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austinburns's review against another edition
3.0
a good detective story and an interesting view of hell, but the descriptions were so disgusting: a lot of shit, blood, viscera, fire, etc. i usually read while i eat and it was very difficult to finish this book because of that
melonpea's review
4.0
A brilliant idea, really well executed. A tiny bit repetitive but never boring.
merricatct's review against another edition
4.0
A detective novel in Hell! I normally don't love noir or detective type stories, but when I read the description of this one, I knew I had to give it a try.
First of all, this book is worth the price of admission for the setting alone. I love urban fiction, where the city is just as much a character as the actual people, and this book does not disappoint. Hell as a huge walled city, complete with districts and landmarks, surrounded by the ocean of Limbo, is not an image I'll soon forget! I loved following along with Thomas Fool as he explored the different areas of Hell, from the halls of the Bureaucracy to the farms that grow the meager crop to feed Hell's citizens. This is not a typical medieval "fire and brimstone" type Hell, but disturbing images and horror abound nonetheless.
My biggest complaint with the book is that while so much went into the worldbuilding of Hell, it seems like nothing was left for the characters themselves. Fool is often little more than a glorified tour guide, both textually and metaphorically, giving us exposition about Hell and its denizens as he travels from place to place. If the author could've given us fleshed-out characters to equal this fleshed-out dystopian bureaucratic Hell, this would've been a book for the ages!
First of all, this book is worth the price of admission for the setting alone. I love urban fiction, where the city is just as much a character as the actual people, and this book does not disappoint. Hell as a huge walled city, complete with districts and landmarks, surrounded by the ocean of Limbo, is not an image I'll soon forget! I loved following along with Thomas Fool as he explored the different areas of Hell, from the halls of the Bureaucracy to the farms that grow the meager crop to feed Hell's citizens. This is not a typical medieval "fire and brimstone" type Hell, but disturbing images and horror abound nonetheless.
My biggest complaint with the book is that while so much went into the worldbuilding of Hell, it seems like nothing was left for the characters themselves. Fool is often little more than a glorified tour guide, both textually and metaphorically, giving us exposition about Hell and its denizens as he travels from place to place. If the author could've given us fleshed-out characters to equal this fleshed-out dystopian bureaucratic Hell, this would've been a book for the ages!
elise_dom's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
diannel_04's review against another edition
2.0
Poor Tom Fool. He's a detective in Hell who has to deal with a serial killer and a delegation of arrogant angels from up above. It should have been a fun book. unfortunately, it wasn't.
beachgal30's review against another edition
4.0
I honestly didn’t know anything about this book going in. I didn’t know the story, I just bought the book based off what I’ve heard and a recommendation from one of my book club members.
I was not disappointed. The writing is great, the story is great, the characters are true to their nature. This book was something I’ve never read before and I enjoyed it. It was graphic at times but I loved the detective aspect throughout it as well as the plot being set in Hell. I loved the angels and demons, the souls, and Thomas Fool trying to find out who, or what, is committing these murders.
I was not disappointed. The writing is great, the story is great, the characters are true to their nature. This book was something I’ve never read before and I enjoyed it. It was graphic at times but I loved the detective aspect throughout it as well as the plot being set in Hell. I loved the angels and demons, the souls, and Thomas Fool trying to find out who, or what, is committing these murders.
and_it_spoke's review against another edition
4.0
Essentially, this is a dtective noir novel, set in literal hell - but it's so much more. It's clever, it's witty, it's dark... but never in ways that come off as self-indulgent or pretentious. Simon Kurt Unsworth lets his story and vision of hell unfold very oganicly. We lean along the way just as our protagonist, Thomas Fool, does about the intricacies and startling truths about hell and othe aspects of the afterlife.
A well paced read that serves up action, philosophy, insight and humor in an engaging and immersive way. Definately recommended.
A well paced read that serves up action, philosophy, insight and humor in an engaging and immersive way. Definately recommended.
peachtitan's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
i was so excited to read this book and it really just fell flat to me, while fool was interesting that was about it. it felt like it kept dangling much more interesting points and characters all the way through.
markyon's review against another edition
4.0
Reading this one, I was tempted to imagine how its sales pitch went. “It’s a detective story, set in Hell – you know, the opposite of Heaven.” For it must be said that The Devil’s Detective is certainly original in that respect.
