Have you ever heard of a "dime novel"? How about a "penny dreadful"? These were short books of pulp fiction popular in the 19th and 20th centuries in the United States and Britain. Each small booklet had a story or part of a series that was inexpensive, costing much less (5 or 10 cents) than a full-sized book did during the same time period. Many of these during the 19th century focused on the "wild west" and the exploits of sensational characters such as Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley.
Well, evidently they're making a comeback! Starting in January 2010, a new series written by Guido Henkel merges the feel of Sherlock Holmes tales with the monster-hunting mentality of TV's Supernatural. Set on the streets of Victorian England, it seems London is in need of a hero and "Jason Dark: Ghost Hunter" is there to fill the bill.
Demon's Night is the first in the series, introducing our brave hero. Dark comes from a long line of ghost hunters and he is the “Geisterjäger” of his generation. Armed with a magical sword, Dark hunts for the things in the dark preying on his fellow man. And in this adventure, we find him following the trail of a number of bizarre deaths along the waterfront... each victim somehow drained of bodily fluids and left looking like a mummified corpse.
Along the way, he saves the life of Siu Lin, the daughter of Chinese immigrants who are tragically killed by a demonic entity. Dark and Lin stalk the streets and graveyards of London seeking clues as to the creature's origins and looking for a way to stop it's reign of terror...
The book itself is 62 pages and a saddle-stitch binding, basically a stack of 31 8.5" x 11" pages folded in half length-wise. It feels much like a small magazine, making it easy to slip in a briefcase or purse to take along for light reading.
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