Oddities Investigated: Tales from a Hero's Casebook: Daring adventures of John W. Hero, psychic investigator, vampire-slayer, monster-hunter, narcisist, etc, and his succession of comely female assistants. Acknowledgements reveal that certain of these vignettes saw previous publication in
The Chelmsfordian,
Zimri and how lovely!,
The Count Dracula Fan Club News-Journal.
1. The Hero Introduced: The Hero and gym bunny secretary-minder go vampire-slaying in Waltham Abbey.
2. The Hero Strikes Again: Venomous blue arachnids infest the Chelmsford sewer system.
3. The Hero Heroic: A killer smog - emanating from the Hero's own Duke Street chambers, funnily enough. Most mysterious.
4. How to Be a Hero: The Hero briefly acquires the services of a Transylvanian assistant. She proves instrumental in curtailing a werewolf outrage at Sandon Egg Farm - by going home.
5. Portrait of a Hero: Misleading information puts the Hero in a tricky spot. He arrived at
The Old Crown Inn, Messing Green, prepared to destroy a vampire. No one mentioned anything about exterminating a Frankenstein's monster tribute act.
6. Mister Hero Esquire: Traditional Essex witch-hag, Auntie Gutsache is out to avenge the imprisonment of her sister, Old Mother Boatpound, on evidence compiled by the Hero.
7. The Hero at Large: A Pagan God takes exception to Billericay council laying a sewage pipe beneath Temple Wood.
8. The Daily Hero: Gorgo climbs out of the sea, sets off on the rampage through Maldon. The Hero's busy-body assistant calms it with soothing words.
9. Our Man Hero: The Hero and latest replacement assistant confront a feasting ghoul in All Saint's Church, Maldon. A terrible business. New girl has even shorter shelf life than predecessors.
10. Hero Me no Heroes: Hero goes solo to investigate case of multiple haunting at Copford Old Rectory.
11. A Hero For All Seasons: Bishop of same haunted Parsonage as above now reports an outbreak of Satanism and Devil-Worship on the Heath. The Hero and returned assistant (you'd think they'd have names) witness a human sacrifice! Almost. Outcome reminiscent of similar hilarious mix-up in classic
Widdershins episode of
Hettie Wainthropp Investigates12. One Man's Hero: A giant amoeba rises from the Estuary, re-enacts
The Blob across Tiptree. The scene is set for final showdown at the Jam Factory.
13. Hero Today, Gone Tomorrow: The Hero is called upon to evict an ogre from Danbury Hill.
I found the ghoul, haunted Parsonage, and horror movie shoot episodes particularly entertaining, though no doubt most readers will have a different favourite and least favourite depending on their prefered supernatural entity. Pop culture refs include Peter Cushing, Dale Winton, Jane Fonda workouts,
Famous Monsters of Filmland, "
Dr. Horror's House of Terrors, or something," Michael Fish, and a signed photo of John Ingman "in full make-up as Mother Goose."