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POSTED TO DEATH
by Dean James
Kensington Books, April 2002
272 pages
$22.00
ISBN: 1575668858

Dr. Simon Kirby-Jones is an historian with a secret life. He writes historical romances using the nom de plume of Daphne Deepwood and mystery novels as Dorinda Darlington, but even more sinister, he is a (gay) vampire, and an American, "living" in England. The secret US government lab that is staffed by vampires had produced a pill that enables the former creatures of the night to go out during the day and appear more human.

We first meet Simon at a meeting at the village rectory, where he is on a committee to help raise money to repair the Snupperton Malmsley church. He purchased a cottage in the village and recently moved in, planning to live and write abroad. He meets the villagers and is not surprised to find that there are secrets lying under the surface.

The next night there is a meeting of the local amateur dramatic society committee, which is made up of essentially the same people as the earlier committee. Lady Prunella Blitherington tells the committee members that her son has written a play and that it would be a perfect fund raising vehicle. Abigail Winterton, the local postmistress, hints that there is an anonymously written play that would lay bare the lives of the residents of an English village. The next day Simon goes down to the post office to pick up his mail and try and get some information from Abigail . That night, someone murders Abigail.

I haven't been able to figure out if this is an homage to Agatha Christie and the English village mystery or a send-up of the whole genre. Dean James has had fun with the vampire legends as well as the classic cozy mystery form, and I had fun reading Simon's first adventure in England.

Reviewed by Barbara Franchi, February 2002

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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