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Thomas Fool #2
The Devil's Evidence
A new case of unsolvable murders brings Hell to Heaven in the explosive sequel to The Devil’s Detective.
Hell is burning out of control. Thomas Fool, Hell’s first Information Man tasked with investigating the endless stream of violence in Hell, has been promoted to the head of the newly expanded Information Office. Now in command of a legion of Information Men, his new position finds him hated by demons and almost revered by humans. He alone has survived the wrath of demon and angel alike, but he stands alone and at the center of a brewing crisis. New on the scene is the Evidence, a shadowy department whose officers do not investigate; they punish and spread fear. And its leader, Mr. Tap, is gunning for Fool.
Fool is ordered to accompany a political delegation to Heaven, and his arrival coincides with an impossible—and sinister—discovery. A dead body. Murder in Heaven. Violence, corruption, and fear are the currency of Hell, and how does one investigate a crime where these concepts are paradoxes? As the bodies pile up, Fool sees disturbing connections between Heaven and Hell. He must follow clues in a strange land where nothing is as it seems and danger can present itself in any form.
What follows is a phantasmagoric, mind-bending thriller as exciting and unsettling as anything in recent fiction. The Devil’s Evidence is an electrifying, provocative novel filled with stunning set pieces and characters who will live on in your deepest nightmares.
Hell is burning out of control. Thomas Fool, Hell’s first Information Man tasked with investigating the endless stream of violence in Hell, has been promoted to the head of the newly expanded Information Office. Now in command of a legion of Information Men, his new position finds him hated by demons and almost revered by humans. He alone has survived the wrath of demon and angel alike, but he stands alone and at the center of a brewing crisis. New on the scene is the Evidence, a shadowy department whose officers do not investigate; they punish and spread fear. And its leader, Mr. Tap, is gunning for Fool.
Fool is ordered to accompany a political delegation to Heaven, and his arrival coincides with an impossible—and sinister—discovery. A dead body. Murder in Heaven. Violence, corruption, and fear are the currency of Hell, and how does one investigate a crime where these concepts are paradoxes? As the bodies pile up, Fool sees disturbing connections between Heaven and Hell. He must follow clues in a strange land where nothing is as it seems and danger can present itself in any form.
What follows is a phantasmagoric, mind-bending thriller as exciting and unsettling as anything in recent fiction. The Devil’s Evidence is an electrifying, provocative novel filled with stunning set pieces and characters who will live on in your deepest nightmares.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published July 5, 2016
33 people are currently reading
1022 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
April 4, 2016
Simon Kurt Unsworth book "The Devil's Evidence" is a cunning yet misleading title. In this the second volume of the adventures and punishments of Thomas Fool, Hell's first investigating detective, here given the title "Information Man" has a new set of challenges. Someone is setting buildings on fire and murdering all the inhabitants inside. To make matters worse, Hell has created a new department, known as "The Evidence", which is manned by demons and supersedes Thomas Fool's authority.
As Fool begins his investigations, his superiors re-assign him to a team of diplomats to take a trip to Heaven. It seems Heaven is in need of his services due to the fact that murders of "saved" humans are taking place and Heaven never having encountered this situation has the need of an Information Man.
Mr. Unsworth has created a fine sequel to "The Devil's Detective" (Thomas Fool #1), well written, yet slightly less powerful then the original.
This is a Bound Galley marked Tentative on-sale date 7/5/16. Note: I purchased this book.
As Fool begins his investigations, his superiors re-assign him to a team of diplomats to take a trip to Heaven. It seems Heaven is in need of his services due to the fact that murders of "saved" humans are taking place and Heaven never having encountered this situation has the need of an Information Man.
Mr. Unsworth has created a fine sequel to "The Devil's Detective" (Thomas Fool #1), well written, yet slightly less powerful then the original.
This is a Bound Galley marked Tentative on-sale date 7/5/16. Note: I purchased this book.
August 29, 2016
As in Unsworth's first book (The Devil's Detective), the protagonist, Thomas Fool, is attracting too much attention in Hell... and in this instance, Heaven too. The author's depiction of his main character is masterful; the painful, halting, uncertain progression, the growing boundaries of his psychological and moral self is incredible. You can feel it and see each and every time he comes to a new understanding, his process of figuring out the next step of his investigation matches his ever broadening understanding of who he is, how the system around him works, and his fluctuating role within it. I've read works of literary fiction that aspire to this kind of character development.
Unsworth's powers of description and imagination are further revealed by the intricacies of Heaven and Hell. He avoids the cliches; within the hierarchies and rule bound realms, horror is not only born from those who physically look like monsters but in the behaviour of all the players. It's this that makes it clever, and surprising.
Fool has been to Heaven and Hell now, so I wonder what comes next...
Many thanks to Simon Kurt Unsworth, Random House/Ebury, and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
Unsworth's powers of description and imagination are further revealed by the intricacies of Heaven and Hell. He avoids the cliches; within the hierarchies and rule bound realms, horror is not only born from those who physically look like monsters but in the behaviour of all the players. It's this that makes it clever, and surprising.
Fool has been to Heaven and Hell now, so I wonder what comes next...
Many thanks to Simon Kurt Unsworth, Random House/Ebury, and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 6, 2016
Whether it be in the eternal fires of hell or in the eternal joys of Heaven, Thomas Fool, Information Man, conducts his investigation and nothing, be it angel or demon better get in his way.
