Since its publication in 1897, DRACULA has endured as a literary and horror classic. Much read and admired in its own right, Bram Stoker’s inventive vampire tale is the foundation for many chilling stories from page to stage to screen. Retellings are common but, in capable hands, always welcome. THE MADNESS by Dawn Kurtagich puts the action in Wales, adds underground clubs, folklore, and small town and familial drama but keeps many of the character names the same as she reimagines vampires, castles, swooning women and romantic men.

"[Kurtagich] does a nice job assembling engaging female lead characters and occasionally switching perspectives for increased intrigue and tension.... Fans of gothic horror will find much to enjoy here."

Mina Murray has built a life for herself in London, far from her small hometown of Tylluan. When she departed many years ago with little explanation, she left behind her eccentric folk healer mother; her best friend, Lucy; and her boyfriend, Jonathan. Life in London is ordered, mostly by dint of her trauma-induced OCD, but not emotionally full. Still, Mina’s work as a psychiatrist is fulfilling --- not in the least her latest patient, a Jane Doe exhibiting strange symptoms and behaviors. The woman, who finally names herself Renée, enigmatically refers to her “master,” eats bugs and is covered in a mysterious rash.

Before Mina can make much progress with this patient, she gets an email calling her home to Tylluan. Lucy, it seems, is not well. Though Mina is reluctant to return to the place she felt forced to leave as a teenager, she still feels loyal to the best friend she ever had. So she finds herself back in the house in which she grew up, surrounded by her mother’s potions, plants and old-fashioned ideas.

When Mina finally reunites with Lucy, they pick up their childhood friendship right where they left off. But much has changed over the years. Lucy has married a very wealthy man and now lives with him in his estate in Tylluan. And, of course, she is ill. Her ailment is unclear, but the rash that is spreading across her skin looks eerily similar to Renée’s. Mina is with her when Lucy has a few terrifying seizures, and during them, she seems to mutter something about her “master.” Could Lucy and the patient back in London be suffering from the same affliction? If so, what could it possibly be? Mina, along with a few unlikely companions, begins to investigate, which takes her from Welsh castles to big city clubs, and face to face with both powerful men and monsters.

Less horror and more thriller, THE MADNESS also has elements of domestic drama and investigative procedural. Kurtagich adds contemporary issues like human trafficking to the bones of the classic, as well as Welsh folklore, for something quite unexpected. She does a nice job assembling engaging female lead characters and occasionally switching perspectives for increased intrigue and tension. There is a lot going on, and some elements work better than others. Fans of gothic horror will find much to enjoy here.

Overall, THE MADNESS is a page-turner and an interesting update of the original, even when not every plot point is neatly explained.