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“There are nasty things in our world—monsters, if you will—that come from a horrible place: the Abyss, the Black,Kadath, Gehenna, Sheol, Hell…there are hundreds of names. It’s my job to kill them. Send them back. Along the way, I try to protect as many innocents as I can…Too often, I fail.”—Hiram Grange
Imagine a combination of James Bond, Sherlock Holmes, Phineas Poe and Repairman Jack, and you have a good idea of the supernatural thriller that is Hiram Grange and The Chosen One. Book four in the series, this title is penned by author Kevin Lucia. Charms and siguls, summoned succubi and tentacled creatures, this book takes you on a wild ride through various parts of Ireland, the future of the planet at stake, of course.
I’ve been a longtime reader of noir, neo-noir, thrillers and mysteries, so this book is not a stretch for me at all. If you’ve heard of F. Paul Wilson and his dual series, The Adversary Cycle and Repairman Jack, then you might understand where I’m coming from. Lucia does a very similar thing—he utilizes the tension of classic horror, the fast paced action of thrillers, and the unexpected creatures from the supernatural to explore a genre that can only be described as speculative. And like Wilson, he does an excellent job of taking those standard characters (detectives,women in distress, bookish female bosses) and making them his own: by giving our protagonist Hiram Grange along series of addictions, weaknesses, and dark memories; by giving the femme fatale special powers; by taking the classic Bond boss “M” and making her more contemporary. There is a sense of mythology, of symbols, charms, spells and eternal beings that are shrouded in mystery and illusion.
Hiram alone is worth the read. He dabbles in all manor of drink, including absinthe, and has a history of mescaline, opium and pills. He is funny, in a self-deprecating manor, and also, without trying, is a sad, and pathetic rube, at times, thrust into these horrible situations. He has an altar to Jodie Foster, did I mention that? But we root for Hiram, because he battles the dark, and in the end, that’s all we want, our hero to battle evil, and to prevail.
One other thing to mention is the design of the book. Put out by Shroud Publications, they sprinkle art throughout the book, which is a nice bit of extra character. There are icons and symbols that break up the prose—guns, bullets, coins, etc.—as well as chapter headers, the cover of course, and the occasional bit of full page illustration. Also, each part is titled with a background of dripping ink and watermarks. It’s just something different that I found added a bit of color to the already vivid and extravagant story.
Lucia does a great job of setting up the story, jumping back and forth between Hiram Grange and various other minor characters, and keeping the story moving forward. It’s a page turner, for sure, and not afraid of a bit of gore. If you’re looking for a fast, fun read with action, mystery, tentacled creatures and the supernatural, be sure to checkout Lucia’s dramatic and hypnotic storytelling in Hiram Grange and the Chosen One.
Oh, did I mention the faeries? And the Veil? NO? Well, I guess you’ll have to pick up a copy then.
Be sure to check out the entire The Scandalous Misadventures of Hiram Grange series, as well as Shroud Magazine:
- Hiram Grange and the Village of the Damned by Jake Burrows
- Hiram Grange and the Twelve Little Hitlers by Scott Christian Carr
- Hiram Grange and the Digital Eucharist by Robert Daries
- Hiram Grange and the Chosen One by Kevin Lucia
- Hiram Grange and the Nymphs of Krakow by Richard Wright
KEVIN LUCIA is a Contributing Editor for Shroud Magazine. His short fiction has appeared in several anthologies.He teaches high school English, and is working on a Creative Writing Masters Degree at Binghamton University. Helives in Castle Creek, New York with his wife and children. He is also currently writing his first full-length novel. Visit Kevin online at www.kevinlucia.net.
RICHARD THOMAS writes dark fiction, and his debut novel, a neo-noir thriller entitled Transubstantiate (Otherworld Publications) will be out on 7.1.10. He was the winner of the 2009 “Enter the World of Filaria” contest at ChiZine Publications. His work is forthcoming or published in Shivers VI (Cemetery Dance), Murky Depths, Dogmatika, Word Riot, 3:AM, Cherry Bleeds, Vain and Opium. Visit whatdoesnotkillme.com or transubstantiate.net for more information.
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