Rating: 3.75 stars
Buy Link:
Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novella


This is the sixth novella in a series of “monsterotica” of which I have not read any previous titles. I think I would have liked to have read some of them, due to the many references to them I experienced in this short read.

Jonathan Woodcock is newly returned to his land and title in rural Dorsetshire (England) to recover himself after so many erotic and harrowing adventures since he left for Transylvania to assist in the title transfer of an abbey and parcel of land to the reclusive Count Shagula. As it turns out, Count Shagula was a sex-crazed Dom vampire and Jonathan was one of the few who escaped his clutches.

The story enfolds with the unusual maladies of several young men of Jonathan’s estate and surrounds. Upon Jonathan’s diligent investigation, it appears the extreme lethargy these young bucks are experiencing stems from ravenous fellatio from none other than Count Shagula. Did he chase Jonathan back to his familial estate? It seems so.

This is a fun romp, with plenty of double entendres, lewd language, inappropriate detective activity, numerous breaks in the fourth wall, and loosely adapted characters from classical monster literature. Jonathan must continually remind characters he meets that his name is “Woodcock” not “Harker,” a la Bram Stoker. Further, his greatest ally against the nefarious Shagula is Van Helsing—and only hope of a life that is Shagula-free is to utilize his, ahem, good name to good purpose.

It’s a short and silly story, with great pacing and terrible puns. I was amused and intrigued as poor Jonathan tried to resist the Count’s lustful compulsion. The end is as ridiculous as this is an entirely tongue-in-cheek read, with perhaps a new adventure in the offing. I was a bit sad to only have these few glimpses of Shagula, as he seemed a good chap, if bossy. I would have liked to see his Dungeon in action. Guess I’ll need to read backward.