The Hammer of Dr. Valentine
John Llewellyn Probert
Spectral Press
May 25, 2015
Reviewed by Tim Potter
John Llewellyn Probert returns to his villainous homage to classic horror films with The Hammer of Dr. Valentine. In the follow-up to the entertaining 2013 novella The Nine Deaths of Dr. Valentine, the Doctor returns to exercise his anger and feeling of injustice on another round of unsuspecting victims. Previously inspired by deaths in Vincent Price films, Dr. Valentine finds new material for murder by emulating murders from films produced by the legendary Hammer Films.
Dr. Valentine was last seen fleeing authorities in a cinematic hot air balloon escape as Inspector Longdon, who was investigating the case, watched helplessly. After months without word of the deadly doctor bodies start to turn up, having been killed in outrageous ways. One woman is found mummified with bandages saturated with embalming fluid. Another body, in the spectacular opening scene of the novella, is found impaled on a giant gold crucifix after having been flung through the air by a giant catapult. It only takes police a short time to realize that the dead are all journalists that contributed to a sensational true crime book, The Nine Deaths of Dr Valentine, a book that detailed Valentine’s Vincent Price-themed murder spree.
John Spalding, a film journalist and main contributor to the book, is brought in by Longdon and the authorities to consult on the case. He quickly identifies the murders as being inspired by deaths from Hammer Films. Scenes from classics like Dracula Has Risen From the Grave, Blood From the Mummy’s Tomb, Hands of the Ripper and The Reptile are revisited with Dr. Valentine in the role of the killer. More obscure films like She and Fear provide very interesting death scenes for the doctor to act out.
The most charming thing about the Dr. Valentine books is also their greatest weakness. They are stories that don’t explore any new territory, but fall back on genre conventions and famous scenes. This is a good thing for fans of the classics of the films referenced but certainly a drawback for those looking for a more literary read. Readers who love Vincent Price and Hammer Films will be in for a fun, easy read that shares their love for horror classics. The ideas are familiar and comfortable and with The Hammer of Dr. Valentine readers can take a short holiday into the cinematic horrors of yesteryear.
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