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Lucifer Box #3
Black Butterfly
The third volume in the fabulous Lucifer Box trilogy features the same combination of rapier wit and bawdy behavior that makes lucifer "the most likeable scoundrel since flashman" (Jasper fforde, author of the Thursday Next series).
Lucifer Box. He’s tall, he’s dark and, like the shark, he looks for trouble.
Or so he wishes. For, with Queen Elizabeth newly established on her throne, the now elderly secret agent is reaching the end of his scandalous career. Despite his fast-approaching retirement, however, queer events leave Box unable to resist investigating one last case…
Why have pillars of the Establishment started dying in bizarrely reckless accidents?
Who are the deadly pay-masters of enigmatic assassin Kingdom Kum?
And who or what is the mysterious Black Butterfly?
From the seedy streets of Soho to the souks of Istanbul and the sun-drenched shores of Jamaica, Box must use his artistic license to kill and eventually confront an enemy with its roots in his own notorious past. Can Lucifer Box save the day before the dying of the light?
Lucifer Box. He’s tall, he’s dark and, like the shark, he looks for trouble.
Or so he wishes. For, with Queen Elizabeth newly established on her throne, the now elderly secret agent is reaching the end of his scandalous career. Despite his fast-approaching retirement, however, queer events leave Box unable to resist investigating one last case…
Why have pillars of the Establishment started dying in bizarrely reckless accidents?
Who are the deadly pay-masters of enigmatic assassin Kingdom Kum?
And who or what is the mysterious Black Butterfly?
From the seedy streets of Soho to the souks of Istanbul and the sun-drenched shores of Jamaica, Box must use his artistic license to kill and eventually confront an enemy with its roots in his own notorious past. Can Lucifer Box save the day before the dying of the light?
204 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2008
26 people are currently reading
1002 people want to read
About the author
Mark Gatiss
145 books782 followersMark Gatiss (born 17 October 1966) is an English actor, screenwriter and novelist. He is best known as a member of the comedy team The League of Gentlemen, and has both written for and acted in the TV series Doctor Who and Sherlock.
Fulfilling a lifelong dream, Gatiss has written three episodes for the 2005-revived BBC television series Doctor Who. His first, "The Unquiet Dead", aired on 9 April 2005; the second, "The Idiot's Lantern", aired on 27 May 2006 as part of the second series. In addition, Gatiss was the narrator for the 2006 season of documentary series Doctor Who Confidential, additionally appearing as an on-screen presenter in the edition devoted to his episode. Gatiss did not contribute a script to the third series, but appeared in the episode "The Lazarus Experiment", as Professor Lazarus. After his submitted script for the fourth series, involving Nazis and the British Museum, was replaced at the last minute with "The Fires of Pompeii", he eventually returned to the programme in 2010, writing the (also World War II-themed) episode "Victory of the Daleks" for the fifth series, in which he also appears uncredited as the voice of "Danny Boy". It has also been confirmed that Gatiss will be writing an episode for the 2011 season of Doctor Who, although details about the story are yet to be revealed.[19]
Gatiss wrote an episode of Sherlock, a modern day Sherlock Holmes series co-produced by him and Steven Moffat. The unaired pilot was shot in January 2009 and a full series was commissioned. This was aired in August 2010 and consisted of 3 episodes. Gatiss also starred in these as Holmes' older brother Mycroft. A second series has been confirmed, but dates have yet to be decided, since both Gatiss and Moffatt have additional commitments.[20]
Gatiss also wrote and performed the comedy sketches The Web of Caves, The Kidnappers and The Pitch of Fear for the BBC's "Doctor Who Night" in 1999 with Little Britain's David Walliams, and played the Master in the Doctor Who Unbound play Sympathy for the Devil under the name "Sam Kisgart", a pseudonym he later used for a column in Doctor Who Magazine. (The pseudonym is an anagram of "Mark Gatiss", a nod to Anthony Ainley, who was sometimes credited under an anagram to conceal the Master's identity from the viewers.) The pseudonym was used again in television listings magazines when he appeared in episode four of Psychoville, so as not to spoil his surprise appearance in advance.
