Well this one is pure pulpy fun. The world has opened routes of communication with hell, and it seems that demons like nothing more than making deals. The human soul is worth a lot to them, and the standard deal is ten years of working for them post-death for your greatest desire. Want more? Spend a hundred years. After your payment is up, you go on to a better place, but you're going to want to make sure your contract is solid before you sign on the dotted line.
That's where Jack Gilmour comes in. He's a lawyer, specialising in demonic contracts. He'll check for loopholes, try and argue your corner and hopefully stop you being dragged off to hell before your time. He's also been a bit too inspired by Sam Spade and the like and has consciously built his life to be a living tribute to noir.
The setup is a standard "damsel in distress" arc, though here the damsel is casino owner Eddie Malfitano's nephew. Eddie brings some two-fisted muscle and the occasional gun shot to the story, acting nicely against type, as this sort of character would normally be a noir antagonist.
Jack's also helped by Sebastian, a wizard who pays a rather unpleasant price for his demonic magic. And finally there's Lucia, a major demon with her hooks in Jack. She's probably my favourite character in the book, combining the charming malevolence of a femme fatale with some impressive body horror.
It's a relatively straight plot, with not much structurally surprising, but it's an enjoyable ride anyway. It's a novella-length piece, and the thrills never really let up. There's a lot of action, some gruesome hell scenes and some interesting hooks for future adventures. The noir/pulp feel is also well done, with that balance between dark and humour that's so core to the genre. One for a look at.
Tagged: Book Urban fantasy Working joes Novella Print