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Felix Castor #3
Dead Men's Boots
You might think that helping a friend's widow to stop a lawyer from stealing her husband's corpse would be the strangest thing on your To Do list. But life is rarely that simple for Felix Castor.
A brutal murder in King's Cross bears all the hallmarks of a long-dead American serial killer, 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 might be related. With the help of the succubus Juliet and paranoid zombie data-fence Nicky Heath, 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. . .
A brutal murder in King's Cross bears all the hallmarks of a long-dead American serial killer, 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 might be related. With the help of the succubus Juliet and paranoid zombie data-fence Nicky Heath, 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. . .
544 pages, Paperback
First published September 26, 2007
199 people are currently reading
2223 people want to read
About the author
Mike Carey
1,273 books2,973 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Mike Carey was born in Liverpool in 1959. He worked as a teacher for fifteen years, before starting to write comics. When he started to receive regular commissions from DC Comics, he gave up the day job.
Since then, he has worked for both DC and Marvel Comics, writing storylines for some of the world's most iconic characters, including X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR, LUCIFER and HELLBLAZER. His original screenplay FROST FLOWERS is currently being filmed. Mike has also adapted Neil Gaiman's acclaimed NEVERWHERE into comics.
Somehow, Mike finds time amongst all of this to live with his wife and children in North London. You can read his blog at www.mikecarey.net.
Mike Carey was born in Liverpool in 1959. He worked as a teacher for fifteen years, before starting to write comics. When he started to receive regular commissions from DC Comics, he gave up the day job.
Since then, he has worked for both DC and Marvel Comics, writing storylines for some of the world's most iconic characters, including X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR, LUCIFER and HELLBLAZER. His original screenplay FROST FLOWERS is currently being filmed. Mike has also adapted Neil Gaiman's acclaimed NEVERWHERE into comics.
Somehow, Mike finds time amongst all of this to live with his wife and children in North London. You can read his blog at www.mikecarey.net.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 360 reviews
February 10, 2017
I think this novel deserves a good long run and a mighty jump... the waters might be cold, but it's like Fix says about death. You get used to it real damn quick.
This world of mystery continues along its deep mystery roots, including such near caricatures of women that it nearly passes through to the other side, as if through death, to become something utterly strange and familiar. Femme Fatale? Try Femme Demonic, and you'll be on solid, unconsecrated grounds and wishing you'd paid just a little more attention to what your mother tried to tell you about 'dem women.
I'm not just talking about Juliet. I'm talking about all undead women forced into poltergeist holding patterns of serial murder.
(But don't assume you'll really guess the un-beating heart of this locked-room mystery. Things tend to shift and slide as in all good mysteries, but it can get awfully complicated when you throw in immortal demons feeding on lusts or rarified murders, zombies being brutally mistreated by uncaring main characters, or plain old sympathies for the devil. Welcome to the jungle.)
I have to admit I like this one better than the previous two volumes. There's enough twists and turns and eventual reconnecting threats and threads to make anyone's head swim, but it's the cold heart of Fix that ties everything back together in the end.
Is Fix really that likeable?
Jury is still out on that one. He borders a lot more closely to being an anti-hero than two-books would have you believe. It's easy to assume, since he is pretty passionate about helping the downtrodden dead, that he might be able to give a shit for any of the living.
Frankly, I'm not really sure about that. He gets along all right and enters into all types of social contracts readily enough, but like I said, his heart's really not in it.
It's probably pretty fortunate that he's not an overpowered UF protagonist.
He might then have the power potential and the heart to murder the world. (Am I the only one to think this? lol, maybe... but I just can't bring myself to TRUST him.)
Still, a fine and entertaining read!
This world of mystery continues along its deep mystery roots, including such near caricatures of women that it nearly passes through to the other side, as if through death, to become something utterly strange and familiar. Femme Fatale? Try Femme Demonic, and you'll be on solid, unconsecrated grounds and wishing you'd paid just a little more attention to what your mother tried to tell you about 'dem women.
I'm not just talking about Juliet. I'm talking about all undead women forced into poltergeist holding patterns of serial murder.
(But don't assume you'll really guess the un-beating heart of this locked-room mystery. Things tend to shift and slide as in all good mysteries, but it can get awfully complicated when you throw in immortal demons feeding on lusts or rarified murders, zombies being brutally mistreated by uncaring main characters, or plain old sympathies for the devil. Welcome to the jungle.)
I have to admit I like this one better than the previous two volumes. There's enough twists and turns and eventual reconnecting threats and threads to make anyone's head swim, but it's the cold heart of Fix that ties everything back together in the end.
Is Fix really that likeable?
Jury is still out on that one. He borders a lot more closely to being an anti-hero than two-books would have you believe. It's easy to assume, since he is pretty passionate about helping the downtrodden dead, that he might be able to give a shit for any of the living.
Frankly, I'm not really sure about that. He gets along all right and enters into all types of social contracts readily enough, but like I said, his heart's really not in it.
It's probably pretty fortunate that he's not an overpowered UF protagonist.
