Strange Practice is the first book in the Dr. Greta Helsing series, a recently completed urban fantasy trilogy, about a doctor in modern-day London tending to supernatural patients. The plot is a mystery, that has a pretty action packed climax, with a new and dangerous cult attacking the supernatural and their allies, which must be stopped before the city descends into chaos. 

I’ve noticed it’s got some pretty mixed reviews with people either liking or hating the supporting cast. Well I really liked them, and I’m looking forward to getting to the sequels. 

I listened to the audiobook, the cover and the narration tone gave it a pretty Victorian vibe, which meant it took me ages to grasp that it’s actually taking place in the modern day. Cars? Computer? What?

The monsters and the mystery and all that were great, but my favorite thing was how sensible Greta is. She’s very focussed on her job, the care of her patients, and the duty she feels towards them. She’s not some gun ho protagonist jumping into danger at any chance, she thinks about the risks, and generally listens to the people around her trying to keep her safe, generally. 

One of the main things  about the characters is how nontraditional they are. There’s a vampire fatherly figure, an accountant with a mysterious supernatural past who really tries not to read minds because it’s so rude, family oriented ghouls. The supernatural world is filled with all kinds of people trying to find their way in life and survive. And they make for great characters to read about. And yes, Greta might be surrounded by a strange amount of supernatural protective father figures, but I liked how her father’s friends stepped up to help after his death. 

I’ve seen a good few people asking for books with ordinary jobs in supernatural settings. Well I can’t say tending to mummies and vampires and demons is exactly ordinary, but there’s a fair bit of Greta thinking about her job and what equipment she uses, and what she’d like to buy. There are a few scenes with medical procedures she does, she’s very much a doctor first and that’s not sidelined in favor of the plot. 

Bingo squares: Featuring Vampires (H), audiobook