The Wrong Dead Guy

January 2, 2017
Kadrey’s follow-up to 2016’s fantasy-caper romp The Everything Box strives for the same charm as its predecessor but ends up feeling flat. Mystical burglar Coop is on the receiving end of a mummy’s curse after a job for the Department of Peculiar Science (DOPS) goes awry. While the mummy, Harkhuf, attempts to resurrect his lover and an army, Coop and his friends race against the clock to save humankind. Meanwhile, various colorful characters in and out of the DOPS continue assorted illegal shenanigans, and it’s in those scenes where Kadrey’s dialogue uncharacteristically falters: in his attempt to imbue every exchange with wry, cynical sarcasm, Kadrey ends up making his entire cast speak in the same voice. To his credit, his plotting is as deft as ever, weaving eight broad story arcs into one overarching narrative that’s entertainingly unpredictable (and somewhat impenetrable for new readers, as previous plot points, such as Coop’s immunity to magic, are glossed over). Especially entertaining are two forgotten DOPS employees whose steady descent into delusional paranoia is only marginally less amusing than the vaguely-defined horrors lurking in their office, but sheer quirkiness isn’t enough to save this sequel from sophomore slump. Agent: Ginger Clark, Curtis Brown.

December 15, 2016
Supernatural agent "Coop" Cooper returns in an overstuffed, hyperkinetic sequel to The Everything Box (2016). To recap, inveterate thief Coop is a fast-talking criminal making his way through a supernatural substratum of society. Last time around, he saved the world and has now reluctantly been seconded to the Department of Peculiar Science, a Los Angeles-based task force that deals with all things spooky. "I don't want a desk," Coop protests. "I'm a crook. Crooks don't have desks. We have tools and cars and six ways out of town." The gang's all here, including Coop's partner in crime Morty Ramsey, fellow agents Bayliss and Giselle, and a new addition: Dr. Lupinsky, an Egyptologist who got mixed up in some bad juju and is now a half-cat, half cybernetic octopus, as happens sometimes. There's not much to the plot, carried along as it is by Kadrey's manic dialogue, phantasmagorical imagery, and the occasional dirty joke, but it's plenty for fans of this strain of comic horror. Coop's boss, Woolrich, orders his team on a new mission: "A simple theft. A local museum has a mummy on display. We'd like to have it instead of them." What sounds like a simple heist quickly becomes mortal danger when they accidentally awaken Harkhuf, an evil mummy imbued with dark magic, which is totally the worst kind of magic, apparently. Harkhuf seeks a powerful amulet and an ancient book to resurrect his queen, Shemetet. (Yes, this is pretty much the plot of the Brendan Fraser movie; it's a book that name-checks Bubba Ho-Tep, so just go with it.) Other figures in this cavalcade include an undead mailroom manager plotting revenge; a car salesman given to dressing like the Electric Cowboy; and a cop named Jim Rockford, no less. Readers who appreciate restraint may find this cartoonish adventure overwhelming, but those who want a Quentin Tarantino joint crafted with the juvenile humor of Christopher Moore will find themselves in good company. A goofy, flamboyant, and breathless horror adventure by one of the genre's sharpest creators.

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 15, 2016
Last year, New York Times best-selling author Kadrey launched a comedic supernatural series with The Everything Box, featuring master thief Coop, here tasked with stealing a sarcophagus containing the mummy of Egyptian wizard Harkhuf. Alas, the mummy isn't actually dead.

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.