Rooted in his experience as one of Mississippi’s premiere law professionals, James D. Bell’s first book, “Vampire Defense,” is a legal thriller with fangs. Attorney John Brooks is assigned to defend Hal Boyd, nicknamed the Butcher of Belhaven. Brooks’ defense makes nationwide headlines when he claims that his client believed his victims to be vampires. Readers should know that the Bell doesn’t shy away from gruesome scenes or depictions of occult activity. That said, the author is also careful to keep violence to the minimum necessary to the book’s plot, and evil is never portrayed in a positive light. In fact, the Gospel message is presented within the first fifty pages of the book. “Vampire Defense” shows what faith in action looks like in world where vampires and ghosts are as real as demons and angels. Bram Stoker meets John Grisham in Bell’s initial offering.