Hide Me Among the Graves

It's been quite a while since I last read this author – the mid-90s to be imprecise. He's a talented writer and I enjoy his stuff though others I've read by him I've liked better, I enjoyed this one as well. This is sort of a more literate take on a gothic horror story. There's some wonderful imagery throughout. The story takes place in mid-19th century London and its main characters include John Crawford, a veterinarian, Adelaide McKee, a reformed ex-prostitute, Christina Rossetti and her brother Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and a very interesting rogue named Edward Trelawny. These latter three are all real characters from history. At a young age, Christina unwittingly lets loose the vampiric ghost of John Polidori, her uncle and one-time physician to Lord Byron. Polidori, along with some other vampiric spirits are up to no good and Crawford, McKee, Trelawny, and Rossettis have good reasons to vanquish him and his kind. There are occasional bits of action in the story, but too often it tends to get bogged down with the characters discussing their plight.

I didn't realize it until after I'd finished reading the book, but it's a sequel of sorts to the book The Stress of Her Regard which involved vampires, Lord Byron, and the father of John Crawford. I remember that one as a quicker moving tale. (Read it back in 1992). Took me about a month to get through this one. Powers' earlier books, On Stranger Tides and The Anubis Gates are among some all-time favorites of mine.