What happens when an exorcist who spent a lifetime banishing ghosts gets murdered and becomes one?
When Jake Fletcher died he discovered a horrible truth: the method he was using to send souls to the afterlife wasn’t transporting them to a better place.It was obliterating them.To atone for his mortal sins he becomes a spectral detective: a phantom PI who helps restless spirits depart the … spectral detective: a phantom PI who helps restless spirits depart the mortal plane by bringing their killers to justice.
His latest job is no open-and-shut case, though. The ghost of a dead celebrity needs his help to cross to the other side, but for that to happen, Jake will have to reckon with a cabal of sinister magicians and a soul-hungry demon.
To complicate matters further, a minion of God has informed Jake that if he doesn’t succeed in his task, he’ll face arbitration at the pearly gates.
And he won’t be getting a halo hung on his head.
Does Jake have what it takes to walk his client into the light, or are two souls about to be lost forever?
Mystery, the macabre, and caustic wit collide in this bizarre noir. Fans of Jim Butcher, Ben Aaronovitch, and Benedict Jacka will love this page-turning detective story with a supernatural twist.
Praise for Spectral Detective:
“Be prepared for action, danger, mystery, humor, surprises, and top shelf snarky repartee.” ★★★★★
An excellent, engaging read, full of humor and spooky goings-on.” ★★★★★
“Spectral Detective combines fantasy and noir detective stories into a perfect little blend.” ★★★★★
“The story is exciting, gory and has lots of twists and turns leading to plenty of surprises. I’m already eager for the next book.” ★★★★★
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Unapologetically British paranormal murder mystery with a bit of a procedural/noir feel and generous amounts of dark, irreverent, often self-deprecating humor. Jake Fletcher is the kind of guy who means well, but doesn’t always quite get it right, which gets him in a bit of hot water. He’s going to have to pull it together for this case though, because the clock is ticking and solving this one isn’t just about getting justice for the victim, his own fate is on the line.
The narrative style in this book is a bit stream of consciousness and not always entirely reliable. Jake does get to the point, but breaks the 4th wall on the way there and sometimes goes of on some odd tangents. The jokes dont’ stop no matter how dark, dangerous, or macabre the situation. And he is good at diving in headfirst and figuring out what is going on later.
This is the first book in the Spectral Detective series, there are a few references to other books in the Uncanny Kingdom as well as events from the prequel, but the story is self-contained and you don’t need to have read any of those to enjoy this book. There is a good twist at the end of the book for the next in the series, but no cliff hanger.
“Spectral Detective” is the first full instalment in the eponymous series by David Bussel, an excellent, uncanny, dark, very dark, even more funny series, that weaves elements of urban fantasy, procedural, light horror, and dark humor to an interesting, twisted story, that captivates from the very first page.
Jake Fletcher died at the end of a very, very bad day (event depicted in the prequel ‘Deathday’), and found himself stuck in the in-between, after learning of his past mistakes, because Jake method to redeem souls, while working as an exorcist, was flawless and instead sending them into the happy afterlife, the souls were annihilated. Now that Jake himself is dead, he has to atone for those mistakes, if he ever wishes to cross into the afterlife himself. How do you atone for that, might you ask? Simple , by finding the killers of those restless spirits also stuck in the in-between and bring their killers to justice. You might also note, I said ‘simple’, not ‘easy”.
This is a very dark, very funny story, gore galore with a very generous serving of British humour. It might be an acquired taste, but once acquired is a wonderful taste.
What a fun read. Jake Fletcher, the Spectral Detective in this paranormal mystery, was an exorcist whilst alive. Now, as a ghost, he realizes the error of his ways and is trying to redeem himself. The things he does as he tries to solves the murders that are happening is hilarious. The storyline is good and I loved the characters in this, at times, very funny book. It had me laughing out loud. I look forward to reading the next one in the series.
Jake Fletcher has been trying to stay off the radar of the big man upstairs so he can atone for some of his sins in life before his judgement. When a skinned corpse is found our spectral detective is just the man, sorry, ghost for the case.
