This Time It's Personnel

Oddjobs #2

by Heide Goody, Iain Grant

The Venislarn. Vastly intelligent aliens from another dimension or dribbling insane gods from a distant realm? It’s impossible to tell. What’s certain is that they’re here and they’re going to destroy our world.
But, hey, there’s no mileage to be gained from telling the kiddywinks that monsters are real.

Morag Murray is one of the god appeasers, an end of life carer for an oblivious planet, keeping everything calm and under wraps until the day the world ends.

But in the city someone’s buying souls and dealing the kind of magical drugs that guarantee a really bad trip and, if Morag doesn’t do something about it, the end of the world might just happen a lot sooner than anyone planned.

Genres: Fantasy, Humor, Urban Fantasy, Horror, Fiction, Supernatural, Audiobook

517 pages, ebook

First published August 25, 2017

Reviews

[Les · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series but I don't think it is required that you read the first to read the second; I am not discouraging you from reading the first I am just sayin'. This is a book about a Birmingham England that is partly or fully under the control of Lovecraftian "Old Gods" or 'gods' and the people who try to regulate / reason with / oversee the gods while keeping regular people; like you and me, from discovering that at any time we are minutes or seconds from be cast into the endless hell which is the old gods reality. These aren't the sexy old gods of norse mythology or greek and roman mythology; these are the unspeakable nightmares of Arkham.

One jarring aspect of the book is the jargon that has no translation, but once you learn to ignore it like you would any other jargon the book moves like a regular police procedural. Granted it has more twists and turns than an Mammon-Mammonson cul de sac but it is still a perfectly reasonable story, just a story of magic, monsters, gods and magic.

Ultimately it is the story of two colliding cultures and the people who move between them.

[Ursula · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rather more intricate story than I expected, requiring a fair degree of concentration. So I couldn’t follow my usual bad habit of keeping a partially-read book in each room. This book deserved proper attention as the authors have obviously given a lot of time to polishing the plot and dialogue so it gradually unfolds like an intricate origami model. As with all their work, there is a constant barrage of zany situations to keep you off-balance delivered with the characteristic Goody/Grant wry humour.

[Spad53 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve compared this series to the Laundry files The Atrocity Archives, but I’m more and more of the opinion that this is better. For a start it’s in Birmingham, we’ve had enough books from London, and I like to read about places I’ve been to. The “Thatcher Academy” (yes THAT woman) in Solihull is involved, and I’ve been involved in a car crash in Solihull, not my fault and in reality it’s a lovely area. The Consular mission (mostly the good guys) is responsible for relations with the occult monsters, and their personnel is amazing. We have Mrs. Grey a truly formidable elderly lady, Morag from Scotland who is I guess the main persons (yes there is an extra s), Nina is a sex kitten with no interest or knowledge about anything that happened before the millennium, very funny and unwittingly one of the cleverest, her counterpart is Rod who has a James Bond complex, otherwise ever so nice. They are getting in new Tech support for the vault (under Birmingham library) and Mrs. Grey is doing the selection, her priority is good handwriting. The candidates are also lovely, and the selection process is…….unusual.
Lots of adventures happen and a good time is had, at least for the reader. I really like books that surprise me, and this one certainly does that.

[Sue Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Odd jobs 2 by Heidi goody and Iain Grant.
The venislarn vastly intelligent alien from another dimension or dribbling insane gods from a distant realm? OMG. An absolutely fantastic read with brilliant characters. I loved the first one. Morag and Nina they were my favourite characters. 5*. Highly recommended. Tbc on fb.

[Anna Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

As clever as the first, and while not necessarily as laugh out loud funny as Oddjobs (1), Oddjobs 2 is probably a better book than the first.

Humorous, disgusting, embarrassing and very, very clever, Heide and Iain have clearly done a lot of research - not just into the lesser known parts of Birmingham and its weird and obscure history - but into physics, parallel universes, the properties of infinity, voodoo - and much, much more.

