Vicious Circle (Felix Castor)

Felix Castor has reluctantly returned to exorcism after a successful case convinces him that he really can do some good with his abilities---"good," of course, being a relative term when dealing with the undead. His friend Rafi is still possessed, the succubus Ajulutsikael (Juliet to her friends) still technically has a contract on him, and he's still dirt poor. Doing some consulting for the local cops helps pay the bills, but Castor needs a big private job to really fill the hole in his bank account. That's what he needs. What he gets is a seemingly insignificant "missing ghost" case that inexorably drags him and his loved ones into the middle of a horrific plot to raise one of hell's fiercest demons. When satanists, stolen spirits, sacrifice farms, and haunted churches all appear on the same police report, the name Felix Castor can't be too far behind...

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School—This follow-up to Carey's The Devil You Know (Grand Central, 2007) returns readers to a modern-day London where ghosts and zombies have become part of daily life. The novel revisits the lives of many characters introduced in the first book, including the protagonist, Felix Castor, but it stands alone. Castor has returned to his life as an exorcist and quickly becomes involved in a "missing ghost" case that isn't as open-and-shut as it first appears. Similar in style and subject matter to Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's Brimstone (Grand Central, 2005), the book combines the detective thriller with supernatural elements to create a plot filled with suspense, ghoulish apparitions, and the Catholic Church. The narration provides a nice mix of dialogue and action, with humorous undertones sprinkled throughout, as Castor must rely on the help of zombies, werewolves, and a succubus to solve the mystery. Although the story begins slowly, it quickly picks up and comes to a satisfying end, finishing Castor's current adventure with a few subplots that are likely to be tied up in the next novel in the series.—Kelliann Bogan, Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Carey, a noted comics writer and creator, follows up his excellent debut, The Devil You Know (2007), with this even better, and even weirder, sequel. Felix Castor, a freelance exorcist, is hired to find a missing person—well, technically, a missing ghost: a young woman who died last year, and whose spirit returned to her family home but now appears to have vanished. (We told you it was weird.) Little does Felix suspect that this seemingly minor case will lead him into dangers more terrifying than anything he could imagine, or that he will soon be trying to stop the resurrection of a demon of almost limitless evil. Considering its scary subject matter, the novel is relatively light, almost breezy, a traditional first-person detective story with a supernatural twist. The cast of characters is appropriately offbeat (Castor’s old friend is possessed by a demon; the object of Castor’s romantic crush is a succubus), and the story is full of scares, then laughs, then more scares. A treat for fans of supernatural fiction and of private-eye yarns. Genre-bending at its best. --David Pitt

About the Author

MIKE CAREY got into writing through comic books, where his horror/fantasy series Lucifer garnered numerous international awards and was nominated for five Eisners. From there he moved into novels and screenplays, while still maintaining a presence in the comics world (he is currently writing two of Marvel's flagship titles, X-Men and Ultimate Fantastic Four). His movie Frost Flowers, an erotic ghost story, is currently in production with Hadaly/Bluestar Pictures. He lives in London, England, about as far as you can get from the centre of the city and still have access to the London Underground train network. His wife, Linda, writes fantasy for young readers under the pseudonym A.J.Lake. They have three children and an implausibly beautiful cat.

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