Books: Doctor Who: The English Way of Death By Gareth Roberts (1996)

"It's the sweltering summer of 1930, and Londoners are enjoying the heatwave. The Doctor, Romana and K9 plan to take a rest after their recent adventures, but the TARDIS warns them of time pollution in the locality. What connects the isolated Sussex resort of Nutchurch with the secret society run by the eccentric Percy Closed? Why has millionaire Hepworth Stackhouse dismissed his staff and hired assassin Julia Orlostro? And what is the truth behind the infernal vapor known only as Zodaal"

While I found The English Way of Death a bit overstuffed, as a humorous science fiction tale set amongst the lives of the British upper-middle-class, it works. The witty, bohemian Doctor facing the 1930s social climbers is the saving grace of the book.  So while it's a fairly standard story –with zombies and a disembodied evil mist –this romp around the English countryside sets the stage for some good lines and odd, and sometimes eccentric British character. Roberts is one of the few Who writers of original novels who captures the spirit of Tom Baker’s era, especially the last few when he was traveling with Romana and K9. This book follows on from Robert's previous novel in the Past Doctor Who stories, The Romance of the Crime.