In mainstream print, Gatiss is responsible for an acclaimed biography of the film director James Whale. His first non-Doctor Who novel, The Vesuvius Club, was published in 2004, for which he was nominated in the category of Best Newcomer in the 2006 British Book Awards. A follow up, The Devil in Amber, was released on 6 November 2006. It transports the main character, Lucifer Box, from the Edwardian era in the first book to the roaring Twenties/Thirties. A third and final Lucifer Box novel, Black Butterfly, was published on 3 November 2008 by Simon & Schuster.[21] In this the protagonist finds himself serving Queen Elizabeth II, in the Cold War era.
Gatiss also wrote, co-produced and appeared in Crooked House, a ghost story that was broadcast on BBC Four during Christmas 2008.
Fulfilling a lifelong dream, Gatiss has written three episodes for the 2005-revived BBC television series Doctor Who. His first, "The Unquiet Dead", aired on 9 April 2005; the second, "The Idiot's Lantern", aired on 27 May 2006 as part of the second series. In addition, Gatiss was the narrator for the 2006 season of documentary series Doctor Who Confidential, additionally appearing as an on-screen presenter in the edition devoted to his episode. Gatiss did not contribute a script to the third series, but appeared in the episode "The Lazarus Experiment", as Professor Lazarus. After his submitted script for the fourth series, involving Nazis and the British Museum, was replaced at the last minute with "The Fires of Pompeii", he eventually returned to the programme in 2010, writing the (also World War II-themed) episode "Victory of the Daleks" for the fifth series, in which he also appears uncredited as the voice of "Danny Boy". It has also been confirmed that Gatiss will be writing an episode for the 2011 season of Doctor Who, although details about the story are yet to be revealed.[19]
Gatiss wrote an episode of Sherlock, a modern day Sherlock Holmes series co-produced by him and Steven Moffat. The unaired pilot was shot in January 2009 and a full series was commissioned. This was aired in August 2010 and consisted of 3 episodes. Gatiss also starred in these as Holmes' older brother Mycroft. A second series has been confirmed, but dates have yet to be decided, since both Gatiss and Moffatt have additional commitments.[20]
Gatiss also wrote and performed the comedy sketches The Web of Caves, The Kidnappers and The Pitch of Fear for the BBC's "Doctor Who Night" in 1999 with Little Britain's David Walliams, and played the Master in the Doctor Who Unbound play Sympathy for the Devil under the name "Sam Kisgart", a pseudonym he later used for a column in Doctor Who Magazine. (The pseudonym is an anagram of "Mark Gatiss", a nod to Anthony Ainley, who was sometimes credited under an anagram to conceal the Master's identity from the viewers.) The pseudonym was used again in television listings magazines when he appeared in episode four of Psychoville, so as not to spoil his surprise appearance in advance.
In mainstream print, Gatiss is responsible for an acclaimed biography of the film director James Whale. His first non-Doctor Who novel, The Vesuvius Club, was published in 2004, for which he was nominated in the category of Best Newcomer in the 2006 British Book Awards. A follow up, The Devil in Amber, was released on 6 November 2006. It transports the main character, Lucifer Box, from the Edwardian era in the first book to the roaring Twenties/Thirties. A third and final Lucifer Box novel, Black Butterfly, was published on 3 November 2008 by Simon & Schuster.[21] In this the protagonist finds himself serving Queen Elizabeth II, in the Cold War era.
Gatiss also wrote, co-produced and appeared in Crooked House, a ghost story that was broadcast on BBC Four during Christmas 2008.
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July 22, 2018DNF three chapters in. I remember enjoying the first in this series though I now can't imagine why. Lots of 'is it really misogynist if I do it with lots of irony'. (Yes. Yes, it is.) Also there's a fine line between parodying racist colonialist sexist pulp and seeming like you just really want to write it. Also also, this seems to have been edited by spellcheck given the homonym errors, though admittedly the 'conga eel' made me laugh, which is more than the jokes did. No, I did not enjoy this, why do you ask.
