Vicious Circle

Vicious Circle (2006) Mike Carey

Felix (Fix) Castor, who is usually at loose ends, is suddenly involved in three different cases. As a consultant in a police case, in a missing child case, and in assisting Juliet with a case she has taken on involving a haunted or possessed church. Additionally, he is still trying to find a way to free Rafi from the clutches of Asmodeus, and to get solvent with his friend and landlady, Pen.

Someone is warning him off the case, but unfortunately for him, he has no idea which case they mean.

I started this book two days ago, and was planning on reading a couple chapters a night. Last night when I picked up the book I was halfway in, and unfortunately for my day today, didn’t put down the book until I finished it, which was after midnight (and way past my weekday bedtime.)

Despite the fact Felix remains a bit of a bastard, I still like him. He has priorities with which I agree, and although he has to make hard choices based upon those priorities, he does the right thing–at least as far as I am concerned.

Vicious Circle has a fair amount of horror, but then Felix is an exorcise who deals with demons, so the amount of horror isn’t particularly surprising. I’m not necessarily a fan of horror, though I’m far more okay with gruesome than I am with scary, but this story isn’t just horror or supernatural fantasy, but is also a mystery–a fascinating if gruesome mystery that went places I didn’t expect yet had a logical (if depressing) conclusion.

If you like supernatural mysteries, then I highly recommend checking out Mike Carey’s Felix Castor series. But start with The Devil You Know to give you a better idea of the history between Pen and Rafi and Felix.
Rating: 8/10

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