Creepy Vampire tale by Marcus Sedgwick

The cover of My Swordhand Is Singing is a little reminiscent of Poe's "Tell-Tale Heart" - a red eye stares in fright beyond the reader, while the face is spattered with drops of blood. The novel is appealingly creepy, and a little gory as well. Peter has been roaming from town to town with his alcoholic, ne'er do well woodcutter father, always going farther from civilization and deeper into the forest. When they finally settle in a tiny village, something starts bringing the dead back to life, and Peter's father's mysterious past is finally catching up to him. *** Sedgewick is an understated and fine writer - this reads like a retelling of a folktale, which is close to what it is. *** Other great Gothic tales include, well, anything by Edgar Allan Poe, Phillip Pullman's Count Karlstein, the novels of Chris Wooding (The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray, Poison), and Neil Gaiman's Coraline. Or try Cynthia Leitich Smith's website for other recommendations.