You Don't Have To Be Evil To Work Here, But It Helps

J. W. Wells & Co. #4

by Tom Holt

Colin Hollinghead is a young man going nowhere fast. Working for his dad might have seemed like a good idea at the time, but starting at the bottom in the widget-making industry has somehow lost its appeal.

And now the business is in trouble. At least his father has a plan to turn things round - a new work force that will improve profit margins and secure the company's future for eternity. The deal looks great on paper, but they do say that the devil is in the detail - and the old rogue certainly seems to be involved in some capacity.

Colin needs help. Perhaps his new friend from J.W. Wells & Co. (Practical and Effective Magicians, Sorcerers and Supernatural Consultants) can help.

Sparkling with wit and oozing charm, Tom Holt's new comic caper will delight his readers and prove once and for all that going to work can actually be hell.

Genres: Fantasy, Humor, Fiction, Comedy, Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Comic Fantasy

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2006

About the author

Tom Holt (Thomas Charles Louis Holt) is a British novelist.
He was born in London, the son of novelist Hazel Holt, and was educated at Westminster School, Wadham College, Oxford, and The College of Law, London.
Holt's works include mythopoeic novels which parody or take as their theme various aspects of mythology, history or literature and develop them in new and often humorous ways. He has also produced a number of "straight" historical novels writing as Thomas Holt and fantasy novels writing as K.J. Parker.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul Carpenter (the protagonist of the first three books in this series) may have moved on but we’re still hanging at J.W. Wells & Co. and there are still plenty of familiar faces for the new character averse.

Tom Holt brings the laughs again in this fourth book in the series and the change of protagonists proves the old adage about loose change being as good as a vest... I think that’s how it goes...

I don’t find Holt quite as laugh out loud funny as Terry Pratchett or Douglas Adams but he’s very much in the same ballpark humour-wise and I seldom haven’t got a big smile on my face while I read his stuff.

[Eilonwy · Rating 4 out of 5]

JWW, the firm Connie, Cassie, and Benny work for, has just been bought by mysterious new owners with mysterious aims. Meanwhile, Colin's father's manufacturing company is facing global competition, but might be able to increase productivity and reduce costs with a little help from JWW's legal and accounting departments. But when Cassie and Colin meet, strange things began to happen to them ... and to everyone around them, as well. How in the world is it all tied together?

Dang -- it is impossible to write a review for this book without spoilers! There are so many elements to the story, woven together expertly and hilariously, and yet to mention any of them would be to ruin the fun of discovering what they all are.

This is a satire about work. It's what P.G. Wodehouse might have written if Bertie Wooster had ever held a job. But it's also a mystery. What JWW does is not revealed until quite a ways into the story, and guessing about it was lots of fun. So was trying to figure out what was happening to both Colin and Cassie, as well as what was happening around Colin as his family's company got more deeply involved with JWW.

This book is very very wry and funny, but also very well plotted and well paced. I've been meaning to read it for years because I've enjoyed other Tom Holt books and I loved this title, so I finally knuckled under and bought it since it's not available through any Massachusetts library. And it did not disappoint! I laughed at something on every page, even as I was reading as fast as I could to figure out what on earth was going on. The plot is complex, and the payoff at the end was well worth keeping track of all the threads for.

My review cannot do the story, or its author, justice. But if you like humorous urban-type fantasy, I'd recommend this highly.

[Melissa McShane · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I had to pick one key attribute I most associate with Tom Holt's novels, it's that Life Isn't Fair. So much of what happens in this book hinges on that idea, like how Colin is tricked by his own father into selling his soul to the Devil, or how he's shoehorned into a relationship he doesn't want just because reality will fold up and vanish if he doesn't. The mystery plays out well, and here's the other thing about Holt's books: life may not be fair, but the ending is always satisfying, no matter how it turns out.