May 8, 2009
The first thing I noticed as I picked up Black Butterfly (Lucifer Box Novel The Last) was how thin it was in comparison to The Devil in Amber. A quick page check confirmed the sad news: Black Butterfly offers only 204 pages of rousing adventures and dark, delectable mysteries. Being an engrossing trilogy so far, the combination did not bode well for making this one last longer, teasing out the story with inordinate displays of self-control a few pages, perhaps even a chapter per day to extend the experience. In fact, at 204 pages the only promise Black Butterfly presumes with guaranteed witticisms, sharp humor, and delightful puns is the inability I would have in exerting my will power to put the book down. Instead of taking my time with this book, I jumped in with the same abandon I’d imagine Lucifer would recommend. After all, life’s short and there’s a lot of books I want to read!
Black Butterfly is Lucifer’s swan song. His last adventure is filled with even more surprising revelations and a charming cast of puns intended to belay the wonderfully unsubtle and disarming humor and innuendos I’ve come to embrace and expect from a Lucifer Box novel. Lucifer has grown respectable in his old age (much to his regret); his years with the Royal Academy have been kind and his reputation and accomplishments have helped him rise through the ranks effortlessly to become the latest Joshua Reynolds. Finally the boss, Lucifer flirts with retirement, still determined to give it all one last go before his MI6 replacement (Allan Playfair) can settle in for the long haul.
Before Lucifer can wind down properly, there are matters to attend to. Namely, the funeral of beloved friend, Christopher Miracle, dead from mysterious circumstanced framed as a suicide and dropping off his son for an international scouting competition. The product of a more recent indiscretion, the boy arrived at his doorstep on Yuletide Eve and in the spirit of the moment Lucifer named him appropriately enough, Christmas Box. As unparental as I’d imagine Lucifer to be, Gatiss thankfully agreed and the “Father and Son” moments are hilariously awkward, grudging, and distracted. Considering Lucifer’s extracurricular activities, this made for an excellent plot development, especially for the last book in the trilogy. Why I hadn’t thought of this inevitability before is beyond me, but the surprise was worth the obliviousness.
When we last saw Miracle, he was suffering the lasting effects of psychological and physical injuries acquired during the first World War. However changed, he remained more or less stable, a soft shadow of his former self. But his funeral is a somber, confusing event. Lucifer is convinced Miracle was in no danger of committing suicide. Leaving the cemetery nursing a wounded ego (his advances spurned by a younger woman not interested in older men) and troubled by his friend’s death, Lucifer determines to drink himself into oblivion at the Blood Orange, a club owned and operated by his former servant, Delilah.
His evening of relaxation is cut short when shots ring out and a man is found dead. Lucifer’s last adventure is well under way! The plot is convoluted, the enemies are power-hungry, the torture is exquisite, and there’s a new drug called le papillion noir (the black butterfly) but Lucifer still has it. The action is a bit tame, but still exciting with harrowing near-death experiences and soul-strengthening moments of true tenderness as Lucifer reminisces on the good old days while simultaneously showing the world why he’s the Boss.
Black Butterfly is a different read from the first two novels. Gatiss writes an older, wiser, and nostalgic Lucifer with a notable slow in his step, but he never lets his age depress him for long. He’s Lucifer Box after all and other than living up to everyone else’s expectations, he must first of all live up to his own. Entertaining to the last, if you’ve read the first two, you can’t do without Black Butterfly. The last chapter is totally worth it.
Black Butterfly is Lucifer’s swan song. His last adventure is filled with even more surprising revelations and a charming cast of puns intended to belay the wonderfully unsubtle and disarming humor and innuendos I’ve come to embrace and expect from a Lucifer Box novel. Lucifer has grown respectable in his old age (much to his regret); his years with the Royal Academy have been kind and his reputation and accomplishments have helped him rise through the ranks effortlessly to become the latest Joshua Reynolds. Finally the boss, Lucifer flirts with retirement, still determined to give it all one last go before his MI6 replacement (Allan Playfair) can settle in for the long haul.