I loved the creativity of this book! Building upon the hell he established so well in The Devil's Detective, this time Simon Kurt Unsworth turns his imagination to building a heaven. Turns out, his heaven is just as warped as his hell; maybe even more so. There are angels, the Malakim, (the messengers of heaven) and the Estedea, ("Pray their sadness never reaches you.") Lastly, there's Mayall, (not of the Bluesbreakers variety), heaven's own version of a clown. Or is he more than that?
While conducting his investigation of several mysterious fires in hell, (I know, mysterious fires in hell? It sounds crazy, but I'm telling you, it works), Thomas is called for and sent to heaven to investigate....something. The angels don't want him there, the demons and the Evidence back in hell don't want him there, but someone does. Why? You'll have to read this to find out.
I believe that it would be difficult to pick up this book and understand everything that's going on without having read The Devil's Detective first. There are terms and people, (the Man of Plants and Flowers, for instance), that are introduced in the first book and without any knowledge of them, I think much of the impact of this story would be diluted.
I enjoy the way Unsworth writes. For instance, as Thomas leaves Heaven to return to hell:
"His last view of Heaven was of a motionless rank of beautiful, somber angels surrounded by falling snow and, behind them, the chapel of all faiths standing alone and mute in the storm light."
I love that quote because I can picture it perfectly in my mind.
I did have an issue with the self-deprecating Thomas Fool beating up on himself every 5 minutes. (Stupid little Fool! Know nothing Fool!) It became irritating but after about halfway, it occurred less often.
With fascinating world building, highly imaginative and creative ideas, it's difficult for me to find any other faults with this book. I've never read anything like these Fool books before. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I will meet Thomas Fool once again.
If you liked the first book I HIGHLY recommend you pick up The Devil's Evidence.
*Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This is it.*
Find this review and others like it at Horrorafterdark.com.
I loved the creativity of this book! Building upon the hell he established so well in The Devil's Detective, this time Simon Kurt Unsworth turns his imagination to building a heaven. Turns out, his heaven is just as warped as his hell; maybe even more so. There are angels, the Malakim, (the messengers of heaven) and the Estedea, ("Pray their sadness never reaches you.") Lastly, there's Mayall, (not of the Bluesbreakers variety), heaven's own version of a clown. Or is he more than that?
While conducting his investigation of several mysterious fires in hell, (I know, mysterious fires in hell? It sounds crazy, but I'm telling you, it works), Thomas is called for and sent to heaven to investigate....something. The angels don't want him there, the demons and the Evidence back in hell don't want him there, but someone does. Why? You'll have to read this to find out.
I believe that it would be difficult to pick up this book and understand everything that's going on without having read The Devil's Detective first. There are terms and people, (the Man of Plants and Flowers, for instance), that are introduced in the first book and without any knowledge of them, I think much of the impact of this story would be diluted.
I enjoy the way Unsworth writes. For instance, as Thomas leaves Heaven to return to hell:
"His last view of Heaven was of a motionless rank of beautiful, somber angels surrounded by falling snow and, behind them, the chapel of all faiths standing alone and mute in the storm light."
I love that quote because I can picture it perfectly in my mind.
I did have an issue with the self-deprecating Thomas Fool beating up on himself every 5 minutes. (Stupid little Fool! Know nothing Fool!) It became irritating but after about halfway, it occurred less often.
With fascinating world building, highly imaginative and creative ideas, it's difficult for me to find any other faults with this book. I've never read anything like these Fool books before. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I will meet Thomas Fool once again.
If you liked the first book I HIGHLY recommend you pick up The Devil's Evidence.
*Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This is it.*
Find this review and others like it at Horrorafterdark.com.
November 6, 2019
I don't imagine it was easy for Simon Unsworth to follow up
The Devil's Detective
. Not only was the premise—a hardboiled murder mystery set in Hell—pretty gutsy by itself, but by the end of the book the stakes were so high and the discoveries so momentous that I worried Unsworth had already used up his best material. Once you've turned Hell inside out, where is there left to go?
Turns out there is one place. In The Devil's Evidence, the ever-bold Unsworth plucks both his readers and his reluctant detective-slash-punching-bag Thomas Fool out of Hell altogether and sends them to Heaven. Fool's there for work, not pleasure (there's no such thing for the damned), but it's not immediately clear what exactly the work is he's supposed to be doing. Or anyway, not clear to him; we the readers know what kind of series this is, so it's not entirely surprising when brutalized bodies start cropping up in paradise with no apparent explanation.
For the most part Evidence does exactly what a sequel should. All the best stuff from Detective carries over—the great descriptive prose, the knack for atmosphere and action—even as Unsworth continues to push his concept to new and interesting places. This installment maybe isn't quite as much of a traditional (or, you know, traditional-ish) whodunnit as the first, but that wasn't Unsworth's strongest suit to begin with and there's plenty here to fill in the absence. Heaven proves almost as rich a setting for horror as Hell was, if also a subtler one, and the locales we visit are intriguing enough on their own to balance out the sometimes-fairly-surface-level characterization of the supporting cast. The pacing can drag a little (the book doesn't really pick up momentum till about halfway through), but the slowness also allows Unsworth time to flesh out his universe and provide the sort of small but meaningful moments which are often lost in more breakneck stories. Few protagonists have suffered more abuse, both physical and psychological, than Thomas Fool, but Unsworth clearly cares for the character and manages to convey his pain and hopelessness (as well as his resiliency and determination) without veering into the desensitizing.
