The Blood Countess – Tara Moss (A Pandora English novel)
Pan MacMillan, 2010
389 pages
RRP: AU$26.99
ISBN: 9781405040143

Reviewed by Liz Grzyb

Having read a couple of Tara Moss’s previous mystery novels, I was intrigued to see she’d branched out into the paranormal, one of my favourite genres. The Blood Countess didn’t disappoint. It is an easy read, quite young-adult in the pacing and tone, but this meant it was a quick and interesting read.

Pandora English, the protagonist, is a bit of a country hick who turns up in New York to live with her great-aunt while looking for a way into the glamorous fashion magazine industry. Things aren’t quite what she expected, from the difficult-to-find suburb her great aunt lives in, to the mysterious disappearance of her predecessor at Pandora magazine. Pandora tries to find out the mystery behind the new beauty product, intriguingly named ‘BloodofYouth’, which seems to emanate evil. Then there is the vicious and unearthly model promoting BloodofYouth, Athanasia…

The plot is generally pacy and fun, as Pandora is taken under the wing of her glamorous and very young-looking great aunt. She had been a fashion designer, and conveniently all her clothes fit Pandora. Thus we are able to indulge in the fantasy of having an almost unlimited and unutterably fashionable vintage wardrobe without the strain of trawling through vintage stores and op shops! Those who aren’t really interested in fashion will find this a little over-the-top, but really, the whole novel is sprinkled liberally with fashion world references, from product launches to models and photo shoots, so best relax and enjoy it.

This novel would be a great summer holiday or plane read. It’s got some action, romance and mystery, against a backdrop of Manhattan and the fashion industry. While the ending is a little too quick and a bit contrived (it felt like Moss suddenly ran out of wordcount and had to condense three chapters into one), most of the novel is an intriguing and entertaining read. I’m looking forward to the second in the Pandora English series, The Spider Goddess, which is apparently coming out in December.