The Devil You Know (Felix Castor (Paperback)) by Mike Carey (2008-06-01)

This tale of necromancer Felix Castor gives listeners a different type of mystery. Fix, as he is known to his friends, is an exorcist. In this first of a currently short series of two novels, Fix is engaged in exorcising a ghost from the Bonnington, a local archive establishment. A seemingly routine matter, Fix begins his queries in order to establish where, exactly, the ghost is and is surprised to find that the ghost is violent, an unusual characteristic for the "undead." The job begins to unravel, putting Fix in danger from the living, the undead, and a demon succubus named Juliet who has been contracted to kill Fix. Throughout all of it, Fix remains calm and the reader sees him turn from a necromancer seeking to make a buck to a necromancer righting a wrong. The tale keeps the reader engaged and overall it's a fun read. The birthday party scene at the beginning of the book is not really necessary to the tale, so it takes about three chapters to settle in. Nevertheless, the book is relatively well edited and there isn't a lot of filler after that. The reader does have to believe in a netherworld in order to enjoy the book. The ending is nicely done. It's not rushed, nor elongated, and sets up book two, Vicious Circle. Mike Carey develops his characters well and the listener has just as good a chance at solving the mystery as Fix does.

In a world where the dead have left their graves - mostly as ghosts, but some carrying their bodies along too - Felix Castor is an exorcist. He makes ghosts go away; no one knows where.

As the story opens he is having trouble making ends meet, having given up his profession. Felix made a mistake a while ago and a friend will suffer for it all his life - and probably well beyond.

For it's not just ghosts that populate this brave new world but demons and werewolves and more, and some of them are too strong even for Felix, who's well aware of his expertise.

But, needing the money, he accepts a job to rid a musty archive/museum of its disruptive female ghost. Everyone has seen her - a woman with a face veiled in red, and Felix knows he won't have too much trouble trapping and exorcising her.

But the exorcist gets caught up in the mystery of her death, her pathos, her apparent need to communicate. Before the case is done, he will have battled a succubus and a vicious loup garou, both relentless in their pursuit of killing him. He encounters curses, crime bosses, and pure, ordinary evil.

Lively, dark and sprinkled with deadpan humor, Carey, author of the comic book series "Lucifer" and "Hellblazer" has crafted a wisecracking hero with expertise in a number of specialized fields, not all of them supernatural. This has the makings of a fine new series.

Mike Carey, who was responsible for some interesting runs on Vertigo's John Constantine, Hellblazer: Black Flowersand Lucifer Vol. 1: Devil in the Gateway comics, enters the fray of horror/fantasy novels with an interesting entry into the field of exorcism. Using music as the mechanism to ensnare wayward spirits and then have them depart this realm is an interesting device and Carey makes the most of it. But it's the nature of these spirits that's at the crux of this novel. Are they just after images trapped on Earth or are they truly here for a purpose; a circumstance that requires resolution before they can depart? This quandary adds depth to a novel that could have just turned out to be a variation on Hellblazer's Constantine. As it is, this puzzle and the horror of sexual slavery that is its cause make for a compelling read. Carey does a good job creating a sense of menace throughout his book, even when odds are his hero, Felix Castor will live to exorcise again. A last twist points to an interesting direction for the series, and I'm sure Carey has a few more tales of his musical exorcist to tell.

I've got some fairly compromised vision, and as such, I listen to a ton of audiobooks.

For an audiobook to be engaging, you not only need a compelling and interesting story, but also a reader that effectively conveys the words and voices of the characters created and penned by the author.

With this in mind, I don't believe I've ever listened to a book so wonderful as "The Devil You Know."

This is the kind of book you listen to not so much to get from A to B and finally find out "who dunnit" - as this information is really only periphery. Rather, this is the kind of audiobook you listen to to simply enjoy the journey, the wonderful prose and deadpan humor, the clever turn of phrase, and the rich and vivid descriptions of the various characters and scenes.

The reader (Mike Kramer) is absolutely perfect in his delivery of the material - and I sincerely hope he continues to read for quality authors in the future.

So, to sum, I can't recommend this audiobook enough - it's simply a delight!

This was an entertaining read, a detective story that involved solving something other than your usual crimes; this time the supernatural is involved and who better to battle it than Felix Castor, a freelance exorcist with musical talent.

