Homing in on mystery

IN 2009, journalist Bill Dedman was looking to move house.

Frustrated with the market, he decided to browse the internet for places he ‘really couldn’t’ afford’, stumbling upon Le Beau Chateau (on at 24 million dollars), a castle of 22 rooms and 52 acres: unoccupied since its purchase in 1951, and not the owner’s only vacant property.

The owner is the subject of Empty Mansions, Huguette Clark. Born in 1906, she was one of five children of copper-mining millionaire William A Clark, receiving on his death a fifth of his (in today’s money) $3.5 bn. She was mysterious: a recluse, spending her last 20 years in hospital despite there being nothing wrong, she often took dolls with her when she did venture out, and her nine-month marriage broke down on honeymoon. This story would be fascinating and compelling were the book half the length; as it is, it’s a solid tale for those with time on their hands.

Written in Blood: A Cultural History Of The British Vampire by Paul Adams (The History Press £14.99, ebook £8.99) 3/5 stars

THE vampire legend has seen a renaissance of late, with the likes of Twilight, The Vampire Diaries and True Blood pulling in the masses, both on screen and in print. A subject of fascination for many, this book aims to uncover Britain’s association with the undead.

The author, Paul Adams, is an established writer of paranormal books. Covering both real-life cases, and works of fiction through books, films and television, Adams aims to bring together a wealth of information concerning the history of vampirism in Britain. Though the book is extensive in its research and information, it does tend to digress somewhat, which at times can make it difficult to read. Many of the entries can simply be described as supernatural, rather than vampiric in nature. It also feels a little unfinished, at times presenting as a descriptive list of works of fiction, and is probably best for those with a real interest in the subject.