The Devil You Know- Review

Title:  The Devil You Know
Author: Mike Carey
Source: my brother

Goodreads Summary:

Freelance exorcist Felix Castor had been happy to bid good riddance to his job, but now, needing cash, he agrees to cast out one last demon. He's eager to finish this ghost extraction as quickly as possible, but as menacing details keep popping up, Castor is dragged ever deeper into the realm of were-beings. Before long, he begins to suspect that he himself is the target of the entire operation. And that's only the beginning of the trouble .


My thoughts:


I loved the character Felix Castor.  He is the perfect mix of sarcastically witty, doggedly persistent, self-deprecating, and smart.  This is the first book in the series, and I also think this character has room to grow.  


I love a good ghost story - and this book delivered a great ghost story.   Felix is an exorcist, who plays a tune on his trusty tin whistle, a song for a ghost, one that captures and twists their existence into non-existence, like a pied piper of the spirit world.  I thought this was a neat way to have Felix perform his craft, without the traditional idea of exorcism.  We learn that Felix is an atheist, performing these exorcisms without the blessing of the church- therefore creating some questions about where they spirits go once Felix plays them into oblivion.  I am sure this theme will be popping up in the following books, since it is a question that Felix has as well.  


This is a world not just of ghosts, but of werecreatures and succubi.  Felix is nearly done in a few times by Juliet, an enchantingly beautiful succubus, who was instructed to kill him.  The end holds some surprising twists with this demon!  The wereanimals in this book are created by spirits invading the bodies of animals, and forcing them into bizarre creatures of their making.  Another creative twist by Carey. The world he has created is definitely new and different. And I like it.


This central plot of this book is fairly simple- Felix take a job he does not necessarily want, because he needs the money.  The job: Exorcise the ghost that is haunting an archive building.  This ghost speaks Russian and has even attacked one of the employees.  Felix is told by an old friend with an unfortunate problem, that he will die on this case.  And he very nearly does.  The mystery kept me guessing until the end, the whodunit and how why.  


This book is a fabulous supernatural mystery, and I think if you like that kind of thing, then this is a series for you.  I am definitely going to read the second in the series very soon.