Before Lucifer can wind down properly, there are matters to attend to. Namely, the funeral of beloved friend, Christopher Miracle, dead from mysterious circumstanced framed as a suicide and dropping off his son for an international scouting competition. The product of a more recent indiscretion, the boy arrived at his doorstep on Yuletide Eve and in the spirit of the moment Lucifer named him appropriately enough, Christmas Box. As unparental as I’d imagine Lucifer to be, Gatiss thankfully agreed and the “Father and Son” moments are hilariously awkward, grudging, and distracted. Considering Lucifer’s extracurricular activities, this made for an excellent plot development, especially for the last book in the trilogy. Why I hadn’t thought of this inevitability before is beyond me, but the surprise was worth the obliviousness.
When we last saw Miracle, he was suffering the lasting effects of psychological and physical injuries acquired during the first World War. However changed, he remained more or less stable, a soft shadow of his former self. But his funeral is a somber, confusing event. Lucifer is convinced Miracle was in no danger of committing suicide. Leaving the cemetery nursing a wounded ego (his advances spurned by a younger woman not interested in older men) and troubled by his friend’s death, Lucifer determines to drink himself into oblivion at the Blood Orange, a club owned and operated by his former servant, Delilah.
His evening of relaxation is cut short when shots ring out and a man is found dead. Lucifer’s last adventure is well under way! The plot is convoluted, the enemies are power-hungry, the torture is exquisite, and there’s a new drug called le papillion noir (the black butterfly) but Lucifer still has it. The action is a bit tame, but still exciting with harrowing near-death experiences and soul-strengthening moments of true tenderness as Lucifer reminisces on the good old days while simultaneously showing the world why he’s the Boss.
Black Butterfly is a different read from the first two novels. Gatiss writes an older, wiser, and nostalgic Lucifer with a notable slow in his step, but he never lets his age depress him for long. He’s Lucifer Box after all and other than living up to everyone else’s expectations, he must first of all live up to his own. Entertaining to the last, if you’ve read the first two, you can’t do without Black Butterfly. The last chapter is totally worth it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2010
BLACK BUTTERFLY is the third Secret Service novel featuring tall, dark, suave spy about town Lucifer Box. Although it will come as a bit of a shock to readers of these books to discover that Lucifer has gotten old, fast approaching retirement. Good grief! Old age comes to Lucifer Box ... who would have believed it could ever happen. Worse still, this is billed as the final of the Lucifer Box novels which is particularly sad for those readers who have come to love the overly energetic lovelife, spycraft and general man about towning of the great Lucifer Box.
But retirement is coming, Queen Elizabeth II is newly established on the throne, and pillars of the English Establishment have started dying in bizarre accidents. Lucifer Box is the only man for the job - from the back streets of Soho, to the souks of Istanbul and the sun and sand of Jamaica, Lucifer must confront an enemy with roots in his own past, and discover who is behind the enigmatic (and not unattractive by any means) assassin Kingdom Kum. All at the same time that he must deal with the news that his young son - Christmas Box - wants to be a Boy Scout of all things!
Aging Lucifer may be. Pressing retirement may be. Burdened with unexpected parental responsibility as he is. Confounded by his offspring's somewhat conservative pursuits, Box can be relied upon when duty calls. And there are some duties that could only be resolved by a man of the eclectic tastes and experiences of Box. But this case, with the dangerous and desirable Kingdom Kum stalking his every move comes with a level of personal threat that Box would shrug off in his younger days.
Of course there's very very little that's serious in these books, and that's exactly why they are so fantastic. BLACK BUTTERFLY is as crazy, energetic and risqué as the earlier two books - all the action, suspense, thrills, spills, love and yearning, lust and sex, delivered in the same wonderful, slightly tongue in cheek fashion. I do confess a considerable feeling of sadness if this is, in fact, the last ever Lucifer Box book. I really can see how he could be called upon to perform yet more daring deeds - from his wheelchair in his dotage if necessary.
If you're a fan of crazy puns and tongue in cheek humour, and don't mind a little, shall we say unorthodox personal lifestyle choices, then BLACK BUTTERFLY and the two earlier books - THE VESUVIUS CLUB and THE DEVIL IN AMBER could be just the thing. You're certainly in for a bit of a fun treat. It might be best if you could read the books in order as they are set in vastly different time periods (Edwardian, the 1920's and finally the 1950's and you do get a bit of a feeling of the different time settings) but it's probably not strictly necessary if you're having trouble tracking down any of them.
