Vintage Soul by David Niall Wilson

Vintage Soul by David Niall Wilson is a well-written short novel billed as the first in The DeChance Chronicles. Wilson is the winner of the Bram Stoker award for his horror stories, and it’s clear from the start that Vintage Soul was written by a master wordsmith. I particularly enjoyed reading the indulgent setting of the opening party scene in which a powerful vampire is kidnapped right in front of her guests. The vampires call upon mage and investigator DeChance, an excellent gumshoe character who — through a series of adventures and with help from a small cast of interesting friends — solves the crime.

What’s not to like? Two things made me rate this novel lower than it would otherwise have merited on the strength of the writing and characters. First, ... Read More