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is supposed to be the sequel to the Paul Carpenter trilogy (The Portable Door, In Your Dreams & Earth, Air, Fire and Custard), although the majority of the characters of the previous books don't appear here. From the other reviews I've read, it seems that most people were disappointed by this book, mainly because they thought the series ended with the previous instalment. Well, having read only The Portable Door, this didn't bother me that much, it was basically a sequel in terms of the setting: J.W. Wells & Co, Practical and Effective Magicians, Sorcerers and Supernatural Consultants. The fact that the book is only loosely related to the previous instalments is actually a plus since it means it stands alone and you don't have to read the previous books to enjoy this one. I actually enjoyed reading this book more than I did The Portable Door. I loved the characters (they're much more likeable than in the previous books), the setting of the story, obviously, and the general wackiness of it all. I particularly enjoyed the conversations & scenes involving a certain character named Oscar -I won't say more;) A very good Tom Holt!

[Jonny R · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was just about ready to give up on rereading this series, however by book 4 with Paul and Sophie out of the way we get a more interesting book that's much more focused and fun.

It's about fairly subtle differences but this one manages to fulfill the promise of the earlier books which for me slightly misfire despite brilliant elements.
This one functions better as a farce/whodunnit with multiple characters learning but not managing to share information in time, rather than Paul bumbling around explaining the plot to himself and then a huge infodump reveal at the end... there's a little bit of that going on but it doesn't just feel like something totally separate tacked on - it fits in better with the rest of the book despite the totally wacky subject matter.

Likewise it's nice not to have such a depressing and one dimensional protagonist, in this book we have a few different protagonists all with less annoying voices than Paul and they drive the action forward more quickly without as much naval gazing. Also for funny books the earlier ones in the series were somewhat depressing in tone, whereas this one is a bit more cheerful/fun. It feels much more focused but we haven't lost any of the creativity and mad ideas of the earlier works.

It's still set in the wacky and entertaining world of JWW where magic crosses with satire of office politics (a bit like Charles Stross's atrocity archive) and there's a lot of humour that comes across much better without the flaws of the other books dragging it down.

This is definitely worth a read if you like a funny book and feels like Holt hitting his stride. An excellent entertaining read and I'll be hanging on to this one.

[Benjamin Kahn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was very funny, especially the character of Oscar. I probably would have rated it more highly but I did find it a little longer than necessary and the plot drawn out more than it needed to be - it did feel at times like Holt was delaying the eventual denouement for no real reason. There were also a couple of threads that led nowhere and could have been eliminated. But overall, an enjoyable read and I would recommend it..

[Rpaul Tho · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual I loved Tom Holt’s writing style. I was a little nervous as this is an older book of his and I’ve noticed his earlier books aren’t as up to snuff as the newer ones (his writing style gets better). But I wasn’t disappointed and the dry humour was perfect.

[Karissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up on a whim because it looked funny. I have heard of Tom Holt before but have never read any books by him. This book was okay.

I guess you could think of this book as Office Space meets Hell...or something like that. If you throw in a dash of star-crossed lovers and interfering angels and demons then you have this book. Does that help explain it? Probably not. The plotline was convoluted to say the least.

So you have Colin whose dad is selling his soul to the Devil to get cheap workers for his factory so that the family business can compete with Chinese imports. You have Cassie who is the magical go between; you know the person who draws up and explains the contracts that Colin's father needs to sign with the devil(standard procedure obviously). Then you have a rift in space time that's been created because of a couple of star-crossed lovers who can't quite seem to get it right - even though they've been reincarnated numerous times to figure it all out. There is the case of mistaken identity as the powers that be try to fix the star-crossed lovers problem. Also what's up with the tree growing in Colin's parents' house?

If the above sounds convoluted; well it is. This book was not an easy read, it was also not especially fun to read. There were some interested concepts and the writing style was matter of fact, with a British twist to it, and a forced sense of humor. Some parts of this book were mildly funny. I didn't find any of the characters especially interesting. Although the world that Holt created was interesting; everything was just too complicated and the story seemed to chase itself in circles.

