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Miss Fairweather is studying blood diseases. She shows Trace her lab and the bats she's experimenting on before he goes and offers him an old copy of a penny dreadful, "Varney the Vampire." On the trip out Trace learns that Fairweather has been working behind the scenes to make sure Trace can't find any jobs except the ones she offers him. Finally the train is attacked and the margin notes in the booklet are all the help Trace and Boz have to save as many passengers as possible.

It's not a traditional vampire story. It's believably the Wild West. Trace is a believable hero while Boz is his dependably sidekick. You can tell they've been working together for years and are comfortable with their friendship and arguments. It's not a novel but a novella length story so everything is compressed and there's only one plot line. It's well told and the characters are not cardboard. I'd certainly give another story by this author a try.

NOTE: Unfortunately, since receiving this review copy of the book the publisher has ceased business.