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Archer & Bennett #1
Hades
Twenty years ago, two children were kidnapped and left for dead.
Raised by a master criminal, they grew up to become cops. Very unusual cops . . .
Homicide detective Frank Bennett has an intriguing new partner. Dark, beautiful, coldly efficient, Eden Archer is one of the most enigmatic colleagues Frank has ever worked with—that includes her brother Eric, who’s also on the Sydney Metro police force. All of them are tested to the core when a local man discovers a graveyard of large steel toolboxes lying at the bottom of the harbor. Each box contains a grisly trove of human body parts.
For Frank, the madman’s clues are a tantalizing puzzle. For Eden and Eric, the case holds chilling links to a scarred childhood—and a murderous mentor named Hades. But the true evil goes beyond the bloody handiwork of a serial killer…
Raised by a master criminal, they grew up to become cops. Very unusual cops . . .
Homicide detective Frank Bennett has an intriguing new partner. Dark, beautiful, coldly efficient, Eden Archer is one of the most enigmatic colleagues Frank has ever worked with—that includes her brother Eric, who’s also on the Sydney Metro police force. All of them are tested to the core when a local man discovers a graveyard of large steel toolboxes lying at the bottom of the harbor. Each box contains a grisly trove of human body parts.
For Frank, the madman’s clues are a tantalizing puzzle. For Eden and Eric, the case holds chilling links to a scarred childhood—and a murderous mentor named Hades. But the true evil goes beyond the bloody handiwork of a serial killer…
309 pages, Paperback
First published January 27, 2015
621 people are currently reading
5171 people want to read
About the author
Candice Fox
28 books2,092 followersCandice Fox is the middle child of a large, eccentric family from Sydney's western suburbs composed of half-, adopted and pseudo siblings. The daughter of a parole officer and an enthusiastic foster-carer, Candice spent her childhood listening around corners to tales of violence, madness and evil as her father relayed his work stories to her mother and older brothers.
As a cynical and trouble-making teenager, her crime and gothic fiction writing was an escape from the calamity of her home life. She was constantly in trouble for reading Anne Rice in church and scaring her friends with tales from Australia's wealth of true crime writers.
Bankstown born and bred, she failed to conform to military life in a brief stint as an officer in the Royal Australian Navy at age eighteen. At twenty, she turned her hand to academia, and taught high school through two undergraduate and two postgraduate degrees. Candice lectures in writing at the University of Notre Dame, Sydney, while undertaking a PhD in literary censorship and terrorism.
Hades is her first novel, and she is currently working on its sequel.
As a cynical and trouble-making teenager, her crime and gothic fiction writing was an escape from the calamity of her home life. She was constantly in trouble for reading Anne Rice in church and scaring her friends with tales from Australia's wealth of true crime writers.
Bankstown born and bred, she failed to conform to military life in a brief stint as an officer in the Royal Australian Navy at age eighteen. At twenty, she turned her hand to academia, and taught high school through two undergraduate and two postgraduate degrees. Candice lectures in writing at the University of Notre Dame, Sydney, while undertaking a PhD in literary censorship and terrorism.
Hades is her first novel, and she is currently working on its sequel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 736 reviews
August 29, 2017
Antiheroes dominate this gripping thriller, the first in the Archer and Bennet series by Candice Fox, set in Sydney, Australia. Hades, like the Greek god of mythology, is the Lord of the Underworld. He owns and runs a tip in Utulla, a fixer for the criminal underbelly of Sydney, with a fearsome reputation for solving problems permanently. At the House of Hades, he rules the dead, with a home 'full of guests'. One dark night a stranger visits, destined to never leave, bringing with him two young children, a brother and sister, the fallout from an abduction gone wrong. The girl is injured, but the boy is close to death. Hades has every intention of having them killed, but instead finds himself nursing them through their injuries, and raising them as his own. His paternal love for Eden and Eric is all consuming, but as their damaged psyches cause mayhem, with Eric in particular proving to be difficult to rein in, he enrols them on Monarch University distance learning courses, under the radar, to educationally accommodate their darkness. Hades is a man with his own morality, he stipulates that their darkness should be aimed at evil, and never directed at innocents. Eric and Eden grow up to serve as homicide detectives.
Eden has lost a partner, Frank Bennet is his incoming replacement on the Sydney Homicide Squad. Frank wants to get closer to beautiful, powerful and dark Eden, but this proves to be difficult. Eric, her unnerving, edgy and slightly unhinged brother, is proving to be a menacing obstacle and Eden projects nothing but coldness. Frank, a man with his own dark past and secrets, refuses to be put off, he is desperate to know Eden's secrets, and ends up finding a list of names in Eden's wallet. A junkie managing to escape a watery grave leads the police to metal toolboxes dumped at sea. Inside are the grisly remains of numerous bodies with evidence of surgical organ removal. The police have a serial killer on their hands that explain a number of their missing person cases. In a story with a serial killer playing cat and mouse with the police, Frank gets ever closer to the darkness and danger that lies behind Eden and Eric, will he be able to survive the experience?
Candice Fox has written a blisteringly thrilling introduction to this series. Her plotting is impeccable and her prose is so compelling, that it is well nigh impossible to stop reading. Her anti heroic characters are so beautifully imagined and developed, their darkness draws you in, wanting to get closer to them. This Aussie author has joined my list for must read authors. If you enjoy the dark and the disturbing, and have a thing for antiheroes, then this novel is definitely for you. Highly recommended! Many thanks to Random House Cornerstone for an ARC.
Eden has lost a partner, Frank Bennet is his incoming replacement on the Sydney Homicide Squad. Frank wants to get closer to beautiful, powerful and dark Eden, but this proves to be difficult. Eric, her unnerving, edgy and slightly unhinged brother, is proving to be a menacing obstacle and Eden projects nothing but coldness. Frank, a man with his own dark past and secrets, refuses to be put off, he is desperate to know Eden's secrets, and ends up finding a list of names in Eden's wallet. A junkie managing to escape a watery grave leads the police to metal toolboxes dumped at sea. Inside are the grisly remains of numerous bodies with evidence of surgical organ removal. The police have a serial killer on their hands that explain a number of their missing person cases. In a story with a serial killer playing cat and mouse with the police, Frank gets ever closer to the darkness and danger that lies behind Eden and Eric, will he be able to survive the experience?
Candice Fox has written a blisteringly thrilling introduction to this series. Her plotting is impeccable and her prose is so compelling, that it is well nigh impossible to stop reading. Her anti heroic characters are so beautifully imagined and developed, their darkness draws you in, wanting to get closer to them. This Aussie author has joined my list for must read authors. If you enjoy the dark and the disturbing, and have a thing for antiheroes, then this novel is definitely for you. Highly recommended! Many thanks to Random House Cornerstone for an ARC.
December 5, 2016
“Hades” is the debut novel by Australian author, Candice Fox. This is a dark psychological thriller, a crime thriller that is not for the faint hearted, dark, chilling and brutal. I thoroughly enjoyed it, the twists and turns were surprising and kept me guessing the whole way through.
Hades Archer is the man they call the Lord of the Underworld. He lives in a junkyard in Sydney. He will arrange to dispose of anything, including bodies… for a price. But when someone wants Hades to dispose of two small bodies, who are still alive, he makes a major decision…that will affect many for years to come.
Fast forward twenty years later, homicide detective Frank Bennett meets his new partner, Eden Archer. Her brother, Eric, is also in the homicide squad and Frank immediately takes a disliking to Eric. There is something very unusual about Eden and Eric.
While investigating the attempted drowning of a drug addict the homicide squad don't believe his story about a bunch of large toolboxes on the floor of the harbour until the divers bring up the boxes and the bodies they contain. Frank and Eden are now looking for a serial killer who kills to keep others living. While the body count keeps climbing Frank must find out the dark secrets that power Eden and Eric, and protect a potential victim of the serial killer.
Eden and Eric are brother and sister detectives that share a dark secret from their tragic past. The novel is written through Frank’s first person narrative, threatening to discover their secret, while trying to find a serial killer. Fox also writes from the victim's perspective, relaying the fear and shock in being taken captive in this ordeal.
This is a fast paced emotionally charged, and violent setting from the very start to a stunning climax. This novel will totally grip you, and not let go until you have read the last word. I feel it will appeal to a wide audience that enjoys reading crime fiction, from a very talented writer.
A special thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for an ARC.
Hades Archer is the man they call the Lord of the Underworld. He lives in a junkyard in Sydney. He will arrange to dispose of anything, including bodies… for a price. But when someone wants Hades to dispose of two small bodies, who are still alive, he makes a major decision…that will affect many for years to come.
Fast forward twenty years later, homicide detective Frank Bennett meets his new partner, Eden Archer. Her brother, Eric, is also in the homicide squad and Frank immediately takes a disliking to Eric. There is something very unusual about Eden and Eric.
While investigating the attempted drowning of a drug addict the homicide squad don't believe his story about a bunch of large toolboxes on the floor of the harbour until the divers bring up the boxes and the bodies they contain. Frank and Eden are now looking for a serial killer who kills to keep others living. While the body count keeps climbing Frank must find out the dark secrets that power Eden and Eric, and protect a potential victim of the serial killer.
Eden and Eric are brother and sister detectives that share a dark secret from their tragic past. The novel is written through Frank’s first person narrative, threatening to discover their secret, while trying to find a serial killer. Fox also writes from the victim's perspective, relaying the fear and shock in being taken captive in this ordeal.
This is a fast paced emotionally charged, and violent setting from the very start to a stunning climax. This novel will totally grip you, and not let go until you have read the last word. I feel it will appeal to a wide audience that enjoys reading crime fiction, from a very talented writer.
A special thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for an ARC.
December 7, 2015
Outstanding debut novel from Candice Fox. As interesting as her writing was, she is equally so, with a military career at the early age of 18, that apparently wasn't for her. I think this author might have many stories up her sleeve!
Set locally, from Camden to the city, via Kurrajong and Maroubra, this was a non stop package. It was such an easy read, the pages flowed, the chapters blended into something quite unexpected, and in this given genre, a change is so refreshing.
Two youngsters left for dead cross paths with an interesting character known as Hades. Their home becomes the grounds of a tip 'Utalla' in the outskirts of Sydney. These two dark, haunting and mysterious siblings grow up so unconventionally, and eventually assimilate into society. They are a brilliant pair, but so so dark.
This story is not so much Hades', but that of these two innocents. Frank is the lucky guy who crosses their paths, and he is our narrator. He is drawn to the lovely Eden instantaneously, and knows just as alluring as Eric's sister is, Eric is as equally intense and unnaturally powerful. What occurs to bound Frank to Eden forever was amazing!
I recommend this book most highly, everyone should get to it. Would love to know what you think! Eden here I come!
Set locally, from Camden to the city, via Kurrajong and Maroubra, this was a non stop package. It was such an easy read, the pages flowed, the chapters blended into something quite unexpected, and in this given genre, a change is so refreshing.
Two youngsters left for dead cross paths with an interesting character known as Hades. Their home becomes the grounds of a tip 'Utalla' in the outskirts of Sydney. These two dark, haunting and mysterious siblings grow up so unconventionally, and eventually assimilate into society. They are a brilliant pair, but so so dark.
This story is not so much Hades', but that of these two innocents. Frank is the lucky guy who crosses their paths, and he is our narrator. He is drawn to the lovely Eden instantaneously, and knows just as alluring as Eric's sister is, Eric is as equally intense and unnaturally powerful. What occurs to bound Frank to Eden forever was amazing!
