'New Blood' (187 pp) was published in the UK by Futura paperbacks in 1981; this US version was published by Signet in July, 1982. The artist who provided the striking cover illustration is uncredited.
The 'About the Author' note at the end of the book states that 'Richard Salem' is the pseudonym of 'a successful writer of historical fiction' and that 'New Blood' is his first entry in the 'modern horror' genre.
As the novel opens, it's 1985, and yuppie couple Clay and Holly Ryan are fast becoming fed up with life in New York City.
An acquaintance recommends Credence, a small town in West Virginia, as the perfect place for a young couple eager to leave the rat race behind. Clay and Holly decide to make the trip to see Credence and find it a charming village that could well be the showpiece of a tourism magazine. In short order, Clay and Holly take up residence in Credence and find themselves warmly accepted by the townspeople.
As the sultry Summer days unfold, the Ryans settle into a placid routine; Richard works on designing a community center for the town, while Holly works on her abstract paintings.
But Clay and Holly can't ignore the strange little quirks that are gradually coming to light about life in Credence.
For example, why is it that no one looks like they are older than 50 ?
And why are there only six children in the town ?
And why are the townspeople so exquisitely careful around sharp objects ?
As Summer drifts into Fall, Clay and Holly Ryan are going to discover the deep, dark secret that governs life in the idyllic confines of Credence, West Virginia.......
The plot of 'New Blood' will be very recognizable to anyone who has ever read Thomas Tryon's 1973 novel 'Harvest Home'. Like Tryon's novel, 'New Blood' moves at a slow pace, doling out its revelations sparingly, with brief little episodes of mayhem carefully inserted into the narrative to keep it from becoming too indolent.
The action picks up considerably in the closing chapters, but this is enabled by having the lead characters do stupid things designed to get them into trouble. The same characters also are gifted with the kind of superhuman strength and conditioning that are possessed by the heroes in action films. As a result, the closing chapters of 'New Blood' have a contrived quality.
It doesn't help matters that the Big Revelations that accompany the denouement are overly complicated and unconvincing.
Toss in passages of dialogue that frequently qualify as being stilted, and the overall impact of 'New Blood' is further lessened.
The verdict ? I can't recommend 'New Blood' for anyone except those who are ardent collectors of Paperbacks from Hell. This one is best left on the shelf.
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