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….

Well, it’s not quite the new year, but clearly I can see that my “resolution” to finish more trilogies/series before starting new ones will be…a challenge. But whatever. The Felix Castor series has been calling to me, and I couldn’t put this off any longer!

Mike Carey (aka M.R. Carey) is one of those authors who, even though I’ve only read a small handful of his books (four), I’d always consider a favorite. A lot of that has to do with The Girl With All The Gifts being one of my all-time favorite books, but I’ve absolutely loved everything of his I’ve read, and The Devil You Know is no exception. This was one of those great moments where, less than 20 pages into the first book of the series, and it was just like…yes, this is exactly what I needed & I just know this series is going to be a complete fucking blast.

Felix Castor is a freelance exorcist living in London. Of course in Carey’s version of London (and the world), the dead began to rise around the year 2000…things just got generally…ghostier in the world. Anyway, Felix is in sort of a funk. He’s trying to make ends meet without getting himself killed, so he’s “semi-retired” from the ghost-hunting business, and even working as a magician at children’s birthday parties.

But then a couple things happen at once: he receives a dire warning from his old friend Rafi (who is in a psychiatric hospital), and he also gets a phone call about a job. A spooky-type job. It’s worth noting here that Castor isn’t an exorcist in the classic horror movie sense. He’s no priest, and what he does is actually more like the work of a private investigator…doing research, asking questions, chasing down clues…so what you’re left with is this delicious blend of horror, dark urban fantasy, and hardboiled detective fiction.

The job turns out to be a haunting at a place called the Bonnington Archive, a place that deals in all kinds of old maps, books, documents, etc. Most everyone that works there has seen the ghost…some have had quiet encounters, while others have been a bit more malevolent. It’s up to Castor to interview all the staff, and try to get to the bottom of the haunting. This is all made more difficult by the fact that the administrator of the Archive, a man named Jefferey Peele, just wants Castor to show up, catch the ghost, and be on his way. But Felix Castor is someone who is more methodical about his work, however inscrutable his methods may seem to others.

Oh, and Felix is also being hunted by a sex demon, so that’s not making his life any easier, either.

Oof…I fucking loved The Devil You Know so damn much. Castor is an incredible protagonist, someone whose personal life is rather chaotic & messy, but who knows his shit when it comes to his work. He’s not willing to cut corners, because in the end, he’s seeking justice for those who can’t always seek it for themselves. And he also carries himself with that sort of sardonic-but-really-a-good-guy attitude common in crime/detective fiction (looking at you, Travis McGee).

So..it’s worth mentioning that this book takes some extremely dark turns. And like…it wasn’t necessarily jarring. The book has plenty of humor, and urban fantasy (to me) can often have an overall fun vibe…which The Devil You Know does have. But yeah. Carey takes you to some very dark places in this one, with situations relating (but not limited) to kidnapping & sexual abuse.

While I’ve got a least a few other urban fantasy series I’m working on, I’m not even a little sorry that I started one more! Mike Carey is an unbelievably gifted storyteller, and I loved his approach to creating this world. I mean, it’s our world, but, you know…with zombies & ghosts & sex demons & stuff.

I really couldn’t have loved this any more, and I’m DYING to get to the next Felix Castor Exorcism…this is a Book One expertly designed to reel in readers for the rest of the series.