Vampyrrich is a 1999 supernatural horror novel written by Simon Clark and published by Leisure Books. The plot follows a group of four who are besieged by vampires in a small, isolated town.

David Leppington is a doctor who returns to his hometown of Leppington for a possible job as the current town doctor is retiring, while taking the time to visit his uncle George.  He takes up residence at the Station Hotel run by Electra Chanwood. However, unbeknownst to David, there are dark creatures living in Leppington’s sewers, preying on the town’s citizens.  Now, David along with Electra, a young woman named Bernice and a criminal named Jack, must struggle to survive the night.  The story is a bit of a slow buildup, but it takes its time establishing characters and setup to serve its main dish.  And boy is it satisfying.  When the vampires begin their slow and quiet takeover of the town, it just make for a thrilling read.  It does wrap up with an epic conclusion that is quite satisfying. (4 out of 5)

The main characters are David Leppington, Bernice Mochardi, Electra Chanwood, and Jack Black.  David is a doctor who is returning to his birth town after being offered a position after the town’s doctor retires. Electra is the owner of the Station Hotel.  Bernice is a nice young lady who works at the local leech farm. David and Electra both are guest at the hotel.  Jack is a criminal with psychic abilities.  The characters are all pretty interesting with their share of different quirks that help to compliment the others.  Each one does have their moment and despite their differences actually feel equally important.  (5 out of 5)

This book is just a fantastic read all around and praise should be given to Simon Clark.  His description of the vampires and his direction bring vampirism back to its horror roots, and it works.  There is a lot of death and gore, but the sequences don’t seem overly mindless or extreme.  There’s one part where our heroes are taking it to the vampires and the scene gets pretty gruesome. Clark does a great job of maintaining suspense as well as providing those dark moments that send chills up your spine.  The vampires are well-written, feeling unique in many ways while also maintaining their menacing presence.  They have an origin story that stems from Norse mythology that’s pretty interesting.

Also, the story is active, meaning that things are happening in the background and not just around the main characters.  All these town citizens are just being wiped out by these creatures left and right. An interesting point to note is why Clark gives Jack his psychic abilities and what if the character hadn’t had it.  It doesn’t feel intrusive actually, kind of more like an enhanced six sense which doesn’t feel too far fetched. It has that same tone as The Strain but on a smaller, more focused scale.  (5 out of 5)

The Verdict:  In the end, Vampyrrich is an impressive read.  Clark shows a great talent for writing and this great book is a clear example of it.  I found little faults with the story.  The violence isn’t overly used, the characters are awesome and well-written, the atmosphere suspenseful, the story interesting, and the writing top-notch.  Vampyrrich gets 5 out of 5.  Fans who enjoy deep characters, a dark atmosphere, and vampires that lurk in the shadows will pick this book up and won’t put it down till the read is done.