To this world we are introduced to Fool, occasionally named Thomas, one of three ‘Information Men’ – a detective whose purpose is to investigate those crimes that need to be examined. Fool (never ‘The Fool’) is our hero, of sorts, a character that is more than the usual thin stereotype. Plagued by constant self-doubt, he knows nothing of his own past, nor why he has been given this job to do this seemingly thankless task, yet feels he must.
The first part of the book sets the scene, creating a grisly, dark and depressing environment whilst multiple victims are discovered. There are times when the setting is gruesome, the events described are rather unpleasant and there are dead and decaying bodies throughout. As if you hadn’t guessed already, Hell is really not a nice place to be.
The book begins with the finding of a body which has been beaten up, possibly tortured, floating in Solomon Water. Further investigation by Fool and examiner Morgan at the Questioning House (think autopsy) leads them to discover that the body has been totally severed from its soul – not a usual occurrence, and clearly a deliberate action caused by somebody who does not want others to know anything about the corpse. As a result, there is no memory available to be recalled of the body’s death or its last sight and thoughts.
The setting has a certain imaginative touch. There are some wonderfully inventive ideas here, not all of which are pleasant. Fool spends much of his time wading through fluids and solids of indeterminate origin in his investigations. Indeed, much of the book can be described as grimy. This sense of decay pervades throughout the novel. The once-burning lakes are now creepily still, although in the lakes are skinless demons that occasionally appear from beneath to feed on the souls of the Damned. Limbo is an ocean that laps up to Hell, the bodies floating in it taken ashore when required. In the Flame Garden, flames burn things into existence, returning them to Limbo.
When more bodies are discovered, Fool finds himself on the trail of this multiple killer as the Information Men have been given the task of discovering the murderer. Helped by his colleagues Gordie and Summer, Fool’s investigations lead him to be summoned in front of Rhakshasas, the head of the archdeacons of Hell, where Fool is given an additional mission, to investigate Fool’s friend, The Man of Plants and Flowers. This may or may not conflict with Fool’s own feelings, as he realises that his friend, ‘The Man’ may have his own agenda that may conflict with that of the demons.
To this murk there is a political situation that hints at bigger things at stake. Whilst Fool is investigating the murder he also finds himself being conscripted by his boss Elderflower to assist with negotiations between the Bureaucracies of Heaven and Hell. This is an ongoing process when discussions occur, for reasons not known to Fool, between Heaven and Hell with consequently souls being ‘elevated’ or ‘Lowered’ as a result. Not only does Fool therefore have to deal with an increasingly complex investigation he also has to act as guide to two of Heaven’s representatives, Balthazar and Adam.
What I enjoyed most is the way that Simon has clearly thought out this imaginary world. For what could be such an undefinable place, there is a certain satisfaction in finding that Hell, as most places, has a structure. Not only is this structure physical, but bureaucratic in nature. And perhaps that is the aspect of Hell that is worst of all…
One of the saddest and memorable points made in The Devil’s Detective is that Hell, as a place, is not the traditional view of Hell that we might expect, with fire and brimstone everywhere, although it must be said that there is some should you wish to see it. The brilliance of this version is that Hell has and is changing, always evolving, and that is part of its hellishness. To make it worse, the fact that souls do ascend and descend gives many the hope that things may get better for them – but, of course, with this being Hell, the point is that for many it is hopeless. The consequence of this is the creation of The Sorrowful, groups of humans who wait quietly outside the place of negotiations, who have the temerity to hope that they may be chosen to ascend. Part of Hell is simply existing, without knowing what will happen in the future:
‘ They arrive as flesh from the seas outside, shriven not of their sin but only of their knowledge of it, knowing they are being punished for something without knowing why. They try to do good in the hope that it helps, living each day in the expectation of death or worse, watching as it happens to those around them. They see demons acting without consequence, see Elevations happen without apparent reason, and they suffer. Not the burning agonies of bodies chained to rocks or flesh afire or torn to pieces, no; something worse.’