That's about all I can say without either spoiling the plot or getting lost in the lore, so I'll leave off there. A good followup to a good debut novel, and one which avoids the pitfalls of so many mid-trilogy installments. I'm looking forward to seeing how Unsworth wraps this series up, and I hope he does it sooner rather than later.
Turns out there is one place. In The Devil's Evidence, the ever-bold Unsworth plucks both his readers and his reluctant detective-slash-punching-bag Thomas Fool out of Hell altogether and sends them to Heaven. Fool's there for work, not pleasure (there's no such thing for the damned), but it's not immediately clear what exactly the work is he's supposed to be doing. Or anyway, not clear to him; we the readers know what kind of series this is, so it's not entirely surprising when brutalized bodies start cropping up in paradise with no apparent explanation.
For the most part Evidence does exactly what a sequel should. All the best stuff from Detective carries over—the great descriptive prose, the knack for atmosphere and action—even as Unsworth continues to push his concept to new and interesting places. This installment maybe isn't quite as much of a traditional (or, you know, traditional-ish) whodunnit as the first, but that wasn't Unsworth's strongest suit to begin with and there's plenty here to fill in the absence. Heaven proves almost as rich a setting for horror as Hell was, if also a subtler one, and the locales we visit are intriguing enough on their own to balance out the sometimes-fairly-surface-level characterization of the supporting cast. The pacing can drag a little (the book doesn't really pick up momentum till about halfway through), but the slowness also allows Unsworth time to flesh out his universe and provide the sort of small but meaningful moments which are often lost in more breakneck stories. Few protagonists have suffered more abuse, both physical and psychological, than Thomas Fool, but Unsworth clearly cares for the character and manages to convey his pain and hopelessness (as well as his resiliency and determination) without veering into the desensitizing.
That's about all I can say without either spoiling the plot or getting lost in the lore, so I'll leave off there. A good followup to a good debut novel, and one which avoids the pitfalls of so many mid-trilogy installments. I'm looking forward to seeing how Unsworth wraps this series up, and I hope he does it sooner rather than later.
August 4, 2020
A nice follow up to the first Thomas Fool story, this time we get to see Heaven a bit. I always thought Heaven should be a weird place (like Talking Heads level weird). Heck, Dante's Paradiso is also super weird and that dude was a big fan of heaven. No matter how you slice it eternal bliss/serenity/joy has got to be nothing like us poor mortals have ever experienced, it should be utterly alien to us. I was happy to discover that Unsworth agreed with my perspective and gave us a fascinating take on the Good Place of his universe.
The story was a good mystery, we got some neat universe building, and the story was really interesting even if I thought the ending was a bit weak. I look forward to more reading about more adventures and misadventures with, like, several mountains of bleak despair piled on top because, you know, Hell) with Thomas Fool, Captain of Hell's Information Men.
The story was a good mystery, we got some neat universe building, and the story was really interesting even if I thought the ending was a bit weak. I look forward to more reading about more adventures and misadventures with, like, several mountains of bleak despair piled on top because, you know, Hell) with Thomas Fool, Captain of Hell's Information Men.
July 6, 2016
Review copy
Thomas Fool, The Devil's Detective, is an Information Man and a human among demons. Fool is now the Commander of the Information Office, a position in Hell for which he gets little respect.
Now there's a new department in Hell, The Evidence, headed by Mr. Tap. All they seem to do is get in the way of the Information Men. "They didn't investigate, they simply tore things apart and reached conclusions that made little or no sense, and then executed justice on the spot."
As Fool and his team are investigating a series of arsons and murders, he is called away to be part of a special delegation to Heaven. While in Heaven, he learns of some mysterious deaths there. Heaven blames Hell. Hell blames Heaven. Can Thomas Fool uncover the truth before there's an all out war?
The Devil's Evidence turned out to be a worthy sequel to The Devil's Detective, and was slightly better than book one. More fantasy than horror, but it does get rather gruesome at times. Pure escapism requiring a total suspension of disbelief. This is not an easy read, but it is an interesting and entertaining foray into a completely different world and the final twist is pure gold.
From Doubleday, The Devil's Evidence: A Novel, is available in hardback, e-book and audio formats.
Simon Kurt Unsworth as born in Manchester and lives in a farmhouse in Cumbria, in the United Kingdom. He is the author of The Devil's Detective and many short stories, including the collections Lost Places, Quiet Houses, and Strange Gateways.
Thomas Fool, The Devil's Detective, is an Information Man and a human among demons. Fool is now the Commander of the Information Office, a position in Hell for which he gets little respect.
Now there's a new department in Hell, The Evidence, headed by Mr. Tap. All they seem to do is get in the way of the Information Men. "They didn't investigate, they simply tore things apart and reached conclusions that made little or no sense, and then executed justice on the spot."
As Fool and his team are investigating a series of arsons and murders, he is called away to be part of a special delegation to Heaven. While in Heaven, he learns of some mysterious deaths there. Heaven blames Hell. Hell blames Heaven. Can Thomas Fool uncover the truth before there's an all out war?
The Devil's Evidence turned out to be a worthy sequel to The Devil's Detective, and was slightly better than book one. More fantasy than horror, but it does get rather gruesome at times. Pure escapism requiring a total suspension of disbelief. This is not an easy read, but it is an interesting and entertaining foray into a completely different world and the final twist is pure gold.
From Doubleday, The Devil's Evidence: A Novel, is available in hardback, e-book and audio formats.
