At the End of Church Street, (Belfire Press), by Gregory L. Hall

At The End Of Church Street is a well written, fast-paced, suspenseful tale that pulls the reader effortlessly into a dark, gritty world of wayward adolescents who gave up their normal lives in favor of a fantasy-land of immortality. In an abandoned theatre, the gothic family revels in the euphoria of youth and the thrill of hunting tourists for screams and laughs down the dark alleys they call home.

Rebecca Anne, a young run-away, desperately clings to the shadows of Orlando’s downtown. She can’t even recall the last time she had a proper meal. That's until Renfield, the faithful servant of the faux-vampire clan, offers her a new life she openly embraces. After purchasing her some proper Goth attire and buying her dinner, she is introduced to the children of Orlando’s night and a new alter-ego: Lilith.

Properly christened, she becomes friends with the vamps and acclimates to their rules, which are few, if any. When the kids return from a night out “hunting”, meeting the new girl takes a back seat to the realization that one of their own is missing. “People come and go here,” Adam, (the leader of the vampire clan) reminds them. But as time passes, the status-quo doesn’t seem to be the case.

Adam desperately tries to hold his family together and get to the bottom of the murders while their numbers dwindle. He even reaches out to the police - already engrossed in the media frenzy that ensued. Bonds of friendship, love and ideologies are tested. But can Adam and Lilith, or even those they call brothers and sisters, be trusted? Who can help when the hunter is the only one taking the vampires seriously?

At The End Of Church Street resonates with a fierce intensity that masterfully taps every emotion we have. Hall gives us people, not characters; weaving the reader into a tale with an eerily relatable, palpable atmosphere. Multi-layered and multi-faceted, with high suspense, Hall’s powerful voice blends these elements together, giving us a riveting novel that leaves the reader spell-bound.

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Reviewed by Ben Eads.