It is not just this though which makes the story remarkable. Rather strangely, yet also rather understandably, Hell has a societal structure which creates an interesting dimension to the plot. Not only is there a trade between Heaven and Hell for souls, but there are other ways of signifying a soul’s arrival or departure. The demons and the human souls generally live apart, though there is a common social area (I’m tempted to say ‘Hunting Ground’) known as the Houska where the two meet, drink socialise and abuse each other. Fool’s status leads him to go to places previously off-limits to Humans, which are both physically unsettling and at times emotionally uncomfortable – as they should be.
The book draws you in to a rather good ending when there is a resolution (of sorts.) Weirdly, it all seemed rather Blade Runner to me in tone and denouement (which isn’t a bad thing, in my opinion.) The Devil’s Detective works quite nicely (and refreshingly) as a stand-alone novel, such that it would be rather perfect if there was no sequel. However, I suspect that this is not the last time we will get chance to look here.
In summary, The Devil’s Detective is a dark tale, filled with noir-like atmosphere, imaginative and intelligent in its development. I liked the at-times lyrical prose, the subtle characterisation and the rather unremittingly grim setting, the juxtaposition of which suggests that if/when we move onto other planes of existence there might just be hope – in the right circumstances. It’s not a place I’d personally like to stay, but I enjoyed this visit.
To this world we are introduced to Fool, occasionally named Thomas, one of three ‘Information Men’ – a detective whose purpose is to investigate those crimes that need to be examined. Fool (never ‘The Fool’) is our hero, of sorts, a character that is more than the usual thin stereotype. Plagued by constant self-doubt, he knows nothing of his own past, nor why he has been given this job to do this seemingly thankless task, yet feels he must.
The first part of the book sets the scene, creating a grisly, dark and depressing environment whilst multiple victims are discovered. There are times when the setting is gruesome, the events described are rather unpleasant and there are dead and decaying bodies throughout. As if you hadn’t guessed already, Hell is really not a nice place to be.
The book begins with the finding of a body which has been beaten up, possibly tortured, floating in Solomon Water. Further investigation by Fool and examiner Morgan at the Questioning House (think autopsy) leads them to discover that the body has been totally severed from its soul – not a usual occurrence, and clearly a deliberate action caused by somebody who does not want others to know anything about the corpse. As a result, there is no memory available to be recalled of the body’s death or its last sight and thoughts.
The setting has a certain imaginative touch. There are some wonderfully inventive ideas here, not all of which are pleasant. Fool spends much of his time wading through fluids and solids of indeterminate origin in his investigations. Indeed, much of the book can be described as grimy. This sense of decay pervades throughout the novel. The once-burning lakes are now creepily still, although in the lakes are skinless demons that occasionally appear from beneath to feed on the souls of the Damned. Limbo is an ocean that laps up to Hell, the bodies floating in it taken ashore when required. In the Flame Garden, flames burn things into existence, returning them to Limbo.
When more bodies are discovered, Fool finds himself on the trail of this multiple killer as the Information Men have been given the task of discovering the murderer. Helped by his colleagues Gordie and Summer, Fool’s investigations lead him to be summoned in front of Rhakshasas, the head of the archdeacons of Hell, where Fool is given an additional mission, to investigate Fool’s friend, The Man of Plants and Flowers. This may or may not conflict with Fool’s own feelings, as he realises that his friend, ‘The Man’ may have his own agenda that may conflict with that of the demons.
To this murk there is a political situation that hints at bigger things at stake. Whilst Fool is investigating the murder he also finds himself being conscripted by his boss Elderflower to assist with negotiations between the Bureaucracies of Heaven and Hell. This is an ongoing process when discussions occur, for reasons not known to Fool, between Heaven and Hell with consequently souls being ‘elevated’ or ‘Lowered’ as a result. Not only does Fool therefore have to deal with an increasingly complex investigation he also has to act as guide to two of Heaven’s representatives, Balthazar and Adam.