Simon Kurt Unsworth as born in Manchester and lives in a farmhouse in Cumbria, in the United Kingdom. He is the author of The Devil's Detective and many short stories, including the collections Lost Places, Quiet Houses, and Strange Gateways.
September 6, 2023
I NEED A THIRD BOOK PLEASE, MR UNSWORTH, IF YOU ARE LISTENING
December 1, 2018
This is really a 4.5 - I love his ideas and prose and where the end looks like it's going, but he feels the need to undercut his theme in a way I didn't feel was necessary.
August 26, 2016
I was super stoked about reading The Devil's Evidence (Thomas Fool #2) that I snagged a copy a few weeks after its release and opted to begin reading it immediately, interrupting the novel I was currently reading. I just f***ing loved The Devil's Detective (Thomas Fool #1) so much that the idea of a sequel made me howl with joy.
I eagerly jumped back into Simon Kurt Unsworth's vision of Hell and was ecstatic about all the crazy monstrosities facing the damned hero, Thomas Fool. I loved the descriptions Unsworth used, and just how vivid and disgusting he wrote Hell. And then there was Unsworth's vision of Heaven . . . which was sort of boring; which was exactly how Unsworth wrote it, literally. His vision of Heaven was a place where the "saved" just stand around, unaware, unmoving, just existing amongst angels who help guide them from a carousel to a beach to a forest to a desert to plains, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
So, in short, Hell was deliciously evil, and Heaven was blissfully dull.
I liked that idea a lot. Very original. Nevertheless, I felt The Devil's Evidence (#2) was lacking the power of the first book. The Devil's Detective (#1) can easily be a stand-alone novel, but its sequel is definitely a sequel. One who hasn't read #1 (which, does anyone just jump into a series without reading the first book anyway?) would undoubtedly find some elements of #2 confusing. Beyond that, reading #2 felt like a wasted sequel, for it mirrored #1 far too much.
A lot of the same characters from the first novel are in the second novel, and though a few new characters are introduced, there was far more focus on the older characters. And that really bugged me when it came to the main character's emotional attachment towards a secondary character who had very little page-time and wasn't well developed at all.
And another thing that truly irked me was just how long and drawn out the scenes in Heaven were; for such a disinteresting place, Unsworth sure wrote a lot about it.
And I was growing weary of Thomas Fool's constant self-ridicule in the form of puns: "You little fool . . . You dumb fool . . . Forever Hell's fool . . . Thomas Fool, the fool in Heaven" . . . and blah, blah, blah.
And last but not least I was very dissatisfied with the climatic resolution. The overall ending was fine, but it felt rushed, especially given how long it took to get there.
But I did like the book, truly, I did. And it seems a lot of readers did as well, some even preferring it over its predecessor. I just hope that if there is a Thomas Fool #3 (and I do so hope there will be one) that it has something more to offer than The Devil's Evidence.
Okay book. Good read.
I eagerly jumped back into Simon Kurt Unsworth's vision of Hell and was ecstatic about all the crazy monstrosities facing the damned hero, Thomas Fool. I loved the descriptions Unsworth used, and just how vivid and disgusting he wrote Hell. And then there was Unsworth's vision of Heaven . . . which was sort of boring; which was exactly how Unsworth wrote it, literally. His vision of Heaven was a place where the "saved" just stand around, unaware, unmoving, just existing amongst angels who help guide them from a carousel to a beach to a forest to a desert to plains, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
So, in short, Hell was deliciously evil, and Heaven was blissfully dull.
I liked that idea a lot. Very original. Nevertheless, I felt The Devil's Evidence (#2) was lacking the power of the first book. The Devil's Detective (#1) can easily be a stand-alone novel, but its sequel is definitely a sequel. One who hasn't read #1 (which, does anyone just jump into a series without reading the first book anyway?) would undoubtedly find some elements of #2 confusing. Beyond that, reading #2 felt like a wasted sequel, for it mirrored #1 far too much.
A lot of the same characters from the first novel are in the second novel, and though a few new characters are introduced, there was far more focus on the older characters. And that really bugged me when it came to the main character's emotional attachment towards a secondary character who had very little page-time and wasn't well developed at all.
And another thing that truly irked me was just how long and drawn out the scenes in Heaven were; for such a disinteresting place, Unsworth sure wrote a lot about it.
And I was growing weary of Thomas Fool's constant self-ridicule in the form of puns: "You little fool . . . You dumb fool . . . Forever Hell's fool . . . Thomas Fool, the fool in Heaven" . . . and blah, blah, blah.
And last but not least I was very dissatisfied with the climatic resolution. The overall ending was fine, but it felt rushed, especially given how long it took to get there.
But I did like the book, truly, I did. And it seems a lot of readers did as well, some even preferring it over its predecessor. I just hope that if there is a Thomas Fool #3 (and I do so hope there will be one) that it has something more to offer than The Devil's Evidence.
Okay book. Good read.
June 14, 2016
I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley (which is where I originally posted this review).
It's rare that I like a sequel as much as the first book - in fact, I like this one *more* than its predecessor ("The Devil's Detective"). Fool is once again trying his best to do his job and walk the fine line between rebellion and collusion. In this story, as the Chief Information Man in an ever-increasingly fascistic hell, Fool knows that he has a lot less power than it appears, and even less room to investigate. A series of fires are raging out of control in hell, making Hell's Bureaucracy *very* nervous - and to make matters worse, there are unexplained occurrences in Heaven, too.
