Book Review: “Strange Practice” by Vivian Shaw

Apr 12

Håfa adai! Welcome to my review of Strange Practice, Book 1 in the Dr. Greta Helsing series by Vivian Shaw.

This book review consists of two parts: a spoiler-free plot summary and my thoughts on the story. In the second part, I give my personal rating and break down the setting and worldbuilding, storytelling, cast of characters, and themes. There may be some lightweight spoilers—such as how characters interact with each other and the world around them—but I will not give away any major plot twists or endings. I want to share my opinions of the book and maybe encourage you to purchase a copy of your own.

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Spoiler-Free Plot Summary

The ailments of the living are not the only ones in need of treatment. Vampires (and vampyres), ghouls, banshees, mummies, and other members of the undead, or “differently living,” communities need medical intervention from time to time as well. And for those residing London, Dr. Greta Helsing is the one they seek out. If only being the one human trained to treat the supernatural beings of her city translated to greater monetary wealth. The clinic she inherited from her father is running on used equipment and outdated technology, yet Greta has the knowledge and skills needed to help her diverse patient list even when the unexpected comes up.

What Greta would typically define as “unexpected” is changed in the course of a single night and the silk veil between London’s living populace and the world of the supernatural becomes torn when a vampire survives an attempted murder. The attackers and the wounds they inflicted on the centuries-old vampire are too similar to a string of recent murders claiming victims from both sides of that veil not to be related. The undead have no one to go to for aid other than Greta. But is her set of skills enough to uncover who is behind these attacks?

My Thoughts on Strange Practice: 4.5 stars

In Strange Practice, Vivian Shaw brings fantasy storytelling into a modern-day setting and bundles it with murder mystery and gothic horror. The story is told from a third-person limited perspective that moves from character to character, giving different points of view as each scene unfolds. Vivian Shaw’s writing style is both highly descriptive of the characters’ external environment and greatly detailed in their internal dialogues. Each character’s chapter or part in a chapter is distinct, creating scenes with an identifiable vibe or texture for any specific character.

Perhaps the strongest part and my favorite aspect of Strange Practice is the cast of characters. Each character brings a particular skill set to the investigation at hand, contributing to the group effort in such a way that they cannot be replaced or erased without changing the course of events. Their interactions feel natural and believable as the “new” members of the group meet and become accustomed to the “old” members, regardless if they are of the living, undead, or other type of supernatural.

There is Dr. Greta Helsing, the series’ titular character, a 34 year-old medical doctor to London’s monsters and the undead—descendant of Professor Abraham Van Helsing, although the family dropped the “Van” sometime before WWII—who took over the family practice after the death of her father. Greta is confident in her abilities as a doctor and aware of her standing within the “differently living” population of London without being conceited or arrogant. She is stubborn and a strong advocate for her patients, but knows when to ask for and accept help from others.

Sir Frances Ruthven is a vampire and a family friend of the Helsings. He is not what one would call a typical vampire. He enjoys latte art and shopping. He is sociable, greatly enjoys hosting others, and even offers his home as the “base of operation” for the group. He also has a strong sense of paternal protection over Greta. Fastitocalon—who also goes by the alias Frederick Vasse—is an accountant, a family friend of the Helsings, and a supernatural being of some kind (to be revealed in the latter half of this story). Like Ruthven, he is very protective of Greta after seeing her grow from a small child to a practicing doctor. Unlike Ruthven, the ailing condition of his body (or human form) means that is also a recurring patient of Greta’s clinic.

Edmund Varney is a vampyre with a “y”, not to be mistaken for a vampire; the interesting difference between the two is explained in the story. Varney joins the group when Greta takes him in as a patient after he survives an attack by a clique of mysterious hooded figures. Comparing the beginning to the end of the story, Varney’s role shifts from that of patient to a sort of caretaker. August Cranswell is a museum curator and the only other human in the group. He is resourceful, intelligent, and integral to the group’s ability to make sense of the clues they uncover.

The dynamic between the cast of characters constructs my greatest takeaway from the story: the importance of found family. The events of Strange Practice take place after the death of Greta’s father, the last living member of her family. The secret nature of her profession makes it incredibly difficult for her to maintain relationships, be they platonic or romantic. The ones closest to her, on whom she can wholeheartedly trust and rely on, are those who either work at the clinic, have been friends with her family for generations, or have become apart of the investigative group to hunt down whoever is behind the recent attacks. Ruthven, Fastitocalon, and Varney are, by nature of their undead and supernatural beings, forced to exist in a solitude. August Cranswell also does not have a large network of friends and family. Yet together, their group of living and “differently living” members form a formidable investigative team bonded by genuine care for each other.

My final rating for Strange Practice is 4.5 out of 5 stars. The concept of the story is absolutely intriguing: What if a modern-day medical doctor to the undead had to team up with supernatural beings to solve a murder mystery? The worldbuilding is immersive, the character perspectives are distinct, and the writing is witty. The theme of creating a found family is one that resonated deeply with me. There were a few aspects of the investigation that seemed sort of forgotten, such as investigative efforts made by Scotland Yard (London’s law enforcement headquarters) to find justice for the human victims. The ending of the story was a bit too feel-good and did not quite match the vibe of the rest of the story, but it was not a bad ending. All in all, I enjoyed the experience of reading Strange Practice. I can see myself reading it again and gifting copies of the book to others.

Dångkulo' na' saina ma'åse'! Thank you so much for reading my review of Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw.

Rating Cheat Sheet

4.75 - 5.00 stars: Everyone should read this book! (If you’re into that sort of thing.)
4.00 - 4.50 stars: I appreciated many aspects of this book. I recommend it!
3.00 - 3.75 stars: I liked some aspects of this book. I won’t revisit it, but someone else might really like it.
2.00 - 2.75 stars: There were some things I appreciated about this book, but I do not recommend it.
0.25 - 1.75 stars: I do not recommend this book. I did not enjoy or appreciate the experience of it.

Post Date: 14 July 2025