He might then have the power potential and the heart to murder the world. (Am I the only one to think this? lol, maybe... but I just can't bring myself to TRUST him.)
Still, a fine and entertaining read!
February 23, 2023
Another turn with our largely unhappy main character Felix "Fix" Castor, told in first person but in dense, literary prose full of detail and comments, often snarky, often self-deprecating, on much of the detail. Three stars in Goodreads' code means "I liked it," and that's quite true of the second half, in which the action picks up and three apparently separate story lines begin to intertwine and, by the end, become a complex adventure.
All three story lines are signaled in the publisher's blurb, thank goodness, and most of the blurb is reprinted at the head of this Goodreads book page. One little point: the original blurb makes it clear that the lawyer in question has a legal claim on John Gittings's corpse; it just feels like he's stealing it, especially after the burial. Gittings's ghost is indeed unhappy and has "turned geist" as Fix puts it, tearing up the living room but never harming his grieving widow.
Gittings and Fix are both exorcists, in a slightly alternate London, England, where ten years ago ghosts emerged into public view; most of them are harmless, but exorcists do a thriving business banishing the ones that cause trouble. Each exorcist uses an individual technique--Fix with his tin whistle and Gittings with drums, for example. Fix is sensitive to people's touch and that extends to ghosts; with his little instrument (always in his greatcoat pocket) he finds a melody that captivates the ghost, and when he stops playing the ghost vanishes for good.
So now the ghost of an American female serial killer, executed forty years ago, has turned up in London, and I hope it's not a spoiler to tell you that the ghosts in this story are much more powerful than the ones Fix has encountered before. The title refers cryptically to that power, and the words of the title show up on page 315, as the situation becomes clearer to Fix and to us readers. It's a long story, and it certainly tested this reader's patience, but four stars for the final chapters; I really liked the way it turned out.
As usual, Fix takes a lot of physical damage in the fashion of a hard-boiled detective story and carries on fighting in a way that strains credibility, especially when his chief weapon is the melody he's trying to play!
As the blurb hints, Juliet the demon and Nicky the zombie play major roles in this story. So does Fix's unrequited love interest Pen, who enlists his help to keep their friend Rafi in safe custody. The demon Asmodeus has possessed Rafi for years, and Fix feels responsible for what's happened. That puts a somber tone into the whole story, adding a desperate struggle to what's otherwise a lively, suspenseful adventure full of perilous action...in the second half at least.
All three story lines are signaled in the publisher's blurb, thank goodness, and most of the blurb is reprinted at the head of this Goodreads book page. One little point: the original blurb makes it clear that the lawyer in question has a legal claim on John Gittings's corpse; it just feels like he's stealing it, especially after the burial. Gittings's ghost is indeed unhappy and has "turned geist" as Fix puts it, tearing up the living room but never harming his grieving widow.
Gittings and Fix are both exorcists, in a slightly alternate London, England, where ten years ago ghosts emerged into public view; most of them are harmless, but exorcists do a thriving business banishing the ones that cause trouble. Each exorcist uses an individual technique--Fix with his tin whistle and Gittings with drums, for example. Fix is sensitive to people's touch and that extends to ghosts; with his little instrument (always in his greatcoat pocket) he finds a melody that captivates the ghost, and when he stops playing the ghost vanishes for good.
So now the ghost of an American female serial killer, executed forty years ago, has turned up in London, and I hope it's not a spoiler to tell you that the ghosts in this story are much more powerful than the ones Fix has encountered before. The title refers cryptically to that power, and the words of the title show up on page 315, as the situation becomes clearer to Fix and to us readers. It's a long story, and it certainly tested this reader's patience, but four stars for the final chapters; I really liked the way it turned out.
As usual, Fix takes a lot of physical damage in the fashion of a hard-boiled detective story and carries on fighting in a way that strains credibility, especially when his chief weapon is the melody he's trying to play!
As the blurb hints, Juliet the demon and Nicky the zombie play major roles in this story. So does Fix's unrequited love interest Pen, who enlists his help to keep their friend Rafi in safe custody. The demon Asmodeus has possessed Rafi for years, and Fix feels responsible for what's happened. That puts a somber tone into the whole story, adding a desperate struggle to what's otherwise a lively, suspenseful adventure full of perilous action...in the second half at least.
August 12, 2009
This was another terrific book by Mike Carey. It's a pleasure to read a book written by such a talented author. His use of language is just a step above most authors. When he describes a scene, I see it clearly. His descriptions are original and extremely vivid. He uses language in an extraordinary way; unfortunately I can't describe it was well as he does it. I put a few references in my comments, but I'd have to quote almost every page to capture the number of times I was amazed and impressed.
The story continues the tale of Felix Castor as he gets wrapped up in another adventure through his job as a "spiritual adviser." Fix used to be an exorcist, but he now feels uncomfortably aware that he doesn't know where he's sending the ghosts he exorcises, so has an uneasy relationship with his skills and basic nature. I think the book would work well as a stand-alone, but it helps to know Fix and his back story. This tale is dark, funny, thoughtful, mysterious with a touch of adventure.