Fool is a creature of doubt and questions, and the reader keenly feels his despair and his desperate attempts to carve out some sort of meaning to his existence. The plot is interesting and engrossing, but it's Fool's struggles with himself that captured my heart.
It's rare that I like a sequel as much as the first book - in fact, I like this one *more* than its predecessor ("The Devil's Detective"). Fool is once again trying his best to do his job and walk the fine line between rebellion and collusion. In this story, as the Chief Information Man in an ever-increasingly fascistic hell, Fool knows that he has a lot less power than it appears, and even less room to investigate. A series of fires are raging out of control in hell, making Hell's Bureaucracy *very* nervous - and to make matters worse, there are unexplained occurrences in Heaven, too.
Fool is a creature of doubt and questions, and the reader keenly feels his despair and his desperate attempts to carve out some sort of meaning to his existence. The plot is interesting and engrossing, but it's Fool's struggles with himself that captured my heart.
January 24, 2019
The follow up to The Devil's Detective takes Thomas to a new location for most of the book. We get to explore and discover a new section of Unsworth's vision of the afterlife and gain some more understanding of how things work. Again we have fantasy, horror and mystery/detective stories intertwined well. The mystery this time is much more convoluted. The culprit did cross my mind a few times, but I kept dismissing the thought, so I guess that part worked better this time. There were some surprises, and Thomas definitely is showing character development. Hoping there is a #3 on the way. This book didn't have as overall dark of a tone as the first, but when it was dark, it was darker, and when it was gory and gruesome, it shot for the moon.
November 10, 2016
I thought the first book in the series was very good. This one was better - 4.5 stars, nearly five. Really, really good. Perhaps a bit too much sleight of hand in the denouement (and that's probably all holding me back from a flat five) but nonetheless, really excellent. A great new author I am thrilled to have been introduced to.
August 17, 2017
Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge for a honest and unbiased review.
This story is about Thomas Fool the Commander of the Information Office of Hell. Horrible fires and murders are happening in Hell which leads to Thomas Fool being ordered to investigate. While in the midst of the investigation in Hell. Thomas Fool is sent to Heaven as part of a political delegation. While in Heaven Thomas's help is needed to investigate an unexplained mystery that is taking place in Heaven. There is murder in Heaven. As Thomas tries to investigate he is met with opposition and troubles. While in the middle of finding the truth Thomas tries to stop a war between Heaven and Hell from happening.
Simon Kurt Unsworth has a very interesting writing style. Having said that I'll explain why it took my over a month to listen to this audio book. The first part of this book just seemed to drag for me and then closer to the end it jumped pace. I came into this series blind. In fact I'd never even heard of the author Simon Kurt Unsworth. This was an interesting book and David Rintoul did a great job narrating but on a personal note I think it would have made more sense to me to have read the first book in the series before I listen to this one. I look forward to the next book in the series and have high hopes to not be disappointed.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, but I would like to say that The Devil's Evidence is not a good book for a commute if you're the one driving. I found it was a book you really had to pay attention to and could be distracting at times.
This story is about Thomas Fool the Commander of the Information Office of Hell. Horrible fires and murders are happening in Hell which leads to Thomas Fool being ordered to investigate. While in the midst of the investigation in Hell. Thomas Fool is sent to Heaven as part of a political delegation. While in Heaven Thomas's help is needed to investigate an unexplained mystery that is taking place in Heaven. There is murder in Heaven. As Thomas tries to investigate he is met with opposition and troubles. While in the middle of finding the truth Thomas tries to stop a war between Heaven and Hell from happening.
Simon Kurt Unsworth has a very interesting writing style. Having said that I'll explain why it took my over a month to listen to this audio book. The first part of this book just seemed to drag for me and then closer to the end it jumped pace. I came into this series blind. In fact I'd never even heard of the author Simon Kurt Unsworth. This was an interesting book and David Rintoul did a great job narrating but on a personal note I think it would have made more sense to me to have read the first book in the series before I listen to this one. I look forward to the next book in the series and have high hopes to not be disappointed.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, but I would like to say that The Devil's Evidence is not a good book for a commute if you're the one driving. I found it was a book you really had to pay attention to and could be distracting at times.
October 14, 2019
All I can say is that I want more. This series has officially won me over with its richness and extravagant sinisterism. The world that's been created by Simon Kurt Unsworth is something I find so exhilirating to revisit, and I'm glad I took my time finishing this book for the sake of getting to spend so much time with Thomas Fool and Co. I can only imagine that there will be more to come for Thomas Fool, but I find myself at an odd sense of peace and understanding that I may have to wait a long time for that to happen. I would much rather be patient in exchange for another volume of the author's masterful storytelling. In my experience as a reader, good things tend to come from more time spent crafting a powerful fantasy. I would hate for this series to turn the way of countless others I've read, the ones that have been ruined by rushed deadlines and weak plot devices. I am totally exhilirated to have stumbled upon these books, and I find it criminal that more people aren't talking about this series. I'm hooked with child-like anticipation and I look forward to the likes of Thomas Fool being cemented into my personal cavalcade of all-time favorite characters! Thank you Mr. Unsworth and a special nod to the stellar audiobook performance by David Rintool, the narrator. I love to supplement my reading by listening on audible during long car rides, and these two Thomas Fool books have been effusively exceptional.
