The Summoning
Review by Hemogoblin, submitted on 07-Jul-1994

_The Summoning_, Bentley Little. Zebra Horror, 1993 ISBN 0-8217-4221-3

Something strange is happening in Rio Verde, Arizona. Something very strange indeed. First off, Jesus, in all his majestic glory, has appeared in a dream to the Reverend Dan Wheeler. Jesus commanded the awestruck Reverend to build for him a magnificent church in Rio Verde. Wheeler was honored and inspired by this charge, but he was secretly most pleased to have learned one small personal detail about his Lord...his favorite color is black.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Robert Carter has discovered the body of missing garage mechanic Manuel Torres in an arroyo outside town. The body is hardly recognizable as Torres anymore. *All* of the fluids have been drained from the corpse. The loss of blood, urine, saliva, etc. has left Torres as little more than a skeleton wrapped in parchment-like skin. The local coroner is baffled...and scared.

As mysterious deaths and disturbing events continue throughout the town, Sue Wing begins to believe that her grandmother knows more about the situation than she is willing to reveal. Sue is right. The grandmother fears that a nightmare from her childhood in China has found its way to America. She suspects the "cup-hu- girngsi"...the corpse who drinks blood.

This is a multi-layered and very well written tale from an author that I had never previously encountered. The cover of the book touts Little as the "Bram Stoker Award Winning Author of _The Revelation_." The people giving out the awards obviously knew what they were doing, because this guy is good. Very, very good.

_The Summoning_ is the most frightening vampire novel I've read since I got my hands on _'Salem's Lot_ at the age of nine. I found the cup-hu-girngsi to be a much more menacing creature than your average, unnaturally thirsty, undead Count. In this work Little has charted new territory in the land of creeping corruption and insidious evil. I also found the emphasis on Chinese vampire folklore to be a refreshing change from the traditional crucifix, and holy water routine.

Though it had a slow spot or two, the rest was so good that I'm still going to give it five fangs out of five.