Douglas Gosse promises an eerie tale simply by entitling his novel The Celtic Cross: A vampire Journal. In the novel, St. John's, Newfoundland teacher Geoffrey Pierce thinks that he'll be able to find some much needed relaxation now that summer vacation has arrived. No sooner does he hand in the last batch of exams, then Geoff receives a mysterious note from a stranger, as well as a distressed call from his sister, causing him to return to the outport village of his childhood, Bond Cove.

     Beginning with the revelation that his brother-in-law has acquired a taste for blood, Geoff is thrust into a web of ancient family secrets and small town hypocrisy. As he attempts to uncover the truth, Geoff encounter vampires, ghosts, witches, and the shocking nature of his own Celtic "Nyrrthru" ancestry.

     There are only a few similarities between Gosse's Celtic Cross, and Joss Whedon's television series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". Both Buffy and Geoff are transported from the "big city" and set down into small town life, only to find infestations of supernatural creatures. Both protagonists also find a wise elder to guide them through their adventures, Rupert Giles in BtVS and Nan, Geoff's grandmother in Celtic Cross.

     There, however, the similarities end. Buffy's mission is quite clear: she is the Slayer. Geoff, on the other hand, seems unsure of his role in the mystery of Bond Cove. While he conducts his investigations, Geoff rarely knows whom to trust, lacking a loyal "scooby gang" to provide assistance. Not only that, despite Geoff's lessons in Tae Kwon Do, he lacks Buffy's skill in dispatching the undead quickly, effectively, and with style. The nature of vampirism is also different in each of the stories. In BtVS, there is no doubt of the demonic origin of vampires, while in Celtic Cross, ritual and hereditary bloodlines play more important roles in vampire genesis.

     If you are looking for the quick, hip dialogue of BtVS in Gosse's novel, you'll be disappointed. One problem with the he novel is that it relies too much on exposition rather than dramatic action ("telling" rather than "showing" the story). At times, Gosse's narrative seem stilted, failing to capture the natural music of Newfoundland dialects.

     However, Gosse does provide an interesting weave of Celtic myth, vampire lore, and the gothic eeriness of the Newfoundland landscape (rocky cliffs, foggy meadows, and roaring sea). In Geoffrey Pierce, Gosse surrounds an ordinary guy with mystery and intrigue. The Celtic Cross: A Vampire Journal, lifts the veil of the supernatural in an unlikely place, our own Canadian doorstep.