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Joe Coffin The Final Chapter: Part Two
‘Joe Coffin only had three obstacles in his way, and then he was done. Out of the game forever. The Slaughterhouse Mob was finished.’ It’s time to move on, start a new life. But with his vampire son still roaming the city, Coffin can’t leave. Not only that but there is still a hit out on him. And who are these new vampire hunters who have suddenly appeared on the scene? Emma is hoping for a fresh start too, but patients are dying in mysterious circumstances at City Hospital and her reporter’s instincts compel her to investigate. Once more, Joe Coffin and Emma Wylde find their paths converging to a blood-soaked climax. Will they get their fresh start, or is this The Final Chapter?
198 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 12, 2021
9 people are currently reading
4 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 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 23, 2021
I’ve loved these books right from the first one. And this final one is no different. I especially loved the introduction of the vampire protection unit (awesome!)
Do I dare to hope there’ll actually be more Joe Coffin in the future?
Do I dare to hope there’ll actually be more Joe Coffin in the future?
April 27, 2021
This is the final book of the Joe Coffin series and what an awesome conclusion. Joe and Emma both thought the vampires were gone but of course no such luck. Joe has one more task to take care of and that is killing his vampire son Michael to free him, then he is leaving town. Emma has one more story to finish reporting for the paper. Both are in for the final battle of their lives. To find out what happens you'll have read the book. I highly recommend this awesome series if you love the vampire/horror genres.
April 23, 2021
Preston fuses the horror of vampirism with the selfishness of ordinary humans, creating a world where even the overt threat of supernatural predators hasn’t reduced the profiteering, in-fighting, and rampant criminality.
This is (as the title suggests) the final book in Preston’s Joe Coffin series. Spoilers for previous volumes ahead.
Following Mortimer Craggs’ betrayal and death, the Slaughterhouse Mob is in ruins; and Joe Coffin is ready to get out of the gangster business. However, not everyone is happy to let him just walk away; and even if he can avoid whoever wants him dead, he can’t leave Birmingham while his son Michael is still running around as a vampire. Meanwhile, Emma Wylde is offered a job back at the Birmingham Herald; a job that almost immediately drags her into a new conspiracy. And, potentially worse, unknown to her, the police are aware that someone brutally beat Gilligan and left him for dead.
As with the previous volumes, the events of this book start almost immediately after those of the previous one. This lack of a lead in or slacker period between events creates a strong sense of endless threat that is ideal for a tale about warring gangsters and lurking vampires. However, it does also mean readers who do not have the previous books fresh in their minds might feel a little lost; while Preston does include neatly integrated reprises that ease this experience for those who are continuing the series after an extended gap, this book is unlikely to serve as a good first experience of Preston’s world.
Having hit the ground running, Preston accelerates. Those friends and allies who had a measure of safety or stability at the end of the last volume are swiftly drawn into danger again. Acquaintances who feature for the first time appear already shadowed by complex threats. And Coffin’s extermination of the leaders of the vampire threat and their followers has not cleared every pocket from the city. Whilst this does produce a mix of looming tension and fast-paced violence that verges on the relentless, readers who have enjoyed the rest of the series are likely to consider this a positive.
However, this book is not just scenes of terror and brutality; both Joe and Emma also face decisions about their future that, if not classically romantic, are certainly centred around love and relationships. This provides a realistic but still positive thread of normality to leaven the horror.
As with previous volumes, each of the plot threads—whether vampire-hunting or personal—is laden with distrust, conflicting agendas, and sudden reversals, both making the characters often their own worst enemies and ensuring their resources remain stretched without having to implausibly escalate the vampire threat.
The book brings the major characters’ arcs to a plausible conclusion. However, this is neither a series of happily ever afters nor a permanent end to the threat of vampires. Given the gritty realism of the series, readers are likely to find this more satisfying than a tidy ending.
