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Strange Practice (A Dr. Greta Helsing Novel) Paperback – July 25, 2017

by Vivian Shaw (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 2,709 ratings
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The first book in a delightfully witty fantasy series in which Dr. Greta Helsing, doctor to the undead, must defend London from both supernatural ailments and a bloodthirsty cult.

Greta Helsing inherited her family's highly specialized and highly peculiar medical practice. In her consulting rooms, Dr. Helsing treats the undead for a host of ills: vocal strain in banshees, arthritis in barrow-wights, and entropy in mummies. Although she barely makes ends meet, this is just the quiet, supernatural-adjacent life Greta's been groomed for since childhood.

Until a sect of murderous monks emerges, killing human and undead Londoners alike. As terror takes hold of the city, Greta must use her unusual skills to stop the cult if she hopes to save her practice and her life.

Praise for the Dr. Greta Helsing Novels:

"An exceptional and delightful debut, in the tradition of Good Omens and A Night in the Lonesome October."―Elizabeth Bear, Hugo-award winning author

"Shaw balances an agile mystery with a pitch-perfect, droll narrative and cast of lovable misfit characters. These are not your mother's Dracula or demons."―Shelf Awareness

Dr. Greta Helsing Novels
Strange Practice 
Dreadful Company
Grave Importance
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 3
    Dr. Greta Helsing
  2. Print length
    400 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Orbit
  5. Publication date
    July 25, 2017
  6. Dimensions
    5.63 x 1.13 x 8.38 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0316434604
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0316434607
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"An excellent adventure."―Fran Wilde, award-winning author of Updraft, Cloudbound, and Horizon

"Strange Practice is written with elegance, wit, and compassion. The prose is gorgeous, the wit is mordant, and the ideas are provocative. Also, there are ghouls."―Laura Amy Schlitz, Newbery Medal winner

"A satisfying and surprising read, with rich imagery, nuance, and real compassion for its characters--give Strange Practice a shot!"―Elliott James, author of Charming

"An exceptional and delightful debut, in the tradition of Good Omens and A Night in the Lonesome October."―Elizabeth Bear, Hugo-award winning author

"A darkly delicious adventure featuring a quirky new heroine. Strange Practice breathes new life into the undead."―James Bennett, author of Chasing Embers

"Shaw's lively debut introduces a great cast of characters who should sustain this new series for many volumes to come.... Shaw brings her Victorian monsters into the modern age."―Library Journal

"Shaw balances an agile mystery with a pitch-perfect, droll narrative and cast of lovable misfit characters. These are not your mother's Dracula or demons ... Strange Practice is a super(natural) read."―Shelf Awareness

"An appropriately dark breath of fresh air."―Booklist

"Readers will look forward to more of Greta's adventures. An imaginative, delightfully droll debut."―Kirkus

"A book to settle into. A warm quilt of a thing that's made for curling up with ... I miss this newest Helming already."―NPR

"This book is a joy to read, unlocking every bit of delicious promise in the premise."―B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog

"What a splendid adventure this is - Dr. Greta Helming is a brilliant character, world-weary doctor on-call at all hours, sorting out the ills of the undead and trying to run her Harley Street practice without drawing too much (or any) attention to her patients from the living world ... a splendid new urban fantasy series."―Espressococo

"Strange Practice surprises and delights. It's completely different from anything I've read before. It ticks so many boxes: action, mystery, suspense, an exciting and different world adjacent to our own to name but a few. But the greatest elements of the book are the characters. They shine."―The Bookbag

"Enchanted me from the very first page ... I just couldn't put it down. When I say that there is nothing like this book out there, I mean it, and that's a damn good thing."―Book Worm Blues

"Occasionally I can pick up a book, start to read and know within a couple of pages that I am going to be absolutely hooked. Strange Practice is a splendid case in point. Vampires, demons, ghouls, supernatural cults and all manner of inexplicable jiggery-pokery. What's not to love? I can only hope Vivian Shaw writes many more Greta Helming novels ... I can tell you now that if she does write more I'll be first in line to read them."―The Eloquent Page

"A delightful ensemble mystery featuring some of literature's favorite vampires (and one really great demon)."―NPR

"An absolute delight to read ... this is a remarkably well-realized world and cast of characters; it really isn't very long before you find yourself not only enjoying the story but the world demi-monde Greta moves in, a world where you can take the regular London Bus or Underground but which also has ghouls in the sewers, or Lord Ruthven in his Embankment House grand home."―Forbidden Planet

