Title: 666 Charing Cross Road
Author: Paul Magrs
Publisher: Headline Review
Publication Date: Oct 2011
ARC: 390 pages
Genre: Quirky Urban Fantasy
Source: Review copy from publisher
Reviewed by Carolyn
RATING: 6/10
SUMMARY:
In a Manhattan gallery, a strange, undead woman who’s been lost for centuries, is found in a basement and becomes the centrepiece of Shelley’s new museum show. Nicknamed Bessie, the Scottish Bride, she is an overnight celebrity as Christmas approaches.
From the dusty vaults beneath the famed bookshops in Charing Cross Road, Shelley’s bibliophile aunt Liza receives crumbling volumes by post, while her friend Jack prefers brand-new books and his brand-new lover. When a small leather-bound book of spells arrives, Liza finds it repellent. But its arcane magic brings Bessie to life, and enthrals Shelley’s posh boyfriend Daniel – literally. It contains the quintessence of evil in the form of a dark bloodstain marking several pages: vampire blood.
As Daniel’s power grows, everyone’s lives are infected. Soon the vicious vampire infestation rife in NYC threatens to spread to London – and only the Scottish Bride and her new friends can stop it…
REVIEW:
I have been a big fan of Magrs’ writing ever since I read his ‘Brenda & Effie’ paranormal mystery series. Magrs writing style is quirky, with an old fashioned touch, articulate and descriptive. “666 Charing Cross Road” has all of these qualities.
New Yorker, Elizabeth Bathory, loves books, especially the supernatural kind and when her friend, Jack, gives her the address of a book shop in London who specialises in old out of print books in her favourite genres, she begins to write to the owner and order herself a selection of paranormal romances and vampire fiction.
One day she unexpectedly receives an ancient book, which is cursed with a demon. Having dealt with many vamps and other supernatural creatures in her past, Liza instantly knows that there’s something decidedly evil about the book and wants to be rid of it.
Shelley, Liza’s niece, is a curator for an unconventional art gallery and is dating her boss Daniel. When Daniel sets his eyes on the grimoire he wants it and asks to examine it in more details, so reluctantly, as Liza dislikes this man intensely and thinks her niece can do so much better, allows him to take it. Unfortunately, the demon possesses Daniel after he invites the demon in and all hell breaks loose.
Unfortunately, “666 Charing Cross Road” started off very slowly, which made it difficult to get into. It also has many plot twists and turns that made my head spin a little, as well as numerous characters, but due to the clever writing I knew exactly what was going on and who was who. There isn’t much depth to the characters either and I felt as though I was watching their lives from afar. I much prefer to be immersed in my characters lives so I did feel slightly detached from them.
There are lots of supernatural creatures such as vampires, zombies, demons, and in particular, Betsy, an effigy of a woman who comes to life after many years to find that she’s been brought back to life by the very grimoire everyone wants to destroy.
I found Betsy fun and different, I enjoyed that she was quite prepared to beat Daniel to a pulp if he hurt Shelley. There was one specific scene that had me giggling. But because she has been ‘dead’ for a long time her voice was taking time to return. The way Magrs used this in Betsy’s dialogue was funny at first, but when she didn’t get any better it became irritating and started to grate on my nerves. I just wanted her to talk normally!
I was also hoping for something more from Elizabeth Bathory, with such a name I thought that there would be a big reveal at the end. Unfortunately there wasn’t – although she casts a few spells and implies that she has had dealings with vampires in her past, no other details were given, which was a little disappointing.
VERDICT:
Although “666 Charing Cross Road” isn’t the strongest novel I’ve read by Magrs asI found the pace to be too slow, which made the story drag, it’s still another wonderfully written story, with clever prose, fabulously idiosyncratic characters and intriguing, original plot.
You can find more information about Paul Magrs here:
This book counts towards the following BCC Reading Challenges:
GIVEAWAY!
Thanks to the lovely peeps at Headline, I have FOUR (4) copies of “666 Charing Cross Road” to giveaway! Just follow the instructions below!
This giveaway is UK ONLY and ends 31st Oct 2011
GOOD LUCK! 
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3 Comments
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I so want to win this! I have been after this book for ever! Even it starts out slow, I don't care. Will fight all other contestants for it. LOL
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Megan – Thanks for the lovely compliment, I'm glad you like my blog
Vivienne – LOL, have you read any Paul Magrs? His Brenda & Effie series is excellent. This one has just the same brilliant writing so I'm sure you'll enjoy it, it was just a bit to slow for my taste and not enough character depth, but I would still recommend it
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