Descent into Dust

Old-fashioned vampire fiction—with a little postmodern feminist updating—makes a comeback in this smoothly written debut. In the gray spring of 1862, recently widowed Emma Andrews arrives at remote and dreary Dulwich Manor for a family visit. Cryptic biblical quotes are carved into the walls in odd places, a mysterious “wasting disease” is killing the locals, and Emma's young niece, Henrietta, says she's met a ghost named Marius. Emma fears that she's going insane, just like her mother did, but insanity may be easier to accept than the existence of vampires and the truth about her mother. Lepore successfully captures the mood of traditional gothic fiction, complete with soggy moors, murky religious orders, ancient ruins, dark secrets, and plenty of general mystical weirdness, and complements it with a strong female protagonist for broad reader appeal. (Apr.)