Steve the Destroyer may be my favourite character in Oddjobs 2, while the absolute incel Jeffney Ray deserves everything he got and then some. I don't think I can ever, ever wipe out the image or phrase 'happy tissues' from my bludgeoned brain.

Epic stuff from Birmingham's funniest writing duo; I can't recommend their work highly enough. And yes, I do know them. And no, they're not paying me to say this (if you'd met them, you'd know that would never happen; they're too tight).

They have a fine body of work behind them, of which Oddjobs and Oddjobs are only a small part. I hope very much there will be an Oddjobs 3, though how they could possibly beat the pun for this book's sub-title I don't know.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better than the first.

God, I love this series.

The world is ending. Well not yet. But definitely at some point in the near-ish future. Next Tuesday perhaps. Sure, Tuesday sounds nice. Pencil it in, make sure we keep our appointments. We do have a reputation to uphold.

In the meantime, though, our friends at the Consular Mission have their duties to perform. You know, stopping demon spiders from boundless prolification, drawing up airtight contracts with homicidal pre - teens, and keeping possessed stuffed dolls from running amok during telly commercials.

All in a week's work with the Birmingham crew. So if you like Monty Python, madcap British humor and the perfect cuppa, hop on over and read Oddjobs. You won't be disappointed. Actually you'll probably laugh out loud. A lot.

So glad there's a third one coming down the pike.

[Bonnie Dale Keck · Rating 5 out of 5]

kindle unlimited, some have gotten on freebie days, reading everything but the clovenhoof ones first althought that is what caught my attention first. Disenchated was odd, Mythics even odder, and now on to this past oddjobs just done to the second of these.

The Venislarn. Vastly intelligent aliens from another dimension or dribbling insane gods from a distant realm? It’s impossible to tell. What’s certain is that they’re here and they’re going to destroy our world. But, hey, there’s no mileage to be gained from telling the kiddywinks that monsters are real…

The consular mission to the Venislarn are the god appeasers and the end of life carers for an oblivious planet. It may be the end of the world as we know it but there are procedures and policies in place and everything should go according to plan. But, in the city, someone’s buying souls door to door, dealing the kind of magical drugs that guarantee a really, really bad trip and, if something isn’t done about it, the end of the world might just happen a lot sooner than planned.

Sequel to the hilarious ‘Oddjobs’, this is a workplace comedy like no other, featuring face-eating grannies, telepathic spiders, bloodthirsty school kids, murder on the dancefloor, sex-crazed pondlife, and actual stockbrokers from hell. The weekend can’t come soon enough (if it comes at all).


Disenchanted
Mythfits

Clovenhoof (Clovenhoof Book 1) (Jul 26, 2012)
Pigeonwings (Clovenhoof Book 2) (Aug 10, 2013)
Godsquad (Clovenhoof Book 3) (Clovenhoof Book 3) (Apr 23, 2015)
Hellzapoppin' (Clovenhoof Book 4) (Oct 1, 2015)
Beelzebelle (Clovenhoof Book 5) (Apr 14, 2016)
Clovenhoof & the Trump of Doom (Clovenhoof Book 6) (Dec 18, 2016)

Satan's Shorts (Clovenhoof, #3)
Satan's Shorts is collection with the 3 books listed below but there are others
1 - Clovenhoof
2 - Pigeonwings
3 - Godsquad

4 - Hellzapoppin'
5 - Beelzebelle

Clovenhoof's Shed
Clovenhoof goes to Night School

Oddjobs
Oddjobs 2: This time it's Personnel

[Sharn Hutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh happy joy! A new (to me) author team with lots of lovely books for me to read. I’ve been aware of Heide Goode and Iain Grant’s books for a little while and stacked a couple on the ole TBR pile so when Oddjobs 2 came up for review I jumped at the chance to get that particular ball rolling.

