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Joe Coffin Returns
Joe Coffin has fought vampires and battled the Triads.
He's been hunted by the cops and betrayed by those closest to him.
But he's never faced a witch before.
Get ready for a whole new thrill ride. This is next level Joe Coffin.
He's been hunted by the cops and betrayed by those closest to him.
But he's never faced a witch before.
Get ready for a whole new thrill ride. This is next level Joe Coffin.
- GenresHorror
270 pages, Paperback
Published February 10, 2023
9 people are currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Ken Preston
55 books79 followersKen Preston is the author of the Joe Coffin series of books, best described as gangsters versus vampires in Birmingham UK. He is also the author of zombie/cowboy mash-up Population:DEAD!, Satan meets Blackbeard pirate novel, The Devil and Edward Teach, and Speaking in Tongues, a short story about death, sex, rock n roll and God.
He has also had several short stories published in magazines and anthologies, and writes romance under the name of MJ Jackson.
Ken is also a creative writing teacher for children in years 5 and 6 and also children in years 7 to12, as well as adults.
He spends far too much time in his cellar, making stuff up, whilst his two cats prowl over his desk and computer keyboard, adding their own little additions to his stories.
Ken lives just a few doors down from the house where Jack the Ripper was born. (Allegedly.)
If you have read any of his books, or even if you haven’t, but just want a chat, Ken can be reached at kenpreston@kenpreston.co.uk
He has also had several short stories published in magazines and anthologies, and writes romance under the name of MJ Jackson.
Ken is also a creative writing teacher for children in years 5 and 6 and also children in years 7 to12, as well as adults.
He spends far too much time in his cellar, making stuff up, whilst his two cats prowl over his desk and computer keyboard, adding their own little additions to his stories.
Ken lives just a few doors down from the house where Jack the Ripper was born. (Allegedly.)
If you have read any of his books, or even if you haven’t, but just want a chat, Ken can be reached at kenpreston@kenpreston.co.uk
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 23, 2022
The Joe Coffin series has been my guilty pleasure since I read the first book. What's not to like in a book with mobsters and vampires? This book focuses on the Fearless Vampire Killers, Johnny B Tough and Lei, who meet up with YouTuber Guy Adams, also know as The Vampire Botherer. Adams decides to explore the catacombs of a cemetery in order to find some vampires, but he finds much more than that.
As the author states, "This is turning into a regular reunion of weirdos and creeps." The reappearance of Stump and Corpse, two of the most disgusting characters I have ever encountered, adds a lot to the story. And, does Joe Coffin, my favorite anti-hero, make an appearance? You'll have to read the book to find out!
I enjoyed reading this book a lot as the author brought back a lot of characters met in previous installments. But, be aware that this one ends on a huge cliffhanger! Get busy, Mr. Preston, and tell us what happens next!
As the author states, "This is turning into a regular reunion of weirdos and creeps." The reappearance of Stump and Corpse, two of the most disgusting characters I have ever encountered, adds a lot to the story. And, does Joe Coffin, my favorite anti-hero, make an appearance? You'll have to read the book to find out!
I enjoyed reading this book a lot as the author brought back a lot of characters met in previous installments. But, be aware that this one ends on a huge cliffhanger! Get busy, Mr. Preston, and tell us what happens next!
August 21, 2022
It’s felt like forever but the gang are finally back. This time round not only are there vampires to contend with but also a witch hellbent on revenge.
I can’t wait for the next instalment, especially after being left on a cliffhanger!
I can’t wait for the next instalment, especially after being left on a cliffhanger!
July 27, 2022
Preston continues his fusion of modern British underworld thriller and vampire tale, showing the aftermath of a human victory without either losing tension or parachuting in a new threat.
This is the seventh book in Preston’s Joe Coffin series. Your opportunity to be surprised by previous volumes might be drained beyond this point.
Vampires still walk the streets of Birmingham at night, but—after Joe Coffin killed the last of their leaders—they are more of a nuisance than a plague; some are even suggesting they deserve rights. Some, such as DCI Nick Archer, want to start fresh. Others, such as Emma Wilde, can’t quite leave the past behind. Coffin is gone but, when a YouTube celebrity is captured by vampires who don’t seem interested in his blood, those who joined him against the vampires—friends and allies of convenience alike—realise that the remnants of the vampire army are not the only evil lurking in the fog.
Preston’s novella (or part-work novel) opens several months after Joe Coffin departed Birmingham, supposedly for good. After a short segment about the discovery of a strange crime scene some distance from Birmingham, it switches to the attempts of Johnny B Tough and Lei, the Fearless Vampire Killers, to make money from the increasingly less dangerous vampire infestation, then to the current activities of several other protagonists from the series. While the title gives away that Coffin is not as free of the supernatural as he’d believed, he is most notable as an invisible but hulking presence in the lives of others.
