Just a quick post, today, to draw your attention to two recent reviews of James P. Blaylock‘s latest novel, PENNIES FROM HEAVEN. The novel is published by PS Publishing in the UK (above, left), and JABberwocky (above, righ) in North America. Before the reviews, though, here’s the synopsis…
With a 100-year storm threatening the southern California coast, Jane Larkin is approached by a strange, audacious woman who wants to invest much-needed money in Jane’s Old Orange Co-op. Meanwhile Jane’s husband Jerry discovers an ancient excavation beneath the Larkin home. On that ominous morning in autumn, shadows descend over the deceptively quiet neighborhoods of Old Orange, ushering in a flood of chaos, terror, and murder.
Ian Hunter had this to say about the novel, for the British Fantasy Society (who also included a nice mention for Tim Powers, who we also represent in the UK and Commonwealth)…
‘I would urge you to check both Blaylock and [Tim] Powers out if you haven’t already, as what we get here is another fantastic treat… Blaylock delivers a tale that is fun, fast and as furious as the storm that is gathering, populated by a great cast of main and supporting characters, ingenious plotting, a well-rounded sense of place, punctuated by desperate measures, dastardly deeds and a seasoning of black humour, oh, and a cute dog, which all adds up to an entertaining read. If you haven’t read Blaylock before – and he has published novels regularly since the early 1980s – this might be the perfect place.’
And here’s Paul Di Filippo, for Locus Magazine…
‘A new novel from Blaylock is a major occasion… With PENNIES, Blaylock is back in contemporary times, in the setting he loves so deeply and limns so well, small-town California… authentic pathos, romance, and comedy… The supernatural elements in the book are vital and well done (the eventual capture of the ghost is colorful and ingenious), but the spook stuff takes a backseat to the human dynamics, the caper aspect and the interpersonal hijinks. Blaylock has always had an affection for eccentrics, misfits and visionaries, and while Jane and Jerry are more “normal” and wholesome than his typical cast, they qualify as non-whitebread souls. As for Phibbs, Blaylock succeeds in creating a true monster. PENNIES is very cinematic… until Hollywood smartens up and drops bushels of money on Blaylock, you can run this great screwball caper as often as you want, in your own head!’
If you prefer your fiction delivered through your ears, PENNIES FROM HEAVEN is also available as an audiobook, published by W.F. Howes.
