ABANDONED. Horror story about femal killer who is a mythical creature

[Ligeia]

I'm looking for a book published in the 80s, it's a horror fiction. The main character is a beautiful woman who is actually a mythical monster and murders men only. I remember it said in the book that she smelled like gefilte fish.

Any ideas?

[Jayme]

Its on my to-read list, so I've not actually read it yet, but maybe

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Ligeia, are you still looking for this or was it "Siren?"

[Michele]

Possibly Sabella?

[Justanotherbiblophile]

Hmm, I don't recall if the Sphinx only killed males in _Sphynxes Wild_, and don't recall the fish smell either. However, that's the 'beautiful woman == mythical murderous* monster' that my brain turns up.

*murderess? In any case, now, several hours later, I can't remember if she ate anyone or not. I *thought* so, but now I'm doubting my memory. :P

[Justine]

Possibly The Cold One

[Julai]

Could it be The Stress of Her Regard by Tim Powers? I remember the killer is a beautiful lamia who has a mermaid-tail but also flies (she's basically everything all in one package) and she murders people.

[Cumbling Michael]

Oh dear. I've read this, and I can't exactly remember it either. I probably read it in the 1970s. Plot involved a young woman who falls/jumps into river. Drowns, I think. Her body emerges possessed by malevolent spirit, who goes on to kill a variety of men whilst having sex with them. She has a supernatural glamour which makes her appear and smell attractive. In fact, she's rotting, and the body has become infected with trichomoniasis, which causes her "personal fluids", and therefore her victims, to smell of gefilte fish. As I remember it, it's a sort of horror detective story. I'm 70% sure it was called Lamia. Don't know who wrote it yet, though. I'm working on it.

Mike

[Cumbling Michael]

Hi

Back again. I'm now 95% sure this is Lamia (80s rather than 70s, but everything else fits)



(Edit) In fact, I'm 100% certain. How many gefilte fish smelling, supernatural killer temptresses can there be, even in fiction?

Mike

[Michele]

Mike wrote: "How many gefilte fish smelling, supernatural killer temptresses can there be, even in fiction?..."

The mind boggles at the thought there could be more than one =:O

[Kirstin]

Could it be The djinn by Graham Masterton?

[[deleted user]]

It is 100% Lamia... I have it on my bookshelf.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Ligeia was (is) a drive-by, so we may never know this. Technically she has abandoned the thread since it's been 2 years since she posted, and that was her only post on GR.

I'm going to move this to Possibly Solved since we have 2 people who say it is 100% Lamia, but we can't call it solved unless the OP responds.

[[deleted user]]

Yep, possibly solved is the place...

Detective John Valjohn is on the trail of the murderer... Moe Frank is the senior forensics guy.

The girl is called Crescent, I think... had an abusive childhood in various ways.

I'll put a quote from the book here, in case the OP ever sees it again. After all, I have it in front of me...

" Valjohn looked at him.
'Gefilte fish,' he announced simply.
'Gefilte fish?'
Valjohn pressed over the seat and took a few whiffs of his own. He pulled back, puzzled.
'Gefilte fish?'
'Gefilte fish' "