Customer Reviews

Johannes Cabal the Detective

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4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
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Johannes Cabal the Necromancer was an amazing novel, and this one is a fantastic second in the series. Everything that is good about Necromancer is better in Detective. The plot is tighter (with no dangling Chekov's Gun like the first book). The characters stay true. The world is richly detailed. And best of all, the pacing is perfect. You may read this book in a single sitting just because it never gets slow and never gets rushed.

Johannes Cabal, a necromancer of some infamy, is attempting to return home with some ill-gotten goods when he becomes entangled in a murder-mystery aboard an airship. Somewhat unwillingly, he turns his sharply analytical mind to unraveling the plot, so long as it doesn't endanger his escape. And because life is never simple, his pseudo-nemesis from his past train adventure, Leonie Barrow, happens to be on that same ship. Hilarity, hijinks, and murder ensue.

The one marked divergence from the first book is that Detective has a bit of steampunk in it. This is not a steampunk-centered book, to revel in the mystical technology, but the descriptions of some of the machines are quite interesting. Beyond the contrived replacement countries to fill out Eastern Europe, this addition sets Cabal's world as clearly different from our own (ignoring, of course, the necromancy).

Reading the first book is not necessary for reading this one, as the relevant bits of plot are quickly and efficiently rehashed as necessary, but i don't know why anyone would deprive themselves of the pleasure of watching these characters develop.

"Johannes Cabal the Necromancer" was without a doubt my favorite book I read last year. The humor, the characters, the wonderful writing... rarely do I find a book that I enjoyed as much as it. The mixture of horror and comedy tropes blended so well together by Mr. Howard that I couldn't put the book down until I finished it. It is with some regret that I have to say that this sequel, while keeping the comedy firmly intact, disregards the horror tropes almost entirely.

In this novel, Johannes Cabal (a necromancer of some little infamy) finds himself in a bit of a predicament. He's stolen a book that could be quite useful for one in his trade and is on the run from a government that is, to put it lightly, not entirely pleased with his recent actions. He takes the identity of a civil servant and boards an aeroship the Princess Hortense so as to make a quick, and more importantly, unobserved getaway. Unfortunately for Cabal, not a night goes by without him running into someone who is well aware of his true identity and guarantees that he will be exposed once their destination is reached. As if matters couldn't get any worse, someone decides to make a nuisance of his or her self and commit a murder in an extremely puzzling way so that it catches Cabal's sense of curiosity.

What follows afterwards can only be described as a comedic steam punk detective story. Now, I'm a fan of both the detective and the steam punk genres, and a combination of the two is something I'm utterly delighted to see... but it still wasn't what I was looking for here. I didn't expect to see Cabal's carnival again, but I was expecting a little more necromancy and horror in the continuation of a story about a necromancer.

After I got over this disappointment though, I must say I did enjoy myself. Cabal is still snide, sarcastic and a joy to read. The humor of the first book is steady throughout this novel and the interactions of the characters is a delightful. While not as good as the first book, I can still honestly say that I enjoyed it and look forward to Cabal's return in a third novel.

Caught trying to pilfer a particularly dangerous book on necromancy, Johannes Cabal finds himself in the hands of a would-be dictator in whose mind dances scenes of martial glory. Cabel escapes via an aeroship (a sort of steampunk flying ship, not to be confused with a dirigible), and hopes that all he has to do is keep his head down and get across the border. But, when a man is murdered in a locked room, Cabal's scientific mind goes into gear, trying to get to the bottom of it. And if he thought he was in danger before, he has not seen anything yet!

OK, where do I start? I liked Johannes Cabal the Necromancer, which was an off-beat blend of comedy and horror. This book eschews the humor and aims to blend defective fiction and horror, with a splash of steampunk thrown in. Sadly, it doesn't quite make it.

The steampunk angle of the story is rather tangential, and could easily have been edited out with no change to the story whatsoever. Necromancy only makes two appearances in the story at all, and again they could easily have been edited out with no loss to the story. Therefore, what this book truly is is a murder mystery, plain and simple.

As a murder mystery, the book is actually quite good. Cabal is still a fascinating character, and his playing the hero of the story is pulled off quite well. There is a lot of good action and adventure, and I liked the pseudo-Central European/19th century setting. Overall, I rather enjoyed the time I spent with the story.

Now, would I have liked the story better if it had been more like Johannes Cabal the Necromancer? Definitely. But, is it good as it is? Definitely!

