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Harry Angel #2
Angel's Inferno
Private investigator Harry Angel is in a jam. Handcuffed in his apartment along with the cops and a corpse, he stands accused of violently murdering three people. The good news is he knows who did it. But in order to exonerate himself, Harry must first make his escape--and figure out his own identity.
With the authorities hot on his heels, Harry travels from New York and Boston to Paris and the Vatican in search of an elusive stage magician. Eventually piecing together his mysterious past, he descends into the dark world of the occult. And very soon he will have vengeance upon the devil himself . . .
With the authorities hot on his heels, Harry travels from New York and Boston to Paris and the Vatican in search of an elusive stage magician. Eventually piecing together his mysterious past, he descends into the dark world of the occult. And very soon he will have vengeance upon the devil himself . . .
398 pages, Paperback
First published October 22, 2020
117 people are currently reading
459 people want to read
About the author
William Hjortsberg
22 books158 followersWilliam Hjortsberg was an acclaimed author of novels and screenplays. Born in New York City, he attended college at Dartmouth and spent a year at the Yale School of Drama before leaving to become a writer. For the next few years he lived in the Caribbean and Europe, writing two unpublished novels, the second of which earned him a creative writing fellowship at Stanford University.
When his fellowship ended in 1968, Hjortsberg was discouraged, still unpublished, and making ends meet as a grocery store stock boy. No longer believing he could make a living as a novelist, he began writing strictly for his own amusement. The result was Alp (1969), an absurd story of an Alpine skiing village which Hjortsberg’s friend Thomas McGuane called, “quite possibly the finest comic novel written in America.”
In the 1970s, Hjortsberg wrote two science fiction works: Gray Matters (1971) and Symbiography (1973). The first, a novel about human brains kept alive by science, was inspired by an off-the-cuff remark Hjortsberg made at a cocktail party. The second, a post-apocalyptic tale of a man who creates dreams, was later published in condensed form in Penthouse.
After publishing Toro! Toro! Toro! (1974), a comic jab at the macho world of bullfighting, Hjortsberg wrote his best-known novel, Falling Angel (1978). This hard-boiled detective story with an occult twist was adapted for the screen as Angel Heart (1987), starring Robert De Niro. Hjortsberg also wrote the screenplay for Legend (1986), a dark fairy tale directed by Ridley Scott. In addition to being nominated for an Edgar Award for Falling Angel, Hjortsberg has won two Playboy Editorial Awards, for which he beat out Graham Greene and Nobel Prize winner Gabriel García Márquez. His most recent work is Jubilee Hitchhiker (2012), a biography of author Richard Brautigan. Hjortsberg lives with his family in Montana.
Learn more at: http://www.openroadmedia.com/authors/...
When his fellowship ended in 1968, Hjortsberg was discouraged, still unpublished, and making ends meet as a grocery store stock boy. No longer believing he could make a living as a novelist, he began writing strictly for his own amusement. The result was Alp (1969), an absurd story of an Alpine skiing village which Hjortsberg’s friend Thomas McGuane called, “quite possibly the finest comic novel written in America.”
In the 1970s, Hjortsberg wrote two science fiction works: Gray Matters (1971) and Symbiography (1973). The first, a novel about human brains kept alive by science, was inspired by an off-the-cuff remark Hjortsberg made at a cocktail party. The second, a post-apocalyptic tale of a man who creates dreams, was later published in condensed form in Penthouse.
After publishing Toro! Toro! Toro! (1974), a comic jab at the macho world of bullfighting, Hjortsberg wrote his best-known novel, Falling Angel (1978). This hard-boiled detective story with an occult twist was adapted for the screen as Angel Heart (1987), starring Robert De Niro. Hjortsberg also wrote the screenplay for Legend (1986), a dark fairy tale directed by Ridley Scott. In addition to being nominated for an Edgar Award for Falling Angel, Hjortsberg has won two Playboy Editorial Awards, for which he beat out Graham Greene and Nobel Prize winner Gabriel García Márquez. His most recent work is Jubilee Hitchhiker (2012), a biography of author Richard Brautigan. Hjortsberg lives with his family in Montana.
Learn more at: http://www.openroadmedia.com/authors/...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
February 6, 2024
No more an angel but still a favourite.
I've been waiting for this for decades, the posthumously published sequel to Falling Angel. I read the book even before seeing the seminal Angel Heart movie, but both of them have, over time, become interwoven and hard to untangle in my mind.
Reading this book, I have a feeling the same thing happened to the writer; even more than Falling Angel, this sequel is intensely visual, even if it does at times read like an extended travelogue for Paris.
Harry is no longer quite Harry, Johnny Favorite having come to the fore. And Johnny has expensive tastes that require funding. Angel's Inferno starts with this emergence, taking up directly at the end of the first book, and in its early stages maintains that book's almost Hammettesque clipped diction, but by the time Johnny has fully reemerged we're into more Chandleresque territory, of posher hotels, better food, richer dames and higher stakes.
Johnny is on the trail of Louis Ciphre, but the enigmatic magician isn't showing himself and instead Johnny is led along numerous blind alleys and sidetracks, in posh restaurants, smoky Jazz clubs and cabaret joints and on to chance encounters with several of Paris' more notable literary figures. He's also got cops on his trail, having fled from the carnage at the climax of the previous book. What follows is the aforesaid travelogue through Paris, during which Johnny discovers more about the Satan worshipping cult he's embroiled in, and old memories return to fill in the blanks.
As usual, there's a MacGuffin driving the plot forwards through the middle section. Whereas in Falling Angel it was Harry chasing himself that was the driver, here we have a tale of Judas Iscariot, 30 pieces of silver, and 30 members of a cult, not just any old Satanic Conspiracy, but one dating back to the Crucifixion and the birth of Christianity. This leads Johnny to a secret society meeting in the vaults of the Vatican, but Louis Ciphre is still nowhere to be found.
The book turns on a pivot when Johnny and Louis Ciphre finally meet in a quiet Parisian park. It's a remarkably well done scene that harks back to the first book while setting the tone for this book's final act.
With the police net closing on him, Johnny must resort to desperate measures and sacrifices must be made. Infiltrating the secret society in the Vatican he returns there for one final confrontation with Louis Ciphre, and the culmination of all that has gone before.
I saw the ending coming some way off, it's inevitability being obvious even though Johnny, like Harry before him, doesn't see it coming.
I enjoyed this book, but didn't love it in the way I do with Falling Angel. I think it's the fact that Johnny is far less sympathetic a character than Harry Angel, and that dilutes the tragedies that unfold as it's that much harder to root for him. That said, the writing is as crisp as before, and I enjoyed the journey. It's just not the classic I was hoping for.
But in comparison to Falling Angel, what is?
Watch this review read by me on Youtube
I've been waiting for this for decades, the posthumously published sequel to Falling Angel. I read the book even before seeing the seminal Angel Heart movie, but both of them have, over time, become interwoven and hard to untangle in my mind.
Reading this book, I have a feeling the same thing happened to the writer; even more than Falling Angel, this sequel is intensely visual, even if it does at times read like an extended travelogue for Paris.
Harry is no longer quite Harry, Johnny Favorite having come to the fore. And Johnny has expensive tastes that require funding. Angel's Inferno starts with this emergence, taking up directly at the end of the first book, and in its early stages maintains that book's almost Hammettesque clipped diction, but by the time Johnny has fully reemerged we're into more Chandleresque territory, of posher hotels, better food, richer dames and higher stakes.
Johnny is on the trail of Louis Ciphre, but the enigmatic magician isn't showing himself and instead Johnny is led along numerous blind alleys and sidetracks, in posh restaurants, smoky Jazz clubs and cabaret joints and on to chance encounters with several of Paris' more notable literary figures. He's also got cops on his trail, having fled from the carnage at the climax of the previous book. What follows is the aforesaid travelogue through Paris, during which Johnny discovers more about the Satan worshipping cult he's embroiled in, and old memories return to fill in the blanks.
As usual, there's a MacGuffin driving the plot forwards through the middle section. Whereas in Falling Angel it was Harry chasing himself that was the driver, here we have a tale of Judas Iscariot, 30 pieces of silver, and 30 members of a cult, not just any old Satanic Conspiracy, but one dating back to the Crucifixion and the birth of Christianity. This leads Johnny to a secret society meeting in the vaults of the Vatican, but Louis Ciphre is still nowhere to be found.
The book turns on a pivot when Johnny and Louis Ciphre finally meet in a quiet Parisian park. It's a remarkably well done scene that harks back to the first book while setting the tone for this book's final act.
With the police net closing on him, Johnny must resort to desperate measures and sacrifices must be made. Infiltrating the secret society in the Vatican he returns there for one final confrontation with Louis Ciphre, and the culmination of all that has gone before.
I saw the ending coming some way off, it's inevitability being obvious even though Johnny, like Harry before him, doesn't see it coming.
I enjoyed this book, but didn't love it in the way I do with Falling Angel. I think it's the fact that Johnny is far less sympathetic a character than Harry Angel, and that dilutes the tragedies that unfold as it's that much harder to root for him. That said, the writing is as crisp as before, and I enjoyed the journey. It's just not the classic I was hoping for.
But in comparison to Falling Angel, what is?
Watch this review read by me on Youtube
March 18, 2023
William Hjortsberg's 1978 novel Falling Angel was an enjoyable read & it was adapted into the excellent 1987 film Angel Heart. This long awaited sequel published in 2020 (three years after the author's death) sadly doesn't match Falling Angel.
It opens with detective Harry Angel (or is he really jazz singer Johnny Favorite ?!) leaving a trail of death behind him in New York City. Angel then heads to Paris to track down the mysterious Louis Cyphre & it's here that Hjortsberg successfully mixes sex, violence & noir in equal measure.
The problem with the novel is that it then disloves into some very dull religious history & never recovers from this point on. I eventually gave up on it all on page 197. Such a shame.
It opens with detective Harry Angel (or is he really jazz singer Johnny Favorite ?!) leaving a trail of death behind him in New York City. Angel then heads to Paris to track down the mysterious Louis Cyphre & it's here that Hjortsberg successfully mixes sex, violence & noir in equal measure.
The problem with the novel is that it then disloves into some very dull religious history & never recovers from this point on. I eventually gave up on it all on page 197. Such a shame.