But retirement is coming, Queen Elizabeth II is newly established on the throne, and pillars of the English Establishment have started dying in bizarre accidents. Lucifer Box is the only man for the job - from the back streets of Soho, to the souks of Istanbul and the sun and sand of Jamaica, Lucifer must confront an enemy with roots in his own past, and discover who is behind the enigmatic (and not unattractive by any means) assassin Kingdom Kum. All at the same time that he must deal with the news that his young son - Christmas Box - wants to be a Boy Scout of all things!
Aging Lucifer may be. Pressing retirement may be. Burdened with unexpected parental responsibility as he is. Confounded by his offspring's somewhat conservative pursuits, Box can be relied upon when duty calls. And there are some duties that could only be resolved by a man of the eclectic tastes and experiences of Box. But this case, with the dangerous and desirable Kingdom Kum stalking his every move comes with a level of personal threat that Box would shrug off in his younger days.
Of course there's very very little that's serious in these books, and that's exactly why they are so fantastic. BLACK BUTTERFLY is as crazy, energetic and risqué as the earlier two books - all the action, suspense, thrills, spills, love and yearning, lust and sex, delivered in the same wonderful, slightly tongue in cheek fashion. I do confess a considerable feeling of sadness if this is, in fact, the last ever Lucifer Box book. I really can see how he could be called upon to perform yet more daring deeds - from his wheelchair in his dotage if necessary.
If you're a fan of crazy puns and tongue in cheek humour, and don't mind a little, shall we say unorthodox personal lifestyle choices, then BLACK BUTTERFLY and the two earlier books - THE VESUVIUS CLUB and THE DEVIL IN AMBER could be just the thing. You're certainly in for a bit of a fun treat. It might be best if you could read the books in order as they are set in vastly different time periods (Edwardian, the 1920's and finally the 1950's and you do get a bit of a feeling of the different time settings) but it's probably not strictly necessary if you're having trouble tracking down any of them.
June 2, 2011
In The Black Butterfly, Queen Elizabeth II has just come to the throne and Lucifer Box is being shoved off his as he has retirement foisted upon him. In spite of this, he finds himself compelled to investigate when perfectly sensible public figures start dying in reckless accidents. Who is the mysterious Kingdom Kum? And who or what is the Black Butterfly? But someone does not want him to find out.
As each book in this trilogy is set in a different era, Lucifer Box naturally ages as the books progress. I love the idea of the aging spy, and seeing how he adapts and changes with time. However, in practice I didn’t really think it worked. Although Lucifer complains about his reduced capacity for action, there seemed to be no material difference between his abilities in this book and the earlier ones. The only difference is that he’s more curmudgeonly about it all. The sharp wit that I loved so much in the first book was sadly lacklustre in The Black Butterfly.
The plot was as amusingly ridiculous as I have come to expect from a Lucifer Box story. In particular, I thought that the link to the Boy Scouts was wonderful and really humorous. However, the primary attraction of this series to me is the central character and I found him diminished in this novel, so consequently my enjoyment was also diminished. At just over 200 pages long, I don’t feel the time spent reading it was time wasted as it was mildly entertaining. However, it’s definitely my least favourite of the series and I’m quite glad it’s come to an end.
As each book in this trilogy is set in a different era, Lucifer Box naturally ages as the books progress. I love the idea of the aging spy, and seeing how he adapts and changes with time. However, in practice I didn’t really think it worked. Although Lucifer complains about his reduced capacity for action, there seemed to be no material difference between his abilities in this book and the earlier ones. The only difference is that he’s more curmudgeonly about it all. The sharp wit that I loved so much in the first book was sadly lacklustre in The Black Butterfly.
The plot was as amusingly ridiculous as I have come to expect from a Lucifer Box story. In particular, I thought that the link to the Boy Scouts was wonderful and really humorous. However, the primary attraction of this series to me is the central character and I found him diminished in this novel, so consequently my enjoyment was also diminished. At just over 200 pages long, I don’t feel the time spent reading it was time wasted as it was mildly entertaining. However, it’s definitely my least favourite of the series and I’m quite glad it’s come to an end.
