I mentioned previously that my edition of The Bloody Red Baron included a novella set in 1923, and now I’ve read it. Quite honestly, this may the best part of the book.
Geneviève Dieudonné and Edwin Winthrop, both of whom have been introduced in previous novels, are brought together in order to infiltrate a meeting of vampire elders at the appropriately named Mildew Manor. The elders intend to elect a new “King of the Cats” to replace Dracula but what we have instead is a delightful mixture of Agatha Christie and Enid Blyton.
There is probably enough in here to have made for a full blown novel, but I really enjoyed the shortness of this. The single location — pretty much everything takes place in Mildew Manor — and the small cast really does give the characters a chance to shine and keeps everything moving along at a cracking pace.
Although this novella refers to characters and events from the previous books, you really don’t need to have read them to enjoy this tale of jolly hockey sticks and murder in the drawing room. And if any of the Anno Dracula stories was ever adapted into a film, this one would certainly get my vote.
Lightly Seared on the Reality Grill 