The Biting Cold by Mark Henwick

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There’s a lot to admire in this creepy, intriguing quasi-vampire novella. I particularly enjoyed the way it unpacks a suitcase full of backstory, gives hints at a wider mythology, all while being an intimate chamber piece. There are two characters essentially – well, two characters who matter anyway – and the story works hard to make us care about them, while at the same time propelling the narrative forward and filling us in on everything that’s gone before.

I read it on the Kindle so it’s impossible for me to say its length for sure, but it’s easily less than a hundred pages. To fit so much in to such a small space feels like a trick performed by an old time magician.

A man goes to see a therapist with the belief that he’s a vampire, but she has her own issues she’s dealing with – but are her problems somehow wrapped up in his? If that wasn’t enough, in the background there’s a trial of a dangerous murder suspect and various other skulduggeries.

There’s a whole series of Athanate books, and I think Henwick has piqued my interest enough that I’ll check them out.

 

Fancy a free FRJ short story? There’s one available here…