Vampyres and other things!

Man of Shadow and Mist (Of Monsters and Men #1) by Michelle Griep    

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A romantic gothic Victorian novel featuring the recluse Sir James Morgan who owns property in Whitby, England and in Transylvania. He suffers from the rare skin disease Porohyria, as does his dying mother. Indeed a “man of shadow and mist.” He prefers to go out in the twilight, overcast days and is always muffled up completely. His arrival back in Whitby coincides with the community having some of their animals brutally attacked by something that tears their throats out—giving rise to talk of vampires. Whispers follow to to ugly supposings.

Rosa Edwards is a determined young woman working in her family’s bookshop and lending library. Her father stocks general works but his true passion is rare books. The rare books can only be used in the library. The library is close to the shipyard. Rosa has an unwanted suitor, Albin Mallow, whom her mother’s all a flutter about, inventing occasions to bring them together—alone. Albin is nephew to a powerful and villainous man who unknown to the family wants the land their library stands on, at any cost. Rosa’s marriage to Albin would bring that about. Albin all but accuses Morgan of being a vampire in public when Morgan thwarts him from getting Rosa by herself for a carriage ride, something that all and sundry would see as a declaration.

Rosa starts to let Morgan have some rare works that are relevant to his research. Imagine my surprise when a Mr. Stoker does research for a novel he’s working on at the library in the rare book collection.

Rosa feels people won’t be as superstitious if they can be educated. Hence her efforts at persuading  James Morgan to subsidize borrowing fees for others.

The story builds rapidly as Rosa suffers through pursuit by an unscrupulous party, growing feelings of attraction for the lonely lord, local superstitions becoming unbridled fears that descend into mob violence, all balanced against some good people who realize “every one of us needs a God who is bigger than we credit, else ’e’ood not be God.”

A fantastic weaving of all things known and unknown into a satisfying storyline with Stoker and his ‘vampyre’ writings being a brilliant yet unwitting lodestone in the background. 

I was totally caught up in the events as they unfolded. Enthralled and intrigued I kept reading!

A Barbour ARC via NetGalley.                                              

Many thanks to the author and publisher.

Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change