Oddjobs 2, as the name might suggest, is the second in a series and although I was assured that the story was independent (and it is) I couldn’t help but feel that I was missing something good: a sniff of backstory here; a lost character there. Having said that though, the brave new world of alien gods inhabiting Birmingham under the general public’s radar was so confidently written I felt in safe hands.

The story delivers a zany cocktail of the outrageously inhuman and everyday familiar that will have you checking behind your wardrobe for signs of alien invasion and casting a suspicious eye over the ‘not quite rightness’ of your average Disney character.

Strong characters and humour aplenty (more than once I was asked what I was snickering at) with ‘Steve the Destroyer’ taking my top prize as a demon god trapped in a six inch fabric doll, hurling ineffective curses and throwing his greatly depleted weight about to little effect.

All excellent fun and a great introduction for me to many more books from these authors.

[Filip · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I preferred the previous volume, but this one isn't bad as well. While the various plot threads converge at the end to form a pretty gripping climax, too much of this book seems like a "random events" or "slice of life" story, which wasn't that appealing. And while the connection of the various story arcs is established quite well, the finale still comes a bit abruptly. The humour of course is superb, the characters are great and the ending is tense, even if I didn't particularly care for the cliffhanger. I'll be definitely checking out volume 3 sometime in the future.

[Kir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just what I need right now; more madcap escapades, British humour, fish porn jokes, a stone-cold sex kitten and an unearthly being forced inside a small cloth doll and nicknamed Steve the Destroyer.

[Hilary Mortz · Rating 5 out of 5]

When my favourite Scandinavian metal band brought out their much anticipated second album they called it 'Meir' - as you might guess,that means 'More' in Norwegian. It was a great title and I got it immediately - it meant if you liked the first album you're going to like the second one even more, in fact you're going to flipping love it.

Oddjobs 2 is like 'Meir' -you settle down to read it and can relax secure in the knowledge that you can rely on Mr Grant and Ms Goody to deliver the goods. And they do deliver them - all the quirky humour, the originality and the inventiveness of the first book is there in spades and, like my favourite Norwegian heavy metallers, the prolific Brummie literary duo are honing their craft to perfection.

A very clever and very entertaining read, easily as good, if not better, than the first in the series.

[Cst · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is funnier than the first book. But not in a good way.

There is a strange disconnect between the different parts: here is the unsettling creepy bit, here is a bit of comic relief, put both of them next to each other and hope for the best.
The plot is a succession of gibbering monsters (spiders and tentacles) and comic relief that only works occasionally in a thorough unoriginal way and only resolves into something coherent in the last third. The characters don’t develop and the action is plagued by that classic Lovecraftian problem of trying to describe the indescribable.

There is a simple reason I keep reading these books: They are constantly discounted and I never hate them enough to stop me getting them. I don’t think I can express my opinion any better.

[Kayla Dunham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful! I so, so recommend.

The audio version is so well performed that I’d recommend it over reading the physical version.

Well developed characters, hilarious dialogue, laugh out loud funny encounters... I think this book might be even better than its predecessor. Lots of conflict and high drama, but always alongside some of the most hilarious dialogue. You might have to adjust to the Scottish accents and the throaty way he pronounces some words, but it’s tamed down in this book compared to the first. And I guarantee if you have any sense of humor at all, you’ll be laughing out loud often.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will freely admit that I stopped reading/listening to this book at the point where the double date was happening; I did not want to endure what I felt was a cheap plot trick. I admit the “they’re twins” plot device was well used in this book - having two Morags came in handy!
I enjoyed the first (and eventually this) book for the team’s pragmatic, logical, and at times fun attitude toward their job and our future hellscape. I enjoy Rod’s preparedness, Morag’s resourcefulness, and Mrs. Vivian Gray’s precision. I look forward to seeing more of Kathy Kurr. However, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Nina’s spunk and Steve the Destroyer’s tiny rage!!

[Hans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious! Basically, if you liked the first Oddjobs, you will love this one.