I almost didn't get through this book. I had to force myself to finish it. That being said it gets 3 stars (instead of 2) because I got a grand chuckle at the ending . It looks like Tom Holt has a number of books out there that are better than this one. I don't think I will be reading anymore of his books anytime soon. Guess that's what I get for reading something on a whim.

[Guy Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holt is one of a handful of good genre humorists. He’s less wacky than Rankin, more homespun than Grant, and less fantasy than Pratchett. That’s Tom Holt.

You Don’t Have To Be… is a very Tom Holt Tom Holt. He likes to play around with mythological themes in a contemporary setting, in this case it is Christian-flavoured occult. As in other of his books, the main dude Colin is a no-hoper, a feckless bugger trapped by a personal inertia field into working in the mind-numbing family widget-making firm. And there it looks like he may stay for an eternity, until his life is derailed by his father trading his soul to stop his company going under.

We have the usual Holt inventiveness – the soul-selling is facilitated by a secret corporation of sorcerors, with whom much of the book is concerned; and some memorable characters – notably Oscar the demon, who Holt manages to make unnerving, funny, and sympathetic; no mean feat.

But wait! Holt’s weaknesses are much in evidence here. The book takes ages to get going, so much so that you might be tempted to put it down. He has an annoying tendency to rely on reverse dramatic irony, like, by concealing the true business of JW Wells and Co by having the employees talk about mergers for 20 pages. Of course, this doesn’t matter does it? We are reading a Tom Holt book, so we KNOW that they are not that mundane at all, eh? Actually, no, 20 pages of people talking about mergers is dull, no matter how cleverly parodied.

Too many adjectives, too many clever-clever analogies too early on also trip up the tale and put the stranglers on the fun factor. But none of these niggles detract from the story when it (finally) picks up, nor the deft manner in which Holt weaves Colin’s cosmically troubled love life round the crisis at the family firm. Buy, read, stick with it, and enjoy.

[Marijke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm so glad I finished this book.
It was so booooooooring.

In the first 3 books of this series we had one main character and so just 1 POV.
But his story is finished and we now have a new lead character. Sort of. Because not much of the personel of JWW is left. So we also get new people there. And also their POV's. So suddenly we have to devide our time between at least 4 characters. Two of which are called Cassie and Conny. And it took me halfway through the book to find out who's who, because their personalities are interchangeable, despite a 30+ years agegap. (also, not much pernonality to speak of, a wet towel has more depth)

And now that I've finished, I can't remember what it was about.
The previous 3 book at least had a bit of humor. Not laugh out loud, but a smile here and there.
I didn't have that with this book. I was just annoyed.

So, 2 stars for effort.
But I doubt I'll be reading the other 4 books in the JWW series (even if the company isn't called JWW anymore)

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It's not 'deep literature' by any stretch of the imagination - and as such was absolutely perfect reading for a rather stressful 'silly season' over Christmas and New Year.

I actually found myself chuckling a few times while reading it, and though I found the ending a little confusing, just sat myself down, held on and enjoyed the ride! Sometimes you read the right book at the right time... and this piece of fluff was timed perfectly for me!

I've never read a Tom Holt novel before but I will definitely watch out for his other works in the future.

[bikerbuddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has sat on my bookshelf unread for years. I cracked it open when I first bought it in Sydney, read a couple of pages, and then decided I wasn’t interested. I can’t really remember what turned me off reading it, whenever that was. I can’t really remember why I bought it, either. It might have been the ‘massing effect’ (this is a term I’ve just made up, but companies like Ikea use it to sell all sorts of ordinary household items). The massing effect is the appeal an item gains by appearing in a retail outlet in significant numbers. When I bought this book, I remember there being quite a number of Tom Holt novels on the shelf. Perhaps I felt I had discovered an interesting new author. Maybe I was feeling whimsical. I don’t think I have seen a Tom Holt novel in a book shop since that day, even though his back list appears quite substantial.

