A Séance for Wicked King Death

by Coy Hall

Royce Pembrook once made a living scamming the gullible, running séances for grieving widows on Millionaires’ Row. He was good—beguiling, charming, and clever—but a miserable stint in prison ended that life.

Now it’s 1956, and Royce is an ex-con, working for a wage on the wrong side of town, struggling to stay out of the gutter.

Enter Anna Vogel, an old colleague still preying on those who turn to the occult for surcease from sorrow. Frantic with stolen cash in her pocket, Anna's on the run. When Royce helps her flee the city, she pulls him back into the fraudulent world of ghost talk, parlor tricks, and black-veiled mourners.

But, for Royce Pembrook, the past has not returned by chance. In this noir thriller, the specter of murder motivates all.

Genres: Noir, Fiction, Suspense, Mystery, Crime

208 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 10, 2023

About the author

Coy Hall lives in West Virginia, where he splits time as a professor of history and author. His books include Grimoire of the Four Impostors (2021), The Hangman Feeds the Jackal: A Gothic Western (2022), The Promise of Plague Wolves (2023), and A Séance for Wicked King Death (2023).

Reviews

[Brendon Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coy Hall has amazed me again with A Seance for Wicked King Death. The way he can write in multiple different genres and draw me into the stories no matter the plot is a special talent.

Royce Pembrook is living a boring and quite life these days after having served time for deceiving the rich and lonely out of their money. He claimed he is a medium and could speak to those who have passed on but that was before now he is happy to work at the cinema and move on with his life.

One night Anna Vogel an old acquaintance from his grifting day comes to see him in hysteria. She needs to get out of town and requires his help.

Royce is drawn back into the life he has left behind however this time murder is on the cards, shady characters, gullible millionaires and love interests. Royce's life is turned upside down and it will take everything he has to get out of this alive.

The main draw of Coys writing for me is how easily and poetically he describes scenes. The buildings, clothing, the 50s time period, the dialogue it all oozes that noir feeling. You are transported back to that time with snippets of history thrown in.

The mystery of the plot and who is to be trusted builds as Royce learns more of the characters and the tension in the final half is palpable. The scenes involving breaking into a room in search of evidence had me gripping the book in tension.

A masterpiece in noir fiction and the perfect opening read of 2024.

[Tim McGregor]

Experiencing A Seance For Wicked King Death is like finding a new unpublished book by Dashiel Hammett, Jim Thompson or Raymond Chandler. Hall's snappy prose and punchy style is so evocative of pulp noir that this novel easily stands alongside the greats of the genre.The setting is the spooky underworld of mediums and spiritualists who make a living off wealthy clients eager to speak to a deceased loved one.
The protagonist, Royce, is a former medium who gets lured back into the seance grift by an old colleague, but soon finds himself up to his eyeballs in trouble. Having served time in the past, he has no desire to get sent down the river again. Like all great noir leads, there is a humane morality underneath Royce's flinty exterior that is both a flaw and a strength in these murky waters.
A Seance for Wicked King Death is simply a joy to read, allowing for a completely immersive dive into the world of mediums and grifters. And that, my friends, is the real magic.

[Brian Bowyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterful!

Hall's writing is so unique, and this book might be my favorite by him I've read yet. If you haven't experienced Hall's fiction, A SEANCE FOR WICKED KING DEATH would be a great place to start. Highly recommended!

[Catherine McCarthy]

N.B. I do not rate on Goodreads.

First of all, what a title! So good!

I'll begin by saying I've read most of Coy Hall's work, but this is my first encounter with his work in this genre. IMO, a writer who can pull off several genres and do all of them justice is a rare find. I'm pleased to say, Coy Hall is one of those rare talents.

The book was engaging from the outset, as it set up the mystery of who or what is Anna running from? One measure of how much I'm enjoying a story sometimes correlates to the number of notes I make. In this case, very few, and that's a good thing, as it means I didn't want the distraction. I've always admired how a writer can pull off the noir voice and sustain it right to the end, and Coy Hall does it perfectly. Not once did the dialogue or tone feel inauthentic.

