Beasts in Velvet

The Vampire Genevieve #3

by Jack Yeovil (Pseudonym)

As a killer called "The Beast" stalks the Imperial capital of Altdorf, evidence points to members of the Imperial court. With the gruesome murders mounting, the disgraced watchman "Filthy" Harald Kleindeinst is reinstated for a single assignment: to stop the Beast's reign of terror and discover its true identity.

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Fiction, Vampires, Mystery, Dark Fantasy, Audiobook

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

"Jack Yeovil" is a pseudonym used by author Kim Newman.

Newman's pseudonymous novels, as Jack Yeovil, play elegant games with genre cliche--perhaps the best of these is the sword-and-sorcery novel Drachenfels which takes the prescribed formulae of the games company to whose bible it was written and make them over entirely into a Kim Newman novel.

Reviews

[Federico DN · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cameo Genevieve.

In the capital city of Altdorf, a savage killer is prowling the streets at night, nicknamed “The Beast”, judging for what little remains of its victims. This would hardly mean a surprise at all in the capital city, except this time evidence suggests the killer is a member of the High Imperial Court, people who create and live by they own laws, and whose power is beyond measure. Watchman Harald Kleindeins temporarily reinstated to hunt the beast; while the forces of Chaos seize the opportunity to create instability and unrest in the masses, to the point of imminent revolt.

This was so disappointing. The story is mostly boring, or average at best, and that would be ok, if it wasn't that this is part of the vampire Genevieve series, and she hardly participates at all. Not even a secondary character, her involvement felt more like the one of a tertiary character, like a short cameo. It was great to see Genevieve and Detlef again, however briefly, but it wasn’t really worth it to read the whole novel for it. I think this is a totally skippable sequel, and completely forgettable. I think this is the first time I’ve seen the main character become some sort of a guest in their own series. So weird. BAD weird.

Please, don’t bother on reading this one.

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PERSONAL NOTE :
[1991] [256p] [Fantasy] [1.5] [Not Recommendable]
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★★★★☆ 1. Drachenfels [4.5]
★★★☆☆ 2. Genevieve Undead [2.5]
★★☆☆☆ 3. Beasts in Velvet [1.5]

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Cameo Genevieve.

En ciudad capital de Altdorf, un salvaje asesino asedia las calles por las noches, apodado “La Bestia”, juzgando por lo poco que queda de sus víctimas. Esto difícilmente resulta una sorpresa en la ciudad capital, excepto que esta vez la evidencia sugiere que el asesino es un miembro de la Alta Corte Imperial, personas que crean y viven bajo sus propias leyes, y cuyo poder escapa cualquier tipo de medida. El guardia Harald Kleindeins temporalmente reinstalado para cazar la bestia; mientras que las fuerzas del Caos aprovechan la oportunidad para crear inestabilidad y agitación en las masas, hasta el punto de una inminente revuelta.

Esto fue tan decepcionante. La historia es mayormente aburrida, o promedio cuando mucho, y esto estaría bien, si no fuera que esta novela es parte de la serie de la vampira Genevieve, y ella escasamente participa en absoluto. Ni siquiera un personaje secundario, su intervención se sintió como la de un personaje terciario, como una corta cameo. Fue genial ver a Genevieve y Detlef, aunque fuera tan breve, pero realmente no valió la pena leer toda la novela para eso. Creo que esta es una secuela totalmente salteable, y completamente olvidable. Creo que esta es la primera vez que veo al personaje principal convertirse en una especie de invitado en su propia serie. Tan extraño. MAL extraño.

Por favor, no te molestes en leer esta.

