A Devilish Vacation

by J.S. Austin

It’s hell up in Heaven – or so some angels believe. Their paradise is being ruined by the influx of humans who ignore tradition with their culture of funfairs and fast food - and to make things worse, most angels are loving it!

Join the Devil with his butler, Simon, on their clandestine holiday in Heaven and watch the mayhem unfold. Will Heaven’s dynamic duo of law enforcement spoil their fun and finally make an arrest? Read the second instalment of JS Austin’s unique access to the afterlife and discover what awaits you in Heaven or Hell.

Unknown Binding

About the author

J.S. Austin is the author of two books in ‘The Book of Afterlife - The Funny Side of Death’ series. With a love for comedy, J.S. Austin’s work is influenced by the greats such as Wodehouse, Pratchett & Douglas Adams. When not writing, he can be found biking in the Forest of Dean or supporting his son’s football team. J.S. Austin is committed to crafting characters and worlds that resonate deeply with readers, offering a unique escape into the realms of fiction, while trying to make them laugh.

Reviews

[Zara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The structure and overall pacing of this book was confusing. The author appears to be attempting a Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett style of tongue-in-cheek humor, switching from third to first-person regularly and zooming out for a god-like overview of the action (given God is a theme this is pertinent) but nonetheless makes for a dizzying read. The Adams-esque asides don’t quite hit the mark, but show potential as the author develops their style and the philosophical questions raised in this book fall a little flat, as of now.

There’s also too much attention given to unnecessary crudeness- a conversation about urine that went on and on, as well as a constant reintroduction of characters we have just met.

Occasionally, there are real flashes of great writing and cool concepts — I enjoyed the parts which explored the idea of human scientists in heaven analyzing global cooling and how souls impact this; really unique and I wish there was more of this! “This theory irritated the angel scientists. Firstly, they hadn’t thought of it and, secondly, they didn't know what CO2 was.”

This book was hard to read as it jumped around so much, but as the author gains experience, I can see future works really hitting the spot. Received copy for an unbiased review.

[David Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Make Heaven Great Again in an Ethnic Cleansing sort of way.

That is the goal of the Trump like Angel Slugart in J.S. Austin's masterful analogy of the behavior of authoritarian thugs in A Devilish Vacation.

In a very well written book, Austin makes excellent use of ancient figures like the melancholy St. Peter and the over the top Lucifer in showing the dangers of following demagogues that want to tear society apart by scapegoating the other.

Other great characters to look out for in this book is the devoted (and probably smartest person in the book) butler of the Devil: Simon, the idealist and heroic Hector, the imbecilic Cecil, and the Abbot and Costello like Heaven law enforcement team of Roger and Guy.

The only fault I could find with the book is that it really does not take off until halfway through the novel. The writer probably could have edited some of the introductory material without having to worry about diluting any of its important potency.

Overall, this is a well written book with excellent characters and an important theme that tells the reader to beware people stoking division and hatred.

[Marcel Eschauzier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deliciously absurd, wonderfully humorous. "A Devilish Vacation" is is a brilliant and hilarious tale of a demonic tourist in a heaven inhabited by less than angelic angels. We meet the devil's butler and find a bored Saint Peter organizing the queues at his gate by height, creating the illusion of the mystical stairway to heaven and more of such originalities, irresistible to people with a taste for absurdity (like myself). While the crisp dialogues seem frivolous, they also suggest layers of meaning waiting to be discovered. As a tongue-in-cheek Easter egg, J.S. Austin puts himself in a category with the greatest writers. While this ironic self-image is funnily inflated, this book might just show some rare talent, which would deserve the author's nurturing and possibly a bit more writing consistency to come to full bloom—all in all, an already more than accomplished satirical work.
I received a copy for an unbiased review.

[A. Claire Everward · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an extremely amusing story. Great as a holiday read or if you just need a good laugh. I loved the idea of the devil taking a vacation in heaven, with his butler by his side, and the angels…well… I think you’ll have to read how completely messed up it all is. In a good way. Just mark this book as your emergency laugh book and you’ll be fine.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

A devilish good read for a summer vacation. Loved the unexpected portrayal of the characters like St. Peter.

[Jeales · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this to read on holiday. Better than I was expecting.
Plot was good, I laughed out loud several time, best bit was the Devil in a bumper car.