The M.C., Royce, is a lovable rogue, one you will vie for right to the end. Some of the lines/quips he delivers made me laugh, for example this one, from a scene where another character has literally pissed on our M.C.:
"He shook a drip from his member and put it away. There wasn't enough dick there to write my name on, just a stub."😂 See what I mean by 'lovable rogue?'

As the story progressed, I wished harder and harder that things would end well for Royce. Did my wish come true? You'll have to read it and see.

[Sean Jacques · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gained the pleasure of an early read of this new novel by Coy Hall -- and I must say: It slays. Yes, as the title suggests, this is about fortune tellers, but really, it's more about con men -- one in particular, Royce, who wisely plays his cards close to the vest because he suspects his new partners-in-crime have a revolver pointed straight for his wicked heart and aim to pull the trigger when he becomes no more use to them. Yet what makes this story truly great is its biting dark undertones. It reads like a pre-Hays Code noir flick, when bad, bad vulnerable women were expected to drink and sex it up, and lustful men could lust other lustful men. So, take a wickedly dark trip back to the wild side with this great new novel by writer who still understands what is cool and hip.

[Remo Nassutti · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Seance for Wicked King Death is a crime novel that calls to mind the work of authors like James M Cain and carries with it a certain sense of menace. This is the first of Hall’s work that I’ve read that takes a departure from horror. That said, tensions run high through the narrative. Each chapter is about equal in length and catapults you into the next. This is also the first of Hall’s work that I’ve encountered to utilize the first person perspective. Royce has a distinct voice, and for those familiar with noir, Hall certainly subverts a good deal of expectations which makes for something fresh.

Akin to some of Hall’s previous work, we follow a lone protagonist, pitted against a trio of villains, each with unique characteristics. Of the three, Anna felt the most menacing, her malice slowly unfolding. Our narrator, the Chesterfield chain-smoking Royce Pembrook dissects the scenery much like Philip Marlow (who gets a mention in the novel), and Hall sprinkles his thoughts with clever turns of phrase and vernacular. I found the exploration of the 20th century obsession with spiritualism to be enjoyable and hope to see more of it in future installments.

While Royce’s narrative voice speak to a certain world-weariness, the buoyant Dominic plays a nice tonal counterpoint, bringing an endearing spirit to the story. Hall wastes no details, bringing together some tasteful reincorporation that feels right beside the novel’s cinematic influences.

It strikes me now, that perhaps the opening scene acknowledges the shift away from horror. We meet a down and out Royce, working at a theater, Frankenstein plays across a screen in the background. Then the narrative takes us elsewhere. While I will always read Hall’s horror work, his foray into crime is rewarding and best of all, leaves the reader desiring more!

[Offer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This, I'm almost embarrassed to say, is the first I've read of Coy Hall's work. I'm happy to follow that up by saying how much I loved it!
"A Seance for Wicked King Death" is a crime fiction story set in the harsh and gritty world of the mid-1950s. It's a well-crafted, tightly written narrative that drew me into the machinations of its cast of characters, all of whom were compelling if not often deceitful and sometimes brutally dangerous.
The author's skill is clearly evident as a masterful storyteller, able to create a whole world of imagined beings speaking their imagined conversations, and yet have the reader right there along with him seeing and hearing it all. A compelling read, and certainly just one of many terrific works by this author to dive into.
Get yourself some (more) Coy Hall to read, and enjoy!

[M.E. Proctor · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first page you know you’re in good hands. It’s 1956, Cincinnati, and Royce Pembrook is ushering at the movie theater. The details are precise. In a few sentences you inhale the scent of the place, and you’re right there, with Royce, not knowing how he landed there but aware he’s making do the best he can under the circumstances. We have our hero, with a welcome hint of reluctance. Then the woman (femme fatale in distress?) runs in and Royce’s fragile peace is shattered. What happens after is part con game, part exploration of the mid-century fascination for the occult, and fully absorbing. Royce is one of these engaging characters you can’t help rooting for even as he does bad things that he’s really good at. If that sounds intriguing, good, because I want you to read this strange and wonderful book. Coy Hall’s “Séance for Wicked King Death” is more than retro noir, it’s a time machine.

