The Lamp of the Wicked (Merrily Watkins Mysteries) [Paperback]

Phil Rickman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2003 | Series: Merrily Watkins Mysteries

It appears that the unlovely village of Underhowle is home to a serial killer. But as the police hunt for the bodies of more young women, Rev. Merrily Watkins fears that the detective in charge has become blinkered by ambition. Meanwhile, Merrily has more personal problems, like the anonymous phone calls, the candles and incense left burning in her church, and the alleged angelic visitations.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A monumentally ambitious fourth outing."

About the Author

Phil Rickman, born in Lancashire, has won awards for his TV and radio journalism. After five acclaimed novels, he introduced this fascinating new series with The Wine of Angels. He is married and lives on the Welsh Border.

Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Macmillan UK (October 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 033049032X
• ISBN-13: 978-0330490320
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #619,995 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Be sober, be vigilant...", February 3, 2005

By 

Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: The Lamp of the Wicked (Merrily Watkins Mysteries) (Paperback)

This is the second of Phil Rickman's stories featuring Merrily Watkins that I've read. Originally, I wasn't sure that Merrily, who is an Anglican minister and Deliverance Consultant (exorcist) would be the kind of character that to whom I would be attracted. Stories with romantic underpinnings put me off, and Kay Scarpetta stories have permanently put me off troublesome teenage daughters. Because Rickman has written several horror stories that I like I decided to take the leap of faith. I have to admit that I've been very pleasantly surprised.

Let me say right off that if you are expecting these tales to be horror stories you are in for a surprise. Rather, thing of them as detective/suspense with a spiritual element. Merrily Watkins, having lost her husband, was drawn to the church, and then into the ministry. When a surprising turn of events revealed some unexpected sensitivities, Merrily is trained as a Deliverance Consultant and given Ledwardine as her post. With her is her daughter Jane, a seventeen-year-old with a sharp, questioning mind, who hovers between mature insight and girlish obstinacy. Another frequent participant is Lol, a recovering addict and musician who has a close, but difficult relationship with Merrily.

The Lamp of the Wicked starts out as the story of one serial killer, Roddy Lodge, who Merrily accidentally 'outs' while helping a friend. But it quickly becomes the story of another killer entirely around whose periphery the likes of Roddy and the citizens of the town of Underhowle are entangled. One killer dead for three years, and the other shortly into the book, this story is really about the web of evil that grew out of a set of chilling events in the past and how it took on a life of its own. One doesn't exorcise ghosts, only demons, but hidden in a deserted Baptist chapel in Underhowle is something that desperately needs to be laid to rest.

As Rickman likes to do, there are parallel themes that tangle the plot. The foremost of these is a building study of the effects of close exposure to radiant power (as in electrical towers). This has been an issue in the states for some time, but it rears its head in the little town of Underhowle as well. Rickman comes up with enough facts to disquiet the reader as this thread moves from alien abduction to temporary insanity. In addition to this, Jane is in the midst of a crisis of faith that has her in a permanently sarcastic and depressed mood. In fact, all of the Ledwardine characters have something on their minds, from a contractor whose partner went up in flames with his business, to Lol, who is struggling with his fears of performing again.

These stories are apt demonstrations of Rickman's abilities. He brings to life this part of England with its conflicts between the modern and old with an easy, fluent style. His characterization, no longer driven by the need to have inhuman monsters, has grown by leaps and bounds. He manages to create interest in characters that seem unlikely heroes. Even his theological meanderings avoid the dry or overly dramatic and simply become part of the developing atmosphere.

The Lamp of the Wicked can stand by itself, but I found having read one of the early books helped in understanding some of the key relationships quickly. As you might suspect, this helps. But nothing happens that you can't work out on your own, so dive in where you may.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An uneasy blending of fact and fiction, February 8, 2005

By 

silversurf (Planet of Paint) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lamp of the Wicked (Merrily Watkins Mysteries) (Paperback)

This is a well-written and thought-provoking book which transcends any classification as a genre novel. I'm a generalist reader with no special preference for horror, the supernatural, or detective fiction. I look for books with believable characters and interesting situations, and this book certainly delivers. There are several story lines which the author for most part weaves together well, but a novel this long and complex presents some challenges that I didn't think were completely met. The biggest problem for me was the author's obviously sincere effort to arouse public interest in a real mystery story that will perhaps never be fully investigated. The author combines the imaginary adventures of his fictional community and characters with the career of an actual serial killer, the notorious Fred West of Gloucester. West's arrest made the headlines in the mid 1990's, and he was widely believed to be guilty of many more crimes than the ones to which he actually confessed. While it is not unusual for fiction to include real historical events, it is tricky to make this narrative device work when the real history is so recent and so emotionally charged. The strong element of horror in the novel comes not only from the events that the reader knows are fictional, but also from what he or she believes actually happened to West's victims. For me, this uneasy mix of fascinating fiction and horrifying fact made the book alternately hard to put down and hard to pick up. Seriously, expect disturbing dreams if you read this book! In addition, I found the plotting a bit messy and hard to follow at times, but the superior quality of the writing kept me going.

Be advised that this is not the kind of suspense story in which all is neatly explained at the end. The main characters are all in their own way on a philosophical journey of discovery, plagued by doubts, fears, and confusion. The reader who travels with them will have a challenging but exciting journey.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another winner, June 19, 2004

By 

Chez "eshem" (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lamp of the Wicked (Merrily Watkins Mysteries) (Hardcover)

I've read all of Phil Rickman's previous novels, and this is yet another winner. Rickman has perfected the art of creating characters that become 'real' enough to care about - and his best creation to date is the smoking, slightly confused but always sincere female minister, Merrily Watkins.

This story is made all the more interesting because it addresses some of the pressing but as yet officially unrecognised problems of today's society, such as the mental and physical effects of living in close proximity to high powered electricity lines and telephone towers. The electrical hypersensitivity suffered by one of the characters and his subsequent actions are frighteningly close to home. I've suddenly become aware of how many telephone towers surround us - and lo and behold - I've actually seen them on church steeples!

The inclusion of the horrific real life monsters Fred and Rose West adds another chilling dimension to the story. An unsettling mystery thriller and a cracking good story.