This is a pretty light read. Although it is not a long book, it is also not a short book. However, I managed to fly through most of it over the course of two days. Let’s count this as a holiday read. A book you want when the grey cells need some relaxation.

The plot centres on two companies, J.W.Wells & Co., which employs Connie and Cassie, and Hollingshead and Farren (H&F) which is owned by Colin Hollingshead and his son of the same name. Colin (the son) has little interest in the manufacturing of plumbing widgets, while Mr Hollingshead is a hard-nosed businessman, willing to do anything to keep his business afloat in the rising sees of financial uncertainty. To this end he seeks the services of JWW to help cut costs by providing supernatural workers who will need no wages, holidays, breaks or any other benefits. The only thing is, he will have to sell his soul to the devil as part of the bargain, because JWW is a firm of Magicians and Sorcerers who specialise in magical solutions with offices in the realms of death.

The only thing is, JWW is undergoing a period of upheaval, too. The company has been bought anonymously and a firm of auditors is now interviewing employees and examining the books. As a result, company stalwart Connie Schwartz-Alberich, alienated by the process of the appraisal, sails perilously close to losing her job. It might be the mindless questions: where do you see yourself in five years’ time?

All this is just a starting point for the plot which has a number of twists and turns. Tom Holt actually does a fairly good job at world building with this story. It’s well written and quite witty throughout. For instance, Benny, a colleague of Connie’s, when asked the question in his interview, takes it literally and pulls out a crystal ball to check. In an hilarious scene he discovers that exactly five years from that moment he will be having sex (displayed quite graphically in the crystal ball) with a woman he hasn’t met yet. The auditor declines to ask further questions.

The novel is, in some ways, similar to Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next novels, in which the mundane and the extraordinary are both part of the protagonist’s working life. Actually, they’re not much alike, really. Fforde’s novels are more accomplished; his concept of the bookworld is more appealing and his world building more detailed and satisfying. I was also reminded of Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London, a supernatural detective story. This was closer in style to Holt’s book, although I thought You Don’t Have To Be Evil… was much better than that: better written and more engaging. I never bothered to buy any more of Aaronovitch’s work after that first novel.

For while Holt engages in this workaday fantasy, there is a comic narrative voice that makes his story more engaging, as well as a satirical intent that anyone who has ever worked in an office could identify. As Cassie muses, going to hell would be "A bit like a bad day at the office, really. Maybe that was Hell, and Bosch and Breugel had painted in all the bird-headed fiends simply because offices hadn’t been invented yet." She describes the new boss as "some kind of supernatural bureaucrat."

The novel is written from the point of view of the competent underling; that person who knows how everything works and could do their job if management would just get out of the way:

They come up with these stupid ideas, you go along with them for a bit till they self-destruct, and then you can get back to doing things properly, like you’ve always done them. No harm done, everyone’s happy, and we remain defiantly unspoilt by progress.

The story not only reflects the classic tensions between employees and management but also the troubles faced by British industry during the 1980s and beyond. Holt uses this to good comic effect throughout.......

Read my full review of You Don't Have to be Evil to Work Here but it Helps by Tom Holt on the Reading Project

[Peter Tillman]

$1 Kindle, as of 10/23/20

[Samuel Tyler · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don’t tell my bosses, but going to work is not the highlight of my day, I much prefer being at home with my family, or watching TV or indeed reading a book. Therefore, reading a book about an office does not sound like something that would appeal, but if that office was evil and had a doorway to hell in it; that would be different enough to make the book worthwhile. Unless it was written by Tom Holt as he loves a comedy of the mundane. Personally, I try to avoid being wrapped up in bureaucracy, so reading a book all about it is a little mind numbing.