January 21, 2019
This is not my usual type of read, but having read The Devil's Detective I wanted to see how Thomas Fool was faring in his role as Hell's Information Man. I fell in love with Fool's character in the first book and The Devil's Evidence did not disappoint in this respect. The insight and conflict we see between Fool's actions and inner thoughts exposes a fragility that many readers could probably relate too.
Simon Unsworth has such a fantastic (and frightening) imagination!! The descriptions and metaphors throughout the story are so detailed and feel so real that at times I actually did cringe and feel a bit sick! At times I actually felt spent for Thomas Fool.
The story moved along at a good pace and I nearly cried with happiness at the return of Geordie and Summer and again at the loss of them both and I may have actually cried at the loss of Marianne.
I wanted more for Thomas Fool at the end of the novel, but I guess if I wanted 'happy ever after' I was reading the wrong book!!
I enjoyed this read and hope this series continues.
Simon Unsworth has such a fantastic (and frightening) imagination!! The descriptions and metaphors throughout the story are so detailed and feel so real that at times I actually did cringe and feel a bit sick! At times I actually felt spent for Thomas Fool.
The story moved along at a good pace and I nearly cried with happiness at the return of Geordie and Summer and again at the loss of them both and I may have actually cried at the loss of Marianne.
I wanted more for Thomas Fool at the end of the novel, but I guess if I wanted 'happy ever after' I was reading the wrong book!!
I enjoyed this read and hope this series continues.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2024
Noir -- damned-soul, turned Head Information Officer in Hell--Mr. Fool is doing well for himself.
Not only is he solving murders and being a hero in hell, but now his services are requested in Heaven.
Muahahahahahahaha. Right. I'll just put out here that this isn't a tired or cliche rendition of Dante, but a smart, interesting Noir Mystery that treats Fool like the Fool he is. The scope and scale of these novels are also rather great, leading up to some rather primo Lovecraftian scenes, adventure, and entertainment.
I've read a pretty hefty amount of books LIKE these, but this has all the right balance and entertainment value. Very grounded--and if you realize we're talking about both heaven and hell here, you know that's going to be a very loaded statement.
I loved how this turned out. I can't wait for the next.
Honestly--these should be a lot more popular than they seem to be. The quality oozes off the page.
Not only is he solving murders and being a hero in hell, but now his services are requested in Heaven.
Muahahahahahahaha. Right. I'll just put out here that this isn't a tired or cliche rendition of Dante, but a smart, interesting Noir Mystery that treats Fool like the Fool he is. The scope and scale of these novels are also rather great, leading up to some rather primo Lovecraftian scenes, adventure, and entertainment.
I've read a pretty hefty amount of books LIKE these, but this has all the right balance and entertainment value. Very grounded--and if you realize we're talking about both heaven and hell here, you know that's going to be a very loaded statement.
I loved how this turned out. I can't wait for the next.
Honestly--these should be a lot more popular than they seem to be. The quality oozes off the page.
September 5, 2025
An appreciable step up from the first. Hell is different now, still miserable, but different and as intriguing as ever. Now it's trending towards a police state rather than a lawless hive of villainy and scum.
Heaven, on the other hand, well i best not say. I did have to stop reading at a certain point however, and really digest some of the implications. This book presents a theory on happiness and misery, which i reject but had trouble refuting. And that's all in the midst of an excellent noir/mystery! The stakes are higher, millenarian even, and the mystery is deeper ( i only half-guressed it this time, yipee!).
I absolutely loved the prose, there's a line about "bitter poetry in motion" that is such an astute description of the indescribable. And of course the adjective-adjective-Fool refrain is brought back which lends an excellent cadence to the whole story. I very much look forward to the next installment.
Heaven, on the other hand, well i best not say. I did have to stop reading at a certain point however, and really digest some of the implications. This book presents a theory on happiness and misery, which i reject but had trouble refuting. And that's all in the midst of an excellent noir/mystery! The stakes are higher, millenarian even, and the mystery is deeper ( i only half-guressed it this time, yipee!).
I absolutely loved the prose, there's a line about "bitter poetry in motion" that is such an astute description of the indescribable. And of course the adjective-adjective-Fool refrain is brought back which lends an excellent cadence to the whole story. I very much look forward to the next installment.
June 15, 2018
'The Devil's Detective', the first in the Thomas Fool series, was, I thought, a daringly original novel: infernal noir. This, the second, is less original being yet another foray into the apocalypse. It's constant descriptions of the outrages that can be done to flesh become wearying, as do the internal reproaches of its chief protagonist: 'Silly fool'; 'pathetic fool' etc. Heaven, as David Byrne memorably sang is a place where 'nothing ever happens' but the book spends an awful lot of time there. After the conclusion to the first book I hoped the second would examine the new regime in Hell, perhaps using it as a way to explore fear and punishment in totalitarian societies. Instead we have a full CGI spectacular with viscera and fire-bolts everywhere, which I found disappointing.
November 29, 2018
An even better follow up to an already fantastic opener (The Devil's Detective)! This time, Thomas Fool, Information Man of Hell, deals with the repurcussions of the events of the previous novel. Both an new status quo and new view of his existance keep him off balance. But when he is instructed to investigate a murder in Heaven, is when everything really takes off. Dark and bleakly humourous at times, there is a lot to like here. Great characters, well done action scenes, horrific and hevenly imagery. The only flaw was the mystery itelf. Like with the previous novel, I had the 'killer' pegged very early on. It was still facinating to see the 'how' of the 'who'.
