OK, let's face it ... I'm a sucker for a literary-themed book of cocktail recipes. The notion is the perfect marriage of two diverse, yet keenly related, themes that it's hard to resist. (See my previous review of Tim Federle's Tequila Mockingbird: Cocktails with a Literary Twist for another example.) But to judge the success of a book of this nature, you must ask two questions: Has the theme been developed in a unique and fun way? And do the drink recipes seem tasty?

As author Iphigenia Jones notes in her introduction to The Turn of the Screwdriver: 50 Dark & Twisted Literary Cocktails, the phrase "dark and stormy" can refer both to the night at the hackneyed start of a notorious novel by Edward Bulwer-Lytton or, more contemporarily, a cocktail featuring rum and ginger beer. That's a good start to the theme, which promises to play up the "gothic horror" aspect of the featured stories.

Jones continues: "There is something about gothic literature that pairs nicely with a well-made drink. Perhaps it is the atmosphere of a cold drink in one hand while a storm rages in the novel, or the bitterness of alcohol paired with a doomed protagonist's regret, or maybe it is the liquid courage we need in order to dare turn the pages."

Nice, but you had me at "dark and stormy."

This is the second time I have encountered the author; I previously received a review copy of Jones's book What Would Wednesday Do? ... which attempts to cash in on the resurgent Addams Family craze with a tongue-in-cheek advice column. (That review will appear on this site in the near future; what does it say about me that Turn of the Screwdriver seemed the more urgent project to review?)

The book begins with the basics -- a few pages devoted to types of glassware used in mixology, the equipment any home bartender should have on hand, and drink-making techniques such as muddling and rimming.

Then it's time to address the types of spirits, liqueurs, wines and beers to be discussed in the book. As Jones notes: "As you know, anything involving spirits is sure to make for a fun evening, whether that be alcohol or ghostly apparitions. Let's focus on the former and let the featured tales focus on the latter."

The drink names and connections to literature are quirky and fun. Look for the likes of the Carmilla Crimson Cooler, the Castle of Otranto Old-Fashioned, the Woman in White Wine Spritzer, the Picture of Dorian Grey Goose, the Haunting of Highball House, the Count of Monte Cristal, a Street Sidecar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Gin Roof, and a Dark & Stormy Night in the House of Usher among the classics (based on literature circa 1764-1970), and Tequila is the Flesh, Red Rum, Things We Mulled in the Cider, and Lestat's Bloody Sazerac among the modern (1970-2022) offerings.

The drinks look entertaining. These are, so far as I can tell, fairly standard recipes, with some clever twists to strengthen the literary connections, but it's all about the presentation. This book is fun; Jones's brief summaries of the tie-in books are well handled, and her recipes are concise and easy to follow. The Turn of the Screwdriver provides a great foundation for a literary- or Halloween-themed gathering, and I for one can wait to sample a few of these drinks.