Review: Hide Me Among the Graves by Tim Powers

• Hardcover: 528 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (March 13, 2012)
• ISBN-10: 0061231541
• Source: Publisher

Rosetti family has been haunted by the vampiric presence of their uncle, John Polidori, former physician for Lord Byron. Now adults, Christina and her brother, Gabriel, believe that the spirit of Polidori has taken over Gabriel’s wife, Lizzie. Lizzie goes in to trances, the spirit that has taken her body hostage communicating through her via ghost writing.

Meanwhile, John Crawford is surprised when a woman arrives at the door of his practice, an ex-prostitute, Adeleide McKee, claiming to have given birth to his child. That child, presumed dead, is in fact living, her soul enslaved by Polidori as well. The Rosettis, along with Crawford and McKee, must join forces to regain the souls of those they love from the grasp of the vampire spirit that now torments both families. When a situation arises that permits the unlikely group to regain the soul of Crawford and McKee’s daughter, Johanna. They believe they have finally conquered the spirit of Polidori.

Several years later, the return of Crawford and Gabriel’s long-missing loved ones dash all hopes of the demise of Polidori. He’s attempting to regain power, using Christina’s blood, and return, this time with his Queen. The group must reunite to finally put an end to Polidori, before he takes control of the soul of young Johanna.

Set in Victorian England, Powers pulls from the already dark and Gothic setting to portray quite the dismal setting. This setting clearly plays an integral role to the story, almost a character in and of itself.  Additionally, it is refreshing to discover a literary take on vampire fiction. Not being a fan of the lighter, sparkly vampires, I appreciate Powers sticking to the “real” vampires.

At over 500 pages, this is quite the lengthy book. While there were parts that seemed to lag, overall Powers was able to keep my attention throughout the entirety of the novel.

Unbeknownst to me, Hide Me Among the Graves is actual a distant sequel to The Stress of Her Regard. Personally, not reading the previous book didn’t inhibit my experience or appreciation of the book. That said, I’m quite interested in getting my hands on a copy, especially when it involves poets Byron and Shelley.

Fans of dark, Gothic thrillers with a touch of the supernatural/horror will be sure to enjoy this book. Highly recommended.