Witty, charming and intelligent, he maps out the grid of the ghosts he's getting rid by playing music on his tin whistle, but this time something else is going on, for once Felix starts to care about why the ghost is haunting the Bonnington Archive, a posh literary mecca of manuscripts and forgotten memories. Instead of wanting to get rid of the pesky hooded lady in white he realizes that something fishy is going on in the seemingly civilized and proper world of art and treasures and some people have crossed moral lines resulting in a haunting. Felix has other things to worry about, a big guy named Scrub who forces him to take on other projects, a mysterious succubus summoned from hell to get rid of him - someone doesn't want him to solve the enigma - and a brothel pimp who wants him to work on his side. Suffocated by negative sources he must solve the mystery of the mute ghost while under the watchful eyes of Alice, the lady in charge who seems to run the Archive while sleeping with the boss.

I liked the set up; the archives - quite an interesting place since I love libraries and various other paper storage places. It echoed of slight creepiness at night when Felix would sneak in to do his work, while seemingly alone he bumped into some things that kept threatening his life. This book was a fun read, although not too deep it still kept me interested enough to finish it in record time and the ending has quite interesting, I didn't make the connections until they were shown to me, so that's good, surprises are always welcome in my world of reading. I also liked that it left some threads running, I can only conclude that this story line will continue but with different clues and a new crime.

- Kasia S.

I read the first three chapters and was completely bored so I tried the audio book thinking that I could listen to it at work and maybe get through it. I was wrong. It's just so slow! I made it about fifty pages into the audio book(cross checked it with the book) and had to give up.Nothing had happened, nothing was happening and I was tired of hearing about every pointless detail.

Felix Castor, free lance exorcist is working in London at a time when the supernatural is becoming more a part of everyday life in London--business is booming. Felix is cynical and smart, sort of a modern-day Philip Marlowe, with the snappy observations and occasional bad manners. He has reservations about the exorcist business but needs to pay the bills.

The latest job, a simple haunting, is turning into a bigger job than Felix can handle. He has to do some major snooping to figure out why this ghost has such a hold on the living. In the process he finds out that evil is done by the living and the dead can only re-enact it. If he gets too close to the truth, Felix may pay with his life.

Carey has created an interesting character who fits perfectly in modern day London where the ghosts are coming out of the woodwork. The Devil You Know is possessed by the spirit of noir fiction. The story is atmospheric, shadowy and at times disturbing. Felix is the prototypical hard-boiled detective with mordant wit, living in a violent and pessimistic world.

Hellblazer lite.

Not much of a surprise given Carey is writing it, and it is a pretty reasonable book, but certainly if this character and Constantine walked past each other on the street they'd do a double take.

Castor is not quite down to that sordid and nasty level, though. As an exorcist who has chucked in the job in a world where ghosts are real and the average person knows about it, he gets drawn back in to something that is quite sordid, involving trafficking and Eastern Europe, and a ghost mystery.

Werewolves here, for example, are just another variety of ghost, and one of the funniest threats seen recently - 'I can rip your throat out before you get to a second note' - said to Castor, who employs a tin whistle of all things to put down the undead.

If he gets bored and chucks in the ghost busting, he can always sit in with the Chieftains, the Pogues, Flogging Molly or the Dropkick Murphys or someone, we suppose.

3.5 out of 5

Ghosts, demons, and loup-garous all exist in the world of Felix Castor. Felix, know as Fix to his friends, is an exorcist. He doesn't fit the traditional mode, nor is he associated with any church or spiritual belief that gives him his ability to exorcise ghosts. Instead, Fix uses the music from a tin whistle. His latest case, involving a ghostly apparition at the Bonnington Archive, will test all that he believes in as there is more than meets the eye to this haunting. Will Fix solve this mystery or has he finally met his match?

Mike Carey has written an engrossing tale that puts a new spin on exorcism. The concept of an exorcism by music conducted by a non-religious individual is certainly an interesting one. London is the perfect setting for such a tale as Mike Carey does a fabulous job at creating an eerie atmosphere in which the landscape only adds to the overall ambiance of the tale.

Fix is an engaging character. His quick wit makes him likeable and one can't help but cheer when he gives someone their comeuppance. However, it is his introspection that really makes him stand apart from the crowd. Fix doesn't pretend to understand where the ghosts go after an exorcism, but his latest case has him questioning what he does. Fix isn't some kind of superhero but rather seems much like any other person but with an extraordinary gift that has inflicted massive changes on his lifestyle. It is easy to relate to Fix, particularly with the glimpses Mike Carey gives about his past.