What I enjoyed most is the way that Simon has clearly thought out this imaginary world. For what could be such an undefinable place, there is a certain satisfaction in finding that Hell, as most places, has a structure. Not only is this structure physical, but bureaucratic in nature. And perhaps that is the aspect of Hell that is worst of all…
One of the saddest and memorable points made in The Devil’s Detective is that Hell, as a place, is not the traditional view of Hell that we might expect, with fire and brimstone everywhere, although it must be said that there is some should you wish to see it. The brilliance of this version is that Hell has and is changing, always evolving, and that is part of its hellishness. To make it worse, the fact that souls do ascend and descend gives many the hope that things may get better for them – but, of course, with this being Hell, the point is that for many it is hopeless. The consequence of this is the creation of The Sorrowful, groups of humans who wait quietly outside the place of negotiations, who have the temerity to hope that they may be chosen to ascend. Part of Hell is simply existing, without knowing what will happen in the future:
‘ They arrive as flesh from the seas outside, shriven not of their sin but only of their knowledge of it, knowing they are being punished for something without knowing why. They try to do good in the hope that it helps, living each day in the expectation of death or worse, watching as it happens to those around them. They see demons acting without consequence, see Elevations happen without apparent reason, and they suffer. Not the burning agonies of bodies chained to rocks or flesh afire or torn to pieces, no; something worse.’
It is not just this though which makes the story remarkable. Rather strangely, yet also rather understandably, Hell has a societal structure which creates an interesting dimension to the plot. Not only is there a trade between Heaven and Hell for souls, but there are other ways of signifying a soul’s arrival or departure. The demons and the human souls generally live apart, though there is a common social area (I’m tempted to say ‘Hunting Ground’) known as the Houska where the two meet, drink socialise and abuse each other. Fool’s status leads him to go to places previously off-limits to Humans, which are both physically unsettling and at times emotionally uncomfortable – as they should be.
The book draws you in to a rather good ending when there is a resolution (of sorts.) Weirdly, it all seemed rather Blade Runner to me in tone and denouement (which isn’t a bad thing, in my opinion.) The Devil’s Detective works quite nicely (and refreshingly) as a stand-alone novel, such that it would be rather perfect if there was no sequel. However, I suspect that this is not the last time we will get chance to look here.
In summary, The Devil’s Detective is a dark tale, filled with noir-like atmosphere, imaginative and intelligent in its development. I liked the at-times lyrical prose, the subtle characterisation and the rather unremittingly grim setting, the juxtaposition of which suggests that if/when we move onto other planes of existence there might just be hope – in the right circumstances. It’s not a place I’d personally like to stay, but I enjoyed this visit.
calicocatkin's review against another edition
3.0
A very cool premise, with an interesting and likeable protagonist, and some inventive world building. The murder investigation is refreshingly different, as it's being conducted within the supernatural parameters and rules of Hell - for example, you can conduct various unpleasant rituals to interrogate a corpse in the hopes of finding out more about the murder. Some dramatic action sequences, especially towards the denouement.
Now to the negative. There are only I think 3 women ever mentioned in the entire book, 2 of whom are nameless NPCs. The other is a fellow detective, who is seen sobbing in nearly every scene she appears in (which isn't many), and then is violently killed fairly early on. Both of these things are arguably somewhat expected given the setting, but it's not a great look for that to be all the single female character gets to do. Plus Hell's investigators are called Information Men, and I really thought initially there was going to be some interrogation of why Hell is a patriarchy (although when I put it that way...), but ultimately it just seemed like the author didn't care about portraying women at all. Plus, as far as I can tell, everyone in the book is white.
There's a fair amount of gore, violence and bodily fluids in this book, to a level that was a bit much for me personally.
So pretty mixed feelings about this one. Overall I don't think I'll bother with the next in the series.
Now to the negative. There are only I think 3 women ever mentioned in the entire book, 2 of whom are nameless NPCs. The other is a fellow detective, who is seen sobbing in nearly every scene she appears in (which isn't many), and then is violently killed fairly early on. Both of these things are arguably somewhat expected given the setting, but it's not a great look for that to be all the single female character gets to do. Plus Hell's investigators are called Information Men, and I really thought initially there was going to be some interrogation of why Hell is a patriarchy (although when I put it that way...), but ultimately it just seemed like the author didn't care about portraying women at all. Plus, as far as I can tell, everyone in the book is white.
There's a fair amount of gore, violence and bodily fluids in this book, to a level that was a bit much for me personally.
So pretty mixed feelings about this one. Overall I don't think I'll bother with the next in the series.