Wednesday, March 25, 2015

The Devil's Detective - by Simon Kurt Unsworth - Not sure what it was all about, but I did enjoy it

4 of 5 Stars     Review copy

Angels, demons, humans, Hell and a series of murders. Regardless of whether you believe in a literal Hell or not, The Devil's Detective will give your imagination a strenuous work-out. Simon Kurt Unsworth's debut novel introduces us to Thomas Fool, an Information Man, a detective of sorts who is tasked with investigating the circumstances surrounding a series of unusual deaths.

Fool is one of three investigators with specific rights laid out in The Information Man's Guide to the Rules and Offices of Hell. There's been no training for this job.  It's strictly learn as you go.

In addition to the ongoing investigations there is a small group of emissaries from Heaven who have come to Hell tasked with Elevating a number of humans to Heaven.  Selection is random, it's not like you get time off from eternal damnation for good behavior.

The author has done an amazing job of world building and I can promise you, this is not the Hell you may be used to.  To say The Devil's Detective is different would be a major understatement.  This is not the light-hearted, fun, Hell of a Sandman Slim novel, and it's certainly not a religious treatise on the subject, but The Devil's Detective is definitely a compulsive read.

Available in hardcover, paperback and a variety of ebook formats, The Devil's Detective is published by Doubleday.

Not for everyone, but recommended, particularly if you are feeling adventurous.

No comments:

Post a Comment