THE DEVIL YOU KNOW is a deceptively powerful tale. Mike Carey cleverly draws the reader into the heart of the story and doesn't let go until the last page is turned. THE DEVIL YOU KNOW is creepy without being gory as Mike Carey demonstrates that setting a particular mood is an important piece of any storyline. I will be looking forward to reading more from this talented author.

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

"The Devil You Know," is a wonderfully entertaining, chilling, thriller. The novel abounds with otherworldly creatures - demons, ghosts, zombies, and lycanthropes, (loup-garou). The Devil himself, or one of his high ranking minions, even makes a brief appearance. However, some of Carey's human characters are so evil that the supernatural seem charming by comparison. What makes the novel really unique is the humor. Felix, (Fix), Castor is one of the wittiest protagonists I have come across in a long while.

Castor is a hard-boiled but very sympathetic freelance exorcist/ghostbuster. London is his stomping ground. His business card reads "F. Castor Eradications." Fix, as his friends call him, is down on his luck and owes his landlady mucho back rent. Landlady PEN, aka Pamela Elisa Bruckner, lives in a three story inverted penthouse - the penthouse is underground - and the monstrosity of a house has been in her family for eons, literally. She is a Wiccan Priestess and has been a close friend of Castor's since college days. PEN needs money badly, and, since Fix is semi-retired as an exorcist, she gets him a gig doing magic tricks at a boy's birthday party - not REAL magic, just the usual well-performed stage magic. Unfortunately he fails to collect his loot when his final trick goes wrong and the parents of the birthday boy throw him out. So, now it's back to ghostbusting. Castor is traumatized by the thought of returning to his God-given vocation. About a year ago he accidentally wove a demon into his friend Rafi's soul. Rafi and his demon now reside in a facility for the violent criminally insane.

The primary tool Castor uses in his trade is a whistle, a Clarke original, Key of D, ("the saddest chord"). He plays music on his tin whistle to bind and banish spirits. And naturally, he takes it everywhere. The whistle is for him what a gun is for a cop. He accepts a lucrative job to exorcise a ghost from the Bonnington Archive, a museum which holds priceless archival material from all over the world. The more Fix learns about this ghost, a transparent woman dressed in white with the top portion of her face veiled in red, the more he wants to learn about her and the circumstances behind her death before condemning her spirit to never-neverland. Her appearances have become increasingly more violent, to the point where a staff member is injured. Unlike many, Fix is a very ethical exorcist, and, at times, the truth means more than closing his eyes, doing the job and collecting the money. Sounds hokey, but the author makes it work.

Complications arise when a sleazy pimp named Damjohn shows up with his loup-garou and threaten Castor to back off. This is when Fix realizes that there is more to the sinister situation than meets the eye, especially when Damjohn sends a killer succubus to eat his soul. The mystery, tension and sense of doom heighten as it appears that one or more members of the museum's staff are involved in a variety of crimes.

This is no predictable paranormal mystery. The mystery(s) is extremely difficult to solve, and takes primary place over the otherworldy action. A sinister, shadowy and really scary air permeate the novel. The authors writing style is taut and the pace is fast. His exotic characters, the human and not so human, are wonderfully conceived and at times outrageous. Carey's descriptions are very creative and often funny - which provide a break from all the heavy stuff.

"The Devil You Know is the first in the Felix Castor series. Although this is his first foray into fiction, author Mike Carey is the highly successful comic book writer who created the critically acclaimed Vertigo series Lucifer, which garnered numerous international awards and was nominated for five Eisners. I can't wait to read the sequel.
Jana Perskie
Thicker Than Water: A Felix Castor Novel (Felix Castor Novel 4)
Dead Men's Boots

After reading Butcher's Harry Dresden series and Green's Nightside series, I was thrilled to discover another author who writes in this genre. I was hooked on The Devil You Know from the first page.

The Devil You Know is a well-written mystery novel with a suspenseful and dramatic plot and well-developed characters. The main protagonist, Felix Castor, is a cynical, witty, and irreverent character. Fix, as he is called, makes his living as a supernatural detective and freelance exorcist in a post-millennium London that is populated with ghost, demons, loup-garous and a myriad of supernatural beings.

Mike Carey's Felix castor novel is an outstanding entry into the supernatural investigator genre. I enjoyed this book immensely and look forward to reading the rest of the series.

This was an enjoyable read - Basically this is like Colombo meets Supernatural in Modern London - kind of a murder mystery when you look at the over-all tale - I was at a loss on some of the England references, but the tale was written well, and have enough intrigue to keep me going - because of the "Landlady" it definitely had a Sherlock Holmes edge to the tale, but there was not really a Watson - more of "contacts" through out London to help Felix "Fix" Castor along his story-line - for my tastes, it is not a GREAT book, but good enough to keep my interested and to keep me going - I may read book 2 sometime this year.