"For a book filled with creatures who ironically want to suck your blood, by the end it is a radiantly positive, life-affirming tale that won me over surprisingly quickly and with effortless prose that simply engages the reader from the start ... But most of all, and perhaps surprisingly for a book filled with monsters, Strange Practice has a lot of heart. The characters clearly care for each other and their mutual investment in each other's well-being leads to a book where you want to see that all is well. Vivian is to be commended for writing an entertaining book with characters that the reader will love -- even the undead!"―SFFWorld

"Shaw's nifty spin on classic horror literature is fresh and clever.... The author has packed her book with characters who are a pleasure to spend time with."―SciFiNow

"A marvelous new character.... I can't wait for the next one!"―The Williamsport Sun-Gazette

About the Author

Vivian Shaw wears way too many earrings and likes edged weapons and expensive ink. She was born in Kenya and has lived in Cardiff, Oxford, and Baltimore. She has a BA in art history, an MFA in creative writing and publishing arts, and currently works as a professional freelance editor and proofreader. She writes about monsters, both in and out of classic horror literature; machines, extant and fantastical; disasters and their causes; and found family. She is the author of the Dr. Greta Helsing contemporary fantasy trilogy, Strange Practice, Dreadful Company, and Grave Importance. Her short fiction/horror fiction has appeared in Uncanny and Pseudopod.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Orbit (July 25, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316434604
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316434607
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.63 x 1.13 x 8.38 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 2,709 ratings

About the author

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Vivian Shaw

Vivian Shaw

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Vivian Shaw was born in Kenya and spent her early childhood at home in England before relocating to the US at the age of seven. She has a BA in art history and an MFA in creative writing, and has worked in academic publishing and development while researching everything from the history of spaceflight to supernatural physiology. In her spare time, she writes fan fiction under the name of Coldhope.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
2,709 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

She Pets the Bunnies
5.0 out of 5 stars Ghouls, Ghouls, Ghouls!
Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2017
Verified Purchase
I picked this up to keep me company on a flight recently and thoroughly enjoyed it. Lately I had been feeling a little jaded by some of the books I was reading, but this was one of two I read on my trip that broke the spell of disappointment I had been under. Stuck in a rut when it came to non-fiction I have been mostly reading fiction in my free time.

This was a very interesting story of a human doctor who catered to the needs of the undead and related mythical creatures. It never came off as campy while still straddling a dark humor feel. When you come across these sort of stories they often fall into the "Beautiful, female main character who is terribly talented is taken by surprise when a preternatural man-thing takes interest in her. All her strengths take a back seat the moment this dude-bro shows up and he rescues her again and again, thus cementing their lusty bond," or some horseshit. Thankfully, this story does not fall into that stereotype.

These characters are varied, strong in a tangible way that is not overdone and yet flawed. While there may be a mopey vampire in the mix, the story does not come off as an angst-fest. They are not all beautiful and young, rich and prosperous, or all knowing and all powerful. Some are sick, some are old, and some are literally ghoulish. They are older, maybe a little jaded or short sighted in terms of their actions but ultimately good characters no matter what their diet may be. While the ground work was laid for a bit of a romance, it took a backseat to the plot and seems to be developing in a slow but real fashion. However, even this takes a backseat to a really touching relationship she had with an old family friend. I was also very keen on the way she built a relationship with the local ghoul community.

While I wouldn't say the story itself was very surprising or that it was full of twists, I can say that the sense of community created between the characters and how they did not quite fit into the horror-fantasy genre in a stereotypical way was wonderful. Honestly, I could probably read story after story of just house calls the main character would take because...well, the idea of non-humans needing medical care and learning of their ailments and physiology really intrigue me.

I would recommend this book and will certainly look into the rest of the stories available.

Also, I really, really enjoyed the ghouls.
105 people found this helpful
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S. Browne
4.0 out of 5 stars Good Comfort Read
Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2021
Verified Purchase
If you’re looking for a comfort read with supernatural characters, look no further…

Strange Practice is about Dr. Greta Helsing, daughter of Wilfert Helsing. Greta inherited her father’s practice when he died a few years ago. She works to keep the undead in good “health”—in this universe, vampires and ghouls can suffer from the same ailments as human beings.

Enter the Rosary Ripper, a ruthless murderer who leaves cheap plastic rosaries on their victims…

Greta treats Varney, a vampire who got attacked by a group of monks that the heroes suspect are the group behind the Rosary Ripper’s murders. Greta teams up with her old supernatural friends Fastitocalon and Ruthven as well as Ruthven’s human friend August Cranswell to get to the bottom of the scourge sweeping London.

This is a pretty simple story and the prose is just kind of okay, but it’s fun. This is a very character-driven, female-gaze kind of series with lots of the hurt/comfort trope (to the point where it gets a little bit repetitive at times…). The plot could fit into a Buffy episode and moves a touch slowly (especially if you’re a slow reader like me).