August 15, 2009
The first Lucifer Box novel was set in the 1890s, the second in the 1920s and now we find him as an old man in the 50s. This of course puts the master spy into James Bond territory, and Gatiss handles this by creating a more mundane world (there is an early dig at “the stuff hammered out on Remingtons by ex-foreign correspondents in seersucker shirts”), but one which is ultimately more fantastical.
This is a witty, ribald and scurrilous book (much like its lead character). Gatiss really crafts an excellent quip, and his skills at narration are so good that he keeps the reader gripped even as the plot lurches into preposterousness.
What happens to Box now I don’t know. There is something of Flashman to the character, so maybe episodes of his early life can be fleshed out. Or maybe he can go for one last turn as a George Smiley type character. I just hope this isn’t the last we see of him.
This is a witty, ribald and scurrilous book (much like its lead character). Gatiss really crafts an excellent quip, and his skills at narration are so good that he keeps the reader gripped even as the plot lurches into preposterousness.
What happens to Box now I don’t know. There is something of Flashman to the character, so maybe episodes of his early life can be fleshed out. Or maybe he can go for one last turn as a George Smiley type character. I just hope this isn’t the last we see of him.
March 19, 2015
And so the Lucifer Box series draws to an end - well so far, there are plenty of opportunities and gaps to allow for further instalments and adventures to be added in in numerous locations and times.
So does this feel like a fitting end - yes I think it does, not only is it full of action, great cliches and scandalous dialogue - but for me it addresses one question I rarely see, what happens to old spies at the end of their careers. Ok I guess dying in the course of their career is an option but its not a necessity. This book faces that head on and goes out in the manner it was brought to you to start with, with an evil grin and rakish glance. Mark Gatiss has a talent for telling fascinating stories evident in his other works but for me I think Lucifer Box is a character I hope he returns to in the future.
So does this feel like a fitting end - yes I think it does, not only is it full of action, great cliches and scandalous dialogue - but for me it addresses one question I rarely see, what happens to old spies at the end of their careers. Ok I guess dying in the course of their career is an option but its not a necessity. This book faces that head on and goes out in the manner it was brought to you to start with, with an evil grin and rakish glance. Mark Gatiss has a talent for telling fascinating stories evident in his other works but for me I think Lucifer Box is a character I hope he returns to in the future.
May 22, 2010
had me grinning on most pages and left me laughing out loud after i finished, what a worthy end to the trilogy.
and that's all i want to say.
and that's all i want to say.
March 6, 2014
My scores on the doors, Lucifer Box:
#1 - 3*
#2 - 2*
#1 - 1* with raspberries on top- blergh!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2022
Like Sherlock Holmes - His last Bow I hate the stories where our hero is an old man, set in a different time frame. Black Butterfly does a similar thing for Lucifer Box, gone is the glorious Victoriana. We're in the mid? 50's and Lucifer is now an old man, very much out to pasture - his job being taken over by Allan Playfair. This is his last hurrah, as he investigates a series of murders where old men, after a sudden uncharacteristic bout of euphoria have all committed suicide - The plot leads Box to an experimental drug Black Butterfly and some old enemies.
I wasn't too big a fan of this one. I really miss the Victorian setting, the gothic/supernatural/occult elements and Lucifer Box's youth and sexual escapades. Here his attempts seem somewhat pathetic. Box having an unexpected son 'Christmas Box' just felt weird. A very disappointing finale.
I wasn't too big a fan of this one. I really miss the Victorian setting, the gothic/supernatural/occult elements and Lucifer Box's youth and sexual escapades. Here his attempts seem somewhat pathetic. Box having an unexpected son 'Christmas Box' just felt weird. A very disappointing finale.
June 9, 2010
I’m leaving Lucifer Box’s second installment (The Devil in Amber) on The List at Speakitsname.com, but I’m not going to review it, because it’s rather too paranormal. However this is more spy-like with no paranormal aspects, so it fits the bill.