I recommend this book most highly, everyone should get to it. Would love to know what you think! Eden here I come!
October 2, 2024
3.5 rounded up. -1000000 stars for Frankie.
Maaaaannnnn if Frankie could've just kept it in his pants and gotten some therapy, this would've been an easy four stars. But every time his thoughts veered from the case at hand, he needed to be tasered.
This debut was like a doe learning to walk. A little shaky at the start, but eventually it's more straight line than drunken stumble. It's great to see how far she's come as an author and the voice she's carved out. Still a solid debut, but her Crimson Lake series remains undefeated.
Yeetage of disbelief required. This is cinema worthy. If you're going to go hard, do it like THIS, not a lame, rinse and repeat domestic thriller. Like Daniel Coles' Ragdoll series, you need to accept that this could never happen (tbh I hope not), but it doesn't sacrifice logic. Does that make sense? Ofc not.
Maaaaannnnn if Frankie could've just kept it in his pants and gotten some therapy, this would've been an easy four stars. But every time his thoughts veered from the case at hand, he needed to be tasered.
This debut was like a doe learning to walk. A little shaky at the start, but eventually it's more straight line than drunken stumble. It's great to see how far she's come as an author and the voice she's carved out. Still a solid debut, but her Crimson Lake series remains undefeated.
Yeetage of disbelief required. This is cinema worthy. If you're going to go hard, do it like THIS, not a lame, rinse and repeat domestic thriller. Like Daniel Coles' Ragdoll series, you need to accept that this could never happen (tbh I hope not), but it doesn't sacrifice logic. Does that make sense? Ofc not.
July 8, 2016
I am giving this one 4 stars although it is really more like 3.5.
I agree with all the reviews I have read that it is certainly well written and that it is gripping and exciting and very readable. However it is also unrealistic and way over the top. Of course that does not necessarily matter in a work of fiction, but for me it does not work when that fiction is set in my own city. I just could not adjust to Sydney detectives making up their own minds about who should live and who should die. And not just once but many, many times.
Dexter I can handle because he lived and killed in America -safely overseas. Our team of self designated judge and jury working out of Sydney Metro I struggled with. As to whether I will continue with the series I am just not sure, since Eden did not appeal to me at all.
So - a good book but I would have liked it much more if the setting had been imaginary and not my own back yard:)
I agree with all the reviews I have read that it is certainly well written and that it is gripping and exciting and very readable. However it is also unrealistic and way over the top. Of course that does not necessarily matter in a work of fiction, but for me it does not work when that fiction is set in my own city. I just could not adjust to Sydney detectives making up their own minds about who should live and who should die. And not just once but many, many times.
Dexter I can handle because he lived and killed in America -safely overseas. Our team of self designated judge and jury working out of Sydney Metro I struggled with. As to whether I will continue with the series I am just not sure, since Eden did not appeal to me at all.
So - a good book but I would have liked it much more if the setting had been imaginary and not my own back yard:)
August 25, 2025
My first Candice Fox read and definitely not my last. I actually ordered the second in this series. Seems I have been hitting on new authors of late and it has been rewarding. Also I unknowingly have gone to back to back Aussie women authors and both have been excellent.
This is a quite different police procedural. Like way different as our leading cops have all got some severe issues and could all come close to being fired if not should have been fired already and yet as a retired cop I can clearly see this happening. I won't spoil things but it is a real eye opener.
So the book starts out with an introduction to Hades who is a powerful man physically and also in what he does. He is a fixer for crime lords and such. One night he gets a visit from a kidnapper with two small kids and things went wrong with the ransoming and the kidnappers killed the parents and a few wanted to kill the kids when that happened but one or two had a conscious and thought they would dump their problems on Hades.
The kidnappers had no idea that Hades only fixes what is just. He has morals, lol, and taking care of two kids (dealing with them) at the request of a bunch of low lives is not part of it. Hades deals with things and ends up taking the two kids in. The kids are actually raised by Hades but they are both hugely flawed and its due to what they went through and seeing their parents murdered.
Early on Hades becomes aware that the two are involved in killing animals and then its people too. Note that the animal killing is more or less referenced and not specific so it should not bother anyone when reading about it. (eg. Hades finds a box of cat tails). If that triggers you I apologize and only meant to give a heads up as to what is written. Brother Eric clearly has feelings he should not for his sister Eden and tends to get overprotective dealing with most guys that come her way in a not so good way - like killing them.
In their midteens after such an incident Hades takes the two out of normal schooling and puts them in the family business which is fixing messes. He also tries to get the two to adhere to his principles of justice. Eric never fully understands and when Hades has had enough he arranges that Eric become a police officer and his sister Eden will follow later too. Hades figures that the best place to hide such monsters in in the Sydney police force. They can come upon people who deserve to die and make it happen. Kind of cool imo and very different. We are given a taste of their business a couple of times. So Frank Bennett is assigned to the major crimes division and is partnered up with Eden. She is a smoke show and Frank takes an instant liking to her. Eric is in the same division and he takes an instant disliking to Frank. No one gets that kind of close to his sister Eden.
That's the backdrop and in getting to know each other by snooping in their private police files we come across some real serious issues with the three and their coworkers kind of sense it. Meanwhile a serial killer is their new assignment and he kills victims to harvest their organs and sells them. It is discovered that there are over 20 victims.
The story moves along real fast and there are a lot of twists and turns with many relationship moments throughout. Frank falls for one of the surviving victims. Some great chase scenes too. A lot of action, all well paced, and captivating the reader.
As our motley crew get closer and closer to the killer things really heat up. I did not see the ending coming at all but really it kind of had to happen. At first I kind of thought how the heck is the ending going to be explained but then the creative cop in me laughed and said it is quite simple really but I can't really get into any of that without spoiling one of the best parts of the book. Sometimes an answer so simple does not come to you until it hits you - it's easy stupid, just say this happened, lol.
An easy four stars for a very kind of different police procedural and I think we could all use different in our lives right? Especially when you are reading the same kind of genre over and over, it really puts a twist on things. For those who choose to read this, enjoy. :)
This is a quite different police procedural. Like way different as our leading cops have all got some severe issues and could all come close to being fired if not should have been fired already and yet as a retired cop I can clearly see this happening. I won't spoil things but it is a real eye opener.
So the book starts out with an introduction to Hades who is a powerful man physically and also in what he does. He is a fixer for crime lords and such. One night he gets a visit from a kidnapper with two small kids and things went wrong with the ransoming and the kidnappers killed the parents and a few wanted to kill the kids when that happened but one or two had a conscious and thought they would dump their problems on Hades.
The kidnappers had no idea that Hades only fixes what is just. He has morals, lol, and taking care of two kids (dealing with them) at the request of a bunch of low lives is not part of it. Hades deals with things and ends up taking the two kids in. The kids are actually raised by Hades but they are both hugely flawed and its due to what they went through and seeing their parents murdered.
Early on Hades becomes aware that the two are involved in killing animals and then its people too. Note that the animal killing is more or less referenced and not specific so it should not bother anyone when reading about it. (eg. Hades finds a box of cat tails). If that triggers you I apologize and only meant to give a heads up as to what is written. Brother Eric clearly has feelings he should not for his sister Eden and tends to get overprotective dealing with most guys that come her way in a not so good way - like killing them.
In their midteens after such an incident Hades takes the two out of normal schooling and puts them in the family business which is fixing messes. He also tries to get the two to adhere to his principles of justice. Eric never fully understands and when Hades has had enough he arranges that Eric become a police officer and his sister Eden will follow later too. Hades figures that the best place to hide such monsters in in the Sydney police force. They can come upon people who deserve to die and make it happen. Kind of cool imo and very different. We are given a taste of their business a couple of times. So Frank Bennett is assigned to the major crimes division and is partnered up with Eden. She is a smoke show and Frank takes an instant liking to her. Eric is in the same division and he takes an instant disliking to Frank. No one gets that kind of close to his sister Eden.
That's the backdrop and in getting to know each other by snooping in their private police files we come across some real serious issues with the three and their coworkers kind of sense it. Meanwhile a serial killer is their new assignment and he kills victims to harvest their organs and sells them. It is discovered that there are over 20 victims.
The story moves along real fast and there are a lot of twists and turns with many relationship moments throughout. Frank falls for one of the surviving victims. Some great chase scenes too. A lot of action, all well paced, and captivating the reader.
As our motley crew get closer and closer to the killer things really heat up. I did not see the ending coming at all but really it kind of had to happen. At first I kind of thought how the heck is the ending going to be explained but then the creative cop in me laughed and said it is quite simple really but I can't really get into any of that without spoiling one of the best parts of the book. Sometimes an answer so simple does not come to you until it hits you - it's easy stupid, just say this happened, lol.
An easy four stars for a very kind of different police procedural and I think we could all use different in our lives right? Especially when you are reading the same kind of genre over and over, it really puts a twist on things. For those who choose to read this, enjoy. :)
November 13, 2020
Hades, Eric, Eden, Frank and Jason. All of these characters play a part in this novel. Hades is the fixer. The one who hides the bodies, yet he is also a father figure to Eric and Eden.
Eric and Eden, child survivors from a gang of criminals gone wrong. They witnessed the death of their parents. Now they're detectives with personal agendas.
Frank is the new detective assigned to be Eden's partner. He's curious. He discovers truths he wished he didn't pursue and his morals and principles will be tested.
Jason, our villain, is crafty, devious and mad. He does what he does for the thrill as well as money. He's known as the "Body Snatcher."
I thought about this novel when I wasn't reading it. That alone earns it five stars. The characters are so we'll drawn the reader is curious and invested in them. There are two timelines running at the same time. Both are suspenseful and thrilling. The reader stays on for the ride through the many twists and turns. The setting is Australia. The description is so well written you feel the characters' emotions and thoughts. I would definitely like to read another book by Candice Fox.
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November 13, 2020
This is my second time reading Hades and I enjoyed it just as much as my first read. I want to thank Luffy for joining me on this Buddy Reread. Your comments were insightful. I look forward to our next Buddy Read.
Eric and Eden, child survivors from a gang of criminals gone wrong. They witnessed the death of their parents. Now they're detectives with personal agendas.
Frank is the new detective assigned to be Eden's partner. He's curious. He discovers truths he wished he didn't pursue and his morals and principles will be tested.
Jason, our villain, is crafty, devious and mad. He does what he does for the thrill as well as money. He's known as the "Body Snatcher."
I thought about this novel when I wasn't reading it. That alone earns it five stars. The characters are so we'll drawn the reader is curious and invested in them. There are two timelines running at the same time. Both are suspenseful and thrilling. The reader stays on for the ride through the many twists and turns. The setting is Australia. The description is so well written you feel the characters' emotions and thoughts. I would definitely like to read another book by Candice Fox.
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November 13, 2020
This is my second time reading Hades and I enjoyed it just as much as my first read. I want to thank Luffy for joining me on this Buddy Reread. Your comments were insightful. I look forward to our next Buddy Read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2015
I am giving this read 3.5 out of 5 stars, but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t like it – I did, but I did have issues with part of it. It is an Australian novel which introduces a new police partnership – Frank Bennett and Eden Archer. It is a police crime thriller that is a little bit different to anything that I have read lately – and the reasons for that will be become apparent as you read on. Eden and her brother Eric are both police officers who have had a rather unusual upbringing. Following a family tragedy they were raised by their mentor Hades Archer – a “fixer”. If you need something hiding in the middle of the night – he is your man – for a price. The question is, how did their family tragedy and upbringing leave their mark on their characters?
