Book review: Miss Blaine’s Prefect and the Vampire Menace, by Olga Wojtas

This novel is the highly anticipated follow-up to Olga Wojtas’s debut, Miss Blaine’s Prefect And The Golden Samovar, which was shortlisted for the CrimeFest Last Laugh Award 2019 and the inaugural Comedy Women in Print Award. It was also rated by Kirkus a Top 10 Crime and Mystery title of the year in the US, so it’s clear to see why fans of the first book have been itching to get their hands on its successor.

For those who might not be familiar with the formidable protagonist, Shona McMonagle, she’s a 50-something librarian who is a proud former pupil of the Marcia Blaine School for Girls (hence her deep hostility to Muriel Spark’s most famous creation, Jean Brodie, who she thinks has given her alma mater a bad name). Spectacularly well educated, and an accomplished martial artist, linguist and musician to boot, she has been selected by Marcia Blaine herself to undertake various time-travelling missions.

 Right from the start, the story is shrouded in mystery – Shona opens her eyes and has no idea where she is, or why she is there. However, it doesn’t take long for our intrepid librarian to get a handle on things. She quickly figures out that she’s landed in a remote village in France somewhere in the 1900s. And once she’s figured out the where, all that’s left is the why.

 The reasons for her predicament are revealed quite quickly, but that’s not to say that the story is predictable. Wojtas manages to strike the perfect balance between giving the reader just enough information and making us want to know more.

 Mysteries McMonagle puts her mind to solving include the matter of a local policeman who may or may not be dead, the deaths of people seemingly attributed to wild animals, and a reclusive aristocrat suffering from toothache. The big question, though, is whether or not the villager’s fear of vampires is justified.

 Wojtas effortlessly blends together a number of genres – historical fiction, crime, sci-fi, supernatural and comedy, meaning there’s something here to tickle the fancy of most readers.

 The novel’s real appeal, though, lies in its protagonist. Smart, funny and all-round good company, wherever Shona goes, readers will eagerly follow.

  Miss Blaine’s Prefect and the Vampire Menace, by Olga Wojtas, Contraband, £8.99  