I really enjoyed this. It has a decent plot, interesting characters, plenty of amusing dialogue and set pieces and it works well as a detective story and as urban fantasy.

Maybe Castor was a little too similar to John Constantine and at times it seemed that characters were only introduced so that they could be used in later books in the series. Though as a comic book fan I didn't mind that.

It is possibly slightly too long and you can predict what is going to happen. However these are minor criticisms and I would recommend this. It manages to be both humorous and suspenseful at the same time. The `magical' elements are well handled and almost convincing!

Felix Castor has a trenchcoat (ex-Russian) and a whistle.

He's an exorcist-stroke-detective in Mike Carey's strange parallel London where the undead are a regular occurrence. In the later books, Carey spends more time developing the...er...necromantic ecosystem (e.g. world building), but in this first installment in the series, Castor is rolling up his sleeves and digging into a good-old-fashioned mystery.

The detective work is good fun - Carey uses the occult as a good mystery writer should use any criminal science - a way of furthering the story, not as a way of confounding the reader. Castor's a roguish, slightly-disastrous figure, but a lot of fun, and impossible not to cheer on. A great book - excellently plotted with great characters.

Oh, I enjoyed this book quite a bit! It thoroughly fascinated me with its array of ghosts, demons - not to mention all of its mysterious intrigue. It was definitely original - one of the more original books that I have read in a while! I'll keep an eye out for this author, for sure. And I am so excited to learn that this is the first book in a series!

I really liked the narrator, Felix "Fix" Castor. He had some great phrases and the dialogue was great, too. There were some holes in the plot (concerning his friend, who was possessed, for instance) but overall, it was a good, thoroughly entertaining story. And who knows - later books in the series may just explain this!

In London exorcist Felix Castor has earned a reputation for his work with ghosts. He uses a tin whistle to "capture" a restless spirit in his music and when he ends the tune, the apparition fades away. As good as he is and how great the fee is, Castor knows that somewhere out there is a phantom too strong for him and potentially could exorcize the human.

Castor agrees to remove a ghost from the Bonnington Archive in Euston. To this expert this is a typical haunting that he, as an experienced professional ghost eradicator, figures will prove easy and fast and he needs the money to pay his bills. However, nothing goes according to the rules of ghostbusting as the living and the different species of the dead want Castor eliminated. Handling demons and ghosts prove easy and fast, but the living turn out deadlier than the dead.

The key to this delightful urban Noir fantasy is London as the city seems genuine even with all types of supernatural residents. Castor is a terrific protagonist who holds the exciting story line together as readers learn about him somewhat through his reflections on previous cases, but mostly on the supernatural and natural assaults he faces at the museum. Loosely reminiscent of Dresden, yet different and definitely unique, sub-genre fans will gain immense pleasure from entering the world of Mike Carey.

Harriet Klausner

Felix Castor, free lance exorcist is working in London at a time when the supernatural is becoming more a part of everyday life in London--business is booming. Felix is cynical and smart, sort of a modern-day Philip Marlowe, with the snappy observations and occasional bad manners. He has reservations about the exorcist business but needs to pay the bills.

The latest job, a simple haunting, is turning into a bigger job than Felix can handle. He has to do some major snooping to figure out why this ghost has such a hold on the living. In the process he finds out that evil is done by the living and the dead can only re-enact it. If he gets too close to the truth, Felix may pay with his life.

Carey has created an interesting character who fits perfectly in modern day London where the ghosts are coming out of the woodwork. The Devil You Know is possessed by the spirit of noir fiction. The story is atmospheric, shadowy and at times disturbing. Felix is the prototypical hard-boiled detective with mordant wit, living in a violent and pessimistic world.

From the awful supermarket-ready cover to the "meh" title, and even the description on the back, it didn't sound that spectacular (remembering that the author has very little to do with trade dress helps). What we have here is a brand new fantasy world in the near future London where ghosts are as regular a pest as mice, and a pocket industry of exorcists has popped up. Carey does a good job of laying out the "physics rules" for this world without making it feel that way. The main character, Felix Castor, has a good mix of John Constatine and Pete Wisdom in him, and is a narrator with a very distinct voice: sarcastic, funny, and flawed. The plot, at it's core a murder mystery, moves pretty fast throughout and has several good surprises. The ending has left enough plot threads open for at least a few books, yet feels complete at the same time. All the same, when I was finished, I was compelled to immediately start the sequel.