February 2, 2022
This sequel was a bad idea. How could Hjorstberg ever have thought he could outdo the magic that is Falling Angel?
Bitterly disappointed… and the disappointment began approximately 250 pages into this terribly overwrought and overwritten 381 page, five pound mess of predictability.
Virtually every “twist” in this novel is predictable after page 250. Anyone who’s sat through a Horror film or Hitchcock suspenser can guess what’s to occur on the following page.
Disappointed. It’s well written even if it’s not up to the dialogue found in the original. I expected better.
Francophiles will be entranced.
Bitterly disappointed… and the disappointment began approximately 250 pages into this terribly overwrought and overwritten 381 page, five pound mess of predictability.
Virtually every “twist” in this novel is predictable after page 250. Anyone who’s sat through a Horror film or Hitchcock suspenser can guess what’s to occur on the following page.
Disappointed. It’s well written even if it’s not up to the dialogue found in the original. I expected better.
Francophiles will be entranced.
November 22, 2020
Angel’s Inferno – dancing with the devil
William Hjortsberg has created a novel that will question what you think about this thriller and when you think you have the answer, you will find you will not have it. You are constantly questioning yourself, and that is no bad thing.
Harry Angel is a private eye and his is under arrest in post war New York for murder, and he knows who has set him up. Sat in his apartment as the NYPD search it, he knows somehow, he has to get away, and find the person who has set him up to clear his name.
Somehow, he manages to escape and heads to his downtown office, where he collects his grab bag and clearing out his safe, along with his various passports. Some in names he recognises but cannot remember why, but that may be because of a war injury.
He manages to escape and heads for Europe where he begins to rediscover who he really is. Whilst staying a few steps ahead of the law and the ever-prying police. He rediscovers his satanism and finds that his was and is part of his identity and it takes him on a journey he was not quite expecting. He follows his satanistic past to wherever it takes him.
As the body count rises around him, and not necessarily because of him, the search for answers becomes urgent. This really does become a matter of life and death, for whom is the question. Even falling in love will not stop the spiral towards his final drama, and the twist that happens.
William Hjortsberg has created a novel that will question what you think about this thriller and when you think you have the answer, you will find you will not have it. You are constantly questioning yourself, and that is no bad thing.
Harry Angel is a private eye and his is under arrest in post war New York for murder, and he knows who has set him up. Sat in his apartment as the NYPD search it, he knows somehow, he has to get away, and find the person who has set him up to clear his name.
Somehow, he manages to escape and heads to his downtown office, where he collects his grab bag and clearing out his safe, along with his various passports. Some in names he recognises but cannot remember why, but that may be because of a war injury.
He manages to escape and heads for Europe where he begins to rediscover who he really is. Whilst staying a few steps ahead of the law and the ever-prying police. He rediscovers his satanism and finds that his was and is part of his identity and it takes him on a journey he was not quite expecting. He follows his satanistic past to wherever it takes him.
As the body count rises around him, and not necessarily because of him, the search for answers becomes urgent. This really does become a matter of life and death, for whom is the question. Even falling in love will not stop the spiral towards his final drama, and the twist that happens.
August 13, 2020
First I read the Centipede Press limited edition, and the regular won't be out until possibly October. Beautiful produced book, but was nervous reading it as it was quite pricey.
The quick transition from the ending of the first book to the second answers any question about how Hjortsberg would continue the tale. I found it a bit deflating, but was quickly off the the races. The narrator's slow transition from Angel to Favorite worked well and the cat and mouse game continues with new stakes. I enjoyed it, and each new twist set's up the final confrontation. I'm sure it would have benefited from a couple editing pass-throughs by Hjortsberg before his untimely passing, but I'm pleased it made it to a publishable state.
Has anyone else finished the book? What worked for you and what didn't? I feel slightly honored to be one of a mere 500 who've gotten the opportunity to read this before a mass market edition comes out later this year.(October?)
The quick transition from the ending of the first book to the second answers any question about how Hjortsberg would continue the tale. I found it a bit deflating, but was quickly off the the races. The narrator's slow transition from Angel to Favorite worked well and the cat and mouse game continues with new stakes. I enjoyed it, and each new twist set's up the final confrontation. I'm sure it would have benefited from a couple editing pass-throughs by Hjortsberg before his untimely passing, but I'm pleased it made it to a publishable state.
Has anyone else finished the book? What worked for you and what didn't? I feel slightly honored to be one of a mere 500 who've gotten the opportunity to read this before a mass market edition comes out later this year.(October?)
March 18, 2023
Finally finished the second part of William Hjortsberg series.Neo noir novel include satanic rituals,murders(relating with occultism of the Satan),some nasty scenes.The first part “Falling Angel” is base of the movie “Angel Heart” with the great Robert De Niro,Mickey Rourke and Lisa Bonet.This second part wasn’t really bad ,some of the parts make me still shivering.But to be honest more shocking was the first part,or maybe because I didn’t expect what coming at the end.Here you could be surprised too.Some of the parts I was dragging through,but I understand now why- author prepares me all the time for the END of the story.Overall I could call it “old horror classic “ and recommend to people who like mystery and horror scenes.