Joe remains a highly flawed yet sympathetic protagonist. He is still a violent criminal—now the head of a gang of them—but he is also a family man. And, perhaps making him even more sympathetic, he has self-awareness: he knows that he isn’t the next Mortimer Craggs and that he should leave the gangster life altogether. However, he also realises that the remains of the Slaughterhouse Mob and the swaggering thuggery that surround organised crime might be the only chance to overcome both the vampires and whoever is trying to have him killed.
Emma is similarly both made interesting and challenged by her profession: she is an investigative journalist to the core, meaning that—while she is not the subject of a hit—she will happily set aside safety and honesty in pursuit of answers.
The supporting cast have also been refined by events: the overt vampire threat and the ongoing gang war have left them all somewhat tired; but this tiredness manifests in different ways, either in a slackening of previous drives or in a perverse determination not to let things continue as they are.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel greatly. I recommend the series to readers seeking a vampire thriller that does not hide the horror of creatures that feed on humans but also doesn’t solely rely on it.
This is (as the title suggests) the final book in Preston’s Joe Coffin series. Spoilers for previous volumes ahead.
Following Mortimer Craggs’ betrayal and death, the Slaughterhouse Mob is in ruins; and Joe Coffin is ready to get out of the gangster business. However, not everyone is happy to let him just walk away; and even if he can avoid whoever wants him dead, he can’t leave Birmingham while his son Michael is still running around as a vampire. Meanwhile, Emma Wylde is offered a job back at the Birmingham Herald; a job that almost immediately drags her into a new conspiracy. And, potentially worse, unknown to her, the police are aware that someone brutally beat Gilligan and left him for dead.
As with the previous volumes, the events of this book start almost immediately after those of the previous one. This lack of a lead in or slacker period between events creates a strong sense of endless threat that is ideal for a tale about warring gangsters and lurking vampires. However, it does also mean readers who do not have the previous books fresh in their minds might feel a little lost; while Preston does include neatly integrated reprises that ease this experience for those who are continuing the series after an extended gap, this book is unlikely to serve as a good first experience of Preston’s world.
Having hit the ground running, Preston accelerates. Those friends and allies who had a measure of safety or stability at the end of the last volume are swiftly drawn into danger again. Acquaintances who feature for the first time appear already shadowed by complex threats. And Coffin’s extermination of the leaders of the vampire threat and their followers has not cleared every pocket from the city. Whilst this does produce a mix of looming tension and fast-paced violence that verges on the relentless, readers who have enjoyed the rest of the series are likely to consider this a positive.
However, this book is not just scenes of terror and brutality; both Joe and Emma also face decisions about their future that, if not classically romantic, are certainly centred around love and relationships. This provides a realistic but still positive thread of normality to leaven the horror.
As with previous volumes, each of the plot threads—whether vampire-hunting or personal—is laden with distrust, conflicting agendas, and sudden reversals, both making the characters often their own worst enemies and ensuring their resources remain stretched without having to implausibly escalate the vampire threat.
The book brings the major characters’ arcs to a plausible conclusion. However, this is neither a series of happily ever afters nor a permanent end to the threat of vampires. Given the gritty realism of the series, readers are likely to find this more satisfying than a tidy ending.
Joe remains a highly flawed yet sympathetic protagonist. He is still a violent criminal—now the head of a gang of them—but he is also a family man. And, perhaps making him even more sympathetic, he has self-awareness: he knows that he isn’t the next Mortimer Craggs and that he should leave the gangster life altogether. However, he also realises that the remains of the Slaughterhouse Mob and the swaggering thuggery that surround organised crime might be the only chance to overcome both the vampires and whoever is trying to have him killed.
Emma is similarly both made interesting and challenged by her profession: she is an investigative journalist to the core, meaning that—while she is not the subject of a hit—she will happily set aside safety and honesty in pursuit of answers.