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NOTA PERSONAL :
[1991] [256p] [Fantasía] [1.5] [No Recomendable]
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[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is about the fourth time that I've read Beasts In Velvet, and it's still terrific with every re-reading. Veteran watchman "Filthy" Harald Kleindeinst, armed with his polished steel Magnin throwing knife, teams up with scryer Rosanna Ophuls, nobleman Baron Johann von Mecklenberg, and honest but rookie watchman Helmut Elsaesser, in order to hunt a serial killer murdering prostitutes on the foggy streets of Altdorf, capital of a fantasy version of the mediaeval Holy Roman Empire. Along the way, he has to deal with the corruption of the City Watch (manifested principally in Captain Dickon of the Dock Watch), intrigue in the court of Emperor Karl-Franz, chaos cultists, and the rabble-rousing revolutionaries led by Yevgeny Yefimovich and Prince Kloszowski. It is a superb blending of Jack the Ripper with 70s gritty detective films in an atmospheric setting. The author really specialises in inserting elements of popular culture - particularly films (he is a film critic after all) - into his work, and these can often feel like Easter eggs to hunt, giving pleasure when identified. The dark, gothic fantasy setting is excellent too - he is very effective at fantasy horror. Altdorf at this time of year is beset with thick fog rising from the confluence of two rivers, giving the city's dangerous streets a distinctly Victorian feel. The suspicion that the serial killer belongs to the nobility adds further subplots. It plays into the hands of leftist revolutionaries, and the violent riots that erupt under their provocation provide cover for the Beast. Plenty of suspects are laid out as candidates for the identity of the killer, and it is pleasing that there are a number of twists and turns, leaving you guessing right until the end. This remains one of my favourite books and it's only a pity that Jack Yeovil/Kim Newman wrote no more Warhammer novels. Note that this novel takes place after the events of Drachenfels and before the novellas in Genevieve Undead, and so it should really be labelled #2 in that series.

[[Name Redacted] · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a luscious book, but it suffers from a surfeit of characters -- among whom is the Vampire Genevieve who appears only briefly towards the first 1/3 and never again. There's no reason for this to be included in her series, other than for us Kim Newman completists. It clearly serves as a first draft of sorts for Anno Dracula, except there we know from the start who the villain is and here it's a mystery until the very end.

[AA_Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revisiting another beloved book from my youth. I picked the boxtree edition this up from a clearance bookshop along with some of the Dark Future novels and Ian Watson’s 2nd Draco book and chain-read and re-read all of them. After being slightly underwhelmed by another favourite from that time, The Crystal Shard, I was somewhat apprehensive about tarnishing the memory of Beasts in Velvet, but thankfully it more than stood the test of time.

It has all the hallmarks of this era of GW- thinly veiled pop-cultural and historical allusions, references to British politicians and a grim darkness than is tempered by if not humour than certain levity. Yeovil’s Altdorf isn’t a million miles from Pratchett’s Ankh-Mopork, and this feels not entirely dissimilar to a Night Watch/Jack the Ripper take. This is no bad thing, obviously, and the book doesn’t feel derivative. Yeovil successfully juggles multiple plots and characters whilst managing to keep the mystery and suspense going right up until the denouement, though with hindsight the foreshadowing is clever and consistent. There are memorable action scenes, but this book takes place far far away from the battlefield; it has a ridiculous body count but is very much in the spirit of WHFRP rather than the massed combat of WHFB. Much as I’ve enjoyed later books set in the Warhammer world, I kind of wish more of them had kept this focus.

I try to avoid spoilers wherever I can in my reviews, especially regarding big reveals but I can’t write about this novel without covering the titular ‘Beast’, so here goes.

Part of my trepidation about revisiting was fear that the book would be horrifically transphobic- as cis (but gay!) reader it’s not fully my place to pass judgement, but I’ve got to say that for a horrific serial killer, Leo is painted pretty sympathetically. The character isn’t trans in the true sense, certainly they have no agency in their gender presentation, but I read them as being as much of a victim of their circumstances as anything else. The book is quietly radical really, portraying the nobility as decadent, wanton and cruel- the Von Leopolds are very much a product of Imperial society and reflective of it’s inherent violence. As a duellist, Leo’s kills are celebrated, even though we see how brutally they are carried out and on such flimsy pretexts; yet as ‘the Beast’ the kills are reviled- but really, what’s the difference? The Von Leopold siblings are monsters and established as such independent of the book’s big reveal.

Finally, a shout-out to the Broken Spear- making this book, as far as I’m aware, a double ground-breaker in terms of queer presentation in GW fiction, with an explicit reference to a gay pub.

[Paulo "paper books only" · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final book in Genevieve series (I know it's the third, I read the 4th first) and finally is done. To be quite fair, reading 1, 2 and 4 and then 3 had no problem. Genevieve the title character appears on this novel for around 3 pages and is just to say "Hello, I am here".