While Preston does smoothly insert references of key past events and his mythology is based in classic folklore, so that fans of vampire horror are unlikely to feel utterly lost, much of the power of this book lies in not the fact of the characters having faced vampires in the past but the subtle nuances of how they did and how they interacted with each other through the six previous volumes. Thus, this book’s core audience is solidly readers who are seeking more of Preston’s modern underworld vampire fusion.
However, unlike some returns to previously concluded series, Preston neither has the big bad turn out to have only appeared to be destroyed, devaluing the previous victory, nor has an entirely unconnected threat rise up, making the advantages the characters gained useless. Instead, the new issues that draw the survivors together or pull them apart expand out from the consequences of how the vampire invasion was broken, and from various passing references or cool background moments from volume one onward. Thus the plots of this volume feel fresh yet firmly part of the world, attached with narrative sutures fine enough that readers are likely to struggle to work out whether Preston had always intended to continue the story past the previous volume and if not when he started seeding the possibility.
In addition to fitting the new seamlessly into the old, these expansions reveal the answers to some questions over which fans of the series might have speculated, answers that, although they might not be what a particular reader imagined, are not tawdry in comparison to speculation.
Some of the threads at the start of the book prove connected while others remain separate. This creates a sense of a wider world with problems and desires beyond vampires; however, as this is the first part of a longer work, readers must speculate how many unconnected things are glimpses of a wider whole.
And this is very much the first part of a longer story rather than a stand-alone volume in a series. Although characters find answers to some pressing questions or reach milestones in their personal arcs, the book ends on a strong cliffhanger.
Preston’s characterisation paints a highly plausible picture of people reacting to a significant and unusual threat having been overcome: Johnny and Lei portray the temptation to profit from the aftermath; Nick exemplifies the desire to move on, with all the righteous anger toward those who aren’t as rigorous; Emma suffers the restless seeking that might come from the supposed normality of the future being boring in comparison to the intensity of what has been; and the supporting cast show that familiarity can make even slavering packs of monsters seem less of a constant horror—especially if some young influencer with a sport camera and an unconscious belief in their own immortality decides to prank them live on social media.
Overall, I enjoyed this book greatly. I recommend it to readers who enjoyed the previous volumes and those seeking supernatural horror that feels gritty because the world is rather than for the sake of it.
I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.
This is the seventh book in Preston’s Joe Coffin series. Your opportunity to be surprised by previous volumes might be drained beyond this point.
Vampires still walk the streets of Birmingham at night, but—after Joe Coffin killed the last of their leaders—they are more of a nuisance than a plague; some are even suggesting they deserve rights. Some, such as DCI Nick Archer, want to start fresh. Others, such as Emma Wilde, can’t quite leave the past behind. Coffin is gone but, when a YouTube celebrity is captured by vampires who don’t seem interested in his blood, those who joined him against the vampires—friends and allies of convenience alike—realise that the remnants of the vampire army are not the only evil lurking in the fog.
Preston’s novella (or part-work novel) opens several months after Joe Coffin departed Birmingham, supposedly for good. After a short segment about the discovery of a strange crime scene some distance from Birmingham, it switches to the attempts of Johnny B Tough and Lei, the Fearless Vampire Killers, to make money from the increasingly less dangerous vampire infestation, then to the current activities of several other protagonists from the series. While the title gives away that Coffin is not as free of the supernatural as he’d believed, he is most notable as an invisible but hulking presence in the lives of others.
While Preston does smoothly insert references of key past events and his mythology is based in classic folklore, so that fans of vampire horror are unlikely to feel utterly lost, much of the power of this book lies in not the fact of the characters having faced vampires in the past but the subtle nuances of how they did and how they interacted with each other through the six previous volumes. Thus, this book’s core audience is solidly readers who are seeking more of Preston’s modern underworld vampire fusion.
However, unlike some returns to previously concluded series, Preston neither has the big bad turn out to have only appeared to be destroyed, devaluing the previous victory, nor has an entirely unconnected threat rise up, making the advantages the characters gained useless. Instead, the new issues that draw the survivors together or pull them apart expand out from the consequences of how the vampire invasion was broken, and from various passing references or cool background moments from volume one onward. Thus the plots of this volume feel fresh yet firmly part of the world, attached with narrative sutures fine enough that readers are likely to struggle to work out whether Preston had always intended to continue the story past the previous volume and if not when he started seeding the possibility.
In addition to fitting the new seamlessly into the old, these expansions reveal the answers to some questions over which fans of the series might have speculated, answers that, although they might not be what a particular reader imagined, are not tawdry in comparison to speculation.
Some of the threads at the start of the book prove connected while others remain separate. This creates a sense of a wider world with problems and desires beyond vampires; however, as this is the first part of a longer work, readers must speculate how many unconnected things are glimpses of a wider whole.
And this is very much the first part of a longer story rather than a stand-alone volume in a series. Although characters find answers to some pressing questions or reach milestones in their personal arcs, the book ends on a strong cliffhanger.
