[.ca] The Lamp of the Wicked: A Merrily Watkins Mystery (ISBN 033049032X)

Serial killers & the supernatural - what more could you want:
Over the years, I have gotten used to the fall off of quality as series stretched out. In this, Phil Rickman has proven himself to be a delightful change of pace in this "rule". This is, imo, the best Merrily Watkins book yet with a clever blend of real life serial killers and the supernatural. As for Merrily, Rickman continues to allow the character to grow. I'm glad the US market has finally wised up and made the acquisition of Rickman's books easier on us. For years, I've had to rely on British book dealers to feed my hunger at very steep prices for mass masrket paperbacks. It's nice to see RIckman finally getting the notice that he should here on this side of the pond.

Another winner:
I've read all of Phil Rickman's previous novels, and this is yet another winner. Rickman has perfected the art of creating characters that become 'real' enough to care about - and his best creation to date is the smoking, slightly confused but always sincere female minister, Merrily Watkins. This story is made all the more interesting because it addresses some of the pressing but as yet officially unrecognised problems of today's society, such as the mental and physical effects of living in close proximity to high powered electricity lines and telephone towers. The electrical hypersensitivity suffered by one of the characters and his subsequent actions are frighteningly close to home. I've suddenly become aware of how many telephone towers surround us - and lo and behold - I've actually seen them on church steeples! The inclusion of the horrific real life monsters Fred and Rose West adds another chilling dimension to the story. An unsettling mystery thriller and a cracking good story.