Like The Devil In Amber, this book jumps forward in time, and we meet Lucifer at the end of his career. He’s feeling a bit sorry for himself and mourning his lost youth (and he’s worked his way through quite a few of those in his life, let’s be honest) and feeling a bit of an old crock. It doesn’t help when the equivalent of Miss Moneypenny, tells him that she prefers firm cock, when he tries to chat her up.
However, you don’t keep Lucifer Box down for long. Following a trip to his favourite sleazy watering hole he’s off on the trail of the beautiful and exotic Kingdom Kum (yes, really, the names are part of the enormous fun of this series of books). The trail leads him all the way around the world and back again, and pretty soon, despite his aging limbs and failing eyesight, Box is back on form, and I’m very happy to say that he ends the series on an “up” as it were and a jaw dropping moment.
I thoroughly enjoyed this installment, in fact I thoroughly enjoyed all three books. Box is a thorough reprobate and you can’t help but love him to pieces, because an unrepentant anti-hero is such a delicious rarity.
If you love puns and silly humour, if you love James Bond but think that Bond definitely misses out on a lot of action by ignoring bell-hops, rent boys and the like, then you will love Lucifer Box. Give him a go. I’m only sorry that Gatiss has only done three. It’s a clever plot to do them in three different eras (Edwardian, 1920s and 1950s) but I hope that he’s tempted to go back and fill us in on some of the cases that Lucifer teases us with – because I for one want MORE please!
Like The Devil In Amber, this book jumps forward in time, and we meet Lucifer at the end of his career. He’s feeling a bit sorry for himself and mourning his lost youth (and he’s worked his way through quite a few of those in his life, let’s be honest) and feeling a bit of an old crock. It doesn’t help when the equivalent of Miss Moneypenny, tells him that she prefers firm cock, when he tries to chat her up.
However, you don’t keep Lucifer Box down for long. Following a trip to his favourite sleazy watering hole he’s off on the trail of the beautiful and exotic Kingdom Kum (yes, really, the names are part of the enormous fun of this series of books). The trail leads him all the way around the world and back again, and pretty soon, despite his aging limbs and failing eyesight, Box is back on form, and I’m very happy to say that he ends the series on an “up” as it were and a jaw dropping moment.
I thoroughly enjoyed this installment, in fact I thoroughly enjoyed all three books. Box is a thorough reprobate and you can’t help but love him to pieces, because an unrepentant anti-hero is such a delicious rarity.
If you love puns and silly humour, if you love James Bond but think that Bond definitely misses out on a lot of action by ignoring bell-hops, rent boys and the like, then you will love Lucifer Box. Give him a go. I’m only sorry that Gatiss has only done three. It’s a clever plot to do them in three different eras (Edwardian, 1920s and 1950s) but I hope that he’s tempted to go back and fill us in on some of the cases that Lucifer teases us with – because I for one want MORE please!
March 12, 2017
Well, this was the end of the Lucifer Box Trilogy and what a fun journey it has been. I've said most what I want to say about the character that is Lucifer Box in my other reviews, but this was a fitting end to a hero of the British Secret Service that certainly needs a wider audience. In fact the ending is a pure treat for those who followed Box on his grandiose adventures.
I know that Mark Gatiss is a big James Bond fan and the nods to 007 are here for all to see, with some a little hidden but discoverable by the Bond nerds amongst us.
This is an over the top trilogy, sometime preposterous, sometimes exciting, sometimes rude, sometimes laugh out loud, sometimes, okay most times, unbelievable but always great fun. What’s not to like in a story where a CIA agent is called Kingdom Kum and a form of torture is ‘Tickling’!
I’ve really enjoyed these books and will miss ol’ Lucifer and his bohemian ways but I hope like his author’s hero, Box Will Return!!
I know that Mark Gatiss is a big James Bond fan and the nods to 007 are here for all to see, with some a little hidden but discoverable by the Bond nerds amongst us.
This is an over the top trilogy, sometime preposterous, sometimes exciting, sometimes rude, sometimes laugh out loud, sometimes, okay most times, unbelievable but always great fun. What’s not to like in a story where a CIA agent is called Kingdom Kum and a form of torture is ‘Tickling’!