April 20, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. Kept me turning the pages and found it hard to put down. Did keep imaging Mickey Rourke as the detective.This book was a good follow up from Falling Angel.
December 10, 2021
3.75
Angel's Inferno is a sequel in the sense that it picks up right where Falling Angel ends and includes some of the same characters. But that’s also where the similarities end. The occult and devil worshipping from Falling Angel look like child’s play compared with that of Angel’s Inferno. This one has way more horror elements. Falling Angel’s horror elements just scratch the surface. It’s hovering on the edges of that text like the halo over an angel. Here, the angel has now fallen from his perch, descended to Hell, and morphed into Lucifer himself. If Kubrick re-tooled “Eyes Wide Shut” with the narrative of The Talented Mr. Ripley then we’d have Angel’s Inferno. On the surface (coming from a Kubrick fan) that sounds awesome. However, there are many moments in this text that even I had trouble handling. Not because I didn’t understand what was happening but because I’m not sure I really wanted to know. In fact, one moment of (::gulp::) torture comes to mind that still has bugs crawling up my skin. It bordered on raunchiness. But maybe that’s the point anyway. It’s supposed to push the envelope to have any significant impact and staying power.
However, what saves it from degrading into prototypical horror pulp is Hjortsberg’s brilliant prose. It’s much more adventurous here and he’s able to inject the story with substance so it isn’t just about the devilish actions you might expect. Even with the change in tone from its predecessor, I still cared to see what catastrophe might befall the narrator next. I also wanted to keep going even though it’s clear there was no editing, which is to be expected given Hjortsberg’s passing soon after completion. And after having made it out on the other end it seems like I should feel shame for having been forced to exercise my voyeuristic side and my inner demon. I have a moral compass that should prevent me from partaking in such dalliances whether they’re real or perceived. But it’s only a novel. The fact I feel so strongly would suggest the author did his job. Surely, this won’t be one I’ll soon forget.
Angel's Inferno is a sequel in the sense that it picks up right where Falling Angel ends and includes some of the same characters. But that’s also where the similarities end. The occult and devil worshipping from Falling Angel look like child’s play compared with that of Angel’s Inferno. This one has way more horror elements. Falling Angel’s horror elements just scratch the surface. It’s hovering on the edges of that text like the halo over an angel. Here, the angel has now fallen from his perch, descended to Hell, and morphed into Lucifer himself. If Kubrick re-tooled “Eyes Wide Shut” with the narrative of The Talented Mr. Ripley then we’d have Angel’s Inferno. On the surface (coming from a Kubrick fan) that sounds awesome. However, there are many moments in this text that even I had trouble handling. Not because I didn’t understand what was happening but because I’m not sure I really wanted to know. In fact, one moment of (::gulp::) torture comes to mind that still has bugs crawling up my skin. It bordered on raunchiness. But maybe that’s the point anyway. It’s supposed to push the envelope to have any significant impact and staying power.
However, what saves it from degrading into prototypical horror pulp is Hjortsberg’s brilliant prose. It’s much more adventurous here and he’s able to inject the story with substance so it isn’t just about the devilish actions you might expect. Even with the change in tone from its predecessor, I still cared to see what catastrophe might befall the narrator next. I also wanted to keep going even though it’s clear there was no editing, which is to be expected given Hjortsberg’s passing soon after completion. And after having made it out on the other end it seems like I should feel shame for having been forced to exercise my voyeuristic side and my inner demon. I have a moral compass that should prevent me from partaking in such dalliances whether they’re real or perceived. But it’s only a novel. The fact I feel so strongly would suggest the author did his job. Surely, this won’t be one I’ll soon forget.
December 11, 2021
Harry Angel/Johnny Favourite pursues the (man?) responsible for the deaths of his lover and his daughter.
Johnny thought he could cheat the Devil out of a deal he made with the dark angel, exchanging his soul for fame. But even as he found fame, he discovered it wasn't all he had hoped for and his desire for fame waned. To cheat the Devil, Favourite uses a spell from an 18th century alchemist, which involves the sacrifice of another man and the eating of the man's still beating heart. By doing this, Favourite assumes the identity of his victim, gum-shoe Harry Angel. Unfortunately for Johnny, his plan to thwart the Devil, or whatever he is, Shaman or charlatan, goes awry.
'In Nomine Dei Satanas, Luciferi Excelsi... ' My Latin rose up from the past. Knew every word. Skinned Bijou in long strips. Got her tattoo together with the nipple all in one piece. After a couple of hours, I thought about knocking her out. I had feelings for Bijou. Did my damnedest to find someone else. Tried like hell to get her to give me one of her voodoo gals. In the end, I had no other choice. My deal with Latour included recording all her suffering. Never welch on a deal.
Never welch indeed. A worthy sequel to Falling Angel. Recommended.
Johnny thought he could cheat the Devil out of a deal he made with the dark angel, exchanging his soul for fame. But even as he found fame, he discovered it wasn't all he had hoped for and his desire for fame waned. To cheat the Devil, Favourite uses a spell from an 18th century alchemist, which involves the sacrifice of another man and the eating of the man's still beating heart. By doing this, Favourite assumes the identity of his victim, gum-shoe Harry Angel. Unfortunately for Johnny, his plan to thwart the Devil, or whatever he is, Shaman or charlatan, goes awry.
