The Case of the Bleeding Wall - a Dana Roberts novella

I'm not really sure how I came to find out about this book - whether I was strolling through Amazon and came across it, or whether it was recommended to me by someone.  All I know is that I was looking for a copy of the book and having a hard time finding it.  Then I happened across a copy being sold on eBay by the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library.  It was advertised as a hard cover copy of the book, with its dust jacket, so I bought it.  Well, color me surprised when it arrived, and not only is the book in pristine condition, but it turns out it is a special signed edition, limited to only 500 copies (mine is 393 of 500) and signed by both authors: Joe R. Lansdale and Kasey Lansdale!  Talk about a pleasant surprise!  And for those who may not recognize the name, Joe R. Lansdale is an award-winning writer who has written a number of horror novels, as well as quite a large number of comic books.  While I have some of his comic stories, this is actually my first book written by him (and his daughter).

The Case of the Bleeding Wall is identified as "a Dana Roberts novella," making one think that perhaps Dana Roberts is a character in an ongoing series of books.  Well, it turns out this book, published in 2016, is the prequel of sorts, to a collection of short stories starring the characters in this book (Terror is Our Business: Dana Roberts' Casebook of Horrors, which I am now going to have to hunt down).  And if you are thinking Dana Roberts is the main character of this book, as I did too, well, you'd be mistaken.  Turns out the main character, from whose point of the view the story is told, is actually Jana (don't recall seeing her last name ever mentioned in the book), a young woman who has experienced something out of the ordinary, and the only person she believes could understand is the supernatural sleuth, Dana Roberts.  At first, it seems the investigator has blown her off, but then she gets an opportunity to not only meet the famous ghost hunter, but to work along side her as her apprentice - including a free trip to Italy, free accommodations and food, free clothing, and a rather hefty stipend to boot!  How could she possibly say no?

For a relatively short story (less than 100 pages), there is definitely a lot of story here. While we don't exactly get a lot of backstory to either Dana or Jana, we certainly learn just what type of women both of these characters are.  Jana is a hesitant believer all things supernatural, and she uses humor and sarcasm to overcome her fear.  Dana, on the other hand, while not doubting the existence of things she refers to as "supernormal," firmly believes that all things either have a reasonable explanation or one day will (we just don't understand it now).  Dana is one that is used to being in charge, and she commands all attention on her when she enters a room.  Jana is willing to be a follower, but at the same time, she's not afraid to take a chance and take matters into her own hands when necessary.  The two make an unlikely pair, somewhat comparable to Sherlock Holmes and Watson (although it would probably be more accurate to compare them to Oscar and Felix - you know, The Odd Couple).  Actually, though, the two do sort of compliment one another, which makes for very enjoyable reading.

As for the story itself, once Jana convinces Dana that her story is real, Dana invites her to travel to Italy with her to investigate an alleged "haunting" - the catch?  The man who is asking for the assistance, Carlo, happens to be an ex of Dana.  Anyhow, he is concerned a house he owns - one he built for his fiance, Cincia (who is dead, by the way) - may be haunted.  His fiance left him just after they moved into the house because of the strange happenings, and died shortly thereafter.  He has tried renting the place out, but no one stays - everyone complains of the sounds, the smells, the shadows.  Carlo is hoping Dana can figure out what is really going on and get rid of it.  Jana thinks perhaps a rekindling of old feelings between Carlo and Dana might be also part of the plan.  But Dana Roberts is all business, and she sends Jana on some errands to find some magical elements - an errand that turns out to be a test (which Jana flies with passing colors - the girl is anything but dumb!).

Soon enough, Jana (and the reader) learns there is a lot more going on here than meets the eye.  The house truly is haunted, but everything they were told was a lie.  One of the walls in the house is a portal, one that can only be opened with blood.  And someone wants that portal opened to allow a demon into this world who can raise the dead.  Getting the idea, now?  Unfortunately, it's too late for Dana and Jana to turn back, so the detective and her apprentice must figure out a way to let loose a demon, stop it from wreaking havoc on the world, keep the dead ... well, dead, and trick the demon back through its portal, ultimately destroying the portal so it can never be used again.  Sure, nothing to it.  All in a day's work for supernormal detective, Dana Roberts!  Of course, it's a good thing Jana is along for this ride, because she is actually the one who saves the day (or night, as the case may be).

Overall, it was a really good read, and I found myself rather enjoying the characters.  I am relieved to know this is not the only Dana Roberts story out there.  I am definitely going to hunt down the collection of other short stories, because I have to read more of the continuing adventures of Dana and Jana!

RATING:  9 granola bars and cups of coffee out of 10 for giving the world a new sleuth, part Nancy Drew, part Supernatural - and one who is truly fun to read!