[Jesse Hilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I heard that Coy Hall’s crime novel A Séance for Wicked King Death was set in the world of spiritualist scammers in the 1950s, I was fully onboard to somehow get a copy and read it. The premise called out to me. I like to think of myself as a lover of pulp fiction, or at least some of its trappings. Lurid hard-boiled stories with a tinge of the bizarre are right up my nightmare alley.

I was pleased by this quicksilver novel of con artists on the fringes. I had seen blurbs likening the book to Dashiell Hammett and I could certainly see a Maltese Falcon or two in the dialogue. For me a period crime novel has got to have the dialogue (contemporary ones too of course, but especially a caper set in a historical time period other than our own). If I can’t hear the dialogue ringing out with the tones of plausibility, it takes me right out of the story. It seems to fall under the heading of “Research.” There are hours and hours of film noirs to be consulted and radio programs like Suspense! for free on YouTube. No excuse for lazy efforts at dialogue. You know who you are out there in hard-boiled noir writer land.

Hall does the dialogue and the plotting and the fight scenes in boffo style. I tore through the book over three or four days which for me is fast. I lose interest like a bored countess drifting through a casino full of losers. You need to score for me to finish reading your book. Hall can do that.

An ex-con who used to fleece rich dunces gullible for the occult named Royce Pembrook gets drawn into a tangled scheme through an old acquaintance. Pembrook was a talented actor who knew how to fool people seeking evidence of loved ones beyond the grave—séances with the Beyond. The novel traces his pathway into a new scenario full of double crosses and violence and never slouches when it comes to plot, setting, and character. Pembrook’s voice both as a first-person narrator and a speaking role is so true to the genre, it’s a breath of fresh air after some disappointing half-stepping noir affairs I have seen.

I won’t give away more except to say that this is a polished rendition of the pulpy noir story as seen in magazines of old like Black Mask or Manhunt. Recommended.

[Wayne Zervis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just in case anyone points it out, yes, I'm publishing one of Coy's stories later this month. But if you think I'd leave a review for a book I didn't enjoy, then, frankly, you're wrong.

I'm a slow reader. It's rare that I finish a book in under a week. However, every now and then, a writer comes along who inspires me to quicken my pace and ferociously devour his or her words until I reach The End.

Coy's one of those writers.

You can tell after reading a paragraph or two that you're in the hands of a master storyteller. This book is pulp done right. I'm a huge fan of Hammett, Brown, and Woolrich. Coy's writing successfully captures the essence of these masters of pulp fiction, while at the same time retaining his own unique voice.

The story itself is highly enjoyable, and I managed to reach the end within 24 hours. I simply could not put it down.

This book will rest securely in my Top 10 reads of 2023. If you're looking for your next read, you found it.

[Derek Hutchins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read five of Coy Hall's books now and this is my favorite. From chapter one, I was hooked. The characters are superb and layered. The setting is unique, for a noir I'd never think to set it in a small town in West Virginia, but it works. The story unfolds in a way that keeps you on the edge of your seat, and as the revelations twist the narrative in new directions, it only amps up the tension and suspense. We are in the dark with the protagonist. It's been a while since I read a book that I found hard to put down, but this one just flowed for me. I found myself purposefully taking it slow so I could savor each chapter. I didn't want it to end. In all honesty this book earns extra points for me because I lived in Cincinnati for a few months, I related to the protagonists love of movies, and seances are a big feature in the story which is a huge topic of interest for me. I need to read more noir/crime stories.

[Pam Simones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is it wicked to binge read?

I highly recommend you not read this on a school night. I did not chain smoke or drink gin, but I did not sleep, either. It has been a long, long time since I read a book I couldn't put down. I could even hear William Holden narrating. The settings and details are wickedly authentic and you will find yourself in noir, baby. Binge noir.

[Brian G Berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's the thing you have to know about Coy Hall: He's a master of his craft. This latest book of his is proof that Coy Hall can tackle any genre and leave behind a manuscript of perfection.
Royce Pembrook, our number one character in the story. Anna Vogel, who had a: "likeness of Mina in Dracula, which played on the screen at that very moment. The resemblance was uncanny, and I’d never noticed it before." And Ruben Graf: "Although I wouldn’t call him handsome, he had an inoffensive face that one could trust. Plainness was his asset. I had the feeling his features allowed him to change identity as needed from time to time."
This is gritty 50s noir at its best- A Seance For Wicked King Death drags you into a world of details that only Coy can induce. Addicting, incredibly hard to put down once you start. One thing that took me by surprise was the level of violence- Holy shit!
If you're looking to crack open a crime novel that's high above the standard, this is the one for you. Book of the year? I'd like to see you disagree!

[Adam Hulse · Rating 5 out of 5]

They say write what you love. Coy Hall has done just that with A Seance For Wicked King Death. It's a love that shines through in its enthusiasm to work within the guidelines of the genre. Hall weaves a tangled web in this crime thriller that would trap the most avid reader. Its Film Noir, it's a pulp magazine, it's the hypnotic sight of dust playing through the light of a projector as Bogart and Mary Astor argue. The sheer amount of period details Hall puts across is absolutely staggering. What is even more impressive is that the pace is not compromised by the details one bit. In fact, the book is a thrilling page turner from stsrt to finish. That's thanks to some impressive character building as Royce, our MC, is a complex antihero. We could even argue we're being manipulated by an unreliable narrator here. Then we have Ruben Graf, who is almost demonic in his nastiness. A giant who dominates every scene with intimidation.
You feel the cold from these scenes. Your stomach grumbles, and you sneeze at the dust from the side table. Hall has constructed a Gothic Detective tale here, and it snarls at you before patting the concealed revolver it's carrying. Think of The Maltese Falcon slow dancing with The Hound Of The Baskervilles, and you're nearly there. Outstanding stuff from a standout author.

[Mark Redman · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A Séance for Wicked King Death” is an immersive dive into 1950s pulp noir, offering a fresh take on the genre. The novel follows Royce Pembrook, a reformed charlatan who once made his living conducting fake séances. Despite trying to leave his shady past behind, Royce is reluctantly pulled back into his old life.

What makes this book stand out is how it blends classic noir tropes—hard-boiled detectives, morally grey characters, and gritty urban settings—with the eerie atmosphere of fraudulent mysticism. Royce is a compelling protagonist: flawed, resourceful, and caught between his desire for redemption and the allure of his former cons.

The writing is fast-paced capturing the essence of the period with sharp dialogue and richly atmospheric descriptions. The tension builds steadily, keeping you hooked. The novel maintains an entertaining and accessible tone, making it a quick, engaging read.

[Joel Nedecky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in 1950s Cincinnati, Ohio, Royce Pembrook is a factotum (usher, ticket seller) at a seedy movie theatre and retired from performing seances after a stint in prison cured him of his desire to con people out of their money. When his former associate, Anna Vogel, shows up at the theatre, harried and asking Royce to hide her, he agrees to help. Royce says: “This was someone I considered to be from another life, someone I thought I’d never see again, and seeing her shocked my system.”
This book is great for many reasons.
The setting is cool, with precise details—movies, clothing styles, cars, booze, cigarettes—that brings 50s Cinci to life, and Royce is a great character. He grew up rich with family money and he likes nice things. He’s also smart and self-aware enough to know when he’s doing something wrong and foolish, yet he does it anyway. As a gay man, Royce experiences all kinds of nasty harassment, and longs for a quiet life with a partner whom he loves, one who loves him in return. This sub plot is handled with care.
Ultimately, A Séance for Wicked King Death feels like a novel from decades earlier, yet also new. The mixture works. There are enough thugs, violence, drinking, sex, and swearing to meet the expectations of the genre but the story feels original. I enjoyed it immensely.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed every minute. Everyone should read more Coy Hall.

[Alexander Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coy Hall is one of the absolute best.

I quickly binge read the Royce Pembrook series. This, book 1, is fast paced, rollicking, thrilling and absolutely addictive. Hall starts the ball rolling from the get go and never lets up.

Royce works in a movie theatre, having now chosen the quiet life - or it choosing him - after a scandalous exit from the world of the seance. Score after score from teary widows isn't a bad gig. But he was outed as a conman and fled the scene.