'In Nomine Dei Satanas, Luciferi Excelsi... ' My Latin rose up from the past. Knew every word. Skinned Bijou in long strips. Got her tattoo together with the nipple all in one piece. After a couple of hours, I thought about knocking her out. I had feelings for Bijou. Did my damnedest to find someone else. Tried like hell to get her to give me one of her voodoo gals. In the end, I had no other choice. My deal with Latour included recording all her suffering. Never welch on a deal.
Never welch indeed. A worthy sequel to Falling Angel. Recommended.
September 28, 2020
This book is Johnny Favorite's long encore. It's reserved for those who loved Falling Angel and wanted to spend more time in this infernal battle. I read it right after reading the first book and welcomed the leisurely visit.
And while the book is a treat, it is indulgent. You'll need to forgive a story that is far less disciplined than its predecessor, overlook a plot hole from the first book that Angel's Inferno forces you to reexamine, and accept a development that is basically unacceptable.
Final note, I like how the story ends (I actually predicted it 2/3 through the book) but I don't like how it got there. The events leading up to the end made me lose so much enjoyment for these books.
Overall, I liked the book and I'm glad I read it. It was enjoyable taking the trail to France. It was a fine journey. But the book did fall from grace. I decided to enjoy it for what it is--a quick page-turner in Hjortsberg's straightforward style, and not try to tease out anything more.
And while the book is a treat, it is indulgent. You'll need to forgive a story that is far less disciplined than its predecessor, overlook a plot hole from the first book that Angel's Inferno forces you to reexamine, and accept a development that is basically unacceptable.
Final note, I like how the story ends (I actually predicted it 2/3 through the book) but I don't like how it got there. The events leading up to the end made me lose so much enjoyment for these books.
Overall, I liked the book and I'm glad I read it. It was enjoyable taking the trail to France. It was a fine journey. But the book did fall from grace. I decided to enjoy it for what it is--a quick page-turner in Hjortsberg's straightforward style, and not try to tease out anything more.
July 20, 2021
Imagine a cross between Dennis Wheatley, Raymond Chandler and John Connolly. This book is the follow up to Falling Angel. The story of Harry Angel/Johnny Favorite. Ex Big Band crooner, Private Detective and Satanist who sells his soul to the Devil.Romp of a read. Violent and dark.
November 19, 2023
Angel's Inferno by William Hjortsberg. 2020.
The long-awaited sequel to Hjortsberg's Falling Angel (1978), published posthumously. Angel's Inferno continues the story of Harry Angel and Johnny Favorite, picking up immediately after the last scene of the first book, and then continuing with Favorite leaving New York for Paris in search of Louis Cyphre driven by a relentless desire for revenge. The supernatural/religious/occult elements of the first novel are unpacked even further in the sequel, while still paying homage to the noir genre. Reading the story, I could not help but think of the line from Romeo and Juliet, these violent delights have violent ends.
Fans of Falling Angel and its film adaptation Angel Heart (1987) who want more about these characters should consider reading the final conclusion to the story.
The long-awaited sequel to Hjortsberg's Falling Angel (1978), published posthumously. Angel's Inferno continues the story of Harry Angel and Johnny Favorite, picking up immediately after the last scene of the first book, and then continuing with Favorite leaving New York for Paris in search of Louis Cyphre driven by a relentless desire for revenge. The supernatural/religious/occult elements of the first novel are unpacked even further in the sequel, while still paying homage to the noir genre. Reading the story, I could not help but think of the line from Romeo and Juliet, these violent delights have violent ends.
Fans of Falling Angel and its film adaptation Angel Heart (1987) who want more about these characters should consider reading the final conclusion to the story.
June 15, 2024
"Falling Angel" is the story of Harry Angel, a small time PI who has been hired by Louis Cyphre to find a missing crooner Johnny Favorite - only to discover that Angel is himself Favorite...having murdered Angel at the end of WW2 and assumed his identity, in an effort to cheat the devil......
Prior to Hjortsberg's death, he wrote a sequel to perhaps his best known book - hence "Angel's Inferno". This time around, the plot centers around Angel/Favorite's attempts to destroy Cyphere.
I felt the book was overlong, padded with descriptions of clothing, meals, and other miscellaneous information that added nothing to the story.
At least there won't be any more "Angel" novels....
Jeff McIntosh
Prior to Hjortsberg's death, he wrote a sequel to perhaps his best known book - hence "Angel's Inferno". This time around, the plot centers around Angel/Favorite's attempts to destroy Cyphere.
I felt the book was overlong, padded with descriptions of clothing, meals, and other miscellaneous information that added nothing to the story.
At least there won't be any more "Angel" novels....
Jeff McIntosh
May 20, 2022
I tried reading this book a couple times before and bogged down less than 20% in. I'm not normally a fan of noir. I decided 3rd time might be the charm and I was right. I didn't read the first of the Angel books, so I can't compare. I thought this was well written with a well developed main character. Each of the secondary characters were unique. I enjoyed the buildup of the tension and was startled by the end. I would suggest readers start with the first book and then go to this one because it may make it easier to become involved with the character early on.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2022
I admire Hjortsberg's ability to draw us into his character's perception. About 20% of the way into this book, I do not like where the book is headed. I have problems with a main character who kills the innocent and feels nothing.
