Happy Hour in Hell

Disclaimer: I received an ARC PDF from netgalley in exchange for this review. However, because I already love the series, I purchased an ePub the day it came out.

Tad Williams is a master storyteller. Happy Hour in Hell is the second book in his Bobby Dollar series. In this book, we get to follow Bobby down into Williams's version of Hell, as Bobby attempts to rescue his love, Caz, from the demon Eligor. Hijinxs ensure and we're treated to a very spooky, but well written second story into the life of Bobby Dollar.

Williams really can write. His vision of Hell is dark, gross, disgusting and every bit a horror as we can think. I'm impressed with the descriptions of the various levels and the critters that run around in the planes. It really does give us the impression of how crappy a place it is and how horrible it can be looking from an angel's perspective. We're also treated to Dollar's personality and quips as he runs around the underworld, looking for Casimira.

What I didn't like was the direction that this series took quickly... we went from book one where we introduce our protagonist, the setting, and how Heaven and Hell work to this book where we see our protagonist jump straight down to hell to rescue someone he had a weekend fling with. It seems a bit contradictory to everything that I've read in the genre but... then again, I can only wait to see where this is going.

Bottom Line: If you're a fan of Tad Williams, good gumshoe urban fantasy novels, and dark views of Hell, then this is the book for you.

The border between noir and horror was crossed in this book. It's straight up horror. Bobby Dollar spends ninety percent of the book traveling through hell and doing what he does best. Getting “the point” beaten into him until he FINALLY figures it out. I'm not a horror reader and find the genre pointless is most cases.

I'm hoping the third book focuses on heaven and makes Bobby go through compelling struggles while getting “the point”. If this is the case the series will be redeemed.

The book and series in general is full of interesting ideas and twists. The heaven vs. hell concept as addressed in genre writing is thought provoking. The noir aspect is a different take. I just hope the third book makes it worth going through 350 pages of horror.