As the book opens, Anna rushes into the theatre, finding him there, and asks Royce to tell the man coming for her that Royce hasn't seen her in years. That is almost true, as she was a past 'coworker' of his. Soon enough they're together on the run, until Royce is drawn back into the world of speaking to the dead, drawn in by Anna - friend, foe, something in between?

I have nothing but praise for this book. A quick read at 180 pages, it is the perfect size for this exciting noir, and I'm such a fan of Hall's writing style.

[Matt Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hall at his best

This wicked corker of a page-turner captures the flavor of vintage pulp crime novels so well, I could almost believe I was reading something straight from the era...until Hall ventures to places and perspectives that authors such as Cain and Westlake would have feared to tread. At times I found myself reminded of Nightmare Alley, though it doesn't become clear until fairly late in the game the true extent to which Hall has been playing his dirty tricks on the reader. Royce Pembrook makes for a unique, fascinating noir protagonist, somehow simultaneously an endearing underdog in over his head with some of the worst of humanity while also a bit deplorable in his own right, and I'm delighted to learn that he has further adventures to look forward to.

[D.S. LaLonde · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful book is very engaging, and draws you in to the point that it’s hard to put down. I suppose you might call it noir mystery crime fiction. It’s set in the 1950s, and carries you back to that time in an immersive sort of way. The lingo, the little details, all of it feels exceedingly authentic.
The main character is a spiritualist grifter. He isn’t what you would call a good person but does make for an excellent protagonist.
The story flows forcefully along as the schemes and flimflams of the various characters play out toward their gory, satisfying conclusion.
Definitely recommend.

[Sean McLaughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first read in Coy Hall's collection of his amazing novels I've heard about and I'm glad it was because I loved it!
I was completely drawn in and invested into this wonderfully written crime thriller and I've had page turners before but wow!
It's not my usual but I read this one twice in a row I enjoyed it so much!
I must check out his other works now my book club friends are constantly telling me I must read, and after this gritty and exciting rare treasure of a read I will, because Séance for Wicked King Death has officially made me a new fan.

[Michael Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coy Hall writes and plots engagingly well. This is a fun read from start to finish. All the characters here, from Royce Pembrook in the foreground to Jimmy the Cop in the background, come to life and bring this noir narrative roaring along with them. A Séance for Wicked King Death feels both classic and fresh. The story is filled with people and language and actions that we're familiar with from novels and newsreels and films created in the middle of the 20th century, but it's enriched and enlivened with tasteful touches of today that most of the novel's archetypal predecessors wouldn't have imagined and certainly wouldn't have touched.

A Séance for Wicked King Death is quite a gift from author Coy Hall and publisher Shotgun Honey!

[kenneth m gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was trying to decide which new Coy Hall book to read, and landed on A Séance for Wicked King Death.
Great choice, old boy! The cover art by Ron Earl Phillips evokes the roman noir vibe perfectly. This story differs from anything I've previously read from Coy Hall. I opened the book knowing little, other than from the blurbs, what this story was about. I was immediately captivated by Royce Pembroke and his world. This story takes all the established crime noir tropes and polishes them to a new brilliance.
The story steps around the usual private dick and his femme fatale characters and brings the reader inside the world of occult grifters. Murder, backstabbing, immoral swindlers, corrupt officials, and goons, the wonderful block of concrete goons, all fit seamlessly into the world of sham séances.
The atmosphere in this story seeped into my bones. The barely lit streets with their derelict establishments and the characters' names (not so easy to do, but Hall nailed it) brought this era to life. I would expect nothing less from Coy Hall, the history professor.
This story can go from good fun to brutal violence in the beat of a heart.
I binge-read this book like Royce Pembroke goes through a pack of Chesterfields.
There is much more of Royce Pembroke to be explored and I hope to read many more of his stories in the future.
Now I'm off to read more of Royce's latest exploits in The Switchblade Svengali.

[Joe Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love me a good crime novel. Something with an edge of violence, a sense of danger, and a glimpse into a world separate from the nice and ordered existence most law abiding folks inhabit. A Seance for Wicked King Death (oh how I will never tire of that title!) is a good crime novel.

