Dr Warthrop is a monstrumologist—a man who studies malevolent monsters and hunts them down. Hunting at his side is twelve-year-old Will Henry, the son of Dr Warthrop’s former assistant and housekeeper who both have recently died in a fire. This is Will’s story, told in his own words of what happens when a grave robber comes to their house one evening with two bodies. One is a young girl, and the other is an anthropophagus, a man-eating headless monster whose mouth is in its belly. Now the pair have to discover how many of these creatures there are and destroy them.

This is certainly a tale for any young horror reader to get their teeth into, pardon the pun. The author is adept at the late 19th century style, and manages to convey a tangible sense of terror and darkness that permeates the whole tale like a miasma. Horror is heaped upon horror, as the grim tale unravels and Will’s narrative draws the reader in from the first page. These monster hunters live lives as dark and mysterious as their quarries, and everybody they meet seems to have the same taint. This conveys a sense of realism that this type of story usually lacks, and although this is not a tale for the squeamish it is never boring. I imagine too that the authentic Victorian style could be a useful step between modern novels and older ones read in school for young readers. Not that it is the type of novel that would only appeal to teenagers, but to horror fans of all ages. Strong stuff, and effective for all the right reasons.