Book Review: Hell's Belles by Paul Magrs

Title: Hell's Belles

Author: Paul Magrs

Genre: Supernatural Mystery

Publisher: Headline Review

Publication Date: 12 Nov 2009

ARC: 439 pages

Rating: 9/10

Summary (ARC cover):

Penny is running away from a life of domestic strife and into mysterious Whitby - where she hopes to find herself. But in her quest for self discovery, Penny may have stumbled on something far more sinister: the gateway to hell. Got Whitby is no ordinary seaside resort. The quant facade of coffee shops and tea dances conceals a magnet for dark and dangerous forces, drawing in and spewing out all kinds of monsters. And all that keeps the evil at bay are Brenda and Effie - two very unusual old ladies.

When a film crew comes to town to remake the sixties schlock horror movie Get Thee Inside Me, Satan, Brenda and Effie suspect something strange is afoot. Female lead Karla Sorenson is reprising her role and doesn't looks like she's aged a day. Surely that's not possible? Then there are the disturbing rumours surrounding the origins; movie - a cult classic that is, quite literally, spell-binding. As events spool out of control, Penny's new boss Robert draws her deeper into the movie's peculiar mystery. But can it be stopped before all hell breaks loose?

Review:

Well, what can I say - absolutely fabulous! I read my first Brenda and Effie book by Paul Magrs last month and absolutely loved it. With Hell's Belles being the fourth book in the series I thought that it would lose some of the story's zest as so many sequels in series do, but this is better than the last. I just loved it!

Margs has such an amazing talent. His writing is so clever as although there are many plot twists and turns they all read smoothly and easily, there is no confusion as to what's going on. We are introduced to many characters throughout the book but each character has a unique voice and I thoroughly enjoyed reading them all. Two of the main characters, Brenda and Effie, are retired old ladies! 

I honestly didn't think that reading about two old ladies would be my thing. I have to connect and be able to relate to the characters in some way to really enjoy a book and reading about two retired old ladies did initially make me a little apprehensive. But after reading Conjugal Rites, I absolutely fell in love with Brenda and Effie, and I had no problem connecting with them. It was the same with Hell's Belles. They are just so funny, quirky and warm. And don't think for a minute because they are old they can't fight their own battles - Brenda and Effie can kick-arse with the best of them - well, they have to, being the guardians of the hell mouth! 

I also love Robert, Brenda's other best friend, who finds love in Hell's Belles with a guy called Michael. They meet each night to have moonlit rides on an enchanted settee, but as expected, nothing is as it first seems. Penny, a new resident of Whitby, is also falling for a guy called Michael, but he's seeing the evil Mrs Claus, who is thoroughly enjoying his attention. As always there a funny goings on in all the lives of the Whitby characters, which makes each one so interesting and intriguing.

A secret, that was alluded to in Conjugal Rites, is revealed in Hell's Belles and I'm excited to see where Magrs takes this part of the story. I also have a sneaking suspicion that the character of Penny will be back with her own revelations in book five! 

Verdict:

This is a totally unique story with original characters. Deliciously written with enough action to keep you turning the pages. Magrs has you jumping back and forth between characters but instead of it being annoying and confusing it made it exciting and I was totally absorbed. This is a comedy too but with a dark edge. With vampires, monsters, zombies and demons. Wonderful story. Superbly executed. 

If you haven't yet read this series you really should. I have checked: the Book Depository has copies and ships free to anywhere in the world! So go and buy yours now!

Thank you so much to Headline Review for sending me this book to review.

If you would like to read my review of Conjugal Rites, you can do so HERE

To read my interview with Paul Magrs and for the chance of winning a copy of Hell's Belles! with signed bookplate go HERE

If you would like to know more about Paul Magrs then you can visit him here:

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