Despite being cranky, arrogant and amoral, Johannes Cabal is rather an endearing figure. For all his intellect he can be staggeringly obtuse. He knows the difference between right and wrong, and though he has little use for humanity in general, he frequently does do the right thing. Sadly, the right thing isn't often the nice thing, and that's the edge Howard walks when he tells his tales of the adventures of Johannes Cabal. We have to believe that what Cabal does is right in a larger sense of the word; not the sentimental choice, but the one which means the best possible outcome for the greatest number of (relatively) innocent bystanders. And himself, of course. Self-interest is probably his overwhelming characteristic.

Johannes Cabal, the Detective succeeds beautifully at traveling along that fine, sharp edge. Cabal is is usual, irascible self, fleeing justice but also escaping injustice. As one of the characters points out, trouble seems to seek him out. He escapes a country in chaos on an airship, and the first night out, one of the passengers is murdered in a classic locked-room mystery. Things go from bad to worse; a character commits suicide, Cabal himself is attacked, and a woman tries to seduce him. It's difficult to tell which event is the most upsetting to him.

Possibly the best thing about the story is that we're shown a surprising side to his nature. It's more than just an inability to understand women and their motivations, it's almost an innocence that's quite endearing. I liked seeming him nonplussed; it made him more human, more accessible. And it keeps Cabal from being a one-note character. He's very, very smart, but he makes mistakes and he does occasionally make an emotional choice, though he would die rather than admit it.

The mystery he solves is interesting enough, but the real joy of reading this book is in the characterization, not the plot. That, and Howard's dark, droll sense of humor are what bring me back to Howard's work over and over.

High hopes for a quirky and original new series Jonathan Howard will need a touch of its own necromancy after "Johannes Cabal the Detective," the second tale of Johannes Cabal. Howard tackles a tricky genre mash-up - something of a black fantasy-crime combination - and to his credit almost pulls it off. I thoroughly enjoyed last year's debut, the campy: "Johannes Cabal the Necromancer," a fiendishly clever and intelligent novel. In "Necromancer," Howard playfully pokes across fun across a wide spectrum from "Faust" to Stephen King - his keen insight of human behavior matching his razor sharp prose and dialogue, spinning an offbeat and macabre yarn.

Johannes Cabal is a necromancer - a cold-hearted but brilliant scientist who made the proverbial "deal with the devil" to gain the tools of his nefarious trade. He is also an insufferable snob who applies his caustic wit with rapier accuracy on all of those unfortunate enough to cross his path. In this installment, the setting is the fictitious eastern European nation of Mirkarvia in an unspecified time that feels a lot like the second half of the 19th century. Much of the action takes place on the maiden voyage of a Mirkarvian aeroship - the combination of a zeppelin and the Love Boat. En route, a passenger is apparently murdered in a spin on the classic locked-room mystery. When his own life is threatened, Cabal, posing as a Mirkarvian bureaucrat to escape Mirkarvia's upstart despot, becomes a detective - of sorts. In a hodgepodge of characters and Victorian insensibilities, a whodunit reminiscent of "Clue" rolls out, twisted around a made up world that fails at create sufficient suspense while the intended satire misses the mark. "Detective" starts strong, and as a mildly redeeming conclusion, but suffers from a tiring and tedious middle

To be fair, "Detective" benefits from the same clever dialog and dark wit of its predecessor. But I missed "Johannes Cabal the Necomancer's" outrageous collection of ghouls straight from "Night of the Dead" central casting and the Three Stooges grade slapstick. Jonathan Howard is without a doubt a creative and talented writer, and is certainly due a free pass. So I'll forgive this one, and look forward to the sequel to see where Cabal's journeys from Mirkarvia take him.

