The Creeps

The modest English town of Biddlecombe has largely recovered from the events of The Infernals and hesitantly welcomed a few friendly demons. The demon Mrs. Abernathy is being recovered%E2%80%94one molecule at a time%E2%80%94by a servant of the Great Malevolence, and a team of CERN scientists is studying how a sleepy town became the nexus for a great deal of trans-dimensional activity. Added to the mix are a performing troupe of ill-behaved little people, a washed-up boy band, and creatures of dark matter that are even worse than demons. The sweetness of protagonist Samuel Johnson's nature and his friendship with the demon Nurd, which were cornerstones of the previous two books, are obscured by the comic set pieces. Even Connolly's energetic storytelling and funny, capacious footnotes can't contain the bursting seams of his trilogy's finale. (Feb.)