‘You Don’t Have to Be Evil to Work Here, but It Helps’, or ‘YDHTBETWHBIT’ for short, or ‘Y’ for even shorter, is a pseudo sequel to Holt’s earlier trilogy about J W Wells and Co – a finance style company that deals in the magical, such as Faustian pacts and killing dragons. Colin finds himself wrapped up with JWW when his dad approaches them about helping their widget business. If that sounds all a little dull, you would be right and the book manages to take the magical and make it mundane.

The humour in the book is to be derived from how Hellions are basically as wrapped up in red tape as we are. The problem with red tape is that it can be complex and confusing – this makes the plot of ‘Y’ hard to follow at times. Also, jettisoning some of the characters from the first books for what appears to be very similar characters feels completely pointless. This is a sequel that was not really required as the other books did not really grab the attention. Holt was a very interesting fantasy writer back in the 90s, when each book was set in a different place, but now that he has honed in on JWW his material is getting very stale. This is one to miss, expect for core fans of the author.

[Barbara Gordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a follow-on from The Portable Door, but could probably be read on its own. Hapless Brit becomes involved with magic, gods, random heroes and bureaucracy, finds frustration, danger and love. I really should post a couple of the contract provisions for selling your soul to the Devil, which are all too plausible. It's a book that requires being read out loud to whoever else is around--not least because they'll be wanting to know what you're giggling at.
Due warning, though. If this particular subgenre of Brit humour doesn't do it for you, you probably won't get on with Holt's contemporary books at all. All the same, consider checking out his Greek historical novels, which have a more mordant humour and make full use of the grim and grotty aspects of life in the classical world.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading this book once before and had only gotten a chapter or two in before putting it down, thinking perhaps I was simply not in the right mood for it, but really I think I just found the first chapter a bit too vague to really capture your attention. However, after digging in a bit further and finding out exactly what the major players in the book were about, I found it hard to put the book down. So, do not be mislead by the beginning. Stick with it for a very funny and interesting take on a company that irons out the finer contractual points of magical dealings.

[Alaina Cyr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure if this book would be any good. I mean, dumping your main character 4 books into a series seems like a bad move! But I ended up enjoying this book very much. The story telling was neater, less convoluted than the previous books. There were still mysteries the reader wasn't privy to, but unlike books 2 and 3, it felt intentional and didn't prevent me from following the plot. My only complaint is that there wasn't enough Rosie. Even still, it was a highly enjoyable read and my favourite in the series thus far.

[Laurène Poret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hesitated between two and three stars but even if it took me some time to get caught into the story and I thought it was a bit long at some point I really loved the last 5 chapters so I am left on a good impression. I liked the title very much and expected more of this book (I really like Pratchett and it seemed equivalent, but if it on the way of getting there it still isn't) but had a good time after all. I may try another one!

[And · Rating 2 out of 5]

soul numbing. brain numbing. curiosity numbing. a few nice twists of the tongue now and then cannot detract from how boring this is. I guess this is what you get when you put the corporate into the incorporeal.

[Miriam Holsinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun and easy to read. I even read it on my phone! A testament to how engrossing this book was.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and entertaining

[Ally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Tom Holt. Loved this book. Nuff said.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