I’ve really enjoyed these books and will miss ol’ Lucifer and his bohemian ways but I hope like his author’s hero, Box Will Return!!
March 1, 2017
I'm a huge fan of Mark Gatiss and adored the rest of this series, but sadly the last one didn't feel the same. The glorious silliness that the others harnessed so well just doesn't work as well next to the grumpy, rather bitter Box of old age. I did think the final chapter made a perfect ending, and I enjoyed the multitude of silly names for background characters (also the description of one person as "unnecessarily ginger" :D ).
February 21, 2010
The third book in the Lucifer Box collection. Good, but not as excellent as the first. Set in the 1950s, Lucifer is at an older age and ready to retire but still has one last case in him. Curiosity, not assignment, is what brings him to do what the others can't once again.
Gatiss's witt and British humor make this a quick and enjoyable read for any day of the week.
Gatiss's witt and British humor make this a quick and enjoyable read for any day of the week.
March 22, 2009
Another Lucifer Box outing (had to finish the series), this one dealing with Boy Scouts, a drug ring, Istanbul, and, well, world domination, as usual. We'r also introduced to Box's son, who, due to some revelations at the end, may be poised to take over any sequels.
August 24, 2009
These Lucifer Box novels make me laugh. This one is perhaps not as clever as the first two, but it was witty and enjoyable. Fluff reading rather than engaging which is surprising because The Vesuvius Club was brilliant!
March 13, 2012
What is it with British actors writing spy novels? The Lucifer Box series is fun enough, though. Black Butterfly is probably my favorite of the three, because I have a soft spot in my heart for aging spies.
December 29, 2013
Stared to read this for the book club but had to stop and go back to the 1st book in the series. Hate it when you start a new book and there are TONS of references to the previous novels! Feels like going to a party where everyone has been friends for years and you've only just arrived!
January 26, 2014
So bit different this one was read out on Radio 4 by the author. Fab! You get to hear exactly what he meant each character to sound like and how they behave it made the book so much better. Great books with a rather unusual character who by this 3rd book is definitely beginning to feel his age
March 16, 2014
With the young Queen Elizabeth newly established on her throne, Lucifer Box Esq. is now 'by Appointment to Her Majesty'. But the secretive Royal Academy seems a very different place and, approaching retirement, Box decides to investigate one last case.
October 19, 2017
Lucifer Box is always a fun read. While not the best of three, still has a lot of hilarious moments and is a great ending to the trilogy. I hope Gatiss writes more from Box's younger years (though I won't hold my breath).
June 22, 2014
Not as fun or clever as the first two in the series, but definitely a nice conclusion to the Lucifer Box trilogy. I'm just assuming Gatiss retired the character so he could focus on Sherlock - his true gift to humanity.
November 26, 2014
It's like Sherlock Holmes with a little sexual perversion (which isn't a bad thing!) I wish there were more Lucifer Box stories, but not if it takes Mark Gatiss away from his Sherlock Holmes writing duties!!
December 18, 2016
A fitting end to the career of one Lucifer Box, though I do hope that the endlessly talented Mr. Gatiss returns to the world of Box again in the future at some point. Three stories simply isn't enough.
December 7, 2008
A right rollicking read - while Lucifer may be older now, he doesn't compromise on either lechery or action. I still love the 'Sherlock Holmes' style references to improbably-named old cases.
February 17, 2013
Can't wait to read this...although I'm not sure how I feel about good ole Lucifer now being an elderly secret agent...only one way to find out.
July 13, 2009
A final hurrah for Lucifer Box. Not quite as good as the first two adventures but still funny enough. Plenty of puns and witticisms and the usual craziness
July 8, 2009
I liked the first one, hated te 2nd, and this was in between. it's too easy camp for my taste, which is a shame because I like mark gatiss.
June 28, 2010
While I enjoyed the first Box novel and thought the second was okay, this one was filled with ham fisted 'funny name' humor and just fell flat on its face for me.
November 5, 2009
JC without the needle guns.
August 24, 2010
I did enjoy this book, but it wasn't as good as the first two in my opinion. Still a very good Lucifer Box installment.....& sadly it's probably the last.....maybe....
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