The Rain-Soaked Bride: The Clown Service Series, Book 2

The second book of the Clown Service series (after the eponymous launch title) combines dark arts and dark humor. When trade talks between the U.K. and South Korea are plagued by deaths that reek of the supernatural, Toby Greene and August Shining of British Intelligence's Section 37 are called in to help. But even their expertise in the occult may not be enough. Adams does a much better job this time providing a compelling thriller plot, taking the reader down credible false leads on multiple occasions and keeping the speculative elements on topic. The scope is smaller, but feels more powerful due to the proximity and individuality of the death scenes. Some issues remain, such as the way magic always manages to do whatever the plot requires and the need for Toby and August to save the female characters, but the merging of James Bond and the X-Files is still delightful enough to overcome these flaws. (July)