This is a mystery novel in the old warhammer world in the same vein of Zavant. When I say the same vein I mean vibes.. It's quite different. Zavant is basically Indiana Jones with Sherlock Holmes whereas this we follow a bunch of characters trying to find the Beast, from nobles, to police officers to scryers. It reads fast and it's good whodunit.

From start to finish is quite hard to find who the beast is since the clues point one way or the other right until the end. Ass the Beast is killing and such we also have in the background but all connect (or not, not going to spoil), the intrigues of the court, the revolution of the people against nobles among other stuff.

I could see the vibes of the French Revolution and the Beast - do you know that French movie about the Le pacte des loups? Yes this was it.

Overall I enjoyed , I rate 79 out 100.

[Bookcat · Rating 3 out of 5]

New author for me. Damn 🫢 the more I think about it the more messed up it all is. That's why I love Warhammer Horror ☺️ Even if it's not your fave it still makes you think.

[Vakaris the Nosferatu · Rating 4 out of 5]

all reviews in one place:
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu

About the Book: Dark foggy streets were never truly safe. But it has gotten much worse with a beast of some kind slaughtering the common folk. People set on edge, driven by addrenaine by this new threat they cannot protect themselves from, are bristling like a keg of dry powder, wanting a culprit, something, someone to take the anxiety out on. Is it the nobles? The coppers? Dock hands? Fellow neighbor?…

My Opinion: Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde meets Jack the Ripper meets werewolves, meets others, as is very normal for Kim Newman’s writings. His longwinded, very detailed scene descriptors actually worked very well for a change, providing a dreary gothic atmosphere, where we could watch plot unfurl from victims and monsters equally. Great plot twists, some – very unexpected. And a genuinely interesting story. One where Genevieve wasn’t a big show, strangely. Funny how a characters Newman invested so much in, to a point where I don’t recall if I’ve read any book of his without her, feels so underdeveloped, dull, and even annoying. Not even a Mary Sue, just an observer of all things that only happen with finality when she’s there to witness, it seems.

[Benjamin L. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beasts in Velvet is the third book in 'The Vampire Genevieve', which is odd, considering it doesn't have the vampire Genevieve in it. Actually, she shows up for two pages - the main characters pass her in the street, and exchange small-talk. And that's not even the most egregious problem with placing this particular novel third in the vampire Genevieve series - since the second book actually spoilt the ending of the third - twist and all - as it's set after this one. But, putting that aside lets review Beasts in Velvet in it's own right, as the standalone it should be.

The novel starts off pretty generically - There are murders happening in the capital city of the Empire, Altdorf. Despite claims by the blurb, the main character is an Elector - a powerful princely position, second only to the emperor - who fears his brother is the murderer, and has come to the capital to either prove his innocence, or stop him if his fears are warranted. The elector is a likeable enough character and serves well to keep the story moving, but there is little else to praise here. The detective story has little mystery - it's not a whodunnit, with the reveal of many small clues that have to be cleverly put together. Actually, the book is very, very clear who it wants you to think 'dunnit' from the get-go. As a result, it's pretty clear there is going to be a twist, and the first suspect is a herring.

The 'They obviously dunnit' detective story is told on a pretty interesting backdrop - a supernatural fog rolls into the city, turning the population mad, and there are some agitators stirring up an anti-aristocratic revolution. What's more, some of the leaders of the revolution are actually religious zealots devoted to the chaos gods, and they have allies within the palace walls. If this is sounding like a far more interesting plot than the main plot of the book, that's because it is - and it's a shame this wasn't the main idea in the book, because true to The Vampire Genevieve style, the climax of the subplot ends up having very little impact on the actual plot, and makes even less sense - an ardent revolutionary filled with bloodlust who happens to be a deamon lord blessed by a god of chaos, is (spoilers) killed by ... an old man with the leg of a chair. Okay?

