A Night in the Lonesome October

Snuff is a dog.  His master is Jack the Ripper.  In the house where he lives, he must guard against the Thing in the Attic, the Thing in the Trunk, the Things in the Mirror and the Thing in the Basement.  The neighbors include a crazy witch, the Count (Dracula), the Good Doctor (Frankenstein), a werewolf, and a few other colorful characters.  In the wake of a murder early in the month of October, the Great Detective (Sherlock Holmes) arrives in the area and begins to investigate.  It just so happens that there will be a full moon on Halloween, which signals an opportunity to unleash the Elder Gods (a la H P Lovecraft) upon the world.  There are those who want to open a gateway and those who want to keep it shut.  All of them are preparing their spells, potions, and magical devices for the full moon.

The story is told entirely from the point of view of Snuff, each chapter detailing one day in October.  In his wanderings, he contacts the animal companions of the other players.  Graymalk the cat is teamed with the witch, Needle the bat with the Count, Bubo the rat with the Good Doctor, Quicklime the snake with the mad monk, and several others.  That they all chat with one another, bartering for gossip and information, is quite entertaining.  Another funny bit was that all of the Great Detective's clever disguises were useless against Snuff, who could always recognize him by scent.

Being Roger Zelazny - most remembered for his Chronicles of Amber - means there must be some sort of magical pattern.  Sure enough, the midpoint of where all the players reside will be the sight of the final confrontation.  That seems simple enough, but the Count has multiple coffins hidden for safety, some players are unrevealed, and some odd residents may not be players.  Snuff has an interesting time trying to pin down the site where the gateway can be opened.

It was unexpected to find Jack the Ripper as a hero, an apparently immortal figure who - with the help of his faithful dog - has repeatedly kept the Elder Gods at bay.  Hugely entertaining and highly recommended.