Thicker Than Water by Mike Carey
Dec. 23rd, 2012 06:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
quippeThe Blurb On The Back:
Names and faces he thought he'd left behind in Liverpool resurface in London, bringing Castor far more trouble than he'd anticipated. Childhood memories, family traumas, sins old and new, and a council estate that was meant to be a modern utopia until it turned into something like hell . . . these are just some of the sticks life uses to beat Felix Castor with as things go from bad to worse for London's favourite freelance exorcist.
See, Castor's stepped over the line this time, and he knows he'll have to pay; the only question is: how much? Not the best of times, then, for an unwelcome confrontation with his holier-than-thou brother, Matthew. And just when he thinks things can't possibly get any worse, along comes Father Gwillam and the Anathemata. Oh joy . . .
Immediately following DEAD MAN’S BOOTS, Felix and Juliet spirit Rafi away from the hospital and into Imelda’s care before Jenna-Jane can claim him for her Institute. But Felix barely has time to deal with that before DS Coldwood summons him to do a reading at a crime scene – a scene where Felix’s name has been written in the dead man’s blood. Suspected of murder, Felix has to clear his name but doing so means reconnecting with his family, including his brother, Matthew, who works as a priest.
His investigation will take him to a London council estate where something has gone terribly wrong – so wrong that Father Gwillam and the Anathemata are crawling over the scene. When Juliet refuses to help him, Felix is forced to make some unpleasant alliances that will have far-reaching consequences …
The fourth in Mike Carey’s FELIX CASTOR SERIES is another gripping page-turner that pulls together different strands from the earlier books to make a thrilling read that really adds to the series.
The main driver is Felix’s relationship with his family, particularly his brother. Carey does really well in revisiting the passive aggressive relationship between Felix and Matthew, neither of whom is quite able to accept the other. The scenes where Felix returns to Liverpool to speak with his mother and old friends really added to his character, especially those relating to his childhood gang.
I didn’t miss Juliet’s absence as much as I thought I would, although her presence does bring a chaotic joy that I did feel was missing from an emotionally heavy plot. The return of the fanatical Father Gwillam was enjoyable, especially the battle of wits between him and Felix. If there’s one thing Carey does well it’s that he’s not afraid to have Felix overplay his hand to his own detriment. Also handled well was the tension between Felix and Coldwood who wants to believe him despite Basquiat seeing this as an opportunity to advance her own career – it’s a reminder about how difficult it is to be Felix’s friend and how demanding he is.
The Rafi storyline is advanced to stunning effect with a jaw-dropping ending that made me really keen to read the series conclusion. Although THICKER THAN WATER doesn’t work as a standalone book – you do need to read the preceding books to get the most out of it – I think it’s well-worth the investment.
The Verdict:
The fourth in Mike Carey’s FELIX CASTOR SERIES is another gripping page-turner that pulls together different strands from the earlier books to make a thrilling read that really adds to the series. Although it doesn’t work as a standalone book – you do need to read the preceding books to get the most out of it – I think it’s well-worth the investment.
Names and faces he thought he'd left behind in Liverpool resurface in London, bringing Castor far more trouble than he'd anticipated. Childhood memories, family traumas, sins old and new, and a council estate that was meant to be a modern utopia until it turned into something like hell . . . these are just some of the sticks life uses to beat Felix Castor with as things go from bad to worse for London's favourite freelance exorcist.
See, Castor's stepped over the line this time, and he knows he'll have to pay; the only question is: how much? Not the best of times, then, for an unwelcome confrontation with his holier-than-thou brother, Matthew. And just when he thinks things can't possibly get any worse, along comes Father Gwillam and the Anathemata. Oh joy . . .
Immediately following DEAD MAN’S BOOTS, Felix and Juliet spirit Rafi away from the hospital and into Imelda’s care before Jenna-Jane can claim him for her Institute. But Felix barely has time to deal with that before DS Coldwood summons him to do a reading at a crime scene – a scene where Felix’s name has been written in the dead man’s blood. Suspected of murder, Felix has to clear his name but doing so means reconnecting with his family, including his brother, Matthew, who works as a priest.
His investigation will take him to a London council estate where something has gone terribly wrong – so wrong that Father Gwillam and the Anathemata are crawling over the scene. When Juliet refuses to help him, Felix is forced to make some unpleasant alliances that will have far-reaching consequences …
The fourth in Mike Carey’s FELIX CASTOR SERIES is another gripping page-turner that pulls together different strands from the earlier books to make a thrilling read that really adds to the series.
The main driver is Felix’s relationship with his family, particularly his brother. Carey does really well in revisiting the passive aggressive relationship between Felix and Matthew, neither of whom is quite able to accept the other. The scenes where Felix returns to Liverpool to speak with his mother and old friends really added to his character, especially those relating to his childhood gang.
I didn’t miss Juliet’s absence as much as I thought I would, although her presence does bring a chaotic joy that I did feel was missing from an emotionally heavy plot. The return of the fanatical Father Gwillam was enjoyable, especially the battle of wits between him and Felix. If there’s one thing Carey does well it’s that he’s not afraid to have Felix overplay his hand to his own detriment. Also handled well was the tension between Felix and Coldwood who wants to believe him despite Basquiat seeing this as an opportunity to advance her own career – it’s a reminder about how difficult it is to be Felix’s friend and how demanding he is.
The Rafi storyline is advanced to stunning effect with a jaw-dropping ending that made me really keen to read the series conclusion. Although THICKER THAN WATER doesn’t work as a standalone book – you do need to read the preceding books to get the most out of it – I think it’s well-worth the investment.
The Verdict:
The fourth in Mike Carey’s FELIX CASTOR SERIES is another gripping page-turner that pulls together different strands from the earlier books to make a thrilling read that really adds to the series. Although it doesn’t work as a standalone book – you do need to read the preceding books to get the most out of it – I think it’s well-worth the investment.