We are supposed to root for the main character to escape an unfair set-up in Fallen Angel, but in that escape, he kills a detective. Shortly after that, in an airport, he kills someone who recognized him in disguise. He kills with aplomb. I am not comfortable with this, and I have stopped reading this book. These are not people with whom I can identify, nor do I wish to. I don't want to associate with them at all.
So much for my ability to tolerate differences, LOL. It turns out that there are some character defects that I find repugnant. The better I get to know Harry Angel (or Johnny Favorite) the less I like him.
We are supposed to root for the main character to escape an unfair set-up in Fallen Angel, but in that escape, he kills a detective. Shortly after that, in an airport, he kills someone who recognized him in disguise. He kills with aplomb. I am not comfortable with this, and I have stopped reading this book. These are not people with whom I can identify, nor do I wish to. I don't want to associate with them at all.
So much for my ability to tolerate differences, LOL. It turns out that there are some character defects that I find repugnant. The better I get to know Harry Angel (or Johnny Favorite) the less I like him.
February 16, 2022
WOW! Continues the story begun in Falling Angel. Private detective Harry Angel, arrested for brutal murders he didn't commit, now becomes Johnny Favorite, the man he was hired to find. The protagonist's voice changes to suit his new character, a subtly genius bit of writing by the author. As he hunts through Paris and Rome for the "man" who set him up, he becomes more like the man he's hunting. This book doesn't have the same level of brutal murder count as the first. It's more of a suspenseful cat and mouse game with forays into history, religion, and the nature of evil. At times, you feel the sheen of evil rubbing off on you just reading about the depravity. The possibility that the all pervasiveness of the devil is frighteningly real.
June 23, 2021
William Hjortsberg’s ‘Angel’s Inferno’ (2021) is the decades long follow up to his 1978 novel ‘Fallen Angel’ (adapted into the film Angel Heart 1987). I read ‘Fallen Angel’ way back when and the wacky bloody story stuck with me. However, I saw the film back in 1987 before I had even heard of the novel or the writer. So my mind is packed full with the imagery and the ambience of Alan Parker’s visual telling (great movie). ‘Angel’s Inferno’ is a hard boiled detective style read. The mix of the supernatural and mystical with the hard core detective genre is entertaining and this book does not necessarily require a reading of Hjortsberg’s ‘Fallen Angel’ (though I think reading them back to back will make for an entertaining weekend read). Easy reading and not as atmospheric or as blunt as the satanic mood of the 1970s-1980s that loomed thicker in popular culture. I sometimes think that one of the few downsides of the internet age is how accessible it is for readers to source the endless stream of cultural products. Not that it’s an issue. A fun and entertaining read and I recommend the uninitiated reader to get hold of both ‘Fallen Angel’ & ‘Angel’s Inferno’ and enjoy a weekend deep in the life of Detective Harry Angel as he navigates the perilous labyrinth of the occult with the savoir-faire of the hard boiled detective genre. Entertaining read. Bought from Kinokuniya $22.99.
October 12, 2020
This book isn't as readable as its prequel. I think its biggest flaw is that it needs a huge edit. It's not nearly as tight as Falling Angel. I think it could be reduced to the page count of Falling Angel by cutting out a lot of details that aren't meaningful to the story. There were tons of them. If you are annoyed by Chekhov's Guns that never fire, this book is not for you.
I also really struggled to suspend disbelief around the main character's motivation. I just couldn't get behind it. I won't go into details to avoid spoilers, but I spent nary 70% of the book wondering why the MC was doing anything.
It did have some good things:
- Sometimes the play between Angel's identity problems was kind of interesting, though it felt a little underdeveloped.
- The fleshing out of the occult backstory was kinda fun and I felt like it gave more definition to this universe that Angel lives in.
- Hjortsberg had some clever ways of handling the French language in an English book, although admittedly this got a bit tiresome.
Anyhow, I don't think I'd recommend this book. It might be good if you're willing to read it back-to-back with Falling Angel as I did, but I think a lot of people won't like which direction this book went.
I also really struggled to suspend disbelief around the main character's motivation. I just couldn't get behind it. I won't go into details to avoid spoilers, but I spent nary 70% of the book wondering why the MC was doing anything.
It did have some good things:
- Sometimes the play between Angel's identity problems was kind of interesting, though it felt a little underdeveloped.
- The fleshing out of the occult backstory was kinda fun and I felt like it gave more definition to this universe that Angel lives in.
- Hjortsberg had some clever ways of handling the French language in an English book, although admittedly this got a bit tiresome.
Anyhow, I don't think I'd recommend this book. It might be good if you're willing to read it back-to-back with Falling Angel as I did, but I think a lot of people won't like which direction this book went.
December 9, 2024
I think this should be regarded as an unfinished work. Pancreatic cancer found Hjortsberg and killed him within a few months. He died in 2017 and the book was published in 2020.
Told in first person the book opens in NYC with the worst B-movie voice over, but gradually changes as Harry Angel reverts to Johnny Favorite. By the time Favorite hits Paris the cheap detective potois is gone.
Hjortsberg handles characterization deftly and with a poet's eye for the telling detail.