And then comes the inevitable but bizarre twist, which aside from it being so obvious there was going to be one, has no foreshadowing whatsoever. There was no sudden clicking into place of facts and clues, no seeing old evidence and events in a new light - it was just a bizarre epiphany - literally, after confronting the presumed killer, one of the characters suddenly realises who the real killer was (Presumably because they had to in order to move the plot along), and it makes absolutely no sense. Even though we are given a nice clear motive and method ad hoc, it doesn't seem to square with the rest of the book - it feels like the whole 5th part (The book is divided into 5 parts, each containing many chapters) was tacked on at the end, and the twist is far more a 'And this is how it is' than a satisfactory payoff from clues, tricks, and foreshadowing. The ending would have been far more satisfying if the killer had been who it was hinted to be all along - although straightforward, it would have made more sense, been far more meaningful to all the characters involved, been more emotionally compelling, and ' no twist' may have actually been the best possible 'twist' at the end, given how much the expectation of a sudden twist there was.

[Gally · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good Warhammer novel with a really fun setting and likeable characters, but not without its problems.

While Genevieve took more of a passenger's perspective in the prior book, she is near totally absent and entirely irrelevant to this novel. She has only three or so pages in which she appears and these are not plot relevant at all. Context clues also point to this novel taking place between the first and second books, rather than after.

That being said, the main body of this story is a mystery-detective following an investigation attempting to uncover a werewolf (or multiple), referred to as the Beast, in the city of Altdorf. The characters are all decent and the setting is really fun, the author doing a good job of muddling the story with overlapping larger and smaller-scale plots while still maintaining the investigation as the heart of the narrative. There's classism, revolution, aristocratic drama, and Tzeentchian cults. Really great setting for a werewolf mystery.

I really liked the literary use and imagery of 'beasts in velvet' as both actual and metaphorical. A few of the characters were genuinely very likeable. Loved Rosanna.
Overall good, but with a problematic ending I will discuss in a spoiler section below.

**Spoilers**

The author is heavy-handed at placing certain characters as likely candidates for the Beast. These leads are largely left as loose-ends at the end of the novel when, in a whirlwind, an entirely different character is suspected before, immediately after, the actual Beast is revealed. Which is where the problematic element is: the Beast is a transgender character who was forced to transition as a child against their will, the Beast apparently being their suppressed feminine identity turned monstrous through hatred and jealousy.
I have really mixed feelings about this. As a transperson, a part of me is glad to see some representation. The only vaguely, explicitly LGBT characters I've come across so far in Warhammer Fantasy being bisexual elves and the intersex daemonettes of Slaanesh. Obviously, however, it's problematic having one of the few, if only, trans-characters in Warhammer being someone who was forcibly transitioned and who turns into a werewolf-esque serial-killer. I would not be against this narrative if it were the inverse (the character being prevented from transitioning) nor the werewolf part, as a major element of Warhammer is our inner-demons becoming manifest.

I'm rambling... in sum, I liked the book, but I wish Leos, the Beast, had been written differently. Her character could have been an unexpected piece of trans-representation in my favorite fantasy universe, but instead feels almost trans-exclusive. Still, I appreciate Leos and really felt for her struggle.

[Ross A · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great gothic horror fantasy detective story, set in the Warhammer world.

[Kent Corlain · Rating 2 out of 5]

Genevieve only appears on a couple of pages in the middle, which have nothing to do with the plot and seem like they were pasted in afterwards. So yeah, this is kind of a rip-off where they picked up a discarded manuscript from the trashcan, added couple of pages to it, and now it's part 3 of the "Vampire Genevieve" series and ready to be marketed to connoisseurs of barely average Warhammer fiction throughout the world...

Judged on its own merits this isn't that hot anyway. Newman's writing is OK as usual, but the characters are quite boring and the story seems to meander all over, so it's hard to care about what is even happening. I'd advise to skipping the whole thing.

[Tyler Dean · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of Kim Newman’s rare misfires. It’s delightful as setting and he has a usual, capacious cast of delightfully offbeat characters. But it hinges on a trans-killer who fits into the long line of ugly, hateful literary portrayals. It is a slightly more sympathetic portrayal than say Rowling or Harris. But it leaves a bad taste in the mouth and is dispiriting. Combine that with some early 90s anti-Asian casual racism and you have a novel with some promise and delights that has aged so poorly as to not be worth your time. Alas.

[Robin Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another enthralling episode in the adventures of the Vampire Genevieve, although, the lady herself appears so fleetingly in this story that you could be forgiven for missing it entirely. Still, there is a rich and keenly observed world to be explored and, if anything, I found it liberating to break out into that wider world, with different characters getting the spotlight. I did find myself losing track of the characters in the breathless conclusion, but it certainly was thrilling, and very satisfying.

