected surprises that, should Titus want to build on the characters, could be easily done.
A believable vampire thriller and small-town mystery.
Five stars.
The Reviewer
Sherry Perkins has worked as a licensed practical nurse for more than thirty-five years and has experience in psychiatric/addictions nursing, nursing-care coordination, and risk management. She earned a BS in health sciences from Campbell University and has spoken at public health functions on topics such as addiction prevention and treatment, prevention of teenage opioid deaths, and connecting patients who are resistant to treatment with appropriate services.
A mother of four, Perkins lives with extended family on the Delmarva Peninsula, where she enjoys collecting shells and sea glass; reading and writing mysteries, science fiction, and fantasy; doing organic gardening; and following the Dave Matthews Band around the East Coast