The story involves them trying to catch a serial killer after the discovery of numerous body parts. The killings are brutal, gory and without mercy. As the story unfolds it becomes apparent that they are dealing with someone organised, who makes careful and detailed plans and is extremely “skilful” at what he does. He does not make mistakes. That really was my issue with the book. The crimes are so detailed and intricate that I couldn’t really see how one person could plan and carry them out successfully. Having said that, it is a really gripping read that I thoroughly enjoyed, one which really kept my interest. I will be intrigued to read the follow-on “Eden” when that is released in the UK. Thanks to the publishers for the review copy.
The story involves them trying to catch a serial killer after the discovery of numerous body parts. The killings are brutal, gory and without mercy. As the story unfolds it becomes apparent that they are dealing with someone organised, who makes careful and detailed plans and is extremely “skilful” at what he does. He does not make mistakes. That really was my issue with the book. The crimes are so detailed and intricate that I couldn’t really see how one person could plan and carry them out successfully. Having said that, it is a really gripping read that I thoroughly enjoyed, one which really kept my interest. I will be intrigued to read the follow-on “Eden” when that is released in the UK. Thanks to the publishers for the review copy.
March 1, 2014
Hades Archer is called Lord of the Underworld. He lives in a junkyard in Sydney which contains twisted sculptures that he has made from scrap. Hades is the man you go to if you want to arrange to dispose of anything including bodies. One night someone comes to him who wants to dispose of two small bodies that are still alive. But even Hades being the man that he is can't bring himself to dispose of these bodies. What he does with them will change their lives as well as his own life forever.
Twenty years later homicide detective Frank Bennett meets his new partner, Eden Archer. Her brother Eric is also in the homicide squad, but there is something about him that Frank doesn't like. After working with Eden for awhile Frank feels that there is something very unusual about Eden and Eric, but he's not quite sure what it might be.
Frank and Eden are investigating a serial killer who is removing human organs from his victims and Frank is determined to get to the bottom of it and hopefully before the body count increases. He also wants to find out the secrets of Eden and Eric but, could knowing their dark secrets put him in danger?
I absolutely LOVED this book it was a real pager turner from beginning to end. A fast paced gruesome thriller which had me reading till quite late at night as I couldn't put it down. So if you enjoy a really good thriller look no further as I highly recommend you read this one as you won't be disappointed.
Twenty years later homicide detective Frank Bennett meets his new partner, Eden Archer. Her brother Eric is also in the homicide squad, but there is something about him that Frank doesn't like. After working with Eden for awhile Frank feels that there is something very unusual about Eden and Eric, but he's not quite sure what it might be.
Frank and Eden are investigating a serial killer who is removing human organs from his victims and Frank is determined to get to the bottom of it and hopefully before the body count increases. He also wants to find out the secrets of Eden and Eric but, could knowing their dark secrets put him in danger?
I absolutely LOVED this book it was a real pager turner from beginning to end. A fast paced gruesome thriller which had me reading till quite late at night as I couldn't put it down. So if you enjoy a really good thriller look no further as I highly recommend you read this one as you won't be disappointed.
September 25, 2016
Candice Fox marches onto the scene and makes an instant name for herself with an Australian police procedural with a significant twist. Frank Bennett is the new man on the Homicide Squad, a recent transfer with a list of less than stellar items from his past. When paired with the independent Eden Archer, Bennett cannot help but hope that he can melt her frigid exterior, while perhaps winning his way into her heart, or at least her knickers. With her elder brother, Eric, in the squad room alongside her and willing to take the piss out of anyone who messes with Eden, the team is less a cohesive unit than one full of competition. After the discovery of a collection of steel toolboxes at the local marina, Archer and Bennett are called to the scene, only to discover the grisly remains of a number of people, some of whom have been dismembered. What ties them together is that the bodies have at least one set of organs missing, removed with surgical precision. There is a killer on the loose, but who is procuring and accepting these organs? As Archer and Bennett dig a little deeper, they discover a correlation between those who remove themselves from the donor transplant list and a number of missing persons in and around the Sydney area. After interviewing at least one couple, they learn of the killer's motive; to offer up the healthy organs of someone who will not be missed, for a price. One of the captors is able to escape her prison and shines added light to the killer and where they might be working, which propel Archer and Bennett into a high-risk game of cat and mouse. Running parallel to the story's primary narrative is one about a man named Hades and two young children who come into his possession. He raises them and tries to instil a set of core beliefs with which they can use in life, even though he is nothing but a deeply rooted killer. How does this story mesh with what Archer and Bennett are doing? Fox leads the reader along the explosive path, only to drop another few bombshells along the way. A stellar first novel in a series that is sure to be both gripping and talked about for years to come.
I first came across Fox when asked to read a galley of her second novel, where I learned even more about Archer and Bennett. I was hooked at that point, but had wished I took the time to read HADES beforehand, as spoilers were plentiful. I found Fox laid out her macabre story in such a way as to entertain and enthral the reader, even with its gory nature. The narrative flows so easily that the reader cannot help but want to read a little more, if only to sate their desire for a little more action. Eden Archer is surely a complex character, paired with the down-and-out Frank Bennett, which creates and wonderful banter, even as the latter cannot help but try to use his manly ways to coax a little something from his partner. Add in some rough characters and the story takes on a life of its own, while Fox stands back and allows the reader to revel in everything she has to offer. Fox will make a household name for herself around the world and likely has done so already in Australia.
Kudos, Madam Fox for this great debut. I know you have two others in the series, one of which I have already read. I cannot wait to see what you've done alone, along with your recent project alongside James Patterson.
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I first came across Fox when asked to read a galley of her second novel, where I learned even more about Archer and Bennett. I was hooked at that point, but had wished I took the time to read HADES beforehand, as spoilers were plentiful. I found Fox laid out her macabre story in such a way as to entertain and enthral the reader, even with its gory nature. The narrative flows so easily that the reader cannot help but want to read a little more, if only to sate their desire for a little more action. Eden Archer is surely a complex character, paired with the down-and-out Frank Bennett, which creates and wonderful banter, even as the latter cannot help but try to use his manly ways to coax a little something from his partner. Add in some rough characters and the story takes on a life of its own, while Fox stands back and allows the reader to revel in everything she has to offer. Fox will make a household name for herself around the world and likely has done so already in Australia.
Kudos, Madam Fox for this great debut. I know you have two others in the series, one of which I have already read. I cannot wait to see what you've done alone, along with your recent project alongside James Patterson.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
December 28, 2013
Hades Archer had his home in the most unusual of places – the junkyard was where he spent his days, and his nights. He controlled his men with an iron fist, whilst finding a peace and calm in sculpting the trash into treasure. His night time deeds were of a different nature; many things were brought to him for disposal – the fees he charged kept him comfortable. But the night a stranger brought a small bundle covered in blood was the night his ordered existence changed forever.
Twenty years later, Sydney’s homicide detective Frank Bennett joined the team who’d just lost Doyle in the line of duty. Eden Archer was his new partner; she was a beautiful, dark haired but cold woman, and her brother Eric was also on their team. Frank had an instant dislike to Eric for some reason – he couldn’t work out why, but he felt decidedly uneasy in his presence. When they were called to the Harbour, the case which presented itself was horrific to say the least. The homeless man who’d almost drowned told a story which defied belief – the bodies were real though.
The hunt for the serial killer that followed sent ripples of terror throughout Sydney. For the evil in the man who murdered was extreme, his “Robin Hood” ideas shocking with horrifying consequences. Would the homicide team find this killer before more bodies appeared? Would Frank come to understand his partner or would he end up as Doyle had – another cop lost in the line of duty?
This dark psychological thriller would have to be the most gruesome I’ve read in a long time! I thoroughly enjoyed it, the twists and turns were magnificent and kept me guessing the whole way through. Hades is a gritty debut novel from a new Australian talent – I’ll definitely be watching out for Candice Fox’s next book!
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review.
Twenty years later, Sydney’s homicide detective Frank Bennett joined the team who’d just lost Doyle in the line of duty. Eden Archer was his new partner; she was a beautiful, dark haired but cold woman, and her brother Eric was also on their team. Frank had an instant dislike to Eric for some reason – he couldn’t work out why, but he felt decidedly uneasy in his presence. When they were called to the Harbour, the case which presented itself was horrific to say the least. The homeless man who’d almost drowned told a story which defied belief – the bodies were real though.
The hunt for the serial killer that followed sent ripples of terror throughout Sydney. For the evil in the man who murdered was extreme, his “Robin Hood” ideas shocking with horrifying consequences. Would the homicide team find this killer before more bodies appeared? Would Frank come to understand his partner or would he end up as Doyle had – another cop lost in the line of duty?
This dark psychological thriller would have to be the most gruesome I’ve read in a long time! I thoroughly enjoyed it, the twists and turns were magnificent and kept me guessing the whole way through. Hades is a gritty debut novel from a new Australian talent – I’ll definitely be watching out for Candice Fox’s next book!
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review.
August 6, 2019
From the beginning, it was frightening but I was instantly drawn in.
I had a feeling of unease, as if bad things are going to happen but unable to stop turning the pages.
Unable and unwilling to stop reading, the unease grows as the author drops hints of true evil and of terrible things to come. One unthinkable twist after another.
This was great!! I liken it to an amusement park ride, that scares the bejesus out you. Then, when it's over, you say Again! Again! Let's go again!!
I'm reading the next one in this series, Eden, immediately!
I had a feeling of unease, as if bad things are going to happen but unable to stop turning the pages.
Unable and unwilling to stop reading, the unease grows as the author drops hints of true evil and of terrible things to come. One unthinkable twist after another.
This was great!! I liken it to an amusement park ride, that scares the bejesus out you. Then, when it's over, you say Again! Again! Let's go again!!
I'm reading the next one in this series, Eden, immediately!
March 20, 2017
3.5 - 3.75
I was very intrigued when I read the description for Hades. It’s a police procedural set in Australia that is based around three detectives. Two are a brother and sister - Eden and Eric Archer - who were raised by a murderer. Apparently, this rather unorthodox upbringing has installed in them some unique methods of performing their police duties. The third detective, Frank Bennett, is newly transferred to their station and he is partnered with Eden who has recently lost her partner. Eden is cold and seemingly unfeeling. Eric, not to mince words, is a complete jerk. Frank seems to be the lesser evil of the three but is not without some dirty baggage of his own.
There’s a moody atmosphere which creates a dark, creepy vibe throughout the book. The crime portion is not really groundbreaking - it feels like something I’ve seen on Criminal Minds. The police are called to investigate after the attempted murder of a junkie. He claims to have been chained to a steel box and tossed into the harbor to drown but the junkie manages to escape a watery death by breaking his ankle and slipping free. He tells the police that he saw “heaps” of steel toolboxes at the bottom of the harbor. When the boxes are pulled up and opened, the contents are horrifying - they are full of bodies and, in some cases, body parts. It’s clear there is a serial killer at work and, with the fear of the body count increasing firmly in mind, the race is on to find the killer.