The devil is in the details. Well, the fine print to be precise. Especially when it comes to legal contracts. Especially when that contract is to sell your soul to the Devil.
Family ties force Colin Hollingshead to slog along in the widget making industry, where he's indifferent at best and downright downtrodden to be honest. He's a feckless sort of protagonist, similar to some of those found in the Donut series, and that makes it tough to get invested in what happens to him. If he can barely muster up the energy to care, why should the reader? Colin's just nudged around by his parents, mostly his dad. His car, his only prized possession and illusion of freedom, he's bullied into selling. He lives in his same childhood room - why bother paying good money for rent when you can crash here? And his dad refuses to address the giant tree in the room, literally! Why is there a massive tree trunk growing through the house that seems to vanish into the attic?
Family business has been so bad that Colin's dad is making a shady, and very involved deal to keep up with competition. The beautifully constructed widgets that have been manufactured by their factory for decades now face elimination because of all the mass produced, much cheaper, Chinese import knock offs.
Mea culpa for not realizing this was the fourth follow up book to the Paul Carpenter trilogy, which includes The Portable Door, In Your Dreams & Earth, Air, Fire and Custard. The first of those is on my to read list. Unbeknownst to me, they are all set at J.W. Wells & Co, Practical and Effective Magicians, Sorcerers and Supernatural Consultants where Connie, Cassie, and Benny work. Paul Carpenter, of the eponymous trilogy, doesn't appear in this one so I'm guessing I'm not missing too many references as with the introduction of Colin, Tom Holt seems to be resetting things. Connie and Benny are quite interesting characters and their agency and ingenuity almost makes up for Colin's lack of personality. Almost. I wish they got more page time and Colin less, frankly.
Oscar helps once the merger is signed and he's assigned to keep an eye on Colin. He's a demon of course and his catch phrase is "Humor" to indicate when he's joking. He's brilliantly written and I wish he also got more to do and more page time.
Cassie is slightly more defined that Colin, but not much. She's the legal / PR rep managing the contract between J.W. Wells & Co and Colin's dad, which is how Colin has his meet-cute but in this it's more the flavor of: meet-eh she's ok I guess. As for Cassie, the meh feeling is mutual. She finds him about as appealing as the reader does, which is part of the problem and the mystery of it all. Bit by supernatural bit, they learn that they are star crossed lovers who fate keeps throwing together in lifetime after lifetime, yet each time the romance doesn't land, or at least, it does for a few months and then they break up. It's a major bummer for the space time continuum, it's so brutal it's threatening to rip apart the fabric of the universe. That's a hell of a breakup, so to speak, though the forces of nature seem way more upset than either Cassie or Colin about it.
Plot twists abound, and love potions, which keeps things interesting as Colin isn't doing much on that front! There's mistaken identity in several cases, which pushes this into near farcical territory, and I'm not mad about it.
Absurdist supernatural / fantasy with well written characters (aside from Colin). This would have been a stronger rating except... I just wish Tom Holt would write women better in this one! Honestly there's a subplot with a character named Famine. She's one of four siblings and they all suffer names of the apocalypse. Her father is one of seven and they all bear names of the seven deadly sins. She's nicknamed Fam and/or Minnie. She's constantly referred to by other male AND female characters as their first reaction / description as "The chubby girl" or "The plump girl working the front desk" AND THAT'S HER ENTIRE PERSONALITY. Her name and her size. COME ON TOM HOLT - DO BETTER! (I know he can, he's proven it in other books - see Buttercup in the Outsorcerer's Apprentice, one of my favs.) I think this is meant to be a dig at Colin and his taste somehow, but it did NOT land for me and clearly I'm still irked about it. Eventually Cassie and Colin do get their happy endings, in surprising ways, though so that's a slight balm to the irritation.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colin Hollingshead workd with his father in the widget making industry, and has spent his life being told what to do - where to live, what car to drive, where to work. He's finally had enough, and is hoping that his new friends at J.W.W. Wells, a company his father has engaged to help with a particular contract, might be able to help him escape.

Technically this book is a follow on from the Paul Carpenter trilogy, however it's more like the start of a new set of books that just happen to be set in the same place, with some overlapping characters.

I found Colin to be very similar to Paul - both are men that have let other people run their lives for an extended period of time, and never really stood up for themselves. That said there was something about Colin that made him slightly more enjoyable to read about than Paul was. I'm still not sure what I made of Cassie, but I thought Connie was excellent, she's probably my favourite in the book.

The plot is essentially a mystery story, on many levels. There's the mystery of what is going on with Colin and Cassie, the mystery of what Colin's father has gotten himself involved in and the mystery of who the new owners of J.W.W. Wells and Co are. There's a heavy dose of satire thrown in, and things end up being quite amusing. I particularly liked reading about Colin and Oscar's night out, that's definitely a highlight.

