Blending the tropes of an Everyman hero walking the mean streets with a world where the average is the only thing that isn’t present, Aquilone creates a narrative that offers much to both fans of detective fiction and humorous horror.
Dead Jack is Pandemonium’s best (only) zombie P.I. Mostly, he keeps the mindless hunger for flesh at bay with fairy dust and just tries to make an honest living. However, after an unfortunate circumstance leads to him eating his dealer, he ends up on the run and holding the fate of the world in his hands. Fortunately, Oswald, shapeshifting homunculus and not-exactly-partner, is there to lend a squishy hand; unfortunately, Oswald is about as irritating as the problems he solves.
Aquilone creates a world half hell dimension and half New York crime noir, with dashes of swashbuckling pirate film. Not so much hanging a lantern on as tipping a fedora to the absurdity of it all being true, he mixes demons, leprechauns, pixies, and demons (of a completely different mien), with a host of other supernatural tropes and a few bespoke myths that might be all his own; and a protagonist with a drink problem, a drug problem, and an eating passers-by problem.
However, this thread of self-aware farce is balanced by an equally well-rendered gritty detective narrative, making both the humour and the horror stronger by comparison.
Dead Jack himself is a sympathetic anti-hero in the mould of Sam Spade or Philip Marlow, as much driven by the desire to stay ahead of his problems as to actually solve cases and saved only from lumps the size of pigeon eggs by already being technically dead.
Oswald’s more logical character makes—for the most part—can interesting foil for Jack’s less-than-perfect plans. Where he might be more irritating for some readers is in the matter of what he is: apart from some references to having lurked within Jack’s (now mostly empty) skull, Oswald’s nature remains revealed, leaving readers without any framework to predict the extent of his abilities and thus making certain threats feel less suspenseful.
The supporting cast are similarly dark but also threaded with humour, the horror more Holt than Barker.
This novella also includes “The Case of the Amorous Ogre”, a short story relating one of Jack’s earlier cases. While the ending might not come as a complete shock to most readers, Aquilone’s rendering of a classic noir tale is pleasingly accoutred with absurd fantasy.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I recommend it to readers seeking urban fantasy that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
I received a free copy from the publisher with a request for a fair review.