The story is fast-paced and gritty. As I mentioned, I didn’t find the crime aspect to be anything out of the ordinary. What really drives the book is the characters. While I find them generally rather unappealing, they are interesting. Eden and Eric are not very likeable, especially Eric, but they are intriguing and mysterious. Frank is okay but nothing outstanding. I found that he grew on me as the story progressed and as he learned some things about the Archer siblings that disturbed him to his core. That said, having the majority of the book told from Frank’s first person perspective is limiting. I really think having Eden’s perspective would have added a lot more to the story. Frank, of course, is immediately drawn to Eden because she is attractive. He wants to get close to her as a partner and as a bit more because of his attraction to her. She shuts him down every time. There are times, though, when something almost human peeks through Eden's cold, hard exterior but she is quick to withdraw back into herself.
The most interesting part of the book is the back story of Eden and Eric told from Hades' third person perspective. In the first few pages, we learn Hades is a fixer for the criminal underworld, taking care of problems - and problem people - for a price. He lives in a junkyard and uses the junk to create creepy yet fascinating sculptures which he displays throughout the property. Two small children, Eden and Eric, become collateral damage after their parents are killed and they are brought to Hades to “fix.” Hades cannot bring himself to kill the children and he takes them in and raises these two severely emotionally damaged children. This untraditional family tale is told alongside the present day story. There are also POVs from the killer and from a victim which add some disturbing details to the book.
(If, like me, you have a difficult time reading about any type of cruelty to animals, there are a few instances of it in Hades, some involving our budding murderer and one involving young Eden and Eric. They upset me but I read through them as quickly as possible.)
Hades is well-written and suspenseful. I was not truly on board, however, until about 3/4 of the way through where events occurred that made me appreciate Eden a lot more. Before that point, I didn’t think I’d read the next book in the series but I had a major change of heart. If you like dark, disturbing crime novels with rather suspect characters, you’ll probably like this one.
I was very intrigued when I read the description for Hades. It’s a police procedural set in Australia that is based around three detectives. Two are a brother and sister - Eden and Eric Archer - who were raised by a murderer. Apparently, this rather unorthodox upbringing has installed in them some unique methods of performing their police duties. The third detective, Frank Bennett, is newly transferred to their station and he is partnered with Eden who has recently lost her partner. Eden is cold and seemingly unfeeling. Eric, not to mince words, is a complete jerk. Frank seems to be the lesser evil of the three but is not without some dirty baggage of his own.
There’s a moody atmosphere which creates a dark, creepy vibe throughout the book. The crime portion is not really groundbreaking - it feels like something I’ve seen on Criminal Minds. The police are called to investigate after the attempted murder of a junkie. He claims to have been chained to a steel box and tossed into the harbor to drown but the junkie manages to escape a watery death by breaking his ankle and slipping free. He tells the police that he saw “heaps” of steel toolboxes at the bottom of the harbor. When the boxes are pulled up and opened, the contents are horrifying - they are full of bodies and, in some cases, body parts. It’s clear there is a serial killer at work and, with the fear of the body count increasing firmly in mind, the race is on to find the killer.
The story is fast-paced and gritty. As I mentioned, I didn’t find the crime aspect to be anything out of the ordinary. What really drives the book is the characters. While I find them generally rather unappealing, they are interesting. Eden and Eric are not very likeable, especially Eric, but they are intriguing and mysterious. Frank is okay but nothing outstanding. I found that he grew on me as the story progressed and as he learned some things about the Archer siblings that disturbed him to his core. That said, having the majority of the book told from Frank’s first person perspective is limiting. I really think having Eden’s perspective would have added a lot more to the story. Frank, of course, is immediately drawn to Eden because she is attractive. He wants to get close to her as a partner and as a bit more because of his attraction to her. She shuts him down every time. There are times, though, when something almost human peeks through Eden's cold, hard exterior but she is quick to withdraw back into herself.
The most interesting part of the book is the back story of Eden and Eric told from Hades' third person perspective. In the first few pages, we learn Hades is a fixer for the criminal underworld, taking care of problems - and problem people - for a price. He lives in a junkyard and uses the junk to create creepy yet fascinating sculptures which he displays throughout the property. Two small children, Eden and Eric, become collateral damage after their parents are killed and they are brought to Hades to “fix.” Hades cannot bring himself to kill the children and he takes them in and raises these two severely emotionally damaged children. This untraditional family tale is told alongside the present day story. There are also POVs from the killer and from a victim which add some disturbing details to the book.
(If, like me, you have a difficult time reading about any type of cruelty to animals, there are a few instances of it in Hades, some involving our budding murderer and one involving young Eden and Eric. They upset me but I read through them as quickly as possible.)
Hades is well-written and suspenseful. I was not truly on board, however, until about 3/4 of the way through where events occurred that made me appreciate Eden a lot more. Before that point, I didn’t think I’d read the next book in the series but I had a major change of heart. If you like dark, disturbing crime novels with rather suspect characters, you’ll probably like this one.
October 9, 2023
If you like Dexter, this might just be for you.
Homicide detective Frank Bennett and his new partner are out looking for a serial killer. To get to know his new partner a little better, he proposes they share secrets. His partner doesn’t seem to like that idea and it quickly becomes obvious why. His new partner and her brother have a deep dark secret. They hunt killers. Not to arrest them. But to kill them.
The concept of the siblings seems very inspired by Dexter, both the first book and the first season of the TV series, which I very much like. The siblings are without a doubt the real attraction here, elevating the whole book to a whole other level with their mere presence. The main plot of the book however feels very much like an average run of the mill episode of a detective TV series. Still, it’s well written and a good, uncomplicated and fast read.
Homicide detective Frank Bennett and his new partner are out looking for a serial killer. To get to know his new partner a little better, he proposes they share secrets. His partner doesn’t seem to like that idea and it quickly becomes obvious why. His new partner and her brother have a deep dark secret. They hunt killers. Not to arrest them. But to kill them.
The concept of the siblings seems very inspired by Dexter, both the first book and the first season of the TV series, which I very much like. The siblings are without a doubt the real attraction here, elevating the whole book to a whole other level with their mere presence. The main plot of the book however feels very much like an average run of the mill episode of a detective TV series. Still, it’s well written and a good, uncomplicated and fast read.
February 16, 2017
The Good:
This was a moody and somewhat violent cop drama set in my hometown of Sydney. The story was intense and told at high speed, interspersed with flashbacks reeking of tragedy and loss. It was really very dark.
The Bad:
Besides the thick heaping of melodrama, the characters didn’t ring true for me. I mean, sure this was a story about extreme people, but they just didn’t seem real. Maybe I just haven’t met enough killers?
'Friends' character the protagonist is most like:
Frank. What can one say about this guy? For starters nobody is called Frank any more. At least not Australian men born in the 70s. Frank is a name for American cops born in the 40s and 50s. Phoebe mightn’t have grown up back when doctors smoked indoors, but like Frank she does a lot of things that don’t make much sense.
This was a moody and somewhat violent cop drama set in my hometown of Sydney. The story was intense and told at high speed, interspersed with flashbacks reeking of tragedy and loss. It was really very dark.
The Bad:
Besides the thick heaping of melodrama, the characters didn’t ring true for me. I mean, sure this was a story about extreme people, but they just didn’t seem real. Maybe I just haven’t met enough killers?
'Friends' character the protagonist is most like:
Frank. What can one say about this guy? For starters nobody is called Frank any more. At least not Australian men born in the 70s. Frank is a name for American cops born in the 40s and 50s. Phoebe mightn’t have grown up back when doctors smoked indoors, but like Frank she does a lot of things that don’t make much sense.
May 8, 2018
*WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD*
I really need to stop getting sucked in by the hype attached to new novels. Platitudes like “Worldwide Bestseller”, “Compelling...a chilling read”, “the next (insert name of successful bestseller here)” tend to suck me in. I need to stop. Really.
Hades won the 2014 Best First Fiction Ned Kelly Award, so I had high hopes that it would be a well-crafted story with a high quality of writing. Unfortunately, it left me disappointed.
Rarely am I compelled to write a rolling review (reviewing as I read), but I'll make an exception here.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS – IMMEDIATE INACCURACIES
Immediately, I was reminded of Dexter. I've never read the books, but I was a fan of the TV series. Still, such derivative ideas can still work so I'll let that go, but it concerns me straight away.
As a police officer, I enjoy crime fiction. I enjoy a good thriller. The thing that struck me in the second chapter of this book is Candice Fox' complete lack of research regarding policing. I've heard this book called a 'police procedural' – it most certainly isn't (although to be fair, that may have come from another reviewer).
1) She mentions “Captain James” running a counselling session after the loss of a colleague in the line of duty. The simplest Google search would've told her there is no such rank in any Australian Police Force. How it got past the editor and everyone else who read it before it was published is mind-boggling. Captain James is mentioned numerous times.
2) Counselling sessions aren't done in a group, and they aren't run by the bosses. That would be a de-brief, or more accurately, a critical incident de-brief if you like.
3) Detectives don't just turn up to a crime scene, walk straight in and start questioning a witness, then basically tell him he isn't allowed to leave yet. They would arrive, get a briefing (usually from a Sgt or acting team leader at the scene), sign a crime scene log before entering, then go in and start doing their thing.
4) Police don't stand back and belittle and laugh at a victim who is re-telling what would be an extremely traumatic experience. If this ever happened in real life, the officers involved would get the reaming of a lifetime.
5) When Frank sets up at his new desk on the homicide team, Eric comes over and grabs Frank's “service record” and starts looking through it. Firstly, HR keep your “Service record” (you don't carry it around with you) and secondly, pulling someone else's personal stuff out and reading it would put you in deep shit (if Frank complained, that is).
6) They organise to take an ambulance to “the lab” because the victim had been sitting on the edge of it. This would NEVER happen! Ever! At the most, forensics would take swabs from the ambulance if asked, but why would they at all? He was sitting on it. He had been in the ocean before hand. What evidence would they possibly get from that? This is laughable.
7) Apparently all the cops drink at a pub called The Hound and the police who drink there frequently get into fights with each other, but that's okay, because apparently: “No arrests were made, of course, and the black eyes and split lips that ensued were chuckled over in the office the next morning. Promotions, easy beats and pay bonuses were awarded to young guns who could land a fist after ten schooners.” Honestly, this is so far from the truth it's embarrassing. If those events happened just once, there would be a pretty serious internal investigation happening. This ain't the 70s or 80s, and in no era would you get a promotion for being able to fight while drunk. This is just so utterly stupid and unrealistic.
8) In one scene, Eden says “We should get a bus down here.” Bus is an American term for ambulance. I'm unsure of the origin, but I believe it comes from New York. I can tell you now, it's not used by cops in Australia (or ambulance officers, for that matter). She wants a “bus” because she has a gut feeling people are dead. Please! Even if you actually found people dead, you wouldn't call an ambulance, as they don't treat dead people!
9) If you forced your way into a house (illegally, but I'll overlook that) and found dead people, you would not stay and snoop around, you would clear the house to make sure no one living was present, then you'd call in the cavalry (forensics, Forensic Medical Officer, etc) and establish a crime scene. AFTER forensics have processed the scene, then you can fill your boots, so to speak. To add to that, we're told later that Forensics can confirm it was a "murder-suicide". Sorry, but forensics don't do any such thing. They process crime scenes and collect evidence. Investigators confirm if it was a murder-suicide.
10) Finding 16 bodies in the harbour would become one of the biggest investigations in the history of Australia. Literally. A taskforce would be established and there would be a very clear hierarchy. Yet having read half the book as I write this, you'd be forgiven for thinking Eden and Frank are the only investigators.