Written in the first-person, a tactic the author, Coy Hall, uses to bring us into protagonist Royce Pembrook's sympathies, this novel follows the former conman/medium after a stint behind bars. He wants to stay clear of trouble, but an old associate runs into his life, fleeing from a boyfriend and with a wad of cold hard cash in her purse. Soon, he's dragged back into the world of spiritualist cons, but this time with a dangerous undercurrent towing him toward an uncertain outcome.

One thing that surprised me about a book about mediums and their tricks, is that there's actually very little conning at work in the meat of the plot. In fact, there's much more detail about Royce being a gay man in 1956, a plot feature I was not expecting, but that was very welcome and provided us with a few unexpected twists to the old crime paperback of yesteryear.

He's a likable rogue, with a wry smirk and an affinity towards music and movies, he might even be the sort of person you'd like to pal about with, maybe share a drink or two. But despite his amiable and patient nature, no one in this novel is an innocent victim. Everyone has a dark edge and no where is that better reflected than in Royce Pembrook.

Coy Hall's skill is also demonstrated in that the real plot of the story doesn't truly begin until the final third of the book, yet despite this, there's never a dull moment. He knows how to drive momentum in a story using just characters and their interactions. Oh, and atmosphere! This has atmosphere and mood built around its core like a fortress.

Of course, we get some startling violence and a thrilling last couple chapters to wrap the plot up.

In fact, my only complaint about the book came in the penultimate chapter, when too much of the plot was explained away in a manner similar to a parlor mystery. But this was a tiny hiccup in an otherwise stellar read.

A fantastic journey into a very tarnished 1950s. Worth the read for any crime fiction fan.

[Anthony Perconti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Royce Pembrook is a fallen scion, toiling in obscurity in a third rate Cincinnati movie house. Pembrook is an ex-con, who wants nothing more than to stay under the radar, and surreptitiously sample the goods at The Marley Caldwell Palace of Motion Pictures. But as these things go in noir fiction, trouble soon finds Royce.

An old crime partner, Anna Vogel, is on the run from trouble with a capital T. Pembrook, willingly obliges to lend her a hand in her hour of need. From that point on, A Séance For Wicked King Death accelerates, going full-on supersonic. Coy Hall has written a quick and dirty piece of crime fiction brimming with spiritualist hucksters, affluent marks, and several species of remorseless predators and killers, who have no qualms of using bone-crushing violence to further their ends. Hall is one of those writers that has a wealth of information, on a disparate amount of subjects right at his fingertips. From his Kim Newmanesque knowledge (and love) of trash cinema, the spiritualist movement, Count St. Germain, to the phenomenon of the sin-eaters, Hall mixes in all of these elements into this intoxicating mélange.

My only quibble with A Séance, is Coy Hall's callous treatment of poor Terence Hill. Did Hill owe him money? At least Bud Spencer got off easy.

A Séance For Wicked King Death is a bravura performance. This one can sit proudly on the shelf amongst your Black Lizard editions. Nestled somewhere between the works of say, Jim Thompson and Dashiell Hammett.

[Regan MacArthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is set in America during the 1950s. The narrator/hero is a decent fellow with a spell of larceny and fraud in his past. Royce Pembroke used to perform seances for the well-to-do. It was a scam and he knew it, but the money was too good to pass up. That was years ago. Since then, he's served his time in the big house and all he wants to do is work at a movie theater and stay out of trouble. Unfortunately, trouble comes looking for Royce. Before he knows it, Royce is up to his neck in danger in a town where - almost - nobody loves him.

I'm being vague about the plot because I don't want to give anything away. Part of the fun will be letting the story carry you away. This book is a departure from Hall's previous efforts, which could be classified in the horror genre, but you'll never detect a trace of the amateur during SEANCE. Hall writes crime fiction like he's been doing it for years.

When I first began reading this book, I was impressed with how Coy Hall had captured the spirit of the crime novels of the 1950s. He had the language and the sensibility and the plotting down cold. But as I read on, I saw he had more on his mind than doing what others had done so well before. He wasn't content to merely be the equal of the writers who once toiled away at Fawcett Gold Medal and Signet and Ace. Hall wanted break a new trail in a country everyone thought had already been fully explored. Folks, he got away with it. A SEANCE FOR WICKED KING DEATH is a terrific accomplishment. It's the old music but with a brand-new beat.