The supporting cast have also been refined by events: the overt vampire threat and the ongoing gang war have left them all somewhat tired; but this tiredness manifests in different ways, either in a slackening of previous drives or in a perverse determination not to let things continue as they are.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel greatly. I recommend the series to readers seeking a vampire thriller that does not hide the horror of creatures that feed on humans but also doesn’t solely rely on it.
April 12, 2021
"Even when life had seemed normal, it hadn't been." When I read the first book in the Joe Coffin series, I wrote that I shouldn't like a book so much that featured vampires, mobsters and tons of gore. But, I loved the first book and have enjoyed each of the books in the series.
In this, the final chapter of Joe Coffin's adventures, Joe and his vampire pal, Leola, are still killing vampires. Joe is determined to track down and kill his son, Michael, who is now one of the living dead. Emma, the intrepid reporter, is still being foolish and investigating strange happenings (which involve vamps, of course) and putting her life in danger.
The book is full of vampire slayings and the subsequent gore, but it is also entertaining in other ways. We are introduced to a pair of vamp killers called the VPU, Vampire Protection Unit. These two were a great humorous interlude to the blood and gore. "If you sign up to our newsletter, you can get hold of some special deals! Awesome!" I would love to read more about these two!
There is a lot to like in this book with some budding romance, humorous dialogue and some pretty poignant moments. Those things are not what you usually find in a vampire book. I have come to love (and hate) the characters in this series and hate to see it end. The author has created a great world full of wonderful characters and has a true talent in writing. But, who knows? Maybe this isn't the last encounter we have with Joe Coffin!
In this, the final chapter of Joe Coffin's adventures, Joe and his vampire pal, Leola, are still killing vampires. Joe is determined to track down and kill his son, Michael, who is now one of the living dead. Emma, the intrepid reporter, is still being foolish and investigating strange happenings (which involve vamps, of course) and putting her life in danger.
The book is full of vampire slayings and the subsequent gore, but it is also entertaining in other ways. We are introduced to a pair of vamp killers called the VPU, Vampire Protection Unit. These two were a great humorous interlude to the blood and gore. "If you sign up to our newsletter, you can get hold of some special deals! Awesome!" I would love to read more about these two!
There is a lot to like in this book with some budding romance, humorous dialogue and some pretty poignant moments. Those things are not what you usually find in a vampire book. I have come to love (and hate) the characters in this series and hate to see it end. The author has created a great world full of wonderful characters and has a true talent in writing. But, who knows? Maybe this isn't the last encounter we have with Joe Coffin!
April 19, 2021
It seemed like everything was wrapped up, and Joe Coffin could get on with his life. However, a huge infestation of vampires has attacked the city and made their base in the local hospital. Chinese crime boss, Tsung Ti Lee has a vested interest in the vampires, and keeps losing receptionists to them. Joe Coffin, Emma, Archer and Choudhry are quickly entangled in the bloody, sinister vampire resurgence. This exciting, gory story will keep you enthralled. There's plenty of action, as well as interaction between the characters; and the ending, if I must say, is rather sad. I would thoroughly recommend this book.
August 2, 2021
Loved this series!
I really enjoyed reading about Joe Coffin's adventures as a member of the Slaughterhouse mob, a father, a husband, and a vampire hunter. This series kept me reading and I am happy that I read this series. There are some funny parts, some gruesome parts, and parts that were a bit heart touching. I loved this series and hope that there will be more to come but if not, this had a very nice wrap up ending (although there is room for another book possibly in the future?). 10/10 recommend reading this series if you love mobs, bad vampires, good vampires, and some awesomely gruesome scenes that keeps you reading, this is the book for you!
I really enjoyed reading about Joe Coffin's adventures as a member of the Slaughterhouse mob, a father, a husband, and a vampire hunter. This series kept me reading and I am happy that I read this series. There are some funny parts, some gruesome parts, and parts that were a bit heart touching. I loved this series and hope that there will be more to come but if not, this had a very nice wrap up ending (although there is room for another book possibly in the future?). 10/10 recommend reading this series if you love mobs, bad vampires, good vampires, and some awesomely gruesome scenes that keeps you reading, this is the book for you!