I thought the original Johannes Cabal the Necromancer book was excellent. The story was unique and intriguing. There was no question that I would be reading the sequel. Johannes Cabal the Detective is a different story. Yes, there is some brief necromancy, but minimal in comparison to the original. In fact, the detail of Johannes Cabal being a necromancer is stated numerous times throughout the story, but the reader does not really get the opportunity to see the man in action beyond the beginning of the story and toward the end. Instead, this is an old-fashioned murder mystery story. I was reminded of Murder on the Orient Express while reading this adventure (set in a small enclosed space for traveling with a handful of characters, a murder/suicide, and a quest for the truth). The steam-punk genre is new to me and I appreciated the details the author provides (including illustrations) of the unusual airship where the majority of the plot occurs. Dark humor is present, which is something I appreciate a great deal. I actually laughed out loud when someone was brought back from the dead and began craving "Brains! Brains!" No, there are no zombies or vampires or werewolves. The reader is able to become more familiar with the odd Johannes Cabal, a man with zero social skills and an overactive analytical mind. While the main character is still not the most likable chap, one is drawn in by his sense of reasoning and logic, not to mention his painful awkwardness and thinking/guessing-on-his-feet way of interacting with others. Overall, the Detective is a good mystery set in a vividly unusual place. If the reader is expecting more of the same from the original, he/she will be disappointed. One complaint I often have about sequels is that the author just re-tells the same story. This is likely why I enjoyed this sequel as much as I did. The ending leaves the reader wanting to know what happens next and another sequel is set up. I understand a 3rd book has been written, but not released in the U.S., yet. Hopefully, the author will continue with this great character!

The first story, the Necromancer, was very dark carnival, very goth. This has a more adventurist feel. Technology that seams like it could work in a different time and place. Some place where style still counts! And the Cabal character is still me and my husband's favorite character of late, up there with Harry Dresden and Simon Green's Night Side Chronicles.

Saying that this is a steampunk novel is an almost useless definition. So many literary mash-ups fly the flag of steampunk that it should be a requirement that they come with flowcharts that explain the various influences and homages that make them up. In this case we have a story set in a mostly alternate reality Europe in which the usual eastern European countries are replaced by states called Mirkarvia, Senza, and Katamenia. The time period is, roughly speaking, Edwardian, and the technology features airships (of course) and entomopters, a dragonfly-inspired aircraft. The literary influences include Agatha Christie, H.P. Lovecraft, and boys adventure magazines like Chums. In sum, the usual DNA of a steampunk adventure.

What sets Cabal apart from the common herd of blood and thunder Victoriana steampunk fiction is that Howard clearly set out with a strong story idea before adding in the steampunk elements. And it doesn't hurt that he's a fine writer. Johannes Cabal, the Detective is the second in a series and it manages to mix together a locked room mystery with a spy action-thriller as well as a taste of supernatural horror. It's to Howard's credit that none of these elements feel forced or awkward. Other steampunk writers I've read tend to clutter up the foreground with steampunk set dressing, as it were, and leave the story behind. This novel would work well even if it wasn't set in an alternate historical reality. Really, the steampunk stuff is just a bonus.

This adventure finds Cabal, a necromancer, fleeing Mirkarvia after raising the country's king from the dead (temporarily). He flees to Senza aboard an airship under a false name and then the fun begins. One of the passengers is murdered and Cabal reluctantly takes the case. Much action and intrigue ensues, and the finale features a spectacular airship crash. As action-y as the story is, it's first and foremost a comic novel, with a comic style influenced heavily by Blackadder. Like Blackadder, Cabal is self-centred, vicious, and mostly concerned with saving his own skin. He does have a glimmer of humanity, and it's brought out by Leonie Barrow, his sidekick in this adventure who, I'm guessing, was introduced in the previous book.

There aren't many writers who can mix comedy and adventure this well, and Howard is definitely one of them. He even manages to provide a clever epilogue to the story that works beautifully as a standalone tale of supernatural horror. My only reservation about the novel is that Cabal's resolute nihilism might make him less interesting to follow in successive stories. But I'll take that chance.

Read more of my reviews at JettisonCocoon.com

Our favorite Necromancer is back for another adventure. This time he finds himself in a fascist nation escaping certain death aboard an aeroship. The book is filled with high adventure, light magic, and a murder mystery. The best way I can describe this story is Showtime's Dexter, meets Agatha Christie, meets Indiana Jones, with a sprinkle of necromancy.

If you are looking for the same unfriendly and borderline evil Johannes Cabal from the Necromancer book, you may be a little disappointed. This Cabal seems to have learned how to at least pass as a normal person. This book is pretty much from a completely different genre. As The Necromancer was more of a horror comedy, The Detective should be considered more of an adventure comedy.

I personally hold Johannes Cabal as one of my all time favorite literary characters. He doesn't disappoint in this book. He is brilliant, brutal, but completely socially awkward. The fantastic setting and quirky characters make for an enjoyable read.

I highly recommend this book.

Although I enjoyed the first Johannes Cabal novel I felt that this one was even more entertaining. I love the way Howard writes evoking incredible imagery while making it laugh out loud funny. A must read if you enjoyed the first book. I truly hope there are many more Cabal novels to follow.