Mike Carey, and the Felix Castor series, is one of the best series of books by one of the best writers I have ever read. I don't want to talk about the plots of the books too much, but this is what so many people strive for and miss. They are film noir detective stories set in an alternate universe. The best I can come up with is if Garth Nix and Neil Gaimon wrote the Dirk Gently series of books. Honestly I can not recommend this author and this series of books enough.

Do you believe the dead walk the earth as spirits? Read this book and you will--to your regret.

Felix Castor is a freelance exorcist. His receives a phone call with a job offer; it's more of a plea for help. He turns it down. He is out of the business, or so he thinks. A warning comes in the mail from a strange source. Felix visits the man/demon that sent the warning, and is told that he will accept the job, but it could well be the end of him. This isn't enough to stop the "ghost buster" when he needs the money to help a friend.

It's a toss up as to who will be excised. Exciting read with a different slant on spirits.

Reviewed by Wanda C. Keesey

I just finished the book 10 minutes ago. Mike Carey hit on every cliche of the hard-boiled detective genre. And I mean that as the highest possible compliment. All the best hard-boiled detective stories are ultimately about the murder victim, and a flawed champion seeking to lay his or her troubled ghost to rest by exposing the culprit. (For the record, I'm aware of how pompous that last sentence was. I've got a few beers in me. Give me a freakin break.) Carey adds a new layer with the supernatural element, making the victim's ghost a real rather than a metaphorical presence. The casting of an actual succubus in the femme fatale role was a nice touch, too. And no matter how outlandish the story became, Carey's feel for realistic settings and characters kept the whole thing grounded. It was gritty, disturbing, funny and surprisingly tender. At the end, Carey seemed to be laying the groundwork for a continuing series. I hope I'm right, because I'd like to read more.

Great fun to listen to this fine marriage of mystery and urban fantasy! A literate detective, an newly imagined environment, and fast moving plot brought to life by a fine narration. Although there have been some comments about the narrator's British accent, I'm from the US, and, not knowing any better, it sounded fine to me, Since so many reviewers have discussed plot and characters to death already, I'll not duplicate their comments--I'm looking forward to more from this series.

I enjoyed the story. Has some nice different elements to it. The different storylines converged quite nicely and unpredictably. I do still find it a bit hard to put my finger down on Felix Castor. It's like I didn't really get to know him through the first book. I'll be reading the next one for sure though as I've been a fan of mike Carey since his Lucifer days.

I don't recommend it for everyone but if you are interested in these types of books give it a try!

In London, the dead are no longer silent or invisible, but have taken to interacting with the living in ways most people find distressing. To get rid of the ghosts, they hire wise-cracking Felix, who has a talent for sending spirits on to the next world. However, when his attempts to exorcise one particular ghost meet up with a mystery, Felix turns detective to reveal the ghost's fate while coming up against demons, werewolves, and other creatures of the night. Overall, a well-conceived, well-plotted, and sparkling noir that will please both Philip Marlowe and "Buffy the Vampire Killer"/"Dresden File" fans.

I was totally hooked by this book. An exorcist who creates music to exorcise ghosts, demons. Love the character and his sense of humor. His best friend is posessed by a demon he cant exorcise because he made a mistake. A room mate in love with that posessed friend, a haunted museum he has to cleanse, a zombie fence, loved it.

Mike Carey has written one of the most original paranormal-thrillers I've ever come across, and done so in a humorous way that will have you turning pages far into the night...and then looking over your shoulder to see if something is watching you.

Highly entertaining!

(If this plot summary leaves you longing for more, please read one of the earlier reviews!)

This here's another entry into the paranormal investigator sub genre. Comic book writer Mike Carey's very enjoyable prose elevate this novel above the competition with wry turns of phrases and snappy wit and a populist cynicism of anti-hero Felix Caster. Plot wise however, by the time the murder mystery is solved the explanation is so ham fisted and lengthy that the exposition drones on page after page. The atmosphere to me seemed less noir-ish and more of a Simon Pegg (Sean of the Dead) vibe. Enjoyable, but could have had a tighter plot and a more satisfying tie up to the mystery.

Creepy and fun at the same time. Mike Carey created a nicely twisted alternate reality with intriguing characters.

I picked up the Audio Book from Tantor, and Michael Kramer makes a good book even better.

