No Hero

September 5, 2011
Arthur Wallace is a British police detective who stumbles into a monster infestation being fought by MI37, a tiny secret branch of the government that he joins. Surrounded by eccentric agents and researchers, Arthur wades gamely into the unknown, armed only with his police training and his all-purpose mantra "What Would Kurt Russell do?" Trying to protect reality on one hand, and a co-worker's innocent young half-Other daughters on the other, forced to cope with undead mad mechanical monks and the inhuman, unimaginably powerful Dreamers who control reality, Agent Wallace and MI37 have their work cut out for them. Wood creates vivid, intensely human characters and his perfect sense of timing keeps the book bounding along at a quick pace. A funny, dark, rip-roaring adventure with a lot of heart, highly recommended for urban fantasy and light science fiction readers alike.

March 15, 2014

Taking the actor Kurt Russell as his spirit guide hasn't worked out so well for Oxford police detective Arthur Wallace, although action-hero skills would come in handy for tracking a suspected serial killer. When Arthur identifies the killer, the truth is much more complicated. Kayla is an agent for a secret government department called MI37, and her vicitms aren't people at all--they are alien hosts called the Progeny. Arthur is recruited to help fight the extraterrestrial forces trying to break through to our dimension in this exciting debut fantasy. VERDICT First published in 2011 by Night Shade Books and repackaged by Titan, this hilarious and action-packed mix of Lovecraftian horror, mystery, and urban fantasy will appeal to fans of Harry Dresden and Charles Stross's "Laundry Files" series. The threat to the world is authentically scary, and the team of misfits in MI37 is a great invention in what should be the first of many outings for Arthur and his crew.

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