Once again, the agents of the Consular Mission have to deal with the shenanigans of the Venislarn, the Lovecraftian invaders from another dimension who will at some point meld their reality with ours and thereby create hell on earth.

There are monstrous hardcore capitalists, fishy gangsters, drugs that will literally take you to another world and a book with an infinite number of pages, all mixed into one big parody of Lovecraftian themes. Probably the best thing about this series is the fact that despite all the absurdity and sillyness, Heide Goody actually manages to create a compelling story with a very likable cast of characters.

And while Morag is still kind of the protagonist, the other characters were given a lot more room, too. I especially like Nina, she's a bit like a Brummy version of Vicky Pollard from Little Britain, just a lot smarter and a badass agent to boot. And Steve the Destroyer was an awesome addition as well.

Also, if you can listen to the audibook, Matthew Lloyd Davies does a great job with all the dialects and the Venislarn words.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

More adventures for the Birmingham office tasked with keeping the inevitable Venislarn apocalypse contained and tidy until it finally comes to fruition. Goody and Grant do a really swell job at setting up disparate story elements and then gracefully weave them together and finally bringing in a satisfying conclusion. I'm highly likely to grab the next book at some point, but I'm delaying for a bit as a book I've pre-ordered is coming out soon.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The characters are sucking me in, like an August Handmaiden of Preem and a redhead.

[Ziggy Nixon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3+ stars. A noticeably better read than the first book though with many of the same demi-faults that made it a less-than-astounding read. It's a good book just not in my parlance a 4-star book (which is my cue to start phoning up the gang and getting them to read it, too).

So where are we? In 'Oddjobs 1', we learned that
“Yes, it is the end of the world. Yes, we are all going to die. But we are British. These things still need doing in an orderly manner and there is certainly no excuse to get all emotional about it.”
This set the tone then if not for just this book but I assume any and all additional tomes in this series moving forward.

In 'Oddjobs 2', the lesson learned that will stick with me for all eternity is simply:
"Hell has wi-fi.”

Starting off on a positive note or three: the 2nd book was definitely more amusing than the first and even elicited a few softly vocalized guffaws on my part. The incarnations of Morag were in large part responsible for same - including the presence of 'Steve' - though the Nina-Vivian angle was well-used. In addition, some of the quirks of the first book were better expressed as well, particularly as we're already well into getting to know everyone (kind of). The book reads fast and really doesn't have any major dead-zones (not a spoiler as far as I'm aware), which is in itself quite nice.

In conclusion: I see no reason NOT to read more of these authors' works, where I've got my eye on the stand-alone with the werewolves in Scotland.

Having said that, the 2 books have BOTH struck me as having odd pacing, which to be blunt, has nothing to do with the title. Part of that I attribute to what I've noticed again and again, namely, double-author syndrome. I'm not sure how our authors work together, but there are more than a few passages that you, um, well, pass where you wonder if they're just handing each other separately written bits to try and blend just before it heads off to the editor.

It's not significant - certainly not as noticeable as reading a Dean Koontz 'book' and remarking that huge portions (if not the entire book) were obviously written by an uncredited contributor - but it does buzz in the back of your mind. Like if you buy a comic and the printing doesn't line up exactly: sure, you can still get the full effect of the story in your hand but it makes your eyes itch. For example, I found it quite unusual that dear Jeffney doesn't 'officially' get introduced until well into the book despite his role in the eventual outcome of our story. And the whole Mammonite 'community' (?) was just out there and not always in a good way. Lot's of 'huh's?' were expressed, I'll confess.

Also, there is an awful lot of back and forth 'banter' in this book - both professional and personal (the scene in the restaurant is pretty good btw) - that makes it hard to follow. It's tough because you're reading and looking for a laugh but you're having to concentrate so much in terms of who is speaking (and to whom) that you're left wondering what some of it really has to do with everything that is happening. Seriously, I felt sometimes that I was having the back and forth of a tennis match explained in great detail. Some funny morsels in there, sure, bug sheesh, slow down, take a breath, please.