I could keep going and going, because these wildly inaccurate points are in just about every chapter. Look, I don't necessarily expect someone who has never been a cop to get everything completely accurate. Inserting every actual procedure would make the story boring - I get that. I don't expect an encyclopaedic knowledge of police procedure, but I do expect the most rudimentary research to be carried out (like there being no rank of Captain in Australian Police forces – A Google search of “NSW Police Rank Structure” would have done the trick; Glock pistols don't have safety switches so there is no safety to flick off - another basic factual error). I won't harp on about that stuff anymore, but...wait, one more thing about that:
Frank and his wife used cocaine while he was in the job. I guess he was away sick every time they did random drug testing? Not only that, but he has a conviction for ASSAULTING HIS WIFE! He pled guilty to it. But wait, there's more! He was also convicted of drink driving! Folks, this guy WOULD NOT have a job after the assault conviction. Anyway, onwards we go.
CHARACTERS
Hades is an interesting, albeit cartoonish character and I think he has potential, but there seems to be a trend in some fiction I've read recently (Girl on the Train, Gone Girl – to name just two) where all the characters are horrible people. The trend continues here. We have Frank, the detective, who is lusting over the much younger Eden, and loves being a complete cock, apparently:
About his ex-wife: “I didn't love her, not really, and as the baby grew inside her we started to fight. I just wanted to be on the job all the time, roughing up crims and throwing my weight around. Driving fast. Bursting into houses. Getting free drinks and pretending I could have any chick I wanted.”
Is this really how Candice Fox thinks police think?
Frank's persistent and cringe-worthy sexual harassment of Eden (I'm sure he would consider it harmless flirting, but it isn't) makes my skin crawl. The fact he is the POV character (the novel – most of it anyway – is written in first person), just makes it more gross to me.
Frank has no integrity, is a sleaze bag, and...he gets into a physical relationship with a victim, which would be grounds for dismissal, and at the end, he murders the serial killer. In short, he is a vile person.
Eric is an arrogant and childish moron. He's pretty much a cardboard cut-out though, so there's really not much more to add.
Eden, in so many ways, is a Mary Sue. However, she has no depth and is just a brooding, largely emotionless empty vessel. Bland, impossible to relate to, and just a humourless bore. No character development. She is just a piece of meat really.
With the exception of Hades, there is not a single memorable or well drawn character in this novel.
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE...BULLSHIT
I've covered some already with the non-existent research, but there are so many more. Plot holes and unanswered questions. They are literally in every chapter. Sorry, but this is just awful. Here are a few of my favourites:
1) Hades finds a young child unconscious, not breathing, for an indeterminate period of time. He performs CPR and brings him to life with the obligatory coughing/spluttering (which doesn't happen in real life). Unless this kid had 'died' seconds before being brought back to life, he'd likely have severe brain damage. Oh, he has a fractured skull too, but why take him to a hospital when you can just put a bandage on it and make him rest?
2) At one point, Frank realises that one of the murder victims was killed to give her dying sister her kidneys. He works this out pretty much from looking at one photo. Frank and Eden race to the family home – WITHOUT A SEARCH WARRANT – kick the door in, then threaten the parents at gunpoint. WHAT?!?! Oh, and only one other car was there as backup. What was the rush? Why force entry? What was the urgency that would allow them to force entry without a warrant? This is laughable. By the way, good luck getting a search warrant written up and signed within an hour anyway.
3) Eric and Eden are in their early to mid twenties, yet both are homicide detectives. Talk to anyone from NSWP and you'd know it generally takes at least 7-8 years (minimum) to make detective, let alone to be on a homicide team. They would have had to join up when they were 18, then be absolutely outstanding to get to where they are at that age. Given she is a Mary Sue and he is a Gary Stu - academically anyway - then maybe it is possible. I just don't buy it.
4) Do police do background checks when they hire people? Brought up by an underworld figure who is a suspected murderer but that's ok? Only forged documents to prove who they are? Taken out of school in their early teens then somehow allowed to start University study by home study? How?
5) At one point, Eden and Frank walk into an interview room to interview the father of the murdered girl. Without giving him his rights, or audio/video recording, they start questioning him. Oh, and they start out with no interview plan whatsoever, despite the seriousness of the offence.
I could do this for pages and pages and pages. Halfway through this novel, I stopped treating it as a serious read and just read it for the unintentional humour. I considered not finishing it, but I'm one of those who either reads 20 pages and quits, or I read til the end. Is this a form of OCD? Probably. Anyway...
THE WRITING
It's okay as far as style, pacing etc. It's certainly easy enough to digest and would probably be more suited to a young adult audience. The dialogue however, is awful. This is not how real people speak. I was going to collect examples, but frankly, I can't be bothered. The interaction between Eric and Frank is just not believable at all - unless you were describing two extremely immature high school kids.
TL;DR?
We all know what suspension of disbelief is, but there comes a point - or at least, for me - where I just say "no way." The basic plot is stolen from Dexter. The characters are poorly drawn, lacking depth, and lacking realism. The research is non-existent and frankly, insulting.
How did this win an award? I just can't comprehend it. I guess it would pass as a quick holiday read. I can see how people can switch off a bit, ignore the absurdities within and just enjoy it for what it is, but I just can't do it. Awful.
I certainly will read a sample on iBooks before spending my hard-earned on a Candice Fox novel again.
I really need to stop getting sucked in by the hype attached to new novels. Platitudes like “Worldwide Bestseller”, “Compelling...a chilling read”, “the next (insert name of successful bestseller here)” tend to suck me in. I need to stop. Really.
Hades won the 2014 Best First Fiction Ned Kelly Award, so I had high hopes that it would be a well-crafted story with a high quality of writing. Unfortunately, it left me disappointed.
Rarely am I compelled to write a rolling review (reviewing as I read), but I'll make an exception here.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS – IMMEDIATE INACCURACIES
Immediately, I was reminded of Dexter. I've never read the books, but I was a fan of the TV series. Still, such derivative ideas can still work so I'll let that go, but it concerns me straight away.
As a police officer, I enjoy crime fiction. I enjoy a good thriller. The thing that struck me in the second chapter of this book is Candice Fox' complete lack of research regarding policing. I've heard this book called a 'police procedural' – it most certainly isn't (although to be fair, that may have come from another reviewer).
1) She mentions “Captain James” running a counselling session after the loss of a colleague in the line of duty. The simplest Google search would've told her there is no such rank in any Australian Police Force. How it got past the editor and everyone else who read it before it was published is mind-boggling. Captain James is mentioned numerous times.
2) Counselling sessions aren't done in a group, and they aren't run by the bosses. That would be a de-brief, or more accurately, a critical incident de-brief if you like.
3) Detectives don't just turn up to a crime scene, walk straight in and start questioning a witness, then basically tell him he isn't allowed to leave yet. They would arrive, get a briefing (usually from a Sgt or acting team leader at the scene), sign a crime scene log before entering, then go in and start doing their thing.
4) Police don't stand back and belittle and laugh at a victim who is re-telling what would be an extremely traumatic experience. If this ever happened in real life, the officers involved would get the reaming of a lifetime.
5) When Frank sets up at his new desk on the homicide team, Eric comes over and grabs Frank's “service record” and starts looking through it. Firstly, HR keep your “Service record” (you don't carry it around with you) and secondly, pulling someone else's personal stuff out and reading it would put you in deep shit (if Frank complained, that is).
6) They organise to take an ambulance to “the lab” because the victim had been sitting on the edge of it. This would NEVER happen! Ever! At the most, forensics would take swabs from the ambulance if asked, but why would they at all? He was sitting on it. He had been in the ocean before hand. What evidence would they possibly get from that? This is laughable.
7) Apparently all the cops drink at a pub called The Hound and the police who drink there frequently get into fights with each other, but that's okay, because apparently: “No arrests were made, of course, and the black eyes and split lips that ensued were chuckled over in the office the next morning. Promotions, easy beats and pay bonuses were awarded to young guns who could land a fist after ten schooners.” Honestly, this is so far from the truth it's embarrassing. If those events happened just once, there would be a pretty serious internal investigation happening. This ain't the 70s or 80s, and in no era would you get a promotion for being able to fight while drunk. This is just so utterly stupid and unrealistic.
8) In one scene, Eden says “We should get a bus down here.” Bus is an American term for ambulance. I'm unsure of the origin, but I believe it comes from New York. I can tell you now, it's not used by cops in Australia (or ambulance officers, for that matter). She wants a “bus” because she has a gut feeling people are dead. Please! Even if you actually found people dead, you wouldn't call an ambulance, as they don't treat dead people!
9) If you forced your way into a house (illegally, but I'll overlook that) and found dead people, you would not stay and snoop around, you would clear the house to make sure no one living was present, then you'd call in the cavalry (forensics, Forensic Medical Officer, etc) and establish a crime scene. AFTER forensics have processed the scene, then you can fill your boots, so to speak. To add to that, we're told later that Forensics can confirm it was a "murder-suicide". Sorry, but forensics don't do any such thing. They process crime scenes and collect evidence. Investigators confirm if it was a murder-suicide.
10) Finding 16 bodies in the harbour would become one of the biggest investigations in the history of Australia. Literally. A taskforce would be established and there would be a very clear hierarchy. Yet having read half the book as I write this, you'd be forgiven for thinking Eden and Frank are the only investigators.
I could keep going and going, because these wildly inaccurate points are in just about every chapter. Look, I don't necessarily expect someone who has never been a cop to get everything completely accurate. Inserting every actual procedure would make the story boring - I get that. I don't expect an encyclopaedic knowledge of police procedure, but I do expect the most rudimentary research to be carried out (like there being no rank of Captain in Australian Police forces – A Google search of “NSW Police Rank Structure” would have done the trick; Glock pistols don't have safety switches so there is no safety to flick off - another basic factual error). I won't harp on about that stuff anymore, but...wait, one more thing about that:
Frank and his wife used cocaine while he was in the job. I guess he was away sick every time they did random drug testing? Not only that, but he has a conviction for ASSAULTING HIS WIFE! He pled guilty to it. But wait, there's more! He was also convicted of drink driving! Folks, this guy WOULD NOT have a job after the assault conviction. Anyway, onwards we go.
CHARACTERS
Hades is an interesting, albeit cartoonish character and I think he has potential, but there seems to be a trend in some fiction I've read recently (Girl on the Train, Gone Girl – to name just two) where all the characters are horrible people. The trend continues here. We have Frank, the detective, who is lusting over the much younger Eden, and loves being a complete cock, apparently:
About his ex-wife: “I didn't love her, not really, and as the baby grew inside her we started to fight. I just wanted to be on the job all the time, roughing up crims and throwing my weight around. Driving fast. Bursting into houses. Getting free drinks and pretending I could have any chick I wanted.”
Is this really how Candice Fox thinks police think?
Frank's persistent and cringe-worthy sexual harassment of Eden (I'm sure he would consider it harmless flirting, but it isn't) makes my skin crawl. The fact he is the POV character (the novel – most of it anyway – is written in first person), just makes it more gross to me.
Frank has no integrity, is a sleaze bag, and...he gets into a physical relationship with a victim, which would be grounds for dismissal, and at the end, he murders the serial killer. In short, he is a vile person.
Eric is an arrogant and childish moron. He's pretty much a cardboard cut-out though, so there's really not much more to add.
Eden, in so many ways, is a Mary Sue. However, she has no depth and is just a brooding, largely emotionless empty vessel. Bland, impossible to relate to, and just a humourless bore. No character development. She is just a piece of meat really.
With the exception of Hades, there is not a single memorable or well drawn character in this novel.