I generally dislike graphic novels, so was not at all sure that I would enjoy this book, since the author had only written graphic novels previously. I'm glad I took a chance on it; it's entertaining, original and very well written indeed. I was delighted by the wry humor; I am not a person who often laughs out loud, but several times, this book surprised me sufficiently to trigger a guffaw (a dainty one, of course, but still a guffaw). The characters and world are original, likeable, AND believable, no mean feat in fantasy fiction. The minute I finished it I ran to the book store to get the next installment in hardback. No higher endorsement can be given, when you're as naturally cheap as I am. ;)

"The Devil You Know" introduces Felix Castor, a down-on-his-luck exorcist. The techniques he uses for his work are rather innovative and usually unheard of in the genre of urban fantasy. Personally, I think that's the best part of the book--his whistle. The whole concept on which possession and ghost occupation is based on in Mike Carey's world is also more than a little interesting. It's a smart novel--with smart characters and very organized ideas.

However, despite the few occasional original notions, as a whole; the book is simply a bit bland and colorless. (And I'm keeping in mind that this is dark urban fantasy.) The plot in itself isn't all that predictable--mainly because one can never know how far the author is willing to go with the supernatural side of the novel--but the characters ARE too predictable. You'll never really go like, "Oh! Don't do that!" (because you'll already know what he or she will do).

And lastly: Even though Mike Carey is a fantastical writer, there is a lot of unnecessary information that doesn't add to anything productive--and therefore might bore you, as it did me. On the whole, it's a good book, but if you're looking for urban fantasy that's on par with Jim Butcher, Kim Harrison, Simon R. Green, or LKH--this is not it. This is a simple private detective novel with a supernatural twist. Not as good as an actual urban bestseller, and nowhere near as good as good regular mystery novels.

I picked up this book while in London, not knowing anything about it other than the description on the back and that it was signed by the author.

I LOVED it. Just a good, fun read with a grent blend of humor, chills and thrills. The very end of the book had me looking forward to reading the next adventure of Felix Castor.

Entertaining. Dark in subject matter and some sub-topics, but light in tone. Interesting, well presented, believable without cheesiness (rare for sci fi). Excellent as an audio book too (the best reader).

I am listening to this book, read by Michael Kramer. I don't think that there could have been a better choice to read this particular book.
Felix Castor is a great character, and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

I liked the main character. Gritty, without being a characature. I thought the para-normal devices were imaginative,and more importantly, were successfully woven into the story such that they felt natural rather than a special gimmick. I ordered the 2nd and 3rd one, even though I had to get the 3rd one from the store uk..

An excellent book by Mike Carey, entertaining, scary and amusing.
The main character Felix Castor is one of the most inventive creations I've read about in a long time, a sarcastic freelance exorcist for hire from Liverpool who enjoys all thats bad for him, smoking drinking and the wrong type of women (the demon kind).
It just goes to show that a good storyteller can spin their yarns whether in comic books or novels.
There are two more books in the series already available in England and I for one can't wait for the hardback editions.

I love Mike Carey, but....

The Bad: "The Devil You Know" is weak. There is nothing in this novel that hasn't been done better elsewhere. Carey sets up a interesting premise--the supernatural as a mundane fact of life--and then buries it in a noir procedural that keeps you two steps ahead of the protagonist. The fact is, and I know that this is a cheap shot, but this could have easily been a two issue JC story (funny, I never got that until now--I suppose credit goes to Alan Moore) instead of this bloated thing that only works as it ceases (the final chapter sets up a situation that might actually be interesting).

The Good: Carey has a darkly comic, and deeply empathetic voice. Also, he writes beautiful, witty, dialouge.

Although I was barely compelled to read this novel, I hope that Carey continues the series. One gets the sense that most of this novel is laying groundwork for something supremely creepy and entertaining.

I was looking forward to an exciting off beat novel about ghost or exorcisms or something along those lines. I am now half way threw reading this book and can honestly say it is slow moving and ponderous!!! I truly don't care for the main character or for that matter any characters in this book and am currently routing for the demons!!! The book doesn't stay on point and the main character comes off as a bumbling fool, and he's not supposed to be. I can't honestly say this book is even worth finishing, there are just too many interesting stories out there that are worth your time, don't bother with this one.

From the first line in the product description -- a red flag to incoherent writing.

The description reads: Felix Castor is a freelance exorcist, and London is his stamping ground.

"stamping ground"???? Really? The expression, Mr. Carey, is "STOMPING ground." As in stomping one's feet on the ground.

Functional illiteracy is not a quality for a writer.