#Spooktober ‘The Pale House Devil’ by Richard Kadrey

About the book…

A gripping, snappy creature feature from the master of horror noir about two detectives—one dead, one living—hired by an embittered old landowner to banish a bloody cosmic monster from his ancestral home, perfect for fans of Cassandra Khaw, Charles Stross and Lucy A. Snyder.

Ford and Neuland are paranormal mercenaries—one living, one undead; one kills the undead, the other kills the living. Heading west to look for work and wait for the heat from their last job to cool down.

There Tilda, a young woman, hires them to track and kill a demon haunting a mansion in remote northern California for wealthy landowner, Shepherd Mansfield.

As Ford and Neuland investigate the creature they uncover a legacy of blood, sacrifice and slavery in the house. Forced to confront a powerful creature unlike anything they’ve faced before, they come to learn the biggest monster in this story might just be the person paying them.

I am so very grateful to Titan Books who kindly sent me this review copy of ‘The Pale House Devil’ by Richard Kadrey which is out in hardcover and e-book formats from October 10th, the perfect time for spooky season!

The Pale House of the title is an ostentatiously light coloured house, an emblem of wealth and privilege reflected on the skin of those who inhabit it, yet it has been abandoned for decades whilst something lurks inside, something hungry….

Mr Mansfield, the owner of this family homestead is elderly, infirm and wishes to die there. Or so he says, sending his employee, Tilda out to look for someone who make this thing disappear.

Enter Neuland and Ford, a fantastically realised pair who have a natural banter and bicker relationship born out of familiarity, but not contempt who are hired after their last job has gone , to use the professional phrase, ‘tits up’, and are persona non grata in New York.

And whilst there is something Lovecraftian slithering through the abandoned corridors of the Pale House, there are things which do much worse, and hide behind a human face…

I absolutely loved the afternoon that I spent in the company of these characters, it feels like I read much more story than you would imagine being in a slim novella, but Kadrey has such a way with words that he paints a pencil sketch and as you are reading, you fill in the shades and tones to make this a particularly unique reading experience.

It’s a noir and horror mash up with a sense of humour that never lets story get bogged down with issues whilst making a commentary on the way power and privilege brings a responsibility and freedom which are inextricably entwined. That Neuland is dead does not mean he is not a person with rights and feelings, the way that he and Ford are dismissed by Mansfield as ‘lackeys’ whilst being needed by him at the same time, really highlights how appearances and labels -dead, alive, rich and poor-are irrelevant when you weigh up the good and bad that you do.

It’s not as clear cut as this, obviously these two men are killers, but they have compassion, forthright attitudes and take no shit and no prisoner approaches to their art. Its not overly explained, but it is clear that they have been doing this for quite some time-as they gather the things that they need it is clear that they know which rituals , which protection items etc are necessary, and neither argues the toss with the other, its a simple case of needs meeting must.

I finished it feeling satisfied and glad, it definitely left me wanting more , so I am hopeful that maybe Richard Kadrey will revisit this couple in future stories but even if he doesn’t , this is a great read which definitely wiles away an afternoon in splendid company.

About the author….

Richard Kadrey is a writer and freelance musician living in Pittsburgh, best known for his Sandman Slim novels.

His work has been nominated for the Locus and BSFA awards.

Kadrey’s newest books are The Secrets Of Insects’, released in August 2023; ‘The Dead Take The A Train’ (with Cassandra Khaw), released in September 2023; The Pale House Devil, released in October 2023.

Links-http://www.richardkadrey.me/

Twitter @Richard_Kadrey @TitanBooks