MONSTERS IN THE MIST by Tom Williams @TomCW99

 4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: murder mystery with humorous undertones and a vampire detective, set in rural Wales.  As a further indication of writing style, if you like Carol Hedges' Victorian Detectives series, there's a good chance you'll like this too.

First of all, although this is Book 3 of a series, it is a stand-alone.  I can confirm this, as I haven't read the other two.

Right.  Okay.  Urban fantasy, police procedural and vampires.  All three are book genres I wouldn't normally go near, but I enjoy the historical novels of this author, so when I saw this on the review team list I thought I'd do that stepping-out-of-my-comfort-zone thing, which has brought about a pleasant surprise or two in the past.  This was no exception.

I can see why Tom Williams has mentioned that he writes these books as a kind of light relief from his historical works; Monsters in the Mist is fun, filled with the sort of subtly humorous observation I love.  

'"You settle yourselves in and let me know later," the landlady suggested ... leaving Galbraith staring around him like Crusoe taking the measure of his desert island.'

Galbraith is a fairly (intentionally, I imagine) stereotypical worn-down, jaded, middle-aged detective who eats unhealthy food and doesn't do hiking, the sort whose methods are unorthodox but produce results.  However, this is where the stereotypes end, because he also has Columbo fantasies and his colleague Pole, from the mysterious, secret Department S is (wait for it) a vampire.

I loved the sections from Pole's point of view.  I wanted to know more about his centuries long life! 

'Pole gritted his teeth.  He wondered what the man would say if he told him that he was a vampire and standing in front of a plate glass window, even late on a September afternoon, was causing him considerable discomfort.  It was, he thought, probably best not to find out.'

'Back in the 17th century, alchemy was considered a science.  Pole had lived (for a particular definition of 'lived') through the foundation of the Royal Society ... and now he felt himself moving back to a time when 'science' meant trying something to see what happened and then writing about it.  Sometimes he felt that Mortal progress was entirely illusionary.'

A body has been found, and Galbraith, Pole and Department S officer Ellis suspect something sinister afoot; Galbraith and Ellis go undercover, posing as a keen hill-walkers with an interest in local goings-on.  The plot is entertaining, suspenseful, the writing tight and amusing.  And the ending is kind of nice.

At some point I must read the first book which (it says in the author notes), explains how Pole came to be working for the Met.  That, I do want to know about.