Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Carey, a noted comics writer and creator, follows up his excellent debut, The Devil You Know (2007), with this even better, and even weirder, sequel. Felix Castor, a freelance exorcist, is hired to find a missing person well, technically, a missing ghost: a young woman who died last year, and whose spirit returned to her family home but now appears to have vanished. (We told you it was weird.) Little does Felix suspect that this seemingly minor case will lead him into dangers more terrifying than anything he could imagine, or that he will soon be trying to stop the resurrection of a demon of almost limitless evil. Considering its scary subject matter, the novel is relatively light, almost breezy, a traditional first-person detective story with a supernatural twist. The cast of characters is appropriately offbeat (Castor's old friend is possessed by a demon; the object of Castor's romantic crush is a succubus), and the story is full of scares, then laughs, then more scares. A treat for fans of supernatural fiction and of private-eye yarns. Genre-bending at its best.--Pitt, David Copyright 2008 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In Carey's fine second supernatural thriller (after The Devil You Know), Felix Castor, an exorcist with paranormal abilities who lives in a near-future England where ghosts and zombies are an accepted reality, is suffering from guilt after an attempt to separate a master demon, Asmodeus, from a friend, Rafi, ended with the evil spirit gaining even more control over Rafi. Fortunately, a new case provides distraction. Melanie and Stephen Torrington, who believe that their young daughter's ghost has been kidnapped, hire Castor to uncover some last trace of their child. The investigator soon finds that his employers haven't been fully truthful with him as he starts crossing paths with lycanthropes and other undead beings. Carey's imagined universe has some nice satiric touches (the term "zombie" has been designated a form of hate speech), and the well-developed main character appears more than capable of carrying a series for many books to come. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Adult/High School-This follow-up to Carey's The Devil You Know (Grand Central, 2007) returns readers to a modern-day London where ghosts and zombies have become part of daily life. The novel revisits the lives of many characters introduced in the first book, including the protagonist, Felix Castor, but it stands alone. Castor has returned to his life as an exorcist and quickly becomes involved in a "missing ghost" case that isn't as open-and-shut as it first appears. Similar in style and subject matter to Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's Brimstone (Grand Central, 2005), the book combines the detective thriller with supernatural elements to create a plot filled with suspense, ghoulish apparitions, and the Catholic Church. The narration provides a nice mix of dialogue and action, with humorous undertones sprinkled throughout, as Castor must rely on the help of zombies, werewolves, and a succubus to solve the mystery. Although the story begins slowly, it quickly picks up and comes to a satisfying end, finishing Castor's current adventure with a few subplots that are likely to be tied up in the next novel in the series.-Kelliann Bogan, Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Comic-book writer turned novelist Carey (The Devil You Know, 2007) resurrects his hero, exorcist Felix Castor, for another throw-down with supernatural forces in this intricately plotted tale set in London. Although many second novels disappoint, Carey's fans have nothing to worry about. If anything, this book ratchets up the action, making it even more compelling than The Devil You Know. This time around, Castor is working from his own slightly seedy office when a couple visits him with a compelling story. They have lost their young daughter in a terrible accident--but even more distressing is what happened to the child's ghost following her death. Castor, moved by their story, takes their case and unwittingly mires himself in a complex and deeply dark plot that pits the worst Hell has to offer against a shadowy band of men who not only want to stop it, but also kill Castor in the bargain. At stake: one simple, innocent soul that could, if wrongly used, bring Castor's greatest nemesis to date to the pinnacle of earthly power. Castor and his usual bunch of cronies from the previous novel--his landlady, Pen; Nicky, a zombie who is right at home on the Internet; and Juliet, an alluring succubus who has hung out her shingle as one of Felix's competitors--are all once again caught up in Felix's case, which only turns more deadly at every twist and turn. The story line never falters under the author's deft plotting, and his main man Felix retains that all-important dark sense of humor that somehow matches the London he inhabits. Carey juggles characters and bits and pieces of plot like a man with a thousand arms, catching each word and positioning it in exactly the right place in this deftly crafted, can't-turn-the-page-fast-enough read. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