[Nicola · Rating 3 out of 5]

old school, Old World, Warhammer Fantasy. I read it in my youth while RPG'ing Warhammer Fantasy and loved picking up immersive novels for the setting. It's a different experience picking up the novels again as an adult when many years have passed since I last read books of this ilk. My tastes have somewhat changed and I didn't enjoy it nearly as much although it was fun to reminisce.

[James Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the Imperial capital Altdolf a killer stalks the fogs. Now this isn't in and of itself that unusual. But this is not some killer-for-hire, this isn't a mugger, nor is it part of a feud between rival gangs. In fact this killer has caused a form of truce between the Hooks and the Fish the two biggest gangs. No this is a killer of women, a brutal, monstrous killer, a killer known only as the Beast.
When evidence suggests the Beast may be a courtier Baron Johann von Mecklenberg sets out to find the killer being worried that his brother Wolf could be the killer (it's a long story) and if it is him he want's to deal with it. He brings Harold 'filthy' Kleindeinst out of retirement to help him.
Civil unrest, chaos cultists, incompetent coppers, the worst fog the city has ever seen and a noble duellist this book has it all.
Well... it pretty much lacks any Genevieve. She's in a couple of small sections barely interacting with the rest of the cast and really just there to set up the previous book as this actually takes place before the first story in Genevieve Undead.
In fact this whole book seems to be filled with characters from other stories from the Old World many of which I barely remember. Particularly Johann and Wolf which I think is from a collection of stories now out of print.
Despite the feeling you are missing depth of knowledge about the character and an ending that is... a little uncomfortable (even given this is a horror story) the book is well told and full of Newman's wit and nods to films and pop culture, though never in a way that gets in the way.
Perfectly enjoyable on it's own it's not really a requirement to enjoy the Genevieve series.

[Eoghan Moran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-reading the Kim Newman 'Geneviève' series two decades later, I have to say that I really enjoy them and wish that the Warhammer Universe had kept more of this tone.

It's true that it's very much not a Geneviève book. The author created a cast of recurring characters in his 1980s short stories, who flit in and out of the novellas and novels - the protagonist of this novel, Johann, was a minor character in the end of the previous movel Drachenfels, where the Drachenfels main characters Detlef and Geneviève make a cameo appearance here; there's even a character casually mentioned several times who returns as an unlikely antagonist in one of the novellas. I'd probably put the misleading Geneviève branding down to Games Workshop editors and marketing; take the books as a 'Warhammer-by-Kim Newmaniverse' rather than a Geneviève Saga and you'll have an easier time.

I can't fault the point others have made about the revolution making a better plot focus than unmasking the murderer him/herself. I would have liked to have seen more about the motley crew of radicals attempting to overthrow the Empire but secretly manipulated by the Chaos cults - what a brilliant setting for a novel. A shame it is only there as a secondary plot, to serve the 'Jack the Ripper' style murder mystery strand. A greater focus on court intrigues and political ferment would have made this the perfect Warhammer novel to my mind, far better than the depressingly grim and po-faced later Warhammer works. I believe I read that the author intended a sequel to that effect, but that it was never written.

But I would disagree with the point others made about the killer coming from nowhere, without earlier telegraphing, without previous information secretly hinting at the identity. I read this book two decades ago and came back to it knowing the killer, so I was able to read it keeping an eye out for such clues - they are there. The final showdown is (mild spoiler alert?) foreshadowed right from the first appearance of the mob at the palace, while a steady stream of hints about the killer's unusual lifestyle is drip-fed which make sense in retrospect.

Agreed, though, that the reveal is narratively rather unexpected, and less of an emptional payoff than if the culprit had been the one implied from the start.

All in all, by far one of the better additions to the Warhammer canon.

[Don Kyo · Rating 4 out of 5]

For most of this book I was leaning towards 3 stars, but the ending moved it up to a 4. Again, not a Warhammer fan, but I suppose a Kim Newman one now.

In many ways the blueprint for Anno Dracula, Beasts in Velvet is a Jack the Ripper-esque murder mystery at the heart of the Warhammer Fantasy Empire. A serial killer known as the Beast is killing innocent women, and while several political factions try to hijack the killing for thier own movements, our small group of protagonists try thier best to cut through the red tape to find the truth.

