Book Round-Up: Darktober Edition

The Plague Court Murders by Carter Dickson: a locked-room mystery set in a creepy, gothicky house -- perfect for October! It was an enjoyable read, although the dialog was a bit much. Did people really talk like that in the 30s, or was it a literary convention?

Season of the Witch by Natasha Mostert: A corporate spy with a talent for remote viewing becomes entangled with two sisters who are witches. They weren't very witchy, though, as the novel focused on psychic powers, which was mildly disappointing. Nonetheless, it was entertaining enough, although the fetishization of the wealth of all the main characters got tedious. 

When Autumn Leaves by Amy S. Foster: This novel started strong, with each section devoted to a particular woman or two in a paganish, Stars Hollow-like town, but a couple of the later stories left a bad taste in my mouth. Apparently this was meant to be the start of a series, and I definitely would have read more -- I did enjoy most of the characters, and many of the story lines are unfinished in one way or another -- but the author (or the publisher?) changed her mind. As as stand-alone, then, the story might have been served better by integrating all the characters into a single narrative, rather than isolated chapters. 

Hide me Among the Graves by Tim Powers: I can't get enough of his blend of historical and supernatural fiction. This one is a kind of sequel to The Stress of Her Regard (which I have not read), and is about two vampires (a.k.a. the Biblical Nephilim) hunting the citizens of London, from mudlarks, former prostitutes, and veterinarians to the artists Christina and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. An excellent read, with a novel take on vampires.

The King in Yellow and Other Stories by Robert Chambers: The first few stories, quite spooky, have as a linking element a fictional play called The King in Yellow, which purports to induce madness in those who read it. However, the stories gradually transition away from any supernatural element into a more romantic style about artists and bohemians living in New York City and Paris; they were kind of a let-down, to be honest.

Those Who Hunt the Night by Barbara Hambly: Another vampire novel set in London, this time 1907, and it's the first in a series described as "for those who hate the Twilight books." James Asher is a former spy and current Oxford professor hired by a very dangerous vampire to find out who's been killing vampires. It's not as intricate as Powers's book, but very enjoyable.