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE...BULLSHIT
I've covered some already with the non-existent research, but there are so many more. Plot holes and unanswered questions. They are literally in every chapter. Sorry, but this is just awful. Here are a few of my favourites:
1) Hades finds a young child unconscious, not breathing, for an indeterminate period of time. He performs CPR and brings him to life with the obligatory coughing/spluttering (which doesn't happen in real life). Unless this kid had 'died' seconds before being brought back to life, he'd likely have severe brain damage. Oh, he has a fractured skull too, but why take him to a hospital when you can just put a bandage on it and make him rest?
2) At one point, Frank realises that one of the murder victims was killed to give her dying sister her kidneys. He works this out pretty much from looking at one photo. Frank and Eden race to the family home – WITHOUT A SEARCH WARRANT – kick the door in, then threaten the parents at gunpoint. WHAT?!?! Oh, and only one other car was there as backup. What was the rush? Why force entry? What was the urgency that would allow them to force entry without a warrant? This is laughable. By the way, good luck getting a search warrant written up and signed within an hour anyway.
3) Eric and Eden are in their early to mid twenties, yet both are homicide detectives. Talk to anyone from NSWP and you'd know it generally takes at least 7-8 years (minimum) to make detective, let alone to be on a homicide team. They would have had to join up when they were 18, then be absolutely outstanding to get to where they are at that age. Given she is a Mary Sue and he is a Gary Stu - academically anyway - then maybe it is possible. I just don't buy it.
4) Do police do background checks when they hire people? Brought up by an underworld figure who is a suspected murderer but that's ok? Only forged documents to prove who they are? Taken out of school in their early teens then somehow allowed to start University study by home study? How?
5) At one point, Eden and Frank walk into an interview room to interview the father of the murdered girl. Without giving him his rights, or audio/video recording, they start questioning him. Oh, and they start out with no interview plan whatsoever, despite the seriousness of the offence.
I could do this for pages and pages and pages. Halfway through this novel, I stopped treating it as a serious read and just read it for the unintentional humour. I considered not finishing it, but I'm one of those who either reads 20 pages and quits, or I read til the end. Is this a form of OCD? Probably. Anyway...
THE WRITING
It's okay as far as style, pacing etc. It's certainly easy enough to digest and would probably be more suited to a young adult audience. The dialogue however, is awful. This is not how real people speak. I was going to collect examples, but frankly, I can't be bothered. The interaction between Eric and Frank is just not believable at all - unless you were describing two extremely immature high school kids.
TL;DR?
We all know what suspension of disbelief is, but there comes a point - or at least, for me - where I just say "no way." The basic plot is stolen from Dexter. The characters are poorly drawn, lacking depth, and lacking realism. The research is non-existent and frankly, insulting.
How did this win an award? I just can't comprehend it. I guess it would pass as a quick holiday read. I can see how people can switch off a bit, ignore the absurdities within and just enjoy it for what it is, but I just can't do it. Awful.
I certainly will read a sample on iBooks before spending my hard-earned on a Candice Fox novel again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2015
This is a very good debut thriller from Candice Fox.
With so many books of this genre on the market these days it is often difficult to find a stand out one because, although many are excellent in their own right, they all have variations on the same themes...and that is where Hades, the first book in this series, does stand out from others.
The story incorporates very imaginative surprise elements which give this introductory book a unique character of its own, helping it stand apart from others in its genre, and setting the standard for the follow up books in the series.
Not your usual run of the mill crime thriller, still this one has it all...lots of fear and angst and bloody brutal atrocities keep the suspense factor notched up throughout the story.
This dark thriller centres around a man named Hades (in Greek Mythology, Hades is the God of the Underworld) and his relationship with two children, Eden and Eric.
Hades is the resident caretaker of the Utulla Tip, a huge waste disposal ground near Camden in the south west of Sydney, and is also well known in the criminal underworld as the fix it man. He is the go to man that can fix anything for a price, from cleaning up crime scene evidence, to the permanent and untraceable disposal of bodies. Hades knows a lot of bad people and is well respected among them.
The night Hades discovers the two children will change his, and their futures forever...but will it be for better or for worse?
In a story packed with some serious baddies, I found myself sort of barracking for some of the "perceived bad guys"....Are they really that bad? Or are they just victims of circumstance looking for retribution and ultimately redemption??
I'm still not sure, and that is part of the suspense and intrigue as these characters are still developing, and even some of the main players here have very deliberately questionable ethics that will make you want to find out more.
Although it would work well as a stand alone novel, I've no doubt more will be revealed in the next and future books, so I'm very much looking forward to reading the next in this series, Eden, which I am lucky enough to have at hand.
Having grown up in Sydney I could identify with all of the places mentioned in the story and easily imagine the scenes unfolding there ....even the local tip... this probably gave my read a different perspective than other readers as I think it enhanced my experience with this book.
I would have no problem recommending this to lovers of a good crime thriller. 4★s, because I think it can only get better.
April 19, 2015
Hades should be called Dexter Australian Style! I'm sorry but it was like the author binged watched Dexter and incorporated it into her novel. Now was it bad? Hell no! It was awesome. Why didn't I give it 5 Stars? Because it lacked originality. The novel is darker and lacks the humor that Dexter had but there are still so many similarities. Do I recommend it? Yes and no. Do you have no idea who Dexter was but like crime/thriller novels? Definitely read it. Are you done with Dexter? Did it jump the shark before it ended for you? Think twice before you purchase Hades. Did you love Dexter and wish you could go back and watch it over again? Then definitely read it. This is a fast paced thriller/crime novel told through different points of view. The main one being Frank Bennett who's new partner is Eden ( one of the characters that Hades raises ). If I had the time and if I had the motivation I would have read Hades in two days. Knowing exactly where this book was going throughout I lacked that motivation to read it every free second that I had.
April 24, 2019
Hades has fashioned a career for himself out of hiding dead bodies for other people, but there is a softer, protective side to him to. The dual sides of his life lead to some very unusual child rearing. That’s just part of this book. The other part is a police procedural involving the search for a serial killer. It’s not always clear whether the worst monsters are inside or outside the police station. This is the first book of this series that I have read by this Australian author, but I’ve read other books by her I really like her tightly-written, gritty crime novels. The plot of this book seemed somewhat improbable, but the book was exciting, entertaining and never bored me.
February 3, 2015
Hades is the first novel by Australian author, Candice Fox. When homicide detective Frank Bennett, late thirties, twice divorced, with a liking for alcohol, is partnered with the stunning Eden Archer, he figures he’s struck lucky. Although he certainly doesn’t feel the same way about her brother, Eric. And the case they are called into is intriguing: a stash of bodies in tool boxes at the bottom of Watson’s Bay. It seems they have a serial killer on their hands, and autopsies reveal a gruesome detail. Clues are hard to find. But then the killer makes a mistake.
Hades Archer, owner of the Utillo tip and a sculptor of trash, is known as Lord of the Underworld for his talent at making inconvenient bodies disappear: an unlikely father to Eden and Eric. The history of their association is gradually revealed in a narrative that is interspersed with the gripping account of the hunt for the killer.
Fox gives the reader an original plot with some brilliant twists, a local setting that will appeal to Sydney readers and characters that are real and flawed: the behaviour of some (supposedly ordinary people) will leave the reader gasping, and demonstrates just how fine the line is between good and evil. Her extensive research into police and medical procedure is apparent in every chapter. This debut crime novel by Candice Fox is a real page-turner and readers will look forward to reading the sequel, Eden.
Hades Archer, owner of the Utillo tip and a sculptor of trash, is known as Lord of the Underworld for his talent at making inconvenient bodies disappear: an unlikely father to Eden and Eric. The history of their association is gradually revealed in a narrative that is interspersed with the gripping account of the hunt for the killer.
Fox gives the reader an original plot with some brilliant twists, a local setting that will appeal to Sydney readers and characters that are real and flawed: the behaviour of some (supposedly ordinary people) will leave the reader gasping, and demonstrates just how fine the line is between good and evil. Her extensive research into police and medical procedure is apparent in every chapter. This debut crime novel by Candice Fox is a real page-turner and readers will look forward to reading the sequel, Eden.
January 4, 2022
Un thriller rápido y que se sale de lo habitual, que no es poco.
December 23, 2017
Hades by Candice Fox won the 2014 Ned Kelly award for the best debut novel, but left me wondering why. Fast-paced, with over-the-top characters, the early pages were promising and the middle gripping, only to limp to a predictable end. So many loose ends and questions left unanswered. Did Jason go after Sandra and Reg Turbot? What happened to Travis? How could anyone as clearly psychotic at Eric Archer be recruited by the NSW Police? A “captain” out of tune with his section, would have been noted by his superiors, even allowing for alleged corruption among its ranks. Someone would have reported missing persons given the number of bodies involved. I half expected a vampire to turn up. How could they not have foreseen what would happen and move the star witness to a safe house?
It certainly seems a different Sydney to the one I used to drive through - calculating the expected journey time and adding forty minutes to be on the safe side - yet the detectives seemed to breeze through the streets, untroubled by red lights and vehicles clogging the intersections, which made me suspect it was written for an overseas readership with an image of Australia derived from “Home and Away”. A good effort but not enough for me to want to read on.
It certainly seems a different Sydney to the one I used to drive through - calculating the expected journey time and adding forty minutes to be on the safe side - yet the detectives seemed to breeze through the streets, untroubled by red lights and vehicles clogging the intersections, which made me suspect it was written for an overseas readership with an image of Australia derived from “Home and Away”. A good effort but not enough for me to want to read on.
September 15, 2019
Creepy, creepy, creepy
Not your usual police procedural at all....
A very fast read for me. Great characters....no one is as they might first appear. A fairly straight forward plot but somewhat convoluted with the characters' hidden pasts.
Now onward to the rest of this series. Hard to believe this was Ms. Fox's debut.
Not your usual police procedural at all....
A very fast read for me. Great characters....no one is as they might first appear. A fairly straight forward plot but somewhat convoluted with the characters' hidden pasts.
Now onward to the rest of this series. Hard to believe this was Ms. Fox's debut.
May 11, 2023
A special thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Top Books of 2025 "Best Standout International Crime Thriller Debut Series."
HADES, a spine-chilling debut by award-winning Australian author, Candice Fox is a dark, twisted, violent, gruesome psychological, crime, cop procedural, suspense thriller all rolled into ONE "Bloody-Good" mystery. Like NO other - Good versus evil mostly, evil.
It all began one night, a kidnapping gone wrong, five evil men, murdered millionaire parents, half-dead brother and sister-ages three and five, two privileged children, the junkyard; Hades, the junkyard king in Sydney, “The Lord of the Underworld,” intelligent, artistic man, a sculptor, known for disposing of bodies, for a mere price of twenty grand.
HADES: “His first thought would be to bury the children there together and dig the stranger in somewhere, anywhere, with the dozens of rapists, killers, and thieves who littered the grounds of the dump. He closed his eyes. Too many strangers were coming to his dump these nights with their bundles of lost lives. He would have to put the word NO new clients were welcome. The ones he knew his regular clients brought him bodies of evil ones. But these strangers. He shook his head. These strangers kept bringing innocents.”
Until he realizes, they are NOT dead. He WILL allow the two children to live; raise them as his own. Their new names will be Eden and Eric.
There was nothing in Hades’ past that he could use as a model for a healthy childhood. He had learned about respect by beating it into people, and fairness was something he’d rarely witnessed. Some part of him feared that one day they would be gone from his life as abruptly as they had come. Though villains of every nature still arrived at his door seeking help, the little ones gave him a reason to believe that not all of his life was dedicated to evil.
