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Rating: The Ruff of the Bloody Countess is the first chapter in the series dedicated by Ivo Torello to ‘The Strange Cases of Ulysse Bonamy’, a series that the author has currently put on hold.
The setting of this novella is the same as the acclaimed The House of Shells: we find ourselves in Paris at a later period (no longer the 1860s of the impressionists) and specifically during the Roaring Twenties. We also find the infamous “Maison des Coquillages” with Madame Sabatière now in her nineties. However, it is not necessary to have read The House of Shells to enjoy The Strange Cases of Ulysse Bonamy. The aim is to create agile and easy-to-read booklets that can engage and entertain the reader. The intention is to evoke a playful and not serious dimension, even if always with weird elements. We are very far, for instance, from the heavy and delirious “Ligottian” drifts.
The protagonist – Ulysse Bonamy – is a singular figure who, to survive, engages in shady activities and improvises as an “occult detective” in the vein of various characters created by William Hope Hodgson, Algernon Blackwood, and Sax Rohmer. He finds himself, against his will, involved in a kidnapping case: Anastasia Gauthier, a girl who frequented the Folie Parisienne cabaret, mysteriously disappears. Ulysse, seeking clarity, starts investigating on his own. However, once inside the girl’s apartment, he is surprised by Roger Faillot, father of Anastasia Gauthier and a wealthy Parisian soap entrepreneur. He decides to work for him and, in an attempt to unravel the tangle, he goes to Maison des Coquillages where he seeks advice from Madame Sabatière. The woman, elderly but always sharp, introduces him to the under-maitresse Virginie. From the conversation with the girl, he manages to obtain the name of a certain Iphigenie. He will be the key to entering the recesses of an underground world made of magic, dark visions, dangerous night adventures in museums of horror (where he will find the ruff of the infamous Countess Erszbet Bathory) that will jeopardize his very existence. Torello seems to have left behind some of his past production (I am referring to the early stories which would be nice to see compiled in a volume) that brought him closer to pulp themes.
The Ruff of the Bloody Countess can be read in one go: those who appreciated The House of Shells will not struggle to immerse themselves in the universe of Ulysse Bonamy although, for my taste, the level is less intense and lighter compared to that book but this also depends on the author's own will. It is, in any case, an enjoyable read that will delight those who appreciate twists, a touch of the supernatural and eroticism, and a somewhat dated setting but rich in decadent charm. Also noteworthy is the splendid cover designed by Elena Nives Furlan which fits well with the imagery evoked by the novel. The idea of creating a serial character is potentially very good as has been shown in recent past in Italy; think, in this sense, of Valerio Evangelisti with Eymerich. I also recommend the following 3 volumes that I have already discussed and which are all of a good level. Available on the Edizioni Hypnos website at the following link: http://www.edizionihypnos.com/blog/news/arrivano-gli-strani-casi-di-ulysse-bonamy.
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Ivo Torello “The Strange Cases of Ulysse Bonamy – The Ruff of the Bloody Countess” – 127 pages – Euro 9.90 – 2019
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