Frankenstein: The Shadow of Frankenstein

Frankenstein: The Shadow of Frankenstein is a 2006 novel by Stefan Petrucha. Part of a series of novels from DH Press tying in with classic Universal Horror films, this novel is an Interquel taking place between Bride of Frankenstein and Son of Frankenstein.

Believing the monster dead, and wanting to escape infamy in their home country, Baron Henry Frankenstein and his wife, Elizabeth, move to London. However, the monster is alive and well and follows them as a stowaway, and if that wasn't bad enough London finds itself home to a spate of gruesome murders apparently committed by a copycat killer imitating Jack the Ripper. As the killings are performed with surgical precision, Henry Frankenstein ends up as one of the suspects.


 * Continuity Nod: The novel contains its fair share of references to the Universal Frankenstein canon. Events from the films that are used in the plot include Fritz mistakenly stealing a criminal brain; Dr. Pretorius' assistant, Karl, killing a girl for her heart (Frankenstein is suspected of the murder, hence his retreat to England in this novel); and the Son of Frankenstein character Inspector Krogh losing his arm to the Monster (he is still a child at the time of the novel, although his father plays a prominent role).
 * Department of Redundancy Department: Petrucha decided to follow the films' [Noun] of Frankenstein naming pattern; DH Press decided to preface the title of each book in the series with the main monster's name (Dracula: Asylum, The Wolf Man: Hunter's Moon, etc.). The result is a tad cumbersome.
 * Disposable Sex Worker: Justified, as the real Jack the Ripper murdered prostitutes.
 * Grave Robbing
 * Healing Factor: In an elaboration of his seeming invulnerability in the films, the monster is given the ability to spontaniously heal his injuries. Henry Frankenstein speculates that he gave the monster an overdose of the mysterious life-giving ray, making him invincible.
 * Hooker with a Heart of Gold: The prostitute Mary Blyss is one of the few people to treat the monster with kindness.
 * Igor: Averted--Frankenstein has no assistant this time.
 * Immortality Seeker:
 * Monster Mash: A slightly unusual example in that, aside from Frankenstein and his creation, there is an emphasis on quasi-historical monsters: Jack the Ripper, Burke & Hare and Sawney Bean are all involved in the novel's backstory.
 * Shout-Out: One character briefy mentions Seward's sanitarium; this is presumably the one from Dracula. Of course, as the Count himself turned up in Universal's later Frankenstein sequels, this could be seen as another continuity nod.
 * Torches and Pitchforks: The monster is once again attacked by an angry mob of townspeople--and this time he didn't even commit the murders that they were angry about. Poor guy just can't get a break.