#Spooktober-‘Strange Practice’ by Vivian Shaw

About the book…

Greta Helsing inherited the family’s highly specialized, and highly peculiar, medical practice. In her consulting rooms, Dr. Helsing treats the undead for a host of ills – vocal strain in banshees, arthritis in barrow-wights, and entropy in mummies. Although barely making ends meet, this is just the quiet, supernatural-adjacent life Greta’s been groomed for since childhood.

Until a sect of murderous monks emerges, killing human and undead Londoners alike. As terror takes hold of the city, Greta must use her unusual skills to stop the cult if she hopes to save her practice, and her life.

‘Strange Practice’ is the first in the Greta Helsing series and was published in 2017 by Orbit. It is available in paperback,ebook, and audiobook formats.

To date, there are 3 in the series, and I am really hoping for more! It is a modern gothic which does not hide its affection for classical literature (specifically Lord Ruthven and Varney The Vampire) 

Steeped in lore, Dr Greta Helsing(no Van) inherits her father’s practice and treats the monsters who live as quietly and unobtrusively as possible in , and around London. She is non discriminatory, and takes each individual as they come, be it a banshee, mummy or zombie. I love how Vivian creates the strange practice and makes it normal-Greta’s services are not exactly advertised but are known amongst those who have need of them. And her non-discriminatory stance extends to payment as well , so she is always managing with the bare minimum of equipment.

When she is attacked by a monk with blue eyes, and hears disturbing reports about zombies being targeted, she immediately fears for her patients before her own personal safety. Ruthven and Varney are amongst those loyal to the Helsing family to the point of wanting to hunt down, and smite those who would dare harm Greta. Making up the team are accountant with particular skills, August Cranwell and family friend, Fastitocalon, who happens to be a demon (call him Fass).

But what none of them could know, is that this is just the start.

The monks are the first wave, what the newspapers have christened ‘The Rosary Killers’, there is a very real and scary presence behind them who wants Greta out of the way. If she cannot be there to fix the monsters, they will die.

It is dramatic, world building fun, in which we are introduced to a world below London, that has its own rules and regulations, I enjoyed the banter between Ruthven and Varney (typical exchange, Varney takes the posh silver knives to attack the monks and Ruthven asks him to swap them for a less expensive, disposable sword. Or when Ruthven takes Varney shopping with his credit card, you find that vampires can go pale with excess spending!)

The family that Greta has around her is one she is happy to look after, she finds herself ina  situation where she has to be the one asking for help, rather than being the one helping. And she finds that she is way more appreciated than she realises.

It is such a great read, I bought book 2 before I finished this one, because I loved the interplay between the characters, its gothic sensibilities and its tongue, very firmly placed in its cheek.

About the author…

Vivian Shaw was born in Kenya and spent her early childhood at home in England before relocating to the US at the age of seven. She has a BA in art history and an MFA in creative writing, and has worked in academic publishing and development while researching everything from the history of spaceflight to supernatural physiology. In her spare time, she writes fan fiction under the name of Coldhope.

Links-https://www.vivianshaw.net/

Twitter @ceruleancynic

@orbitbooks