He fell in love with them, with a complete and undeniable love of a father. He wanted the best for these two brilliant students.
The first time the children killed they were eight and ten. The best he could do was try to turn their killer instincts on those other monsters out there in the night who deserved it, and in a twisted and sickening way, maybe they would be making the world safer from the same darkness they each carried.
Flashing back from past to present, some twenty years later, homicide detective Frank Bennett meets his new partner, the dark and beautiful Eden Archer. Her brother, Eric, is also in the homicide squad and immediately clarifies that he has real problems with anyone chosen to be Eden's partner. While they are experienced detectives, it is soon clear to Frank that there is something very unusual about Eden and Eric. Made even more difficult when their first case together turns into a bizarre serial killer scenario- a killer who seems to be harvesting organs. A lot of organs.
“No matter how much Hades fantasized about the two of them being children, moldable, and teachable, and eager for love, they had stopped being children the night they were given to him, the night their parents were killed. Hades had fallen in love with two chimeras, two monsters in disguise, incapable of feeling the way he felt, of loving the way he loved. The horror they had experienced had cut a hole in them, and they would be driven in vain to fill that hole for as long as they lived. Dogs with a taste for blood, enslaved to the need. “
Hades is unsure the children know "right from wrong", but he is hoping they can learn. The junkyard is a place for the evil ones and never for the innocents.
Then, Eden: Age five, when the murder of her family occurred. She was a child then, and never was again.
Present, Eden: “A monster removed from the earth. The world was a little safer for sons and daughters, mothers and fathers sleeping and laughing and holding each other in millions of houses and streets all over the world. One friend at a time, over and over, Eden and her brother had made the world a little bit safer. The job made it easy to find them, pick them out and examine them like the lice they were, and choose them and crush them before they were safely bottled. Child molesters, wife beaters, pimps, psychotics, and thrill killers. Snip, snip, snip. She was cutting away the ragged edges of a net and wholesome world. Tonight would be the last. To end a story. To kill for justice and not for vengeance. However, she cannot stop the voices.”
What a debut! I could not go to bed until I finished the novel; as scary as it was to read, you are pulled in with Hades, who loves the brother and sister, and at the same time, your heart goes out to damaged and troubled children experiencing significant psychological trauma and pain. All they know is violence and revenge.
I was blown away by the author’s inspiration for the book and her vast background. I listened to a hang-out session with the author, discussing the book, and was fascinated, as why this novel was so enthralling! Fox seamlessly balances the horrific past with the present investigations, perfectly paced, and what an imagination, keeping you glued to the pages. This could be a TV series...
Not for the faint-hearted; however, if you love a compelling crime psychological thriller with a wicked evil twist….HADES is for you. Cannot wait to read EDEN, (have to wait until Aug 25, 2015 for release in Kindle format US), the next in the series, as we continue the saga with Eden and her partner Frank. Well done, an author to follow!
Fans of Jennifer Hillier, Paul Cleave, and Karin Slaughter will enjoy this one.
Candice Fox is the middle child of a large, eccentric family from Sydney's western suburbs composed of half, adopted, and pseudo siblings. The daughter of a parole officer and an enthusiastic foster carer, Candice spent her childhood listening around corners to tales of violence, madness, and evil as her father relayed his work stories to her mother and older brothers.
Judith D. Collins #MustReadBooks
You will have to read #2 EDEN as the intensity heats up! Again, Fox does not disappoint. Left with another cliffhanger, dying for Dec, 2015 for FALL (Archer & Bennett #3)
Top Books of 2025 "Best Standout International Crime Thriller Debut Series."
HADES, a spine-chilling debut by award-winning Australian author, Candice Fox is a dark, twisted, violent, gruesome psychological, crime, cop procedural, suspense thriller all rolled into ONE "Bloody-Good" mystery. Like NO other - Good versus evil mostly, evil.
It all began one night, a kidnapping gone wrong, five evil men, murdered millionaire parents, half-dead brother and sister-ages three and five, two privileged children, the junkyard; Hades, the junkyard king in Sydney, “The Lord of the Underworld,” intelligent, artistic man, a sculptor, known for disposing of bodies, for a mere price of twenty grand.
HADES: “His first thought would be to bury the children there together and dig the stranger in somewhere, anywhere, with the dozens of rapists, killers, and thieves who littered the grounds of the dump. He closed his eyes. Too many strangers were coming to his dump these nights with their bundles of lost lives. He would have to put the word NO new clients were welcome. The ones he knew his regular clients brought him bodies of evil ones. But these strangers. He shook his head. These strangers kept bringing innocents.”
Until he realizes, they are NOT dead. He WILL allow the two children to live; raise them as his own. Their new names will be Eden and Eric.
There was nothing in Hades’ past that he could use as a model for a healthy childhood. He had learned about respect by beating it into people, and fairness was something he’d rarely witnessed. Some part of him feared that one day they would be gone from his life as abruptly as they had come. Though villains of every nature still arrived at his door seeking help, the little ones gave him a reason to believe that not all of his life was dedicated to evil.
He fell in love with them, with a complete and undeniable love of a father. He wanted the best for these two brilliant students.
The first time the children killed they were eight and ten. The best he could do was try to turn their killer instincts on those other monsters out there in the night who deserved it, and in a twisted and sickening way, maybe they would be making the world safer from the same darkness they each carried.
Flashing back from past to present, some twenty years later, homicide detective Frank Bennett meets his new partner, the dark and beautiful Eden Archer. Her brother, Eric, is also in the homicide squad and immediately clarifies that he has real problems with anyone chosen to be Eden's partner. While they are experienced detectives, it is soon clear to Frank that there is something very unusual about Eden and Eric. Made even more difficult when their first case together turns into a bizarre serial killer scenario- a killer who seems to be harvesting organs. A lot of organs.
“No matter how much Hades fantasized about the two of them being children, moldable, and teachable, and eager for love, they had stopped being children the night they were given to him, the night their parents were killed. Hades had fallen in love with two chimeras, two monsters in disguise, incapable of feeling the way he felt, of loving the way he loved. The horror they had experienced had cut a hole in them, and they would be driven in vain to fill that hole for as long as they lived. Dogs with a taste for blood, enslaved to the need. “
Hades is unsure the children know "right from wrong", but he is hoping they can learn. The junkyard is a place for the evil ones and never for the innocents.
Then, Eden: Age five, when the murder of her family occurred. She was a child then, and never was again.
Present, Eden: “A monster removed from the earth. The world was a little safer for sons and daughters, mothers and fathers sleeping and laughing and holding each other in millions of houses and streets all over the world. One friend at a time, over and over, Eden and her brother had made the world a little bit safer. The job made it easy to find them, pick them out and examine them like the lice they were, and choose them and crush them before they were safely bottled. Child molesters, wife beaters, pimps, psychotics, and thrill killers. Snip, snip, snip. She was cutting away the ragged edges of a net and wholesome world. Tonight would be the last. To end a story. To kill for justice and not for vengeance. However, she cannot stop the voices.”
What a debut! I could not go to bed until I finished the novel; as scary as it was to read, you are pulled in with Hades, who loves the brother and sister, and at the same time, your heart goes out to damaged and troubled children experiencing significant psychological trauma and pain. All they know is violence and revenge.
I was blown away by the author’s inspiration for the book and her vast background. I listened to a hang-out session with the author, discussing the book, and was fascinated, as why this novel was so enthralling! Fox seamlessly balances the horrific past with the present investigations, perfectly paced, and what an imagination, keeping you glued to the pages. This could be a TV series...
Not for the faint-hearted; however, if you love a compelling crime psychological thriller with a wicked evil twist….HADES is for you. Cannot wait to read EDEN, (have to wait until Aug 25, 2015 for release in Kindle format US), the next in the series, as we continue the saga with Eden and her partner Frank. Well done, an author to follow!
Fans of Jennifer Hillier, Paul Cleave, and Karin Slaughter will enjoy this one.
Candice Fox is the middle child of a large, eccentric family from Sydney's western suburbs composed of half, adopted, and pseudo siblings. The daughter of a parole officer and an enthusiastic foster carer, Candice spent her childhood listening around corners to tales of violence, madness, and evil as her father relayed his work stories to her mother and older brothers.
Judith D. Collins #MustReadBooks
You will have to read #2 EDEN as the intensity heats up! Again, Fox does not disappoint. Left with another cliffhanger, dying for Dec, 2015 for FALL (Archer & Bennett #3)
dnf
June 11, 2025DNFed at the 27% mark. Awful story.
TW: Child and animal abuse.
TW: Child and animal abuse.
February 20, 2015
Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.
Hades is a book I'm in mixed minds about. It's the story of, well, many parts really. We have Hades, a well known underground figure that is able to fix things for anyone that needs anything fixing, usually crime related. We then have Eric and Eden, a brother and sister duo that were brought to Hades as young children after the violent murder of their parents. We also have Frank Bennett, a cop who has been assigned to work alongside Eden in a new partnership.
Set in different time zones and different points of view, it tells the story of how Eric and Eden grow up and where they are now and also how we have a killer that appears to be kidnapping victims for their organs in a transplant racket.
So what do I think? I found the book to be a convoluted, cliched story with some originality I suppose. There were parts that I liked. The backstory of Hades and the children for me was the strength of the book, that was the story I wanted to read. The present day of the killer and Bennett et al just didn't do it for me. What I'm surprised about and, after reading other reviews people picked up on, was the Dexter influence and parallels. That's where the book lost it for me. After a big tv show of the anti hero, Dexter, and his ways, I'm suprised anyone would want to go there, when comparisons are obviously going to be made. I find that perplexing. This felt like the Australian version of what's already been done. What I also had a problem with was that some of the characters were not fleshed out enough, especially the killer, we don't really get to find out much of anything where he's concerned, just a bunch of cliches and stereotyping. And the whole process of what he was doing seemed a little too much for a one man band. As for the other main leads, Eden felt like a perfect Angelina Jolie, Eric and Frank again felt like nothing new. All a bit too perfectly flawed and ticking of boxes. Hades was the one that stood out as something different.
I read the book fairly quickly but I must admit I did speed read through a few pages. All in all it's not a bad read and some of it I did like but the rest was just ok which is why I'm giving it 3 stars, I think that's a fair rating.
Hades is a book I'm in mixed minds about. It's the story of, well, many parts really. We have Hades, a well known underground figure that is able to fix things for anyone that needs anything fixing, usually crime related. We then have Eric and Eden, a brother and sister duo that were brought to Hades as young children after the violent murder of their parents. We also have Frank Bennett, a cop who has been assigned to work alongside Eden in a new partnership.
Set in different time zones and different points of view, it tells the story of how Eric and Eden grow up and where they are now and also how we have a killer that appears to be kidnapping victims for their organs in a transplant racket.
So what do I think? I found the book to be a convoluted, cliched story with some originality I suppose. There were parts that I liked. The backstory of Hades and the children for me was the strength of the book, that was the story I wanted to read. The present day of the killer and Bennett et al just didn't do it for me. What I'm surprised about and, after reading other reviews people picked up on, was the Dexter influence and parallels. That's where the book lost it for me. After a big tv show of the anti hero, Dexter, and his ways, I'm suprised anyone would want to go there, when comparisons are obviously going to be made. I find that perplexing. This felt like the Australian version of what's already been done. What I also had a problem with was that some of the characters were not fleshed out enough, especially the killer, we don't really get to find out much of anything where he's concerned, just a bunch of cliches and stereotyping. And the whole process of what he was doing seemed a little too much for a one man band. As for the other main leads, Eden felt like a perfect Angelina Jolie, Eric and Frank again felt like nothing new. All a bit too perfectly flawed and ticking of boxes. Hades was the one that stood out as something different.
