Gerald Verner - The Vampire Man - Linford - 2018
2018 reprint of book first published in 1940
Gerald Verner (1897-1980) also wrote using a variety of pen-names, including Derwent Steele, Nigel Vane and Thane Leslie. He wrote a number of Sexton Blake stories under the name Donald Stuart.
I don't suppose anyone believes that Gerald Verner aspired to literary greatness, but in the early part of this book, some of the writing was so bad I wondered whether to persevere.
I'm glad I did however, as once I got into it I found The Vampire Man an absorbing and enjoyable read.
The story is an old-fashioned murder mystery, with our intrepid sleuth, amateur criminologist Conway Jackson, seeking the explanation for a number of killings but also, as the title implies, investigating the nature of the person, or creature, committing the crimes.
Some might say that aspects of the story are a bit daft but for me personally, I read these things primarily for enjoyment and I'm prepared to make allowances.
At the end of the book I was seriously interested in reading another book featuring Conway Jackson, but as far as I can tell, this is Mr Verner's only novel to feature this character.
If there are any others, I'd be interested to hear of them.
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