Thicker Than Water by Mike Carey

The 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 . . .

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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.

The Naming Of The Beasts by Mike Carey

The Blurb On The Back:

They say the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, but if you ask Castor he'll tell you there's quite a bit of arrogance and reckless stupidity lining the streets as well. And he should know. There's only so many times you can play both sides against the middle and get away with it. Now, the inevitable moment of crisis has arrived and it's left Castor with blood on his hands. Well, not his hands, you understand; it's always someone else who pays the bill: friends, acquaintances, bystanders.

So Castor drowns his guilt in cheap whisky, while an innocent woman lies dead and her daughter comatose, his few remaining friends fear for their lives and there's a demon loose on the streets. But not just any demon - this one rides shotgun on his best friend's soul and can't be expelled without killing him.

Looks like Felix Castor's got some tough choices to make, because expel the demon he must or all Hell will break loose. Literally . . .

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The Verdict:

Mike Carey’s final book in the FELIX CASTOR SERIES is a satisfying conclusion to the overall arc, tying together various plot lines but maintaining enough tension and twists to keep you turning the pages. I didn’t like the Juliet storyline, mainly because the domestic violence seemed so out of character that I thought it should have rung alarm bells and because it gets given a happy, consequence-free ending. Nevertheless, I’m really looking forward to reading Carey’s next work.

Flight From Berlin by David John

The Blurb On The Back:

August 1936: The eyes of the world are on Berlin, where Adolf Hitler is using the Olympic Games to showcase his powerful new regime. Cynical British journalist Richard Denham knows that the carefully staged spectacle masks the Nazis’ ruthless brutality, and he’s determined to report the truth.

Sparks fly when the seasoned newspaperman meets the beautiful and rebellious American socialite Eleanor Emerson. A superb athlete whose brash behaviour got her expelled from the U.S. Olympic swim team, Eleanor is now covering the games as a celebrity columnist for newspapers in the States. While Berlin welcomes the world, the Nazi capital becomes a terrifying place for Richard and Eleanor. Their chance encounter at a reception thrown by propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels leads them into the center of a treacherous game involving the Gestapo and the British Secret Intelligence Service. At stake: a mysterious dossier that threatens to destroy the leadership of the Third Reich.

Drawn together by danger and passion, surrounded by enemies, Richard and Eleanor must pull off a daring plan to survive. But one wrong move could be their last.

Set in America and Europe, David John’s Flight From Berlin is a masterful blend of fact and fiction, drama and suspense. A riveting story of love, courage, and betrayal that culminates in a breath-taking race against the forces of evil, it will keep you spellbound until its thrilling end.

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The Verdict:

David John’s debut novel is an interesting historical thriller that marries fact with fiction and is cast against the 1936 Olympics, with a vibrant heroine, some great dialogue and a contemporary feel. Although the pace and tension does slip in the second half, I thought this was an engaging mix of fact and fiction and I’m really looking forward to reading John’s next book.

Whispers Underground by Ben Aaronovitch

The Blurb On The Back:

In Tufnell Park, North London, a pair of railway tracks dive under a school, taking trains to and from Kings Cross. Wet, filthy, dangerous. Lovely place. And one Sunday before Christmas a sweet (sort of) kid called Abigail took me and my long suffering colleague Lesley May down there to look for a ghost.

We found one.

And that was that, I thought, because come Monday I get to do some proper policing. Person Unknown has been stabbed to death on the tracks at Baker Street tube. Magic may have been involved. And sure enough, in the blood; vestigia, the tell-tale trail magic leaves.

Person Unknown turns out to be the son of a US senator and before you can say ‘International incident’, FBI agent Kimberley Reynolds and her firmly held religious beliefs are on my case.

And down in the dark, in the tunnels of London’s Underground, the buried rivers, the Victorian sewers, I’m hearing whispers of ancient arts and tortured, vengeful spirits …

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The Verdict:

The third in Ben Aaronovitch’s PETER GRANT SERIES is another fast-paced, witty book with plenty of action and a twisting mystery. I was a little disappointed that it didn’t significantly move on the Little Crocodiles storyline, but this does work as a standalone and I was pleased to see Lesley get more page time. I’m really looking forward to reading the next one in the series.