I read the book fairly quickly but I must admit I did speed read through a few pages. All in all it's not a bad read and some of it I did like but the rest was just ok which is why I'm giving it 3 stars, I think that's a fair rating.
September 7, 2015
Another gem found among the pebbles! Candice Fox is a new author to me and one that I will definitely follow. In fact, I already have the next one in this series on my kindle and can hardly wait to get started on it.
Eden and Eric Archer , brother and sister, witnessed the murders of their parents. The men who killed them botched what was supposed to be a kidnapping for ransom. So there they are .... stuck with two kids who now have no relatives to pay ransom. The men decide to take the kids to Hades ... the man who can 'fix' things...and make things disappear. Like bodies.
Hades cannot kill innocent children ...even evil-doers sometimes have a line they won't cross. So he decides to keep them as his own.
The Archers are now detectives, but they have secrets they don't share with anyone else. Following the death of her partner, Eden has a new partner ... Frank Bennett, who finds Eden attractive ...but mysterious. Eric doesn't like his sister's new partner and doesn't hesitate to let him know.
When a series of murders take place, Eden and Frank, are the lead detectives. Frank accidentally sees something of Eden's that makes him start looking deeper into her life. He finds it's like looking into the abyss and getting lost.
To add anything else at this point would be giving too many spoilers, so I will only add that there are so many unexpected twists and turns that I just could not put this one down. The ending just about blew me away!
A definite 5 star rating from me.
Eden and Eric Archer , brother and sister, witnessed the murders of their parents. The men who killed them botched what was supposed to be a kidnapping for ransom. So there they are .... stuck with two kids who now have no relatives to pay ransom. The men decide to take the kids to Hades ... the man who can 'fix' things...and make things disappear. Like bodies.
Hades cannot kill innocent children ...even evil-doers sometimes have a line they won't cross. So he decides to keep them as his own.
The Archers are now detectives, but they have secrets they don't share with anyone else. Following the death of her partner, Eden has a new partner ... Frank Bennett, who finds Eden attractive ...but mysterious. Eric doesn't like his sister's new partner and doesn't hesitate to let him know.
When a series of murders take place, Eden and Frank, are the lead detectives. Frank accidentally sees something of Eden's that makes him start looking deeper into her life. He finds it's like looking into the abyss and getting lost.
To add anything else at this point would be giving too many spoilers, so I will only add that there are so many unexpected twists and turns that I just could not put this one down. The ending just about blew me away!
A definite 5 star rating from me.
June 17, 2020
3,5 / 5
Biraz Dexter havasında, polisiye kısmı çok da iyi olmayan bir kitaptı. Kurguda sevdiğim kısım Hades'li bölümler ve karakterlerin alışılmışın dışında sorunlu ve arızalı oluşlarıydı 🙄
Biraz Dexter havasında, polisiye kısmı çok da iyi olmayan bir kitaptı. Kurguda sevdiğim kısım Hades'li bölümler ve karakterlerin alışılmışın dışında sorunlu ve arızalı oluşlarıydı 🙄
October 27, 2019
This is a bit of a strange book to review. Recently released in paperback in the UK, Candice Fox's debut novel (published in Australia in 2014) kickstarted a meteoric rise for the Sydney author. She won back-to-back Ned Kelly Awards (Best First Fiction and Best Fiction) for this novel and its sequel, has teamed up with bestseller-factory James Patterson on a crime tale set in the Australian Outback, and has gathered plenty of high-powered blurbs from big names in crime writing. There's another Patterson co-write on the way, and Fox can splash "No 1 bestselling author" on her covers.
Say what you will about James Patterson (personally, I loved his Alex Cross tales as a teen and as an adult I'm grateful for everything he's done to support bookstores and encourage children's reading and a lifelong love of books), he definitely knows how to spot talent that can tell a crime page-turner. Whether it's Liza Marklund in Sweden, Andrew Gross, or Candice Fox, many of Patterson's co-writers have shown substantial writing chops in their solo books (Marklund in particular is fabulous).
Hades is an incredibly slick, well-told tale (particularly for a debut). Fox pulls the reader in immediately and the pages whir as Sydney detectives Frank Bennett and Eden Archer, a new partnership, join their colleagues are on the hunt for a dangerous serial killer. There's a great sense of the pressures of police work, the mix of personalities that can be like oil and water even as they've got a job to do as a team. And Fox does a good job giving us a taste of the Sydney setting.
It's a dark tale, that burrows into some pretty sick parts of society. Grimy is an apt word.
I can see why a lot of reviewers (and awards judges) loved it. Hades is compulsive.
The bit that fell short for me however, a touch, was the characters. In sum, all the 'heroes' are pretty unlikable, and not in a fascinating noir or anti-hero kind of way. I just couldn't quite get alongside the main characters, so I was tearing through the pages entranced by the story but feeling a little aloof emotionally. Frank Bennett might be intended to be the reader's 'in' , but he's misogynistic among other flaws, often thinking about his chances of bedding his new partner Eden. Eden and her brother Eric are charming in some ways but cold and brutal in others. They come across as sociopathic rather than being flawed souls making mistakes as they try to do the right thing in a tough job.
It's tough to put my finger on what didn't quite work: the things I note above aren't fatal and there are crime stories which work very well where those same things are present (eg Andy Sipowicz in NYPD Blue is misogynistic and prejudiced, but a brilliant compelling character, and Dexter in Jeff Lindsay's books and Joe the Carver in Paul Cleave's books are true psychopaths, but somehow work brilliantly).
I think in the end I just found myself rolling my eyes occasionally with Fox's writing or character choices, which pulled me out of the story now now and then, breaking an otherwise great ride.
Note that I'm saying all of the above with my picky reviewer's hat on.
Hades is still a very good debut, and I can see why it got plenty of acclaim. Funnily enough, I found the title character (a shambling man who runs a rubbish tip, and is a 'fixer' for local criminals) the most interesting or multi-leveled. I'm curious as to where Fox takes the characters in the Ned Kelly Award winning follow-up, Eden , and beyond. I'd definitely read more of her crime writing.
Overall, if you love fast-paced plot-boilers that delve into sick serial killers and the grimy fringes of society, textured with some shading of character and setting, then I'd highly recommend Hades .
If you prefer more character-centric crime fiction that delivers greater richness or depth in the viewpoint characters, perhaps give Fox's successors for the Best First Fiction award a go instead: Emma Viskic (Resurrection Bay) and Jane Harper (The Dry).
Say what you will about James Patterson (personally, I loved his Alex Cross tales as a teen and as an adult I'm grateful for everything he's done to support bookstores and encourage children's reading and a lifelong love of books), he definitely knows how to spot talent that can tell a crime page-turner. Whether it's Liza Marklund in Sweden, Andrew Gross, or Candice Fox, many of Patterson's co-writers have shown substantial writing chops in their solo books (Marklund in particular is fabulous).
Hades is an incredibly slick, well-told tale (particularly for a debut). Fox pulls the reader in immediately and the pages whir as Sydney detectives Frank Bennett and Eden Archer, a new partnership, join their colleagues are on the hunt for a dangerous serial killer. There's a great sense of the pressures of police work, the mix of personalities that can be like oil and water even as they've got a job to do as a team. And Fox does a good job giving us a taste of the Sydney setting.
It's a dark tale, that burrows into some pretty sick parts of society. Grimy is an apt word.
I can see why a lot of reviewers (and awards judges) loved it. Hades is compulsive.
The bit that fell short for me however, a touch, was the characters. In sum, all the 'heroes' are pretty unlikable, and not in a fascinating noir or anti-hero kind of way. I just couldn't quite get alongside the main characters, so I was tearing through the pages entranced by the story but feeling a little aloof emotionally. Frank Bennett might be intended to be the reader's 'in' , but he's misogynistic among other flaws, often thinking about his chances of bedding his new partner Eden. Eden and her brother Eric are charming in some ways but cold and brutal in others. They come across as sociopathic rather than being flawed souls making mistakes as they try to do the right thing in a tough job.
It's tough to put my finger on what didn't quite work: the things I note above aren't fatal and there are crime stories which work very well where those same things are present (eg Andy Sipowicz in NYPD Blue is misogynistic and prejudiced, but a brilliant compelling character, and Dexter in Jeff Lindsay's books and Joe the Carver in Paul Cleave's books are true psychopaths, but somehow work brilliantly).
I think in the end I just found myself rolling my eyes occasionally with Fox's writing or character choices, which pulled me out of the story now now and then, breaking an otherwise great ride.
Note that I'm saying all of the above with my picky reviewer's hat on.
Hades is still a very good debut, and I can see why it got plenty of acclaim. Funnily enough, I found the title character (a shambling man who runs a rubbish tip, and is a 'fixer' for local criminals) the most interesting or multi-leveled. I'm curious as to where Fox takes the characters in the Ned Kelly Award winning follow-up, Eden , and beyond. I'd definitely read more of her crime writing.
Overall, if you love fast-paced plot-boilers that delve into sick serial killers and the grimy fringes of society, textured with some shading of character and setting, then I'd highly recommend Hades .
If you prefer more character-centric crime fiction that delivers greater richness or depth in the viewpoint characters, perhaps give Fox's successors for the Best First Fiction award a go instead: Emma Viskic (Resurrection Bay) and Jane Harper (The Dry).
January 4, 2014
There is more than just the city's refuse buried in Hades Archer junkyard and when a stranger appears at his door muttering about an accident, carrying two small bundles, he considers the land around his yard, trying to determine the best place to lay the tiny bodies to rest. Until he notices the clenched toes of a pearly white foot.
Twenty years later, Frank Bennett joins the homicide team at Bondi and is partnered with the enigmatic Eden Archer. Their first case, following up an druggie's outlandish story, uncovers a serial murderer's killing fields on the floor of Sydney Harbour but it is Eden and her brother, fellow detective Eric, that piques Frank's curiousity.
Hades is a dark, gritty and challenging debut novel from Candice Fox that I laid down only under protest. Broadly crime fiction, but also combining elements of a police procedural and psychological thriller, it delves into the seething mind of a serial killer and the lives of the detectives, Frank and Eden, who are pursuing him. The plot is reasonably linear as the investigation unfolds, but also explores the nuances of right and wrong, of justice and vengeance. There is explicit violence and language, thought not gratuitous, but it is the tension that causes chills to run down your spine.
The narrative is divided between a third person perspective that reveals the past of Eden and Eric Archer and a first person point of view from Frank Bennett. The characters, much like the plot, are dark and twisted. Eden and Eric share a shocking secret, a childhood marred by an unspeakable act of violence that changed them irrevocably. The siblings are intriguing, with dark secrets that are slowly revealed as the novel unfolds. Frank is also flawed though in ways more ordinary than his new partner and while I didn't find him particularly likeable, I did find him interesting.
The pace is compelling, the writing tight and concise and the tension high from the novel's first pages. It builds to a stunning climax that left me breathless and eager for more.
Hades is is a gripping and exciting read journeying into a atmospheric underworld of Sydney. It may be the first book I have reviewed for 2014, but it may also prove to be my favourite for the year.
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