Changes

Whitby, of course, with its history of Dracula, and haunting, witches, etc is an ideal backdrop for this kind of novel. The author utilises this fully, and gives the reader some wonderfully descriptive passages of the town, and its spookily eerie Abbey, herein referred to as the entrance to Hell :brrrr! Into this locale come a film crew, who are refilming the 'classic' horror film, “Get Thee Inside Me, Satan” , which was removed from circulation when strange and inexplicable deaths occurred to anyone watching it and amongst the film crew who shot it. Far fetched and silly - of course it is, but it avoids the temptation to descend into the slapstick element which so spoiled book two - somehow, the horror, although far fetched, does seem to convey the impression that there could be a grain of truth amidst the horrific events. The original 'star' returns to resume her leading role - some decades later, apparently not aging ageing in the interim. Clearly she too has a secret agenda……

The overall plot revolves around this very basic premise - but some interesting characters are developed, and by referring back to the original cast (and director, whose son is now redirecting the remake!), a degree of continuity is introduced, and in some ways makes it almost more believable than it would otherwise be - strange, but true, rather like the novel itself! A rather unappealing character in herself, the star is a veritable magnet for old and new fans alike - and in part , we do feel a certain sympathy for her failed and flagging career, which she herself acknowledges, as she wonders how different her life could have been had her career followed a different path. Placed alongside the dreadful Mrs Claus, at whose Christmas themed hotel she is staying, she becomes in fact almost quite appealing! However , there are secrets in the attic, which introduce yet another gruesome aspect to the narrative.

However, this novel is first and foremost a comic and fun read, and should be accepted as such. Attempting to find too much depth is to do it an injustice. I can't claim that I'll be tempted to read many more in the projected series - it's been a novel and quirky idea, but it really is beginning to reach saturation point in terms of further mysteries/murders etc. Having said that, I would recommend reading at least one of the series. Although the early books do give some background detail, it's not essential, as the basic premises are easy enough to fathom. Despite feeling that saturation point has been reached with the series, I would have to say that book four has been the best to date - perhaps this conclusion makes this reviewer as enigmatic as the novel she has reviewed! In conclusion - it is primarily a quick and easy read, either for a lazy day in a summer filled garden - or perhaps, more appropriately, curled up in front of a cosy winter fire….Laughs abound…but so too does a shiver or two!