Hardcover, 306 pages
English language
Published Sept. 27, 2015 by Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press.
Daniel Carter used to be a homicide detective, but his last case-the hunt for a serial killer-went wrong in strange ways and soured the job for him. Now he's a private investigator trying to live a quiet life. Strangeness, however, has not finished with him.
First he inherits a bookstore in Providence from someone he's never heard of, along with an indignant bookseller who doesn't want a new boss. She's Emily Lovecraft, the last known descendant of H.P. Lovecraft, the writer from Providence who told tales of the Great Old Ones and the Elder Gods, creatures and entities beyond the understanding of man.
Then people start dying in impossible ways, and while Carter doesn't want to be involved, he's beginning to suspect that someone else wants him to be. As he reluctantly investigates, he discovers that Lovecraft's tales were more than just fiction, and he must accept another unexpected, and …
Daniel Carter used to be a homicide detective, but his last case-the hunt for a serial killer-went wrong in strange ways and soured the job for him. Now he's a private investigator trying to live a quiet life. Strangeness, however, has not finished with him.
First he inherits a bookstore in Providence from someone he's never heard of, along with an indignant bookseller who doesn't want a new boss. She's Emily Lovecraft, the last known descendant of H.P. Lovecraft, the writer from Providence who told tales of the Great Old Ones and the Elder Gods, creatures and entities beyond the understanding of man.
Then people start dying in impossible ways, and while Carter doesn't want to be involved, he's beginning to suspect that someone else wants him to be. As he reluctantly investigates, he discovers that Lovecraft's tales were more than just fiction, and he must accept another unexpected, and far more unwanted inheritance.
Interesting end. But I think the story slowed a little in the last third part.
3.5 An imaginative read that focuses on the perceptory part of Lovecraft's cosmic horror mixed with a good deal of detective story. It's unusual as it gives a villain PoV (and several innocent bystanders) in a couple of scenes. I subtract a point, because Lovecraft (Afro-American great-niece of HPL) could have used more showtime in the beginning and the book feels a little rough when it comes to mundane descriptions. Also there are a couple of points were the experience of a Black woman was handled a little awkwardly. The idea o HPL having a Black relative is a great one and the character's attitude towards that is also great, but some throwaway lines from the main character are a little painful if not unrealistic for a white dude protagonist.
All in all, there are some nice surprises and good ideas on perception in this definitely enjoyable read and I …
3.5 An imaginative read that focuses on the perceptory part of Lovecraft's cosmic horror mixed with a good deal of detective story. It's unusual as it gives a villain PoV (and several innocent bystanders) in a couple of scenes. I subtract a point, because Lovecraft (Afro-American great-niece of HPL) could have used more showtime in the beginning and the book feels a little rough when it comes to mundane descriptions. Also there are a couple of points were the experience of a Black woman was handled a little awkwardly. The idea o HPL having a Black relative is a great one and the character's attitude towards that is also great, but some throwaway lines from the main character are a little painful if not unrealistic for a white dude protagonist.
All in all, there are some nice surprises and good ideas on perception in this definitely enjoyable read and I certainly didn't regret it, though the asking price was really steep for some reason.
Daniel Carter was a homicide detective when bad stuff happened and he left the force. Emily Lovecraft (yes, of those Lovecrafts) owns a bookstore that Carter gets bequeathed. And that's only the beginning
of the odd things that happen to these two.
Not sure what to make of this book. It tried to mix occult with a "real" mystery - sort of. It's definitely the first book of a series, because it just sort of ends. Not sure I'm interested enough in continuing though.