Felix is still a bit of a mystery to me, sort of a typical mystery lead male character, sarcastic, stubborn on a case, loyal to his friends, and reluctantly heroic. There are several stories in this book that weave together to a satisfying whole, with some nice foreshadowing of an even bigger story to come. The parts about Felix's friends Pen and Rafi might seem a little out of place to a new reader, but to those who've read the previous books it would have been very out of character for him not to have followed up with his friends. I thought it added a touch of realism, that no matter what extraordinary things happen in life, the rest of the world still carries on and needs to be dealt with. The exploration of Juliet's nature and character are sure to be fan favorites, she's a terrific character.
Overall, it's a great book and a great series. Any fan of dark mysteries or urban fantasy is sure to enjoy Mike Carey's books.
The story continues the tale of Felix Castor as he gets wrapped up in another adventure through his job as a "spiritual adviser." Fix used to be an exorcist, but he now feels uncomfortably aware that he doesn't know where he's sending the ghosts he exorcises, so has an uneasy relationship with his skills and basic nature. I think the book would work well as a stand-alone, but it helps to know Fix and his back story. This tale is dark, funny, thoughtful, mysterious with a touch of adventure.
Felix is still a bit of a mystery to me, sort of a typical mystery lead male character, sarcastic, stubborn on a case, loyal to his friends, and reluctantly heroic. There are several stories in this book that weave together to a satisfying whole, with some nice foreshadowing of an even bigger story to come. The parts about Felix's friends Pen and Rafi might seem a little out of place to a new reader, but to those who've read the previous books it would have been very out of character for him not to have followed up with his friends. I thought it added a touch of realism, that no matter what extraordinary things happen in life, the rest of the world still carries on and needs to be dealt with. The exploration of Juliet's nature and character are sure to be fan favorites, she's a terrific character.
Overall, it's a great book and a great series. Any fan of dark mysteries or urban fantasy is sure to enjoy Mike Carey's books.
December 28, 2019
I liked this one better than the previous one, but I still don't like the women in here. I can understand Juliet, she isn't a woman after all, but... What the Hell, Pen?? Are you moron?? And I don't like Felix martyr... Oh... poor me... I'm the cause of everything wrong in the World... No, man, no, the Universe is bigger than you.
March 12, 2015
~4.5
Felix "Fix" Castor, ex-exorcist and provider of "spiritual services" (no, he doesn't know what it means either) is having woman troubles, and not just romantic ones. Sure, after the events of Vicious Circle, Pen, his unrequited love interest, isn't speaking to him, and Juliet, demonic succubus and his unrequited lust interest, has a committed relationship with another woman, but he has far more problems than that. Pen has gotten him embroiled in a nasty court case over his demonically- possessed friend Rafi, all while trying to ignore his existence. Carla Gittings, widow of another exorcist, is being haunted by the angry geist of her late husband and has enlisted Fix's help. If that weren't enough, Fix has been hired by a distressed wife to prove that her husband didn't commit a murder--an extremely dead psychopathic American murderess did it instead. As I said. Woman troubles. As Fix begins to try to make sense of the situation, he begins to think that the cases are related and that Carla Gittings' husband may have stumbled into a horrific conspiracy of murder and possession. As Fix's involvement brings him to the attention of some of the most deadly antagonists he has yet faced, it's time to follow "The gospel according to Castor, Chapter 1, Verse 1: When in doubt, duck."
As always, Carey's book was a wild ride. I love Fix's wry voice, and the vivid writing and dialogue bring the characters and world to life. As always, I'm not sure this is a perfect fit for fans of The Dresden Files; not only are the world and tone much darker, but even the basic structure is somewhat different: Harry Dresden typically goes up against antagonists several power grades above him, but his formidable magical talents make him a serious threat. Fix has the same powers as any exorcist, but nothing more; only his determination, guile hero tendencies, and dependence on stronger allies allow him to make it through. As Fix himself says, "I'm like Avis rent-a-car: Because I'm insignificant, I try harder." The world itself is fascinating. Personally, I think that Castor is in the middle of the Rapture, and for once, the protagonist had nothing to do with bringing about the apocalypse. The mysteries beyond the grave come back to haunt the living, and society has no rules defining the interactions with the undead. Exorcists, as Fix once did, contend that the ghosts and zombies are nothing but echoes and that exterminating them is as benign as flipping off a radio. Some, like Fix's colleague Jemma-Jane Mullbridge, take advantage of the lack of guidelines to perform experiments on the undead that no ethical board would allow any living creature. A growing group of bright-eyed idealists have become activists who assert that both human rights and life itself continue "after breath". Fix Castor isn't sure what happens after death, and now carries a heavy weight of guilt from his past actions as a carefree exorcist. All of the supernatural beings in Fix's world, other than demons, are human in origin, so there are no easy and guilt-free salt'em-burn'em solutions as there are in most other urban fantasy series. In the end, every atrocity Fix encounters is inherently a human one, so the story repeatedly explores the lengths humans will go to retain some semblance of life.