Awesome story with a twist I didn’t see coming. Jake’s character is sarcastic and humorous which makes him relatable and very likeable.
Jake Fletcher is dead. As an exorcist, he’d banished a lot of ghosts. But he didn’t know that he wasn’t supposed to be doing that until after he died. Now he’s a ghost and he’s got to figure out how to make it up. And that makes for some awesome adventures. This is a supernatural detective story and is the first in this series (there is a prequel). It’s a hell of a ride, snarky and sarcastic and absolutely engaging. An urban fantasy must read for anyone who likes that genre. And maybe for a few who don’t.
Brilliant benchmark urban fantasy!
I first read this book a year ago and found it nothing short of brilliant. The author, David Bussell, has now gone back and fleshed out parts of the story providing us with more detail, more snark, and a fuller backstory that makes this edition even better than the first. In this story, we follow Jake Fletcher, or rather the ghost of Jake Fletcher, as he begins the arduous task of making amends for the wrongs he unwittingly committed while alive. In life, he was an exorcist who truly believed that he was doing a service for the spirits he exorcised. Sadly, it turns out that he was, in fact, obliterating them rather than helping them to find their proper place in the Great Hereafter. He fears that his final judgement will be quite unpleasant if he is unable to cancel out some of the red in his ledger and find a way into the good graces of the Man Upstairs. As a spectral detective, he feels he can make a positive contribution to the society of the living as well as to the spirits of people struggling with the reality of their untimely demise. His new profession puts him in contact with all manner of the Uncanny. Be prepared for action, danger, mystery, humor, surprises, and top shelf snarky repartee. I highly recommend this brilliant and entertaining story to all urban fantasy enthusiasts.
While I did purchase a copy of the first edition of this book, I was provided with a free copy of this extended edition. My review, however, is entirely voluntary, honest and unbiased.
This is one awesome and unique story in the Uncanny Kingdom. If you loved the Harry Dresden series you will love this urban fantasy. Jake Fletcher is an unusual PI as he is a ghost who is trying to earn points with the “Big Guy” for things he did in life as an exorcist (was unknowingly destroying their souls). This is excellently written and very funny in arears when Jake needs to take over a human body (his “Meat Suit”) when he wants to interact with the living. His snarkiness is fantastic and some of his associates are a real hoot. This is a story that I highly recommend. Received a free review copy and this is my voluntary and honest review.
Jake Fletcher AKA The Polterguy. Now that he’s dead, decides to atone for his sins as an exorcist while alive by helping souls find release from their earthly bonds as ghosts. This entails finding the murderers, and helping the police solve the crime. Which frees the soul. Jake should be so lucky! His murderer was found, but Jake still has to “clear his record” by helping souls in need, before he dare face Him for judgment. The prequel, “Deathday”, introduces Jake Fletcher and his unique detective skills as a resident of the Uncanny Kingdom, which is congruent to Camden, but invisible to (most) humans. “Spectral Detective” takes place five years later, so it would be good to have read “Deathday” first to understand how Jake got to his present spectral state. There are references to his previous adventures as a ghost, and further interactions with DCI Kat Stronge and her partner DI Maddox while embodied in (as ‘in possession of’) his former tormenter and all-around bad guy Mark Ryan (how else could a ghost communicate with the mortal realm?). In his investigation of brutal murders, Jake comes up against a demon, and almost dies for a second time. The action is fast-paced, the dialog is hilarious (as in LMAO), liberally sprinkled with wit and fun to read. I’ve already been back for more of Jake and his investigations in Corpse Reviver: An Uncanny Kingdom Urban Fantasy (The Spectral Detective Series Book 2) and Twice Damned: An Uncanny Kingdom Urban Fantasy (The Spectral Detective Series Book 3). It would be helpful to keep a tab open to Rhyming Slang or urbandictionary.com to decipher the many phrases that sound like a foreign language to non-London folk. Some can be guessed from context, others are a bit more opaque.
I like that this gives another perspective to the Uncanny Kingdom. The story was engaging, entertaining, and thrilling. I look forward to more exciting offerings from The Uncanny Kingdom!