[Michael Shotter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't want to say too much about the nuts and bolts of this book, not because it's unworthy of such analysis but because I think it's a thing better experienced than described. I found its premise (of a reformed charlatan being pulled back into his former life of conducting fake séances) immediately intriguing and compelling and that interest easily propelled me through the first two thirds of the book almost effortlessly as I was blissfully swept along by the swift and potent current of the narrative.

There were a few moments in the back third of the tale that struck me as a bit convenient, implausible, or less to my liking, which I won't elaborate on as they involve major plot spoilers; however, there were no deal breakers and I found myself able to look past those instances as the author wisely left enough room and ambiguity around them to make that possible.

Ultimately, I found "A Séance for Wicked King Death" to be a fun, fast, and worthwhile read, a nicely-executed dose of noir that makes good use of its unique setting and historical context to deliver a story rich with detail, thought-provoking elements, and a dash of noteworthy social commentary.

This one was a 4.25 for me but I'm happy to round up as I feel the overall quality of the effort easily warrants it despite a few elements not being to my personal taste.

[Whiskey Leavins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a lot of fun reading A Séance for Wicked King Death. It is a top-drawer, gin-soaked piece of pulp. As noir as noir can be. The cast of characters alone is worth the read. Every one of them pops off the page, all as fleshed out as they need to be. Slimy guys, tough guys, bad cops, high society dupes. The protagonist, Royce Pembrook, an ex-con who has abandoned his old grifting ways as a spiritualist for a dull, but honest living as an usher in a second run movie theater in 1950’s Cincinnati. That is, until the fatale-est of femme fatales, his old partner Anna Vogel comes running, into the lobby of his movie theater. And they’re off. Royce tries to resist being dragged back into his old life, but not too hard. He kind of misses being on the grift. He was so good at it after all.

Author Coy Hall’s prose is snappy, moving the story along at a quick pace as a good pulp should. Descriptions of settings, people, cars, 1950s hotel rooms, acts of violence are all vivid and spot on. Also worth noting is how skillfully Hall portrays the difficulties of being a gay man at a time when homosexuality was not only looked down upon socially, but literally illegal.

I’m very much looking forward to the second Royce Pembrook story, Switchblade Svengali!

[Zach Rosenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

The year is 1956, where ex-con Royce Pembrook is struggling. Like any good crime noir, an old colleague walks back in his life: Anna Vogel, who is pleading for his help. And Royce is pulled back into a world of scammers and fraudulent séances. But all is far from well. Anna is setting up Royce to take the fall for something big.
Coy Hall has done a fantastic job of establishing himself in the realms of horror and crime. A true genre chameleon, hall adapts his writing to the genre he tackles and “A Seance for the Wicked King Death” is no exception. As a historian, Hall understands each era he writes in and extensively researches his subject.
In “Seance,” Hall makes the world of 1956 come alive. His characters are incredibly well-developed with a number of exceptional twists and turns. Hall is aware he’s writing noir and makes the plot appropriately complex without being overly convoluted.
With seances, Hall never strays far from his horror roots. His plotting and characters remain excellent the entire way through, to a fantastic conclusion.

4.5/5

[Nicholas Litchfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

This largely overlooked series opener, published last November, is an engrossing 1950s crime story that flaunts scrupulously distilled prose and memorable rogues. Set in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Huntington, West Virginia, it introduces Royce Pembrook, a smart, articulate ex-con with a talent for deception. Stylish prose and convincing dialogue enrich the narrative, and delightfully trampish characters like Anna Vogel, who uses “old phrases to add a touch of elegance to her persona,” energize scenes. Though compact and deliberately constrained, the storyline holds the attention, and through bursts of vivid, hard-hitting action, Coy Hall stuns and stirs the reader, willing us to brave the barbarity.

Incidentally, the book’s title refers to a lame vaudeville sketch in which a swami converses with the Grim Reaper to ascertain his client’s expiration date. The joke might be lame, but it makes for a helluva book title.