Even the interactions with demons are an exploration of humanity. Juliet is now in a relationship, apparently in love with the bookish Susan Book. She seems as confused as the reader in understanding what this means, and I was intrigued by her attempts to construct a human identity and to rationalize her own past as a being repeatedly forced to use her sexuality to destroy others. Juliet's actions raised one aspect of the books that I had difficulty in describing coherently: the portrayal of women. The hardboiled/noir genre has a proud history of partitioning women into either "damsels in distress" or "femme fatales," but Carey goes one step farther, utilizing the gender divisions from the 19th century. All but one of the women in every single book (as far as I can recall) are repeatedly described as vibrant, animalistic, and ruled by their passions, while men base their actions on logic and calculation. The only individual to break the dichotomy is Jenna-Jane Mullbridge, and Castor actually describes her as "unfeminine" a few times. Personally, I think it's a generalization best left to the Victorian times. On a lighter note, Carey is one of the few writers in the genre who creates honest-to-goodness mystery stories, and I think this is his best so far; you'll figure out much of what is going on before Fix does, but it will take half the book instead of half a dozen pages. There is also an encore of one of the creepiest instances of a were-beast I've personally encountered...it might even make you look at all those internet kitty memes a little differently.
One of the formulas for naming your hardboiled/noir protagonist is to combine a mundane first name with a proper-noun-and-meaningful last-name. That's how you get Harry "the building was on fire and it wasn't my fault" Dresden, Alex "I see the the true future" Verus, James "Sandman Slim" Stark, etc. "Castor" is indeed apropos: castor oil is used therapeutically as a purgative, but it also happens to be a major source of ricin. Like his namesake, Fix starts out attempting to do good, but his presence is often disastrous for those around him. His given name and nickname have a certain irony: he is certainly not happy, his presence is rarely felicitous, and however hard he tries to fix all of the problems he sees, he is doomed to failure, at least in his assessment of himself. Fix Castor is a man drowning in his own guilt, submerged and isolated from the rest of humanity by his remorse and self-loathing. He walks the mean streets, dragging his crushing weight of guilt and self-hatred behind him, making every interaction into a hostile one because he fears that forming attachments will eventually lead him to fail someone else he cares about. Every single story that Fix has told about himself is a story of self-recrimination, from his childhood dealings with Katie to his failure to save Rafi. Every single story he tells us, including the major plot of each novel, ends with him blaming himself. Considering Fix as an unreliable narrator, this is an interesting effect: either Fix remembers all incidents in his life from the perspective of his own failings, or he is actively attempting to present himself negatively to the reader. In either case, it creates an oddly vulnerable, human, and ultimately likeable character, to be seen not as a lost, violent soul, but only as a hollow man.
Yet again, the most depressing aspect of the book for me was the isolation, which is in no small part created by Fix's shell of hostility. Fix has scant trust and even less respect for most of the people he encounters, and in the dingy world that Carey has created, it is difficult to blame him. After the last book, his friendship with Pen and Coldwood have practically disintegrated, and the events of the story put even his relationship with Juliet into jeopardy. As always, Fix and Nick are openly and aggressively hostile, with Fix going out of his way to antagonize the zombie; I can't comprehend why Nicky ever lets Castor through his doors, and I really don't understand why he continues to help. Yet as usual, Fix tries to be there for whoever leans on him, from Carla to Juliet to Pen. Yet again, he sees himself as failing them all.
Dead Men's Boots is a deeply satisfying story: a tightly plotted, entertaining mystery placed in an imaginative world that explores the boundaries of humanity and death. I can't wait to start the next book.
Excerpted from my (rather verbose and quote-filled) review on Booklikes.
Felix "Fix" Castor, ex-exorcist and provider of "spiritual services" (no, he doesn't know what it means either) is having woman troubles, and not just romantic ones. Sure, after the events of Vicious Circle, Pen, his unrequited love interest, isn't speaking to him, and Juliet, demonic succubus and his unrequited lust interest, has a committed relationship with another woman, but he has far more problems than that. Pen has gotten him embroiled in a nasty court case over his demonically- possessed friend Rafi, all while trying to ignore his existence. Carla Gittings, widow of another exorcist, is being haunted by the angry geist of her late husband and has enlisted Fix's help. If that weren't enough, Fix has been hired by a distressed wife to prove that her husband didn't commit a murder--an extremely dead psychopathic American murderess did it instead. As I said. Woman troubles. As Fix begins to try to make sense of the situation, he begins to think that the cases are related and that Carla Gittings' husband may have stumbled into a horrific conspiracy of murder and possession. As Fix's involvement brings him to the attention of some of the most deadly antagonists he has yet faced, it's time to follow "The gospel according to Castor, Chapter 1, Verse 1: When in doubt, duck."
