In a Manhattan gallery, a strange, undead woman who’s been lost for centuries, is found in a basement and becomes the centrepiece of Shelley’s new museum show. Nicknamed Bessie, the Scottish Bride, she is an overnight celebrity as Christmas approaches. From the dusty vaults beneath the famed bookshops in Charing Cross Road, Shelley’s bibliophile aunt Liza receives crumbling volumes by post, while her friend Jack prefers brand-new books and his brand-new lover. When a small leather-bound book of spells arrives, Liza finds it repellent. But its arcane magic brings Bessie to life, and enthrals Shelley’s posh boyfriend Daniel – literally. It contains the quintessence of evil in the form of a dark bloodstain marking several pages: vampire blood. As Daniel’s power grows, everyone’s lives are infected. Soon the vicious vampire infestation rife in NYC threatens to spread to London – and only the Scottish Bride and her new friends can stop it…