If Simon Kurt Unsworth decides to keep on with this series, I'm more than willing to follow him back into Hell.
If Simon Kurt Unsworth decides to keep on with this series, I'm more than willing to follow him back into Hell.
September 10, 2019
I read this book from a recommendation from a frizzy haired lady in Waterstones. Little did i know this was book #2.......
However, it didn't stop me from really enjoying this book! It was captivating, a bit gruesome and spared no gross detail about how demons looked and operated. I really enjoyed the way hell was portrayed and the ending itself left me with a feeling of sorrow, as the thought of Hell should!
Really enjoyed!
However, it didn't stop me from really enjoying this book! It was captivating, a bit gruesome and spared no gross detail about how demons looked and operated. I really enjoyed the way hell was portrayed and the ending itself left me with a feeling of sorrow, as the thought of Hell should!
Really enjoyed!
November 14, 2019
A very fiery read (pun intended). The worlds Fool goes through certainly aren't your copy and pasted versions of heaven and hell. I jumped in without reading #1 in the series, or even having read the synopsis, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found that out. The only gripe I have is with Fool constantly taunting himself in the third person. After about the 50th time he does it, I started rolling my eyes.
November 14, 2020
There isn't a Thomas Fool #3. I'm kinda glad because this book is filled with relentlessly gory and depressing death, but I'd still read more. I kept pulling for the protagonist despite the brutality of Hell and blindness of Heaven. The writing is unique and Thomas Fool's detached inner voice carries this book. It is much more interesting than anything Dante came up with....more like a love child between Dante and Burroughs.
March 12, 2025
Great follow up to The Devil’s Detective. Strange landscapes and thought experiments in what paradise or hell really are. Inventive monsters and monstrous acts by people when you don’t expect it.
Tweaks that keep you thinking. When the answer is almost ready the horror and graphic descriptions leave an impression.
Great work. Not at all like the first book. I think if you liked it, you will like this one too.
Tweaks that keep you thinking. When the answer is almost ready the horror and graphic descriptions leave an impression.
Great work. Not at all like the first book. I think if you liked it, you will like this one too.
January 8, 2020
Slow read, but really really good book. I kind of want to say quiet, but there is a LOT of violence and blood and gore, but Thomas' thoughts are quiet. Anyway, I am hoping there is a third one in the series. Interested in seeing him continue to learn and grow. The worlds Unsworth has created alone are worth the read, but def not the only reason to read these books.
December 19, 2016
This is the second book in the Thomas Fool series. I loved it! I was originally recommended the first book from Audible due to my browsing/reading history. When I heard this audiobook was available to pre-order, I quickly bought my copy without even reading the synopsis and began listening to it as soon as I could. I was not disappointed. I found myself gripped by the storyline.
This audiobook is narrated by David Rintoul. I love his narration. He brought the story and characters to life with his clear and precise reading. His pacing was excellent and I was amazed at how he could vocalise the various characters without losing his voice. He gave some of the characters incredibly gravelly voices that came across as menacing, which made me shiver, as well as lighter tones for the female characters. I would definitely listen to more books read by this narrator.
Thomas Fool is a wonderful character. He is an "Information Man", a policeman to you and me, who investigates things when the denizens of Hell cause chaos or misbehave. I really liked this person. I don't know what he did in his previous life to end up in Hell, but I got the impression that he was a good man. Perhaps he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Unfortunately, I didn't feel like his character grew as much as it did in the first book.
In this story an arsonist is setting fires in Hell. Thomas and his fellow Information Men are sent to investigate and quickly find themselves facing a mysterious adversary. Unfortunately, they also have to deal with the Evidence, a new group of demon-lead investigators that shadow the human Information Men. Sent on a mission into Heaven, Thomas realises that all is not well in paradise. As danger threatens and both Heaven and Hell prepare to go to war, Thomas will have to dig deep for answers.
Though I am not a huge lover of horror, I love detective stories. I started to listen to the story with no idea of what to expect, though I knew it was going to be a huge roller coaster ride. What I got was an unexpected journey through the eyes of the main protagonist, Thomas Fool. Hell is not a pleasant place to be in this book, and the demons are not exactly puppy dogs either. Heaven is more peaceful, though no less dangerous. I love the descriptive quality of the horror in this book, though it can be pretty graphic and a little shocking. Some readers may find it too gruesome. Then again, my imagination can be a little too quick to paint vivid pictures and some may find that it may not be graphic enough for them. As only a moderate reader of horror, this story definitely shocked me (in a good way). I was quickly hooked and sat entranced as the story unfolded.
I must admit that I was a little disappointed by the world building of Heaven. I can understand why the author would make it this way, but still, I am not sure I would want to go there if all I'm going to do is sleep and dream for the rest of my afterlife. However, as I said, I can understand why the author did this: Thomas would see it as a boring and uninteresting place to want to stay. Having said that, the mystery surrounding the fires in Hell and the disappearances in Heaven kept me hooked. The author also introduced some new characters, such as Mr. Tapp, the leader of the Evidence, and the angels Benjamin and Israphael, who bring their own prejudices/dislike of Hell's denizens and denial that there is anything wrong in Heaven. Then there is Mayall (sorry, not sure of spelling due to being an audiobook so have nothing to compare with), who is the Angel of Chaos and requested Thomas's help. There is also a new Information Man called Marianne, who has only recently been born into Hell. She brings a touch of romance into the storyline. There are also a few characters from the first book who make a return appearance, like Rachshasas (again, I have no idea of spelling so am doing it phonetically), and a couple of characters who make a surprise return.
