Murder in Old Blood

Murder in Old Blood
Toni V. Sweeney
Double Dragon Publishing
ISBN: 1-55404-374-3
Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy
Reviewed by Eugen M. Bacon

I did anticipate reading Murder in Old Blood but so underestimated the enjoyment of it, I cannot enthuse enough about it now. Toni V. Sweeney is nothing but a find! The first chapter is solid enough to hold its own as a novella and torpedo competition. Reading the book, excitement peaked close to every word, every page, chapter by chapter. Over and over, new writing cemented affirmation that I had staggered into fine, fine writing. The introduction takes us to the world of Kit Landless, a Highwayman whose delayed appointment with the noose is a distinct possibility if not carrying good certainty. In a mugging gone awry, Kit is tossed from thuggery to captivity then vampirism. The tale draws one irrevocably to almost insatiable peaks and a yen for more. I very nearly stumbled in a drowsy wakefulness to complete the novel.
The writing is subtle, almost humorous; a sheer beauty to read. Progression carries good suspense. Toni’s power of narration and control injects something almost feverish into the text, and I trembled with animation reading it, roused to perturbing sensations that transformed. Superb dialogue; brilliant characterization; what stays with me is one spectacular scene that lifts the protagonist from agonizing death to a timeless life of centuries. He becomes a rebel Crossover, an Undead with a difference. The story takes a wide turn when he explores his yen to wander into space, causing rampage around planets, satellites previously little exposed to serial killings now caught in bloody havoc. The rest is an epic, a saga of love, suffering, victory and revenge. What a gem!