Dracula’s Heir
An Interactive Mystery
by Samuel Stall
Publisher: Quirk Books
ISBN-10: 1594742855
ISBN-13: 978-1594742859
Rating: Gamer-Friendly
When Bram Stoker penned “Dracula” way back in the late 19th Century, he intended it to be both the gothic stories and tall tales of ages past, and an allegory of man’s dark nature. He never imagined it would have been popularized in movies and books, and give birth an entire subculture of disciples devoted to the Count and his numerous misdeeds. Now, well over a century later, author Samuel Stall has revisited the saga of Van Helsing, Jon and Mina Harker in “Dracula’s Heir
Set between the end of the Stoker novel and the present, the story is both a historical detective story and a murder mystery. After the death of a British noble, Jon Kelso, of Ohio, receives a strange letter, warning of an attempt on his life. Intrigued, he digs deeper into the late lady’s effects, uncovering photographs and diaries–and an original diary from a friend of the Harkers detailing a string of unexplained deaths that took place in England between 1905 and 1912. Deaths which are all connected to him in some way though he is at a loss to explain why, and that’s where the audience comes in.
Included in the book are diaries, notes and other artifacts related to the killings. The evidence all points to the killer. Could it be the Harkers, who Dracula may have infected during their ‘stay’ in Transylvania several years back? Renfield, the psychotic homicidal serial killer? The list of suspects are numerous. But the answer may have less to do with speculation and more to do with cold, hard, logic.
“Dracula’s Heir” is one of the shortest Bram Stoker-related mysteries written. It is also one of the first to take an interactive, reader-centered approach. And it is time consuming (As, arguably, any work of genius is). This writer won’t say who the perp is, or how he came to his conclusion. Suffice to say plenty of hours had to be blocked out to work on it. Think of it as Anne Rice meets “Clue”.
While the novel isn’t suitable for casual reading, its hands on nature and people-centered approach make it suitable for dinner parties. Good luck.
John Winn
Staff Writer – Buzzy Multimedia
