Whitby Vampyrrhic

March 8, 2010
Readers looking for the imaginative plotting and exploration of character that Clark displayed in The Night of the Triffids
, his clever sequel to John Wyndham's classic The Day of the Triffids
, will be disappointed by this cookie-cutter story of an English town infested by the undead, set during WWII. Two friends, Beth Layne and Sally Wainwright, come to Whitby, which figures prominently in Bram Stoker's Dracula
, to act in a film whose purpose, according to its director, Alec Reed, “is to explain what it is like to live in the Britain of 1942.” Instead, the two actresses and Reed wind up engaging in heroic efforts to slay all the vampires who are plaguing the area. Clark fails to generate many chills, nor does he make the most of his idea that these English bloodsuckers are somehow connected to the Norse gods.

February 1, 2010
In 1942, Beth and Sally are actresses in a new film being shot in the seaside town of Whitby (which, if youve read the authors Vampyrrhic, 1999, or Vampyrrhic Rites, 2008, you know has seen some rather frightening goings-on). Alec is the films writer and director, and along with Beth and Sally, they encounter horrors the likes of which they have never imagined, including, as the title suggests, the walking undead. Clark continues his winning streak, turning in another deft performance. The story is meaty and suspenseful, and the trio of protagonistsoutspoken Beth, reserved Sally, ambitious Alecare likable and engaging. Clark begins slowly, establishing the characters and the setting; but as the story progresses, the pace picks up until, by the end, were flipping the pages as fast as we can. Highly recommended for horror fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)