Consumed by Justin Alcala

Consumed by Justin Alcala
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love novels with characters who change over the course of the book. The character of Detective Sergeant Nathaniel Brannick in Consumed fits that bill well. He has changed significantly prior to the start of the story, due to the long illness and death of his wife, Catherine. He continues to change as the pages turn and he is forced to respond to situations he never imagined possible. However, Consumed goes a step further. The novel itself changes. It begins as a detective novel set in nineteenth century London, with a number of similarities to the Sherlock Holmes stories, but ends reading more like Dracula. The process is a slow one with various paranormal elements added along the way. I liked this unusual style.

Brannick is a wonderful character. The depth of his love for his departed wife is clearly shown through her death's effect on his relationships with others, especially with his partner, Detective Sergeant James Davis. Davis and Brannick are friends, but they have very different work styles and personal ethics. Davis is often unfaithful to his wife, which is particularly irritating to Brannick who would give anything to have his wife back. Davis is also crude and often jumps to conclusions.

Consumed is very well written, with a good amount of attention to detail. Here's an example when Justin Alcala introduces Davis:

A pink-faced fellow with a long mustache, jolly grin and a yellowed porkpie hat bobbed his bushy brow farcically at me.

There's a lot of graphic blood and guts throughout the book, which is to be expected in both detective and vampire novels.

I recommend Consumed to people who enjoy paranormal mysteries.


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