As always, Carey's book was a wild ride. I love Fix's wry voice, and the vivid writing and dialogue bring the characters and world to life. As always, I'm not sure this is a perfect fit for fans of The Dresden Files; not only are the world and tone much darker, but even the basic structure is somewhat different: Harry Dresden typically goes up against antagonists several power grades above him, but his formidable magical talents make him a serious threat. Fix has the same powers as any exorcist, but nothing more; only his determination, guile hero tendencies, and dependence on stronger allies allow him to make it through. As Fix himself says, "I'm like Avis rent-a-car: Because I'm insignificant, I try harder." The world itself is fascinating. Personally, I think that Castor is in the middle of the Rapture, and for once, the protagonist had nothing to do with bringing about the apocalypse. The mysteries beyond the grave come back to haunt the living, and society has no rules defining the interactions with the undead. Exorcists, as Fix once did, contend that the ghosts and zombies are nothing but echoes and that exterminating them is as benign as flipping off a radio. Some, like Fix's colleague Jemma-Jane Mullbridge, take advantage of the lack of guidelines to perform experiments on the undead that no ethical board would allow any living creature. A growing group of bright-eyed idealists have become activists who assert that both human rights and life itself continue "after breath". Fix Castor isn't sure what happens after death, and now carries a heavy weight of guilt from his past actions as a carefree exorcist. All of the supernatural beings in Fix's world, other than demons, are human in origin, so there are no easy and guilt-free salt'em-burn'em solutions as there are in most other urban fantasy series. In the end, every atrocity Fix encounters is inherently a human one, so the story repeatedly explores the lengths humans will go to retain some semblance of life.
Even the interactions with demons are an exploration of humanity. Juliet is now in a relationship, apparently in love with the bookish Susan Book. She seems as confused as the reader in understanding what this means, and I was intrigued by her attempts to construct a human identity and to rationalize her own past as a being repeatedly forced to use her sexuality to destroy others. Juliet's actions raised one aspect of the books that I had difficulty in describing coherently: the portrayal of women. The hardboiled/noir genre has a proud history of partitioning women into either "damsels in distress" or "femme fatales," but Carey goes one step farther, utilizing the gender divisions from the 19th century. All but one of the women in every single book (as far as I can recall) are repeatedly described as vibrant, animalistic, and ruled by their passions, while men base their actions on logic and calculation. The only individual to break the dichotomy is Jenna-Jane Mullbridge, and Castor actually describes her as "unfeminine" a few times. Personally, I think it's a generalization best left to the Victorian times. On a lighter note, Carey is one of the few writers in the genre who creates honest-to-goodness mystery stories, and I think this is his best so far; you'll figure out much of what is going on before Fix does, but it will take half the book instead of half a dozen pages. There is also an encore of one of the creepiest instances of a were-beast I've personally encountered...it might even make you look at all those internet kitty memes a little differently.
One of the formulas for naming your hardboiled/noir protagonist is to combine a mundane first name with a proper-noun-and-meaningful last-name. That's how you get Harry "the building was on fire and it wasn't my fault" Dresden, Alex "I see the the true future" Verus, James "Sandman Slim" Stark, etc. "Castor" is indeed apropos: castor oil is used therapeutically as a purgative, but it also happens to be a major source of ricin. Like his namesake, Fix starts out attempting to do good, but his presence is often disastrous for those around him. His given name and nickname have a certain irony: he is certainly not happy, his presence is rarely felicitous, and however hard he tries to fix all of the problems he sees, he is doomed to failure, at least in his assessment of himself. Fix Castor is a man drowning in his own guilt, submerged and isolated from the rest of humanity by his remorse and self-loathing. He walks the mean streets, dragging his crushing weight of guilt and self-hatred behind him, making every interaction into a hostile one because he fears that forming attachments will eventually lead him to fail someone else he cares about. Every single story that Fix has told about himself is a story of self-recrimination, from his childhood dealings with Katie to his failure to save Rafi. Every single story he tells us, including the major plot of each novel, ends with him blaming himself. Considering Fix as an unreliable narrator, this is an interesting effect: either Fix remembers all incidents in his life from the perspective of his own failings, or he is actively attempting to present himself negatively to the reader. In either case, it creates an oddly vulnerable, human, and ultimately likeable character, to be seen not as a lost, violent soul, but only as a hollow man.
Yet again, the most depressing aspect of the book for me was the isolation, which is in no small part created by Fix's shell of hostility. Fix has scant trust and even less respect for most of the people he encounters, and in the dingy world that Carey has created, it is difficult to blame him. After the last book, his friendship with Pen and Coldwood have practically disintegrated, and the events of the story put even his relationship with Juliet into jeopardy. As always, Fix and Nick are openly and aggressively hostile, with Fix going out of his way to antagonize the zombie; I can't comprehend why Nicky ever lets Castor through his doors, and I really don't understand why he continues to help. Yet as usual, Fix tries to be there for whoever leans on him, from Carla to Juliet to Pen. Yet again, he sees himself as failing them all.
Dead Men's Boots is a deeply satisfying story: a tightly plotted, entertaining mystery placed in an imaginative world that explores the boundaries of humanity and death. I can't wait to start the next book.
Excerpted from my (rather verbose and quote-filled) review on Booklikes.