The story has several twists and turns that kept me guessing right until the end. I am a huge fan of detective novels, and this story has several red herrings and distractions cleverly placed so that when the culprit is revealed, the reader is surprised. I must admit that the ending left me feeling rather sorry for Thomas. I will not say why because of spoilers, so I will leave it to you to find out for yourselves. I hope that the author is working on the next book (if there is one), because I am eagerly looking forward to listening to/reading it as soon as possible.
Simon Kurt Unsworth has written a fantastic sequel to his debut novel. I love his writing style, which starts slow but quickly picks up speed. I also love the flow of the story, the scenes flowed seamlessly from one to another. This author has found a fan in me and I would definitely consider reading more books written by him in the future.
Due to the use of graphic horror and gore, as well as the use of foul language, I do not recommend this book to younger readers and to those who have a nervous disposition. I do, however, highly recommend this book if you love horror, suspense and detective stories. - Lynn Worton
This audiobook is narrated by David Rintoul. I love his narration. He brought the story and characters to life with his clear and precise reading. His pacing was excellent and I was amazed at how he could vocalise the various characters without losing his voice. He gave some of the characters incredibly gravelly voices that came across as menacing, which made me shiver, as well as lighter tones for the female characters. I would definitely listen to more books read by this narrator.
Thomas Fool is a wonderful character. He is an "Information Man", a policeman to you and me, who investigates things when the denizens of Hell cause chaos or misbehave. I really liked this person. I don't know what he did in his previous life to end up in Hell, but I got the impression that he was a good man. Perhaps he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Unfortunately, I didn't feel like his character grew as much as it did in the first book.
In this story an arsonist is setting fires in Hell. Thomas and his fellow Information Men are sent to investigate and quickly find themselves facing a mysterious adversary. Unfortunately, they also have to deal with the Evidence, a new group of demon-lead investigators that shadow the human Information Men. Sent on a mission into Heaven, Thomas realises that all is not well in paradise. As danger threatens and both Heaven and Hell prepare to go to war, Thomas will have to dig deep for answers.
Though I am not a huge lover of horror, I love detective stories. I started to listen to the story with no idea of what to expect, though I knew it was going to be a huge roller coaster ride. What I got was an unexpected journey through the eyes of the main protagonist, Thomas Fool. Hell is not a pleasant place to be in this book, and the demons are not exactly puppy dogs either. Heaven is more peaceful, though no less dangerous. I love the descriptive quality of the horror in this book, though it can be pretty graphic and a little shocking. Some readers may find it too gruesome. Then again, my imagination can be a little too quick to paint vivid pictures and some may find that it may not be graphic enough for them. As only a moderate reader of horror, this story definitely shocked me (in a good way). I was quickly hooked and sat entranced as the story unfolded.
I must admit that I was a little disappointed by the world building of Heaven. I can understand why the author would make it this way, but still, I am not sure I would want to go there if all I'm going to do is sleep and dream for the rest of my afterlife. However, as I said, I can understand why the author did this: Thomas would see it as a boring and uninteresting place to want to stay. Having said that, the mystery surrounding the fires in Hell and the disappearances in Heaven kept me hooked. The author also introduced some new characters, such as Mr. Tapp, the leader of the Evidence, and the angels Benjamin and Israphael, who bring their own prejudices/dislike of Hell's denizens and denial that there is anything wrong in Heaven. Then there is Mayall (sorry, not sure of spelling due to being an audiobook so have nothing to compare with), who is the Angel of Chaos and requested Thomas's help. There is also a new Information Man called Marianne, who has only recently been born into Hell. She brings a touch of romance into the storyline. There are also a few characters from the first book who make a return appearance, like Rachshasas (again, I have no idea of spelling so am doing it phonetically), and a couple of characters who make a surprise return.
The story has several twists and turns that kept me guessing right until the end. I am a huge fan of detective novels, and this story has several red herrings and distractions cleverly placed so that when the culprit is revealed, the reader is surprised. I must admit that the ending left me feeling rather sorry for Thomas. I will not say why because of spoilers, so I will leave it to you to find out for yourselves. I hope that the author is working on the next book (if there is one), because I am eagerly looking forward to listening to/reading it as soon as possible.
Simon Kurt Unsworth has written a fantastic sequel to his debut novel. I love his writing style, which starts slow but quickly picks up speed. I also love the flow of the story, the scenes flowed seamlessly from one to another. This author has found a fan in me and I would definitely consider reading more books written by him in the future.
Due to the use of graphic horror and gore, as well as the use of foul language, I do not recommend this book to younger readers and to those who have a nervous disposition. I do, however, highly recommend this book if you love horror, suspense and detective stories. - Lynn Worton
February 12, 2017
Terrifying to think that Heaven is no better than Hell, but there are some things out there that are more disturbing than both. Thank you, Mr. Unsworth. Your books are truly the stuff that nightmares are made of (and that is a compliment).
June 26, 2017
Absolutely riveting read and a great continuation of the story.
December 11, 2018
Awesome. Better than the first book
October 14, 2019
Unfortunately this book just didn't cut it for me. I found it slow in some parts and the direction it went just didn't inspire any curiosity from my part.
Read
December 28, 2019Not really my thing - though the premise fascinated me. I read the first one, and persevered with this one. Nothing against the author - just not for me.
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