Blood Summer

by Louise Cooper

First printing.

Genres: Horror

127 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1976

About the author

Louise Cooper was born in Hertfordshire in 1952. She began writing stories when she was at school to entertain her friends. She hated school so much, in fact—spending most lessons clandestinely writing stories—that she persuaded her parents to let her abandon her education at the age of fifteen and has never regretted it.

She continued to write and her first full-length novel was published when she was only twenty years old. She moved to London in 1975 and worked in publishing before becoming a full-time writer in 1977. Since then she has become a prolific writer of fantasy, renowned for her bestselling Time Master trilogy. She has published more than eighty fantasy and supernatural novels, both for adults and children. She also wrote occasional short stories for anthologies, and has co-written a comedy play that was produced for her local school.

Louise Cooper lived in Cornwall with her husband, Cas Sandall, and their black cat, Simba. She gained a great deal of writing inspiration from the coast and scenery, and her other interests included music, folklore, cooking, gardening and "messing about on the beach." Just to make sure she keeps busy, she was also treasurer of her local Lifeboat station.

Louise passed away suddenly from a brain aneurysm on Tuesday, October 20, 2009. She was a wonderful and talented lady and will be greatly missed.

Reviews

[Mark H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good vampire page-turner from the 1970s, though it’s quite timeless as a modern day tale. Unusually set in Cornwall in summertime! Somewhat like a gothic romance but with a little more sex. Other horror novels from 70s’ New English Library aren’t always as well written as this!

[Deb Omnivorous Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a delightful little pulp-horror novel wonderfully representative of it's genera.
The author was known for fantasy but she lived in Cornwall (according to the internet) and wrote many great books set in that location. So this 70's style, almost gothic, kinda horror, supernatural-ish book was rather a class of it's own.

Set in a lazy Cornish summer, Marion and her boyfriend are planning on using their university break to camp in Cornwall. We start as the local land and mansion owner is refusing to let them camp on his property. We, the readers, primed by the fact that the back cover promises a vampire, see more in the fact that the owner is very pale and will not emerge from the shadows while talking to them.

But Marion and Rodney just think he is nasty, they go on to camp elsewhere but go to a party at the mansion when Marion is invited. Thereafter Marion is enthralled and a bit of light horror narrative ensues.

I will never forget this book, if nothing else, the fact that the immortal vampire, cursed since ancient Nineveh is called... wait for it.... Keith!

It is what it is, and for it's type is a lot of fun if you are into the genera.