Anne Frasier Pale Immortal

Pale Immortal

Anne Frasier

Onyx, Sept 2006, $17.99, 384 pp.

ISBN 0451412249

The one thing the town of Tounela, Wisconsin is known for is the infamous Pale Immortal Richard Manchester who allegedly killed a hundred people drinking their blood. Some thought he was a vampire and buried him in a manner so he couldn't return from the grave. Since his death a century ago, there hasn't been a murder committed in town.

A cult of high school students calling themselves Pale Immortals dig up his body and let it be found by the police for reasons of their own. Graham, a high school student, is dumped on the door of the local resident Evan Stuart, thought by some to be a vampire because he suffers a rare disease that makes him allergic to the sun. Graham claims to be Evan's son and a DNA test proves him right. While the two are involved in their personal melodrama the town is in an uproar because the body of a high school girl was found, her body drained of blood. Evan's DNA is found at the scene of the crime and Rachel, the town medical examiner, hides him before he can be arrested. Graham, who escaped from an abusive mother is in danger from the leader of the vampire cult; Evan will risk everything to save the son he cares for even if it means his own death.

PALE IMMORTAL is much darker and frightening in tone than other books written by the author. Readers will wonder if the PALE IMMORTAL was really a vampire and be chilled by the visions of the dead Rachel sees. Anne Frasier has written a very scary novel with gothic and supernatural overtones. Readers will pity Graham and hope he can find a way to have a normal life. This is a stupendous work, worthy of an award nomination,

Harriet Klausner