There is a lot of to-ing and fro-ing on the streets of Paris, gawking at monuments, and a name dropping extravaganza, but eventually Favorite finds the seedier side. Why Paris and not Port-au-Prince?
The story is the weakest part. It is interrupted in the middle by an encounter with William Burroughs (Junkie). Burroughs loans Favorite a (fictional) book on Satan and the Catholic Church and we get a couple of chapters delving into that book. But it sets up the rest of the story.
The story is an opportunity for a deep reflection upon the interplay of good and evil. A lost opportunity. Hjortsberg just needed more time.
3-stars
Told in first person the book opens in NYC with the worst B-movie voice over, but gradually changes as Harry Angel reverts to Johnny Favorite. By the time Favorite hits Paris the cheap detective potois is gone.
Hjortsberg handles characterization deftly and with a poet's eye for the telling detail.
There is a lot of to-ing and fro-ing on the streets of Paris, gawking at monuments, and a name dropping extravaganza, but eventually Favorite finds the seedier side. Why Paris and not Port-au-Prince?
The story is the weakest part. It is interrupted in the middle by an encounter with William Burroughs (Junkie). Burroughs loans Favorite a (fictional) book on Satan and the Catholic Church and we get a couple of chapters delving into that book. But it sets up the rest of the story.
The story is an opportunity for a deep reflection upon the interplay of good and evil. A lost opportunity. Hjortsberg just needed more time.
3-stars
November 23, 2020
As a fan of FALLING ANGEL, and the movie adaptation ANGEL HEART, I was looking forward to the sequel with enthusiasm. I was not disappointed.
The sequel is dark. Very dark.
Harry Angel is not an innocent. If you thought that this might be a story of Harry Angel, aka Johnny Favorite, aka Jonathan Liebling seeking redemption then you've come to the wrong place. Harry is left holding the bag in a NYC apartment and is looking at a ride on Old Sparky when fortune smiles his way. Not content to live life on the run Harry gets deeper into the mystery of his past and the man who seems to taunt him, Louis Cyphre. As the story unfolds Harry slowly sheds his borderline humane persona, and reveals the darkly sinister and ruthless creature at the heart of the story, former crooner and evil magus, Johnny Favorite. Favorite wants answers, and the only one able to provide those answers is the elusive Louis Cyphre.
Now if only a competent screenwriter could connect some dots and smooth a few bumps . . .
The sequel is dark. Very dark.
Harry Angel is not an innocent. If you thought that this might be a story of Harry Angel, aka Johnny Favorite, aka Jonathan Liebling seeking redemption then you've come to the wrong place. Harry is left holding the bag in a NYC apartment and is looking at a ride on Old Sparky when fortune smiles his way. Not content to live life on the run Harry gets deeper into the mystery of his past and the man who seems to taunt him, Louis Cyphre. As the story unfolds Harry slowly sheds his borderline humane persona, and reveals the darkly sinister and ruthless creature at the heart of the story, former crooner and evil magus, Johnny Favorite. Favorite wants answers, and the only one able to provide those answers is the elusive Louis Cyphre.
Now if only a competent screenwriter could connect some dots and smooth a few bumps . . .
November 17, 2020
I broadly enjoyed it, but it could have done with some serious editing; there was a lot of unnecessary detail and description that interrupted the flow of the story for me.
The main character isn't likeable, which is fine and to be expected, but I couldn't always understand what exactly he was trying to achieve or what motivated him. However, at times I just found him shallow and dull - I suppose this is a commentary on the nature of evil and how banal it is, but it made me lose interest.
I re-read Falling Angel before starting this, which I think helped get into the flow of the writing and dialogue style and I would recommend doing that
I don't want to put any spoilers here and it is definitely worth a read, but not sure if I will reread it mainly because it's a rather bloated book.
The main character isn't likeable, which is fine and to be expected, but I couldn't always understand what exactly he was trying to achieve or what motivated him. However, at times I just found him shallow and dull - I suppose this is a commentary on the nature of evil and how banal it is, but it made me lose interest.
I re-read Falling Angel before starting this, which I think helped get into the flow of the writing and dialogue style and I would recommend doing that
I don't want to put any spoilers here and it is definitely worth a read, but not sure if I will reread it mainly because it's a rather bloated book.
July 11, 2024
Fantastic and long-awaited sequel to Falling Angel
Falling Angel is one if my favorite noir occult detective novels, only marred slightly by the ending. It always disappointed me that Harry didn't come out on top. Hjortsberg fixes that in this sequel, which begins the very second in which the first book ended, seamlessly continuing Harry's story.
It's a shame that the author was essentially on his death bed by the time he finished this novel. Anyway, this conclusion of the Harry Angel story was well worth the wait. The ending was slightly telegraphed, being predictable as soon as Satan is determined to be an office, and not an entity, but it's still brilliant.
Rest in peace, Mr. Hjortsberg. You did good.
Falling Angel is one if my favorite noir occult detective novels, only marred slightly by the ending. It always disappointed me that Harry didn't come out on top. Hjortsberg fixes that in this sequel, which begins the very second in which the first book ended, seamlessly continuing Harry's story.