My final impression, and perhaps the one that will be the most insulting to many, is that Book 1 left me wondering why anyone in their right minds would live in Birmingham. The book seemed to almost glorify it's place as a right true shit-hole where a race of half-breed fish-people would feel right at home. The second book wasn't that bad in terms of laying out the Glory of the City and it's no doubt constantly depressed Tourist Board. Still, I wouldn't put the descriptions of the city in any more positive light than to say that I may at some future point and time read up on Birmingham in Wikipedia, say, perhaps after I've had some surgery that limits my motion or being unable to do any other of a myriad of things I would rather be doing instead. But good gods - and the evil ones, too - if anything I'm now more convinced than ever I'd never set foot in the place, at least not intentionally.

Conclusion: a bit of fun, still a distant cousin to the 'Laundry Files' but if you've got Kindle Unlimited, why not? Oh and stay away from the brown runes, man, bad trip.

[one9eighty · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the Odd Jobs series by Heide Goody and Iain Grant doesn't require you to have read the first book. I have but it was a while ago so I'd forgotten a lot but I soon caught up on what was going on. If you haven't read the first though don't worry, everything works and is explained.

It's like a British version of Men in Black if it was set in Birmingham and was really low budget. Forget the cool gadgets because you won't experience them here (apart from Rod's small arsenal of gadgets), what the members of department that deal with Venislarn gods (lower case G) are armed with are bad attitudes and sarcasm. They know that the end of the world isn't a matter of "if" but more a case of "when" with the various gods and demons living amongst us.

I really enjoyed this book and it felt like I'd been away too long. It had me chuckling and enjoying a thrill ride. Despite loving the Morag and Rod characters in the first book my favourite person/god/demon in this is Steve the Destroyer. He's soo cute and evil. Nina is funny too of course. Expect monsters similar to some of your favourite horror films and books. Expect dimensions crashing together and the dark occult, weird artifacts that do sometimes unbelievable things and sometimes just outright stupid and annoying things. It's great and the humour is right up my street.

I'd recommend this book if you happen across it. Make sure you handle it carefully though so you don't let out some mind altering evil when you flick through the pages. 4/5

[Jenette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much like the first in this series I really liked the humour and the world. Also like the first one, I did not like Morag. She just, she’s that one character who is supposed to be great and she just doesn’t work for me and that cliffhanger at the end? Hard pass.

But, again like the first one, what really makes this book work is the relationship between the characters. Vivian continues to be a stone cold practical woman who terrifies and commands deep respect, Rod and all his gadgets are a delight and his relationship with Nina (and Nina herself) continues to impress me because the fact he really adores her shines through in his patience with her and the exchange of memes and the constant mocking of his age. And just Nina herself is an excellent example of youth and especially a youth who has been so horrendously traumatised and come out the other side.

The plot was simple but complicated and unlike the threads tying each small incident together and the two books together. I will absolutely read the next book.

[Richard Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started on the train from Hove to Caerphilly, finished as the twilight appeared. I could not put this book down and finished it with a huge grin on my face. (Where else would it be? Unless I was Venislarn...) Both Oddjobs books are just so much fun: parallel narratives; intricate plots; so much invention - yet all is tied together satisfyingly by the end. What is most impressive is how - admist all the outrageousness - this reader never once stopped believing. The geography of the city anchors the narrative so effectively that I will think twice about cycling along the canals again! The characters are beautifully drawn and believable and the quality of the writing makes you care about their fates. The pop-culture references are never over-done but are like little jewels scattered around the narrative. (The 'strong and stable' regime of the headmistress was a personal favourite.)
More please!

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second book in the Oddjobs series cements its place as "finally, Urban Fantasy that I really enjoy."

Unfortunately, my kindle ate my notes.