There are a couple moving scenes, like when Greta is thinking about her father:

“She had asked her father how he could bear the entire responsibility alone, how do you stand it, how do you know you’re not going to make mistakes with no one else there to help you, and he had laughed a little. I don’t, he had said. I don’t know for a fact. But I know that I know how to do this job. I trust in my own skill and experience to help me make good decisions. When it comes right down to it, you must be able to trust yourself, before asking your patients to place their trust in you. If you cannot do that, do not pursue medicine as a career. She had shivered. But I don’t trust myself, yet. Not entirely. You will get there, Gretalina. Confidence comes with practice and reinforcement of learning. You have the right kind of brain for this, and you also—he had tapped her solemnly on the chest—have the right kind of heart.”

Greta is very much still missing her father and looking for guidance from other older men around her like Fastitocalon and Ruthven. Greta’s closeness to Fastitocalon is really sweet and if I read the later books, it’ll be to experience more of their cuteness (and find out what happens with Greta and Varney, as Varney’s attracted to her but it doesn’t develop much in this volume…).

The dry humor at parts is really fun, too:

"There wasn’t a lot in the literature about the use of antidepressants in ghouls."

I’d say this is a satisfying first installment. It’s a complete story arc that sets up the worldbuilding, characters, and structural expectations but leaves the reader with a few residual questions. If you don’t mind the slowness or simplicity, I’d recommend it! (If those things bother you, I would skip it, though)
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Monsters are like everyone else
Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2024
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This was an excellent concept -- creatures need medical attention too. It was cleverly written and aside from the occasional martyr complex the protagonist fell back on, an enjoyable read. Usually an absence of any romance, even as a subplot, makes a story seem incomplete to me, but I didn't miss it here.
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avid reader
3.0 out of 5 stars shame about language
Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2018
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I started this with great expectations from the premise of the Physician for the undead. Reads fairly well and was interesting with good characters. However, after 2/3 through I put it away because of the increasing frequency of the F*** word and profanity. This adds nothing to an otherwise good story and detracts from it for some readers. Shame on Ms. Shaw for feeling the need to trash up a good novel. This language can be appropriate in some context (such as realistic description in Matterhorn about Viet Nam) but adds nothing to so many books, but authors feel compelled to add for whatever reason. Makes the book inappropriate for teens who would like this story. Sorry for us readers.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Michelle
5.0 out of 5 stars A fun read
Reviewed in Canada on June 17, 2022
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I loved this story, and found it very easy to binge read. I found the authors voice to be a wonderful match to the concept of victorian era "monsters" in modern times and the medical aspect was unique. The story moves at a great pace, I liked all the characters and the crime spree was legitimately creepy. Also, as weird as it is to say, I appreciated the authors vocabulary, as there were several words I had to look up (they were more or less explained in context, but I appreciate the chance to learn).
I shall be buying the next books in the series, and I am already looking forward to their further adventures.
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Client Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Great quirky book
Reviewed in France on June 2, 2021
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I enjoyed this first book (there are two sequels already published) tremendously. I'm a big fan of intelligent and quirky urban fantasy. The caracters are interesting and the story unfolds itself in a good pace. The medical aspects of Gretas work a quite fascinating. In short: a great read!
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South coast reader
5.0 out of 5 stars A doctor to the undead - intriguing
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 24, 2020
Verified Purchase
Interesting premise, Greta is a doctor to a whole array of strange and non human clients. She is a good, three dimensional character. I liked the main characters who were all well drawn. A gripping plot which moves at a fast pace and a little bit of humour, very enjoyable read. So much so that I immediately bought the next two books!
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Alexandre Zuin Alegria
4.0 out of 5 stars Nice urban fantasy
Reviewed in Brazil on June 18, 2018
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A different take on the urban fantasy action story. Surprisingly sober, with the characters acting just as civillians, untrained to handle such situations, would (not as wannabe-heroes that can do the impossible every five pages), while still doing their best. Also, the medic aspect of the heroine is really interesting, and has a lot of potential, even outside the action sphere of stories. Also also,The vampires remind me a little of Anne Rice (at least how they were depicted in the movie :P), tortured gentlemen of the night, which is actually a little bit refreshing, since the inundation of subversions-as-gimmicks has already gotten tiresome, and the story is solid enough to use the stablished vampire tropes to a satisfying end-product. A nice read.
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Emm Campero
3.0 out of 5 stars Three stars for This book
Reviewed in Mexico on February 10, 2018
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I didn't find the writing engaging up until I reached the last three chapters when the climax happened. I think there was something lacking in the way the characters were written. I didn't really care about neither Greta nor the vampire but I did like that final battle.
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