April 12, 2021
“Joe Coffin - The final chapter part 2” is action-packed from start to finish. Michael’s son is still at large, Birmingham is infested with swarms of aggressive bats and Joe’s final war against the bloodsuckers is brutal and gory. The story is really well written with great dialogues, fantastic characters and a touch of humour. It includes sensory experiences of sound, light, smell, touch,.. that make the story visually vivid and ‘cinematic’. Come on, screenwriters, this is pure gold to turn into a TV series!
I received a preview copy of this book which I am voluntarily reviewing.
I received a preview copy of this book which I am voluntarily reviewing.
September 10, 2021
I loved everyone of these books!!! I am going to miss this character and his story. I am sad to see it all end. These books were very well written and the author kept you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what would happen next. So much mystery and horror and excitement. I love Joe Coffin and find him to be the selfless hero throughout these books. Cheers to Preston for bringing us such a fantastic read and a true horror story to enjoy! I hope they make these into a series or a film.
April 24, 2021
epub ARC, 145 pages
This conclusion to the series ties up most loose ends satisfactorily. Even after the nightclub burns with many of the vampires Birmingham is still infested - and Joe needs to find Michael. Add to the mix the search for Gilligan's attacker and the involvement of the Jiangchi Corporation and the action is fast and furious - especially when Emma finds a new hiden nest...
And the narrative ends with a potential new storyline.
This conclusion to the series ties up most loose ends satisfactorily. Even after the nightclub burns with many of the vampires Birmingham is still infested - and Joe needs to find Michael. Add to the mix the search for Gilligan's attacker and the involvement of the Jiangchi Corporation and the action is fast and furious - especially when Emma finds a new hiden nest...
And the narrative ends with a potential new storyline.
November 28, 2021
I'm bereft after reading this last part of the Final Chapter. 😭
The Joe Coffin books should be classed as the BEST READS IN THE WORLD for any horror/thriller readers. 🥇🥇🥇
I've read amazing books, but nothing touches the continuous horrifically gory journey of the unbreakable Joe Coffin!
I am definitely, officially, a HUGE Ken Preston fan. Thank god we've got - Reckoning Ms Vengeance book 1 to console ourselves. I don't have to cry into my cornflakes yet...
The Joe Coffin books should be classed as the BEST READS IN THE WORLD for any horror/thriller readers. 🥇🥇🥇
I've read amazing books, but nothing touches the continuous horrifically gory journey of the unbreakable Joe Coffin!
I am definitely, officially, a HUGE Ken Preston fan. Thank god we've got - Reckoning Ms Vengeance book 1 to console ourselves. I don't have to cry into my cornflakes yet...
August 6, 2022
There are a couple of creepy chapters (as opposed to action) - the first chapter and the one in the hospital - which i really loved.
The endgame is here, but there's a twist, and Joe isn't going to have it easy if he wants to get out alive. Thoroughly entertaining last part of the Joe Coffin series. No wait, Ken has brought out another, hasnt he? Dammit. Looks like ill need to continue this Coffin roll. I felt this could have ended nicely here but it wasnt to be.
The endgame is here, but there's a twist, and Joe isn't going to have it easy if he wants to get out alive. Thoroughly entertaining last part of the Joe Coffin series. No wait, Ken has brought out another, hasnt he? Dammit. Looks like ill need to continue this Coffin roll. I felt this could have ended nicely here but it wasnt to be.
March 26, 2022
I’ve been a fan of Joe Coffin since the beginning! He’s a great anti-hero who has one pulling for him even when he’s outside the bounds of decency. Ken Preston does a fabulous job of keeping the reader interested and vested in the outcome. I’ve pre-ordered the next book because I can’t get enough.
April 12, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this last installment, and it did not dissapoint. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews