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Mike Carey
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Media
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Book
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Publisher | Orbit | ||
ISBN | 978-184149415 | ||
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Reviewer
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Gareth
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Synopsis
Before he died, Castor's fellow exorcist John Gittings made several calls asking for help and if Castor had answered them, John might still be alive. So when a smooth-talking lawyer comes out of nowhere to claim the remains, Castor owes it to John's unhappy ghost and even more unhappy widow to help out. If only life were that simple. A brutal murder in King's Cross bears all the hallmarks of an American serial killer supposedly forty years dead, and it takes more good sense than Castor possesses not to get involved. He's also fighting a legal battle over the body - if not the soul - of his possessed friend, Rafi, and can't shake the feeling that his three problems are related. With the help of the succubus Juliet, paranoid zombie data-fence Nicky Heath and a little judicious digging, Castor just might have a chance of fitting the pieces together before someone drops him down a lift shaft or rips his throat out. Or not...
Review
This is one of the best books I've read in ages - a joy to read. For once someone has managed to blend my two favourite genres of fiction perfectly: Noir-ish Detective with Supernatural Horror. So it was no surprise to me that the author was none other than Mike Carey.
I must admit to being slightly sceptical when I found that Mr Carey had written novels as the transition from one medium to another is not always a smooth one. Neil Gaiman managed it - but I feel that that particular gentleman can turn his hand to anything. And this is a point of view that I hold now with Mike Carey.
The concepts of Dead Men's Boots are startlingly original but ultimately so simple that it's a wonder no ones thought of them before - including me. Carey is able to blend the dark fantasy and horror with the mundane -in a way that is reminiscent of Gaiman, but completely different- and make both completely believable. Felix Castor is a really interesting, not quite as dark or manipulative as John Constantine but certainly on the same wavelength. In some ways Castor is a perfect blend of Philip Marlow and Constantine - with a bit of Edward Fitzgerald (Fitz in ITV's wonderful "Cracker" series) thrown in for good measure.
I can not wait to read more of Castor's exploits and would love to know if there are any plans for these novels to be made into movies...
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