A delightful otherworldly story with a zingy assortment of characters.
In Haynes’ debut comedy novel, the demon Beelzebub tasks his trusty handyman with ensnaring two of Hell’s souls that have fled to Earth
Abel Freeman’s gig in Hell isn’t so bad. He handles repairs when needed and makes sure everything in the underworld runs smoothly. He even likes his boss, Beelzebub, who prefers to be called Mr. Beel. Suddenly, there’s trouble afoot: Two souls have absconded from The Cells, the first time Hell has seen such an escape. Mr. Beel sends Abel, his “Number One,” to retrieve the souls from Earth. Getting their specific locations requires a trip to Heaven (“They’re sticklers for paperwork up there”), and Abel must stay incognito so God doesn’t get wind of the escapees. He then teams up with Maren, a soul-catching “reaper,” to track down the fugitive shades, who’ve taken up residence in human vessels—one in Las Vegas, the other in Melbourne. Releasing these souls necessitates killing the human vessels; that’s outright murder as far as Abel is concerned, and his understandable reluctance may prevent him from completing his job. The author’s amusing tale paints curious portraits of Heaven and Hell. They’re both akin to places on Earth; Heaven is essentially a giant corporation with technology superior to that of the “old-fashioned” Hell, which still uses pneumatic pipes. Abel is an appealing, easygoing protagonist with an astounding backstory explaining how he wound up in Hell. He stands out in the underworld—he’s human, unlike the grayish and often nameless and genderless demons. The narrative amusingly showcases Abel’s laid-back lifestyle in Hell and his espionage in Heaven, where he poses as a new employee to take a peek at the computers. The earthly scenes, while entertaining, aren’t quite as comedic, as Abel focuses on finding the vessels and faces an unanticipated hurdle. Nevertheless, Maren keeps the fun going—she boasts a welcome bubbly personality, drapes herself in snazzy dresses, and uses such endearments as “luvvie” and “darling.”
A delightful otherworldly story with a zingy assortment of characters.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9781956615128
Page Count: 286
Publisher: Literary Wanderlust
Review Posted Online: July 6, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.
A struggling writer finds an unexpected muse when a mysterious man shows up at her cabin.
Petra Rose used to pump out a bestselling book every six months, but then the adaptation happened—that is, the disastrous film adaptation of her most famous book. The movie changed the book’s storyline so egregiously that fans couldn’t forgive her, and the ensuing harassment sent Petra into hiding and gave her a serious case of writer’s block. Petra’s one hope is her solo writing retreat at a remote cabin, where she can escape the distractions of real life and focus on her next book, a story about a woman having an affair with a cop. When officer Nathaniel Saint shows up at her cabin door, inspiration comes flooding back. Much like the character from Petra’s book, Saint is married, and he’s willing to be Petra’s muse, helping her get into her characters’ heads. Petra’s book is practically writing itself, but is the game she’s playing a little too dangerous? Does she know when to stop—and, more importantly, is Saint willing to stop? Hoover is no stranger to controversial movie adaptations and internet backlash, but she clarifies in a note to readers that she’s “just a writer writing about a writer” and that no further connections to her own life are contained in these pages—which is a good thing, because the book takes some horrifying twists and turns. Petra finds herself inexplicably attracted to Saint, even as she describes him as “such an asshole,” and her feelings for him veer between love and hate. The novel serves as a meta commentary on the dark romance genre—as Petra puts it, “Even though, as readers, we wouldn’t want to live out some of the fantasies we read about, it doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy reading those things.”
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
ISBN: 9781662539374
Page Count: -
Publisher: Montlake
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
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