Marita Woywod Crandle 
Mosquito: Southern Vampires
A New Orleans Penny Dreadful
Recipe Contributions by Chef Chris Dunn
Pelican Publishing, New Orleans 2024
Paperback 384 pp.
A Five Star Review by Rickey Pittman, Bard of the South
I have loved the horror genre all my life—books, novels, movies, theatre, and Halloween. Vampires especially have always fascinated me. Though I enjoy all of the vampire stories, and novels, the best I’ve read is Mosquito: Southern Vampire by Marita Woywod Crandle. The novel is beautifully bound—and includes a Foreword by Chef Chris Dunn, an introduction by the author, and has twenty-eight chapters that in the Penny Dreadful tradition with one chapter printed each week that were compiled into this novel. The artwork on the cover was created with woodcuts—the artist (French Quarter artist James Mennitt) carved the image backwards on wood, then ran ink over it onto a piece of paper. The wonderful interior art was created by New Orleans artist, illustrator, historian, and tour guide Mary Dugas. You will probably want to try several of the recipes of Chef Chris Dunn!
The storyline works well, carrying the reader into the world of New Orleans and the world of the vampires who live there. The writing is sexy, full of conflict, heart warming moments (Yes, you do find yourself feeling warm thoughts about some of the vampires), and insights into what it means to live a transient, adventurer’s life in New Orleans—the city where Vampires really do live. You will learn more about New Orleans and about vampires than you could have imagined. You will see why New Orleans has long been considered a magnet and melting pot for the supernatural. More information about the book and about the projects of Marita is included below.
The book can be ordered HERE or on Amazon.
Marita’s FB page is HERE:
Marita’s website is HERE:
She and her staff run these places in New Orleans: New Orleans Vampire Empire (Chef Chris Dunn), Boutique du Vampyre (a private vampire speakeasy), Potions Lounge, the Vampire Café, and the Vampire Apothecary.
Here’s the back cover of Marita’s novel:
