Book Reviews and More: Angel Hunter - Edwin Torr

Tuesday 20 July 2021

Angel Hunter - Edwin Torr - Dead Means Dead Book 2.0

Angel Hunter

Dead Means Dead Book 2.0

Edwin Torr

aka J.E. Mayhew

Obolus Books

ISBN 9781999840716

ASIN B0744793VG

When I finished this I had read 6 of the 8 available in this series, in under 3 weeks. And a total of 10 others under one of his other pen names. This is a very entertaining series. Torr is one of three names this author publishes under, to the best of my knowledge. But who is he really? I have read all of his adult crime novels published as J.E. Mayhew. I have read one of his Young Adult collections of short stories as Jon Mayhew. And now I have read six under this pen name of Edwin Torr. Reaching out to the author before reading book one I believe there are 8 stories published under this name and in this series. There are three novels and 5 novella’s or short stories to date. After finishing this I only have 1 short story and 1 novel to go. And since it has been a few years, there are no indications there will be more stories in this series.

It is a very fun story in what in an immensely entertaining series. While reading this series, I cannot help but think about Cedar Sanderson’s The Groundskeeper Raking Up the Dead and Zombie Death Extreme Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator by Karina Fabian all three authors approaches are very differently the stories are somewhat similar and just as enjoyable and memorable.

As stated this story is terribly entertaining. The main stories in this series focus on a young man named Tom Coffin; he is a Specialist Funeral Director. His job is to put the undead back in the ground. Coffin’s mode of transport is a car called Persephone, a Jaguar XJ hearse a 1995 model, a vehicle that looks like the offspring of a family station wagon and the Popemobile. The description of this book is:

“Tom Coffin, London’s premier Specialist Funeral Director, is used to dealing with the undead and is intrigued when he is hired to take a body in a sealed coffin to a monastery in the North. But as he travels, it becomes apparent that other forces are at work and other people want what is in the coffin. And when Tom opens the coffin, he finds he holds the fate of the world in the palm of his hand. Once again, Tom battles dark forces from his past and must reconcile tragic memories if he is to stop the end of everything.”

I honestly cannot put these books down. It is only an immense effort and great will power that has prevented me from reading these books straight through. I typically alternate one fiction and then a non-fiction. And it was not easy to pause between these stories. And I have recommended these books to over a dozen friends already, even during a lockdown and social distancing.

Tom Coffin is an amazing character, and in this story we get to learn a lot more about him. How he got to where he is as a Specialist Funeral Director, how he got there and some hits about where he might be going. In this one he takes a contract to move a body. It has some clear conditions. And being a curious chap, he happens to maybe, kinda, sorta, do something he was told not to. And it leads to all kinds of consequences. He needs to call on some acquaintances to figure out what is happening and what he should do. But to find out if he puts the clues together in time you will need to read this excellently executed story.

Another great read in a wonderful series!

Books as J.E. Mayhew:

DCI William Blake Series:

0.5 Tyger Tyger

1.0 A Poison Tree

2.0 Fearful Symmetry

3.0 The Bones of the Dead

4.0 Cruelty Has A Human Heart

5.0 All the Lies

6.0 Death's Cold Hand

7.0 No Time For Sorrow

8.0 Dark Visions of Torment