This is a hell of a read.
Book two of the Nick Holleran series by David Green did not disappoint. I loved book one, Dead Man Walking, and I’m glad the follow up lived up to the first’s expectations. (This review contains spoilers to book one).
In the first book, a ghost of a fifteen-year-old girl stands in Nick Holleran PI’s office, staring at the wall, silent and unaware, as if she were a part of the furniture. By the end, the eyeless ghost sands before Nick as he sits at his desk, asking for his help. Naturally, I had to read book two after that cliffhanger and I’m really glad I did.
Nick Holleran has escaped death, and as a result, he can now see all the ghoulish things that live invisibly among us. These include ghosts, demons, and even Lucifer himself. Unfortunately for Nick, a devil worshipper who’s following him had escaped death too and not only can he see the same monsters Nick can, but he has control over some of them too.
All the while, Nick is trying to help the ghost he’s been seeing standing in his office for the past half decade along with attempting to rekindle his relationship with Rosa. For such a small book, Nick has a lot going on.
In terms of world-building, Green expands on what was established in the first story. It turns out there’s more to Hell that what we, and Nick, thought. This adds to the mystery of the story as to what may or may not be possible, particularly when it comes to Marvin Clancy’s, the devil worshipper, and his abilities.
Speaking of Clancy, he is deranged, calculated, and makes for a great villain. He believes Nick can get him an audience with Lucifer to whom he wishes to pledge allegiance.
What I liked about this cast of characters is the found family Nick has established among them. After the death of Harry and Maeve in book one, I felt bad for Nick as I believed he was truly alone.
Ruby, the owner of the bar, The Styx, appears to be quite unfriendly towards Nick, but she really does care for him, supplying him with what he needs to complete his missions and getting him out of some *cough* awkward situations.
Diane is special, in the sense that she appears to be more powerful than most ghosts, Strengthening at a quicker rate than most. She’s extremely likable, and as she’s from the sixties, the world is a very different place from what she remembered when alive.
Rosa, Nick’s love interest, appears to accept his paranormal predicament even though she can’t see the things he can. She turns out to be a strong character, determined to keep Nick safe if she can.
I suspect these characters will feature later in the series. Despite the exciting, bloody action scenes, Green manages to add a sprinkle of wholesome moments in this book which I hope to see more of later in the series.
Looking forward to reading more. Dying to find out what Lucifer is up to, and whether Charon (Death) will give up more information about Hell.
Be sure to read my review of book one – Dead Man Walking.
I read this book as part of Hell In Haven: Holleran Case Files – 5 Complete Cases – Paranormal Investigator Series but I will be reviewing each story separately.
Find out more about David Green.
This book review is part of a new #Octobooks series. #Octobooks are books associated with authors/guests/members (past and present) of #Octocon, the National Irish Science Fiction Convention. Find out more about Octocon on their website and their socials: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, BlueSky, and Mastodon.
MARK KIELTY 