R. > Recent Status Updates

I seem to have lost track of the plot at some point and can't remember why any of these people are looking for Murphy except, er, he's not with them anymore?

My first impressions:

1) I hate it when authors open a work of fiction with any variation of, "Little did I know that fateful day of the terrible consequences of this small event." Just cut that line out of the manuscript! Show me the small event, and then let the terrible consequences unfold over the course of the story.

2) The first 100 pages aren't as good as Rebecca's first 100 pages.

The writing style reminds me of a gentler Cormac McCarthy.

I first read this 10-15 years ago and liked it, but all I could remember about it was that it involved necromancy with bells. Re-reading it now, I'm impressed with its unique (and interesting) premise, and I'm pretty sure I skimmed a lot of it the first time around because I don't remember any of the action.