Preston’s characterisation paints a highly plausible picture of people reacting to a significant and unusual threat having been overcome: Johnny and Lei portray the temptation to profit from the aftermath; Nick exemplifies the desire to move on, with all the righteous anger toward those who aren’t as rigorous; Emma suffers the restless seeking that might come from the supposed normality of the future being boring in comparison to the intensity of what has been; and the supporting cast show that familiarity can make even slavering packs of monsters seem less of a constant horror—especially if some young influencer with a sport camera and an unconscious belief in their own immortality decides to prank them live on social media.
Overall, I enjoyed this book greatly. I recommend it to readers who enjoyed the previous volumes and those seeking supernatural horror that feels gritty because the world is rather than for the sake of it.
I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.
July 23, 2022
The vampires in Birmingham seem to be on the decline. Those remaining vamps seem to be gaunt and sickly. The Fearless Vampire Killers, Johnny B. Tough and his sexy but bad-ass partner, Lei, get their kicks tracking down and killing vampires, but people are expecting them to do it for free. The nest of vampires have settled into Warstone Lane Cemetery, but there is a bigger threat at hand. Evil witch, Mrs. Ullman, has obtained a new Hand of Glory and is busy cursing people. The minor villains, Corpse and Stump, go to police detective, Archer, requesting the hand which was confiscated in a raid on Mrs. Ullman's house, declaring that it is Mrs. Stump's long missing hand. The pair are obviously sick, a result of Mrs. Ullman's curse. Among those stricken with the curse, is the recently returned, Joe Coffin, who's too sick to be up to much of anything. It's up to the Fearless Vampire Killer, Archer, and Emma to locate the witch and destroy the Hand of Glory. But can they do it? This story ends on a cliff hanger. Let's stay tuned to see if our heroes can prevail, or are Joe and his compatriots doomed? This is a great story, but I wish it was longer. Then again, the author is hooking us to wait breathlessly for his next tale.
July 2, 2023
Joe Coffin Returns is set shortly after the end of the putative “Final Chapter” and sees Coffin face a new threat: after vanquishing vampires, the Triads, the police, and assorted other sociopaths Coffin finds that he’s been cursed. It turns out that murdering a witch’s husband and stealing their money doesn’t go down well, and she’s out for revenge. This time it's hard to see how Coffin gets out of the mess. For comedic relief, Preston gives much more play to “The Fearless Vampire Killers” – Johnny B. Tough and Lei -- and an oily social media influencer called "The Vampire Botherer" -- very British... Preston flagged a little bit earlier in the series, but he’s got his stride back here. The characters and story don’t break a lot of new ground, but they don’t have to – this is solid, slightly mindless, entertainment.
7.5/10 (3.75, rounded to 4 stars)
7.5/10 (3.75, rounded to 4 stars)
August 13, 2022
Damn, this is good. I thought the story might get a bit stale, but the addition of a witch is welcome addition- Ken works in some creepy moments. There's a few new characters which keeps things fresh and the story is getting interesting. Shame i have to wait a while for Chapter 2 😥.
The vamps are still a plenty and The Fearless Vampire Killers play a big part in the story. To be honest, i find the name stupid and the characters annoying (well, Johnny anyway). It's maybe a case that Johnny came up with the name. Anyway, doesnt really ruin the story but the other characters are more interesting and propel the story forward.
The series could run and run with more horror icons. There's already been vampires, now there's a witch...werewolves perhaps? Zombies?
The vamps are still a plenty and The Fearless Vampire Killers play a big part in the story. To be honest, i find the name stupid and the characters annoying (well, Johnny anyway). It's maybe a case that Johnny came up with the name. Anyway, doesnt really ruin the story but the other characters are more interesting and propel the story forward.
The series could run and run with more horror icons. There's already been vampires, now there's a witch...werewolves perhaps? Zombies?
August 3, 2022
Vampire sightings are on a decline and the ones remaining seem sickly and starving.The Fearless Vampire Killers, Johnny B. Goode and his bad ass partner Lei are still on the hunt. A nest of vampires have settled in Warstone Lane Cemetery seemingly under the control of the witch Mrs. Ullman who has unfortunately come into possession of a new Hand of Glory and is cursing all who stole her money including Joe Coffin, Corpse, Stump and others. Can the group of the Fearless Vampire Killers, Emma and Archer without Joe's help destroy the Hand of Glory and in the process save Joe and the others lives? Looking forward to the next book.
July 21, 2022
So, Joe is back with a vengeance or is he? You’ll have to read the book to find out won’t you. I am really looking forward to the next one that’s for sure, to see what’s going to happen next. Highly recommended.
July 26, 2022
Beyond brilliant! 🧛
Beyond brilliant! 💗
Beyond brilliant! 💥
Beyond brilliant! 💗
Beyond brilliant! 💥
August 13, 2022
What another great series that will have you binge reading. Vampires and more to keep you intrigued. Any story with Joe is a perfect book to make your day.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews