The first ever Missing Adventure, Goth Opera, hits the ground running in a way that Timewyrm: Genesys never did. In a bit of a marketing gimmick, it was written to tie into that month’s New Adventure, Blood Harvest, although I actually haven't read that entry at the time of writing. Goth Opera serves as a sequel to the aforementioned tale of gangsters and Gothicism. Well, I say sequel, but it could also be seen as a prequel from the Doctor’s point of view, occurring as it does in one of his earlier incarnations, the Virgin Adventures did this a lot, creating simultaneous sequels and prequels to classic tales of old and even ones of their own making.

As one would expect with Paul Cornell, the characterisation is on point for all three regulars, and that’s probably the biggest point in its favour. Within a matter of pages, I was sold on these characters being those we last saw in 1983, quite an impressive feat to accomplish 11 years after the fact. That skill for characterisation is the book's greatest asset, especially the regulars. His fifth Doctor is quite remarkable. It's all there: the mannerisms, speech, vulnerability and tetchiness. The cricketing holiday in Tasmania, a sort of extended version of Black Orchid, has some charming moments. Nyssa's quiet, gentle nature is emphasised, as is her strength of character that ensures her true self, conscience and all, can resist her vampiric conditioning for so long. While Tegan's social abrasiveness and concern for her companions juxtapose each other well.

This is not a novel for the squeamish or haemophobic. Some of the gory happenings and their descriptions can make even the most seasoned horror fans wince a little. The imagination is such a powerful tool and Cornell uses this to great effect. Despite a few minor complaints, Goth Opera is nonetheless an entertainingly gory little tale with fantastic characterisation, some intriguing thematic work, and the level of high-quality prose that we’ve come to expect from Cornell, even if it isn’t quite as evocative or romantic as his previous works.