This book is full of the same fun characters we came to love in the first book:
Morag, the ginger from Scotland who accidentally copies herself. The adventures of the Morags, including tag teaming a date, were hilarious.
Rod, the prepared-for-anything action hero that has no idea where to take a woman on a date
Vivian, the "I have no tolerance for nonsense" matron who has become my favorite.
Nina, the embodiment of YOLO.
Their boss (name lost with my notes), who will not make eye contact.

But this book also gave us Steve the Destroyer - a demon trapped in a tiny ragdoll. Best. Character. Ever.

[S. Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great sequel to oddjobs and has the mark of a great prequel to the next book, with all sorts of adventures set up ready to be further explored. The story was the usual fast paced fun, with magic, aliens and alternate realities clashing with the good (and not so good) folk of Birmingham once again. There were many many laugh out loud moments. However, I found it harder to follow than oddness- it required a level of concentration I was not expecting- but which pays testament to the depth of the fantasy world and richness of the characters created by the authors. I am most intrigued as to what will happen next.

[Leigh Wilkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not done with this book yet (nearly though) but wow. What a follow-up to a stellar first book. I finally got around to reading it and it's just as good - perhaps better?! - than the first.
My favorite aspects are the witty repartee, the references (sometimes heavy handed, sometimes oblique) to pop culture especially horror or scifi, and of course the continuing plot and recurring characters.
I was a bit crestfallen to find out there are no more books in the series yet, but happy to find out they'll be out next year!
In the meantime I plan to avail myself of Heide and Iain's copious other works.

[D. Messing · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic book!!! I loved the quirky blend of dry humor, snark, and English sensibilities. It was a riot of action as the personnel of the Consulate worked themselves out of one scrape straight into another, and another, and another!! As with the first book, what seems a random jumble in the beginning comes together expertly in the end for a big finale. ( A lot of authors seem to be trying this lately, almost none of them make it work!) Fabulous story, and thank you for the opportunity to review this gem!!

[Nuno · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is very much on par with the first book, which I'd already enjoyed. I like to think of this series as "Lovecraft meets British humour" and, while not a fantastic reading experience in my opinion, is definitely worth the time spent.
It did feel a bit like a rehash of the events played out previously ("giant monster god about to destroy city"), while showing off a different facet of the Venislarn. I would actually have liked to delve deeper into the main characters' back story, and possibly see something some profound change in their lives (Nina in a steady relationship? Keep the Morag twins?).
I hope the authors keep writing about these Abyssal horrors and the funny men and women providing consular support, but also that they give us something novel.

[Amber OBanion · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will wait very patiently for Oddjobs 3

Since there are two authors involved in writing Oddjobs 3, I will expect it will be written twice as fast. Vivian would agree with me.

In the meantime, I am going to re-read Oddjobs 1 & 2. Because these books are refreshingly original, hilarious and well-written.

If you don’t like them, then you are probably one of those twits that doesn’t “get” Rick and Morty, A Confederacy of Dunces or any other fine work of intelligent humor.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply fab!

Well, this is the second book of the series and it's funny, witty, snarky! My review of the first book was also many stars but I *may have* used a socially unacceptable word or at least one that Amazon took exception to. So it didn't get posted. Sorry. But you need to read it! I'm off to read the next one, because I can't wait to see if M***g is preggers by a god, if V. stays in hell, and if Steve the Destroyer loses his stitching. Ta!

[Laura Koerber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars means "I liked it" but I really didn't. I just recognize that it is not a bad book and others will like it. I'm not sure what my problem was. Perhaps I got bored and drifted off because it is so obviously a knock off of the Laundry Files. The first book in the series had some wry humor and social satire in it which I enjoyed. This one is has drama mixed with slapstick which, well, I just never connected, didn't care about the characters, and stopped reading.

[Simon Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though this is the second book in the series you don't need to have read book one first, although at present it is free so you'd be silly not to buy it as well. The storyline is as amazing as you would expect from heide and Iain if you have ever read any of their other books. The storyline flowed brilliantly and I couldn't put it down once I had started it. Definite 5 star book