I think this is my favourite book in this series so far, because although it's still quite out there I found that I actually had a better idea what was going on throughout this one that I had in some of the earlier books.

[Martin Pilkington · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I bought this book I didn’t realize that this was the fourth in a series, and that i hadn’t read the first three. No matter. While any question of people surviving, or not, the previous books, is answered I can handle that.

The firm’s name comes from Gilbert and Sullivan:
Oh, my name is John Wellington Wells
I'm a dealer in magic and spells
In blessings and curses
And ever-filled purses
In prophecies, witches, and knells
If you want a proud foe to "make tracks"
If you'd melt a rich uncle in wax
You've but to look in on our resident Djinn
Number seventy, Simmery Axe.”

One of the less well known of G&S’s operas, one i haven’t seen.

The book is just fun, as all of the books I’ve read of Tom Holt have been. Ok maybe not the Walled Garden, but definitely his main fantasy output. If you haven’t read any Tom Holt this probably isn’t the best place to start. Where you should start is up to you, and may depend on your favorite myth story.

But this is up there, in my opinion, with his best.

[Brendan Powell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Just ... Meh.

This story certainly revolved around the same *company* J.W. Wells & Co ... but the main characters from the prior 3 novels are gone ... the company is basically completely being rebuilt ... any sense of continuity was gone.

Further, these are supposed to be funny books ... the first 3 books trying to bridge some kind of gap between laughs and story-telling like Douglas Adams.

This book ... just fell short.

I didn't laugh once in the book ... I didn't get engaged with the new characters, over all, it was just a hum-drum read.

I'd give it 2.5 stars.

I'm also going to bail on this series ... there are several more books to read, but I'm not planning on digging into any of them.

For anybody else who's looking for a similar series ... check out the Chronicles of St. Mary's series by Jodi Taylor ... great books that never fail to draw a laugh.

[Mike White · Rating 3 out of 5]

“There is no thunk as the arrow strikes home; presumably Cupid uses a silencer, as befits a sniper. Instead, there’s a slight jolt. The subconscious mind registers a change that slightly affects everything.”
Colin works in his father’s failing engineering business. His father enters into a deal with the devil, trading his soul for supernatural help. The lawyers involved deal with all sorts of magical things; their best-selling item is a love potion that really works. They’re subject to a take-over and the new owners fire Connie, a long-standing and most productive worker.
A comic story of supernatural events treated as if they were routine. Holt has written dozens of similar novels. I quite enjoyed his, once I’d got into it.

[Doug Lewars · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** Possible Spoilers ***

I've read some of Tom Holt's books I preferred but this was pretty good. Because the author is writing a story in which reality gets messed up, he needed to provide a number of disconnects some of which are a little confusing. In addition, there are a few information dumps. I don't object to the dumps so much as they're a little complicated and not really needed to the reader to more or less understand what's going on. Nevertheless I enjoyed the book and recommend it to Tom Holt fans. I think my favorite part, however, was the title. It made me nostalgic for good old IBM.

[lärm · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's my first book by Tom Holt after having read a few by his alter ego K.J. Parker and I'm pleasantly surprised.
It's like a slow paced Tery Pratchett, with little laugh out loud moments but plenty of smiling.
Very solid but not mindblowing.

"They'd been out together once, and that hadn't been a proper date or anything, and he'd stood her up for lunch. That didn't constitute a formal relationship, not even in Utah."..
See, not exactly ROFL material but clever and funny nevertheless.

[Books Lucy King · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*
It was a mess, it was confusing but it was fun. I love Connie and Benny. I like Cassie, Colin was a pain in the ... sometimes. I prefer the original characters and storyline but this was nice. The story made sense in the end but to spent some 80% of the book not having a clue what is going on is not that much of fun in the end. The final doesn´t make it up to make me rate this better than 3.5*(half stars, where are you when I need you?!!)