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The Devil You Know

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The Devil You Know

Written by: Mike Carey
Narrated by: Michael Kramer
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Author of The Girl With All the Gifts Mike Carey presents the first book in his hip supernatural thriller series featuring freelance exorcist Felix Castor.

Felix Castor is a freelance exorcist, and London is his stomping ground. It may seem like a good ghostbuster can charge what he likes and enjoy a hell of a lifestyle, but there's a risk: sooner or later he's going to take on a spirit that's too strong for him.

When Castor accepts a seemingly simple ghost-hunting case at a museum in the shadowy heart of London, what should have been a perfectly straightforward exorcism is rapidly turning into the Who Can Kill Castor First Show, with demons and ghosts all keen to claim the big prize.
But that's business as usual: Castor knows how to deal with the dead. It's the living who piss him off. . .. Fantasy Ghosts Horror Supernatural Thriller & Suspense Haunted Scary Classics Fiction Paranormal Suspense
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What the critics say

"The Devil You Know is a spectacular novel, one of the best supernatural thrillers I've read in years."—Douglas Preston, New York Times bestselling author
"Sleazy and down-at-heel and quintessentially London, Mike Carey's Felix Castor steps effortlessly into the growing field of supernatural noir and brings with him a blast of fresh, British air. Think Shoestring meets Constantine, with backing vocals from the shades of Leslie Charteris and Anais Nin. Carey's plotting is tight and laconic, and laced with shivery, understated horrors from both the human world and beyond. It grabs you from the first out-of-nowhere nasty surprise, and rarely lets go thereafter. You'll be up all night finishing this one."—Richard Morgan
"Engrossing . . . perfect . . . an ingeniously multilayered tale."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"An imaginative spin on the hard-boiled detective . . . mixes horror and humor in a way that spells good omens for future Castor novels."—Entertainment Weekly
"Carey transcends his comic roots in this quirky, dark and imaginative tale that compels reader to keep turning pages long after they should have gotten to sleep."—Kirkus (starred review)

Continue the series
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Really enjoyed this book — sarcastic and fun. I like how the backstory and world is hinted at or referred to obliquely instead of being rammed down your throat in tedious expository paragraphs or chapters like so many other first books of a series.

Like the title suggests, it really reminds me the Harry Dresden books by Jim Butcher except set in London and with an exorcist (and also maybe a touch less twee than the Dresden books).

Performance was pretty good though I felt the secondary characters all had a vaguely South African or Australian accent that kind of blended together. The main characters were well voiced, though, and I especially like the lightly campy tinge to Felix Castor — it really leavened the story and elevated the occasionally clunky dialogue. In lesser hands (tongue?) it could have been too melodramatic or ponderous.

I will for sure get the next one.

Harry Dresden, exorcist

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Felix Castor is a flawed man, an exorcist with a checkered past, mounting bills, unusual friends and dangerous enemies. He's resolved to never get back into exorcism, but can't help himself - and nearly dies from it as his emotions get involved and he begins to unravel a murder mystery. In between, he faces ghosts, zombies, a mob boss and a succubus trying to kill him - all narrated with a wry British accent. It feels a lot like a supernatural detective, and that's a soft spot for me, so I enjoyed myself.

Reminds me of the Dresden Files

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