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A review by shaynexb
The Devil's Detective by Simon Kurt Unsworth
4.0
This was a powerful, thoughtful, sometimes-gory, and all-the-times kick-ass novel.
(Oh, man, I used an animated gif. THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT!)
We follow Thomas Fool (great name, right??) as he investigates crimes in Hell. Not like "I have to pay taxes and go to work? This place is HELL!" but like "Here be the souls of the damned, toiling for eternity." There's a slight difference. Sometimes.
He is one of Hell's Information Men (another great name). Usually he just stamps the crime reports with what amounts to "Eh, whaddayagonnadew?" But this time, there's a serial killer in the hoary Netherworld, and he's not just droppin' bodies, he's poppin' SOULS! Souls that explode in a blueish light. Like a glow. Almost like a...
I really dug the descriptions of Hell. It's not Old Testament Hell, with whips and cloven hooves and screaming sinners bent on racks. It has evolved with the mindset of humans, and is now a frustrating bureaucratic nightmare. (Sound familiar?) But still with demon-birds and demon-rapes and forced poo-eating and uncomfortable clothes. Some things are too classic to go out of style.
So, excellent world-building + memorable characters + a never-before-seen landscape + classic fuckin' noir = one of the best books I've read this year. Cheers!
(Oh, man, I used an animated gif. THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT!)
We follow Thomas Fool (great name, right??) as he investigates crimes in Hell. Not like "I have to pay taxes and go to work? This place is HELL!" but like "Here be the souls of the damned, toiling for eternity." There's a slight difference. Sometimes.
He is one of Hell's Information Men (another great name). Usually he just stamps the crime reports with what amounts to "Eh, whaddayagonnadew?" But this time, there's a serial killer in the hoary Netherworld, and he's not just droppin' bodies, he's poppin' SOULS! Souls that explode in a blueish light. Like a glow. Almost like a...
I really dug the descriptions of Hell. It's not Old Testament Hell, with whips and cloven hooves and screaming sinners bent on racks. It has evolved with the mindset of humans, and is now a frustrating bureaucratic nightmare. (Sound familiar?) But still with demon-birds and demon-rapes and forced poo-eating and uncomfortable clothes. Some things are too classic to go out of style.
So, excellent world-building + memorable characters + a never-before-seen landscape + classic fuckin' noir = one of the best books I've read this year. Cheers!