Just as with Drachenfels, this was a surprisingly good read. Intensely engaging and decent twists made for a good plot, and professional writing made for good character work. Goodreads says this is the 3rd book in the Vampire Genevieve series, but not only is that untrue (this book was published second after Drachenfels), the Vampire herself only makes an MCU-esque cameo before leaving the story. So really it can be read in isolation, provided one chapter in the book remains with context.

The truth of the Beast was especially suprising and hit very close to home. Hard to believe this was written in 1991! The commentary on identity on how society forces certain roles is especially modern. I can say no more without spoilers.

Good book!

[Nigel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audio actually, heavily horror-tinged murder mystery set in Mittle European fantasy setting, as a savage killer stalks the docksides murdering women and an aristocrat, concerned that the killer may be his brother, sets out to catch the Beast while revolutionary unrest and evil plots roil in the thickening fog, with an excellent three-quarters-way-in chaotic climax in a tavern besieged from without and within. Excellent book, and the ending is satisfyingly twisty and turny but you probably wouldn't write the culprit that way nowadays, assuming you have an ounce of awareness, but it's one of many homages to various cinematic thrillers that crowd the pages, and I think it gets away with it, though YMMV.

[Naomi Robinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. For a book that's in the Genevieve Undead collection, she's barely in this story, and that's just not what I signed up for. If I'd have gone into this book knowing that it wasn't going to be a vampire book, maybe my rating would have been different. I just couldn't get into this at all. It was very political, which is fine, if that's what you're expecting. But I was in the mood for a vampire story, not a political story.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

TFW a bizarrely well-remembered White Dwarf article from the early 90s outlining the list of suspects in a whodunnit finally prompts the decision to find out whodunnit.

This really isn't bad for the most part, actually; high fantasy worlds are always more interesting when the focus is on the societies involved.

[Salva Arbona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un libro más leido que no pasará como una de mis grandes lectura.

Un libro de Warhammer precindible donde la historia y personajes són muy enrevesados... donde a veces te pierdes en la historia...

Peró no todo es negativo, sin desvelar nada solo decir que el último tercio de la novela mejora y tiene un buen final.

[Jack Creagh-Flynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, we enjoy a taste of conflict between socio-economic classes, of gritty and mature themes, and a curiosity to fuel one's drive to finish the story. I must make clear that Genevieve is more of a cameo in this novel, than an impactful character to this story. This story also takes place "before" the events of the preceeding novel.

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

The gendered twist has not aged well, I think, though it's better than something like Sleepaway Camp. This book also packs way too many pre-existing characters into a story that doesn't need or benefit from them.

Despite all this, its dark Victorian setting and high body county make it very readable.

[Carlos Santiago · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esta novela no es de fantasía oscura, esta novela ES la fantasía oscura. Que cantidad de personajes en tan pocas paginas, todos carismáticos y aportando cosas, que ambientación, que ritmo, que giros de guión. Madre de dios, que crudeza. Simplemente brutal, Warhammer en estado puro.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mystery in Altdorf

Again, another book in the vampire Genevieve series. Big difference is this book has very little to do with Genevieve and more of a mystery in the city of Altdorf where Genevieve is living. Still fun and the mystery aspect was a blast.

[zamnu · Rating 3 out of 5]

The period piece is interesting with all the dirty city descriptions. Turmoil of women in this book feels so over done even if women did suffer this much at the time period. The ending was a good twist if not a bit weirdly described in the final scene.

[Iain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gritty noir detective piece set in a fantasy world - yes please. Liked it as much if not more than Yeovil's prior Genevieve novel, "Drachenfels." I followed advice only and read this before reading "Genevieve Undead."

[Arthur B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alright for the most part, but the giallo-esque plot ultimately makes very little sense and the explanation of the killer's motives is outright absurd, and borderline offensive at that. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/200...

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read this immensely enjoyable novel as part of the massive collection Genevieve Undead. It's sharp, witty, and remarkably political in its subversive approach— like most of the works penned by Newman.
Recommended.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cheeky of gw to market this as a vampire genevieve novel when she makes a two page cameo, which is less than some other characters who'd previously appeared in warhammer fiction