It's a shame that the author was essentially on his death bed by the time he finished this novel. Anyway, this conclusion of the Harry Angel story was well worth the wait. The ending was slightly telegraphed, being predictable as soon as Satan is determined to be an office, and not an entity, but it's still brilliant.
Rest in peace, Mr. Hjortsberg. You did good.
December 21, 2025
Falling Angel is one of my favorite detective novels ever. It was fast, violent, and frenetic with bit concepts and shocking scenes. The ending is still my favorite twist of these types of books and I've been yearning for something similiar.
Unfortunately this scratched almost none of the same itches.
The initial set up waves away the ending of the first wave and then rides the fence for the next 300 pages. There were long sections of slogging through a travelogue through France that were brutally boring.
The action heats up midway through and it becomes a good enough thriller but it lacks the focus and direction of the original. Still a lot of fun in those final moments.
I don't see the point in this sequel when the first one was so perfect.
Unfortunately this scratched almost none of the same itches.
The initial set up waves away the ending of the first wave and then rides the fence for the next 300 pages. There were long sections of slogging through a travelogue through France that were brutally boring.
The action heats up midway through and it becomes a good enough thriller but it lacks the focus and direction of the original. Still a lot of fun in those final moments.
I don't see the point in this sequel when the first one was so perfect.
December 26, 2020
...A vivid nightmare tore me awake around half-past six. In the dream, screaming black doves swarmed about my face, pecking out my eyes...
This was an exquisite read. Angel’s Inferno not only filled out some of the mysteries of Falling Angel, but fulfilled the true destiny of Johnny Favorite.
I suspected that it would be slightly modeled on the original, & while it did just that, it was most surprising & inventive as to how it was done. Identity & memory are central to this large two-part story, far beyond the trappings of detective & occult fiction.
Jonny Favorite assumes many identities & remembers much of his past, all the while cruelty & lies come easily to him.
This was an exquisite read. Angel’s Inferno not only filled out some of the mysteries of Falling Angel, but fulfilled the true destiny of Johnny Favorite.
I suspected that it would be slightly modeled on the original, & while it did just that, it was most surprising & inventive as to how it was done. Identity & memory are central to this large two-part story, far beyond the trappings of detective & occult fiction.
Jonny Favorite assumes many identities & remembers much of his past, all the while cruelty & lies come easily to him.
May 13, 2022
Very good and unexpected sequel. I devoured the pages in great chunks, fascinated by not only the story, but the sheer audacity of the author to ever imagine a follow up would be possible. But god damn did Hjortsberg(r.i.p.) deliver here.
I was still shocked with the ending even though I had a feeling midway through that it might go this way. Initially, I wasn't thrilled with the fin but in hindsight it really couldn't(nor should) have gone any other way and stay true to our lead. Harry Angel/Johnny Favorite is one complex anti-hero and within that, I did not hear one false note.
I was still shocked with the ending even though I had a feeling midway through that it might go this way. Initially, I wasn't thrilled with the fin but in hindsight it really couldn't(nor should) have gone any other way and stay true to our lead. Harry Angel/Johnny Favorite is one complex anti-hero and within that, I did not hear one false note.
March 22, 2025
While I enjoyed Fallen Angel, its sequel Angels Inferno falls woefully short. It begins with Harry Angel fleeing to France in pursuit of Luis-Cypher, but the suspense which was quintessential in the first book quickly dissipates.
The stark contrast between the two books is truly disappointing.
The plot becomes overly predictable and drags on with monotonous details that focus more on ritualistic drivel than on substantive storytelling. In many ways, it seems Fallen Angel was complete with an ambiguous ending , the second installment seems hurriedly patched together and unnecessary
The stark contrast between the two books is truly disappointing.
The plot becomes overly predictable and drags on with monotonous details that focus more on ritualistic drivel than on substantive storytelling. In many ways, it seems Fallen Angel was complete with an ambiguous ending , the second installment seems hurriedly patched together and unnecessary
August 12, 2022
This is one of the strangest books I've ever read. I worked on it each night for about a week and found myself looking forward to whatever nightmare awaited Johnny Favorite each evening. But there was just something... off-putting for me. I enjoyed the first book a lot and Alan Parker's adaptation very much. Thinking of those characters in this novel just seemed off. I'm not sure why but I found something about Johnny's continuing descent to be unsatisfying.
February 11, 2024
A perfect follow-up to the perfect Falling Angel. Wonderfully written. Full of twists, difficult to put down. All the intrigue leads to a supremely satisfying ending.
March 15, 2025
The sequel is fine but doesn’t quite have the noir charm of the first. It spends a lot of time on creating a cosmology for the Angel world, which includes a deep dive into the history of Christianity. I don’t mind it, but I’ve seen it better.
And without spoilers, the main character looses his thread of being decent person, which makes his hunt for revenge feel more like a crime is wave.
And without spoilers, the main character looses his thread of being decent person, which makes his hunt for revenge feel more like a crime is wave.
August 13, 2025
It's one of those books where you HATE the protagonist. In the first book you feel a bit bad for him and he could almost be redeemable. In this book I found myself actively rooting against him and wanting him to be caught. If you read the first book and thought it was predictable this one is ten times worse. RIP to the author I can see what he was trying to do but it didn't quite land for me.
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