January 25, 2024
Wspaniała rozrywka! Jak dotąd najlepszy tom serii.
January 25, 2016
Castor's cases get mixed up again and he and Juliet end up investigating the suicide and subsequent haunting of a fellow exorcist along with a vicious rape and murder by someone who may be more innocent than he appears.
I think I'm done with this series. Castor becomes increasingly less likable to me as the series continues, so the stakes keep getting lower. His primary means of interacting with people, including his friends, is by bullying and even he doesn't even particularly like his friends unless they can do something for him or they're involved in something interesting. He uses and abuses with impunity. The only shining light in the book is Juliet and in a lot of ways she's not much better than Castor. She is better than Castor though: her relationship with Sue Book is more genuine than anything that Castor has in his life.
I think it says something when a literal soul-sucking demoness from hell has a more human relationship than anything that the main character has going on.
I think I'm done with this series. Castor becomes increasingly less likable to me as the series continues, so the stakes keep getting lower. His primary means of interacting with people, including his friends, is by bullying and even he doesn't even particularly like his friends unless they can do something for him or they're involved in something interesting. He uses and abuses with impunity. The only shining light in the book is Juliet and in a lot of ways she's not much better than Castor. She is better than Castor though: her relationship with Sue Book is more genuine than anything that Castor has in his life.
I think it says something when a literal soul-sucking demoness from hell has a more human relationship than anything that the main character has going on.
January 23, 2016
3.5 rounding up. I think I enjoyed the plot of this one the most - there are serious stakes and some interesting tidbits from London's criminal history. Some good wins in this one for our heroes, too.
March 23, 2016
I really enjoy the mystery aspect of these books - the mix of mystery, ghosts, zombies, and demons is really fun. I also liked seeing more Juliet this book.
March 23, 2016
One of my personal faves in the series.
March 12, 2024
This is a series I really enjoy listening to on audiobook, even though the protagonist is fairly unlikeable and none of the women in the series are fleshed out at all; they're all fairly one dimensional caricatures. (They all have pretty much one defining characteristic and... that's it. That's all there is too them.) But if you can get past the complete lack of character development, this is a fun urban fantasy series with a reluctant exorcist trying to make a living in a London where the dead have begun rising in noticeable numbers. We've gotten a few slight hints that there's some bigger, overarching story going on. In this book we a few demons obliquely mentioning some "Great Project" that happened - or maybe didn't happen? - in hell, so I'm sure that's going to come back to bite Fix at some point. I really appreciate when a series lays out some breadcrumbs along the way for a bigger story down the line, especially in this genre.
Honestly this a bit of a poor man's Dresden Files, but it's like spending the day at the amusement part. You're not bettering yourself, you're not learning any deep truths, and you're not going to change your life. But you're still gonna have a hell of a ride and it'll be a good time.
Honestly this a bit of a poor man's Dresden Files, but it's like spending the day at the amusement part. You're not bettering yourself, you're not learning any deep truths, and you're not going to change your life. But you're still gonna have a hell of a ride and it'll be a good time.
September 22, 2009
Third installment of Felix Castor series. The blurb advertises it as "three cases in which Castor gets hopelessly tangled even though he should know better". Not very promising... however, the reader should know better than to trust a blurb. The book's main plot, however, focuses on only two of these cases, while the other provides some sort of backstory which looks completely useless. I guess it's needed as a base for future development, since Castor novels are not standalones in their own might, but some threads carry on between volumes.
This time Castor is hired to get to the truth behind brutal murder that looks like crimes committed by serial killer who died 40 years ago. As he digs in, he uncovers a whole lot more than he hoped to find.
This volume is much darker than previous ones. There are moments that involve more horror and thriller than supernatural or mystery. Usually I don't like the "it's a world-wide conspiracy" type of plot, but here it was executed really well. There was only one issue that wasn't addressed by the author - but maybe the consequences will be presented in the next volume.
The one thing that I really like about Castor is that he simply gets things done. He doesn't whine and go emo, doesn't sort out personal issues which later miraculously turn out to be deeply connected to the plot from the blurb; he simply focuses on his work without annoying sidetracking. Thanks to that, action moves very fast, it's literally hard to put the book down.
In my opinion, third volume of the series is the best one so far. I enjoyed the setting, was surprised by plot twists. Carey managed to take a different look at some cliche elements he used. Overall, it's a very good book, both due to enjoyment factor and technical value.
This time Castor is hired to get to the truth behind brutal murder that looks like crimes committed by serial killer who died 40 years ago. As he digs in, he uncovers a whole lot more than he hoped to find.
This volume is much darker than previous ones. There are moments that involve more horror and thriller than supernatural or mystery. Usually I don't like the "it's a world-wide conspiracy" type of plot, but here it was executed really well. There was only one issue that wasn't addressed by the author - but maybe the consequences will be presented in the next volume.
The one thing that I really like about Castor is that he simply gets things done. He doesn't whine and go emo, doesn't sort out personal issues which later miraculously turn out to be deeply connected to the plot from the blurb; he simply focuses on his work without annoying sidetracking. Thanks to that, action moves very fast, it's literally hard to put the book down.
In my opinion, third volume of the series is the best one so far. I enjoyed the setting, was surprised by plot twists. Carey managed to take a different look at some cliche elements he used. Overall, it's a very good book, both due to enjoyment factor and technical value.
January 27, 2015
Three Felix Castor books down, and loving every one of them. Plotlines intriguing and perfectly woven, a marvellously droll sense of humour, and a particularly visual (and occasionally visceral) use of simile that I've mentioned before. Add to this, the best depiction of demons bar none - not only Juliet, sensual and terrifying as ever (and very touching, as her story unfolds) but also the portrayal of Moloch, with very Miltonian echoes.
And props to Mike Carey for being the only author I know who can put Bukkake and The Waltons in the same sentence. A sentence that I never need to read again.
And props to Mike Carey for being the only author I know who can put Bukkake and The Waltons in the same sentence. A sentence that I never need to read again.
January 6, 2021
A bit too complex and detailed for fluid reading but I do like Felix and his friends and Carey is always a pleasure to read.
April 23, 2010
I'm enjoying this series, which is urban fantasy set in modern-day London. I really like the way Mike Carey writes. There is the occasional spot where I can't figure out what he's talking about - references specific to the UK, I presume, although I like to think that I understand most of those. I've visited London, and it's fun to be familiar with some of the geography as Castor wanders around the city.
As usual, the plot in this book is advanced way too much by confessions from the bad guys. In fact, there are altogether too many scenes where a character sits Castor down and explains the situation to him. But this was a fun read, and there's an overall story arc that is growing more interesting, so I look forward to the next book.
My eyebrows went up when Castor made a bizarre visit to a fictional small town in Alabama (not far from where I live), but the trip turned out to be not especially exciting in itself.
As usual, the plot in this book is advanced way too much by confessions from the bad guys. In fact, there are altogether too many scenes where a character sits Castor down and explains the situation to him. But this was a fun read, and there's an overall story arc that is growing more interesting, so I look forward to the next book.
My eyebrows went up when Castor made a bizarre visit to a fictional small town in Alabama (not far from where I live), but the trip turned out to be not especially exciting in itself.
September 18, 2014
There is something about the way these books are written that I really enjoy. I think it's the slightly twisted occult London where ghosts have come back. It's not as mystical and magical as others and the realism adds to the spookiness. I also really enjoy the writing style. I was a bit disappointed in the 2nd book in the series, there were far too many car chases and shopping malls. This one felt much more like London. For the most part Felix had to rely on public transport. The story involved a friend who had died and a murder that was done by the ghost of an American serial killer, rather than the man who was in prison. Everything wove together beautifully and as usual with Mike Carey there were no real good or evil but everything was delightful shades of gray. I borrowed this one from the library but enjoyed it so much I went ahead and bought the next volume in the series instead.
September 18, 2014
Good continuation of this series in which Felix finds himself helping the widow of another exorcist, who killed himself. Of course, nothing's as it seems and everything gets much more complicated. I did catch a couple of continuity errors, which I always find distracting.
April 11, 2015
Another entertaining supernatural noir mystery featuring hard-luck exorcist Felix Castor. Those (like me) who were disappointed at Juliet's near-absence in the last novel, will be happy to find she has a far greater presence this time round.
March 27, 2018
I can only quote Bilbo Baggins here: ...I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve..
Mike Carey crafted this book meticulously. I really wanted to like it, but I found myself working to finish it. In my mind there’s too much mayhem, painstakingly detailed, with no real relevance to the plot. When I got to the end I didn’t recognize the significance of the final courtroom scene, even after it was done. And watching as Felix alienates his allies one by one, then manages to at least sow the seeds of their forgiveness by the end of the book, is becoming tiresome.
My favorite Mike Carey book by far is Fellside. (I found his critically-acclaimed The Girl With All the Gifts somewhat tedious.) I will continue to borrow the Felix Castor novels from the library because my husband enjoys them.
Mike Carey crafted this book meticulously. I really wanted to like it, but I found myself working to finish it. In my mind there’s too much mayhem, painstakingly detailed, with no real relevance to the plot. When I got to the end I didn’t recognize the significance of the final courtroom scene, even after it was done. And watching as Felix alienates his allies one by one, then manages to at least sow the seeds of their forgiveness by the end of the book, is becoming tiresome.
My favorite Mike Carey book by far is Fellside. (I found his critically-acclaimed The Girl With All the Gifts somewhat tedious.) I will continue to borrow the Felix Castor novels from the library because my husband enjoys them.
December 28, 2021
This is a solid and unexceptional urban fantasy mystery with ghosts, a succubus and a stoic guy solving crimes in a Russian infantry great coat. When I say it's unexceptional, I'm not trying to be mean. Instead, I mean if that kind of thing is your jam, this is going to scratch an itch exactly right.
I think I remember liking the first two a little better than this one, but the mystery is well-built, all the threads tie up satisfyingly, and Felix Castor is a pretty good hero. If you like British mysteries but also urban fantasy, these are fun to pick up.
I think I remember liking the first two a little better than this one, but the mystery is well-built, all the threads tie up satisfyingly, and Felix Castor is a pretty good hero. If you like British mysteries but also urban fantasy, these are fun to pick up.
November 14, 2025
It took me forever to get through this book, and I could have easily laid it aside and forgotten all about it (if it didn't belong to the library) at any point in the story.
The plot creeps along like a snail shot up with Xanax and it's page, after page, after page of mind-numbing boringness.
1 and a half stars rounded up to 2 because the ending was "ok."
Would not recommend.
The plot creeps along like a snail shot up with Xanax and it's page, after page, after page of mind-numbing boringness.
1 and a half stars rounded up to 2 because the ending was "ok."
Would not recommend.
September 17, 2018
This one seemed to drag a bit. The story wasn't bad, but it was just tedious getting there.
October 23, 2019
Another solid book in the Felix Castor series.
Dry, deadpan, and sarcastic, what more could you want?
Dry, deadpan, and sarcastic, what more could you want?
August 14, 2021
Awesome . I really want to know the mechanics of hell and what is The great project
September 12, 2022
DNF @ page 158. No excitement or tension at all. You’re much better off reading the books written under his M R Carey pseudonym.
June 24, 2022
This series just getting better and better, each novel is a stand alone story but it’s also one long narrative of a world where the dead are starting to rise in a very literal way.
It’s also like Carey has tightened the storytelling with more focus on the storyline and fewer unnecessary side characters.
In this instalment Castor is chased by “breath of life” a violent group fighting for the rights of the dead, teams up with our favourite succubus (now gone lesbian and vegetarian) and goes to the US, while still fighting to keep his demon possessed friend Rafi out of the hands of an evil doctor who wants to experiment on him.
It’s also like Carey has tightened the storytelling with more focus on the storyline and fewer unnecessary side characters.
In this instalment Castor is chased by “breath of life” a violent group fighting for the rights of the dead, teams up with our favourite succubus (now gone lesbian and vegetarian) and goes to the US, while still fighting to keep his demon possessed friend Rafi out of the hands of an evil doctor who wants to experiment on him.
March 23, 2017
LOVE this series. :)
October 4, 2019
I suspect that this is the best Felix Castor book. It's definitely my favourite of the first three, and I doubt the last two will outdo it. It starts with the funeral of one of Felix's friends, which leads to him rather naturally getting involved in whatever it was that led to his friend's suicide. Soon he's investigating dead gangsters with little idea as to why.
I think it's the best written of the three; the niggling irritations of the first two are gone. The world building all naturally blends into the story now and Felix actually seems to investigate more actively in this one. Carey also blends the supernatural and the real much more effectively. The first book had a very grounded mystery, and the second an outlandish one. This book found a better balance of the two with understandable villains with logical motivations, who were very much the villains of a supernatural mystery. It's a thrilling book that often manages to be fairly moving. Carey has really hit his stride with this one. I'm really excited to read the next one.
So what I’m getting at is this. Okay, maybe it’s cold in the grave. Maybe you come out of the light and you think, Fuck your mother, this is bad. This is worse than anything I would have guessed. But the trick is to clench your teeth, get a running start and dive.
When I hit that other country, from whose bourne no traveller back-pedals, I’m going to be moving fast. I’m gambling that the first ten seconds or so will be the worst.
I think it's the best written of the three; the niggling irritations of the first two are gone. The world building all naturally blends into the story now and Felix actually seems to investigate more actively in this one. Carey also blends the supernatural and the real much more effectively. The first book had a very grounded mystery, and the second an outlandish one. This book found a better balance of the two with understandable villains with logical motivations, who were very much the villains of a supernatural mystery. It's a thrilling book that often manages to be fairly moving. Carey has really hit his stride with this one. I'm really excited to read the next one.
So what I’m getting at is this. Okay, maybe it’s cold in the grave. Maybe you come out of the light and you think, Fuck your mother, this is bad. This is worse than anything I would have guessed. But the trick is to clench your teeth, get a running start and dive.
When I hit that other country, from whose bourne no traveller back-pedals, I’m going to be moving fast. I’m gambling that the first ten seconds or so will be the worst.
November 9, 2018
I keep flipping between a 3 and a 4 star rating. Why can't Goodreads give us the ability to use half stars? Anyway, the mystery in this book seemed tighter than the previous book, and I enjoyed the reading while it was happening, but a few days later, and the details have already faded. There was a musical reference to Primordial by Rudra which I did not expect. Then there was the phrase "blind trusts and offshore-shelf companies" which was either an intentional pun, or a mistake in which he meant shell company. I was baffled by this sentence "I had the ultimate ordeal of dinner with Juliet and the lovely Mrs. Juliet to look forward to." and I think I only just now parsed it correctly while typing it. Maybe a wee bit more editing would have been good. I'm on the fence now whether I will continue this series.
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