#12AngryRobotsOfChristmas ‘Dead Harvest’ by Chris F Holm

About the book…

Meet Sam Thornton. He collects souls.

Sam’s job is to collect the souls of the damned, and ensure they are dispatched to the appropriate destination. But when he’s sent to collect the soul of a young woman he believes to be innocent of the horrific crime that’s doomed her to Hell, he says something no Collector has ever said before.

“No.”

Hello! And welcome to the first day of Yule, and the first of 12 days which , in the grand Dickensian tradition, celebrates the ghosts of Angry Robots past , present and future!
We begin with the opening novel of ‘The Collector’ trilogy, ‘Dead Harvest’ by Chris F Holm, which is an absolute banger, that is perfect for fans of ‘Supernatural’, ‘The Dresden Files’ or Luke Arnold

Sam Thornton is a collector of souls, he can jump into the bodies of the dead, and use them as ‘meat puppets’ as he goes about his celestial business. Except, this is not angel, this clearly becomes obvious as Sam’s back story is revealed, he has made a bargain with something not of this earth.

Flipping between his latest case and back in time, when he was human and married, we join Sam as he is dispatched to collect the soul of a young girl who is believed to have murdered her whole family.

Except when he comes to get her, from a mental hospital where she is lying in a coma,he is unable to do his job. He realises that she has been used, much as he using the dead, to carry out this heinous task.

The problem? If Sam does not do as he is told, and comes back with Kate’s soul, he becomes the target of angels and demons alike. For the equilibrium between both worlds has been at an uneasy stalemate, kept in balance by checks and measures which have existed for centuries.

So, if Sam forcibly removes Kate’s soul, an innocent soul, not only will he have possibly plunged the world into chaos ever lasting, he will have committed an unforgivable act.

And if he doesn’t?

Well…..read ‘Dead Harvest’ find out!

What I loved about this book is that it is a brilliant series opener, which assumes a familiarity between the reader and Sam, you fall straight into his world and pick things up as you fly through some deliciously dark and devilish prose. Walking a tightrope between urban horror and the finest noir detective tales, the cut throat precision with which Chris uses his skills as a writer to plunge you into a Gothic landscape, in modern day New York, is absolutely spell binding.

He creates this world where Sam walks between good and evil, with a hell of a burden on his shoulders-but who is he and what did he do to end up walking these lonely decades as a soul collector?

What bargain did he make, and with whom to end up in this hellish existence, jumping from body to body, feeling all the nuances of a human’s existence whilst living in a totally separate realm?

And will he ever be able to live peacefully, in one way or another?

This is a nail biting mystery with touches of horror and a fine detective novel woven around it. The characterisation is spot on, you get to know the characters and feel fully satisfied, whilst also leaving room for dessert. And by dessert , I am referring to Book 2, ‘The Wrong Goodbye’

And can we just take a moment to appreciate the sheer joy which is induced by this fabulous cover art?

I think we can!
Join me tomorrow for the second of our Yuletide blessings, courtesy of our mechanical overlords at Angry Robot!

About the author…

Chris Holm is the author of the Collector trilogy, which blends crime and fantasy, and the Michael Hendricks thrillers. His first Hendricks novel, ‘The Killing Kind’, was named a New York Times Editors’ Choice, a Boston Globe Best Book of 2015, and Strand Magazine’s #1 Book of 2015.

It won the 2016 Anthony Award for Best Novel, and was also nominated for a Barry, a Lefty, and a Macavity. His second Hendricks novel, ‘Red Right Hand’, is now available.

Chris lives in Portland, Maine.

Twitter @chrisfholm @angryrobotbooks 

Links-https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/