Review: Cool Fantasy Noir
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 6, 2014
I love the Mercer stories - hard-bitten noir tales with a paranormal twist. Mercer is a troubled soul (whose true identity is hinted at in these stories) who has the power to smuggle souls into heaven or hell. He hires himself out to people who need his services, for whatever reason. Fowler's universe is a classical, hard-line Christian one in which St. Peter sends angels down to Earth to do his bidding and suicides aren't allowed into heaven.The stories are fun and the characters are very well done. Other reviewers have said they don't like Mercer the character. I must admit I did - he's troubled and flawed, but I like that in a protagonist.I think there's a lot more Fowler could do with these stories. A lot of areas remain unexplored. I'm hoping there will be more...