How much trouble can an American schoolteacher get into while on sabbatical in the Lake District of England? When the schoolteacher in question is Grace Hollister, and when ex-jewel thief Peter Fox is involved, the result may be disaster.
Verse of the Vampyre opens with Grace Hollister hiding in a graveyard, late at night, waiting for—well, spying on—Peter Fox, who’s to meet with a mysterious woman. Grace has been anxious to know why Peter has distanced himself from her, at the same time a series of robberies have occurred in the vicinity of Innisdale. Is Peter up to his old pursuits? And if so, which? Women or jewels?
Grace is on sabbatical in England, writing a book about romantic poet Lord Byron. She spends her days working in Peter’s shop, Rogue’s Gallery Antiques and Books, and her evenings consulting on a local production of The Vampyre, a play written by Lord Byron’s physician. For most of us this would be a rather tame undertaking.
But the local constable thinks Peter’s gone back to his old ways, and may now be a killer. Meanwhile, Grace wonders if the other woman in Peter’s life is Catriona, the beauty now married to eccentric, cape-clad Lord Ruthven, who’s directing the play. Lord Ruthven happens to go by the same name as the vampire in the play, and as far as Grace can tell he’s never been seen in daylight. A man killed during one of the robberies is rumored to have been drained of blood, with unexplained bite marks on his neck. Does this quiet little Lake District town now have its very own vampire?
Grace sets out to assure herself Peter is innocent of the thefts and murder, and to learn what’s going on between him and Catriona. It would be a lot easier if Peter would stay in one place, if the local woman rumored to be a witch wasn’t following Grace everywhere, and if Chaz, Grace’s old boyfriend from the States, would give up and leave her alone. When two more deaths occur, Grace is off and running, straight into trouble.
Diana Killian knows how to combine action and suspense with lighthearted fun and intelligent writing. She tosses in bits of zany humor, while retaining a sense of elegance and charm. She paints scenes that carry the reader to a graveyard beside a forest at midnight, a creaky old theater, fox hunts, a Hunt Ball, and—well, I find myself willing to follow these characters anywhere. The action-packed conclusion encloses this jaunt through the English landscape in a frame suitable for hanging in the Rogue’s Gallery, so no one need fear that each book in this series doesn’t stand on its own. I still want to read them all.
This rousing second installment in the cozy mystery series by Diana Killian is a combination of bucolic scenery, compelling intrigue, and a protagonist who feels like an old friend. It’s the kind of story I set out to savor, then find myself reading quickly. I finish too soon and want more. I already miss Grace and Peter, and look forward to the next cozy in the series, Sonnet of the Sphinx.
Also see my review of the first book in this series, High Rhymes and Misdemeanors.
