Author Frank E. Bittinger writes of the complex and dichotomous dark world. All his passions, both joyous and otherwise, are woven into missives that horrify and edify fans of this complex genre. His key strokes chill, then warm, then tickle. He's a vegan who writes of blood. He's an animal advocate, despite the treacherous condition of the human beast. His cast of characters are either very pretty, or pretty despicable, and we'd expect nothing less of a trained cosmetologist who knows how to paint . . . in the flesh and on paper. And he's funny. All things claustrophobic, sinister and eerie collide, and then drip with humor. Think guilty grins and cemeteries -- and read ahead to unearth the wicked funny bones buried within this black, black "plot."