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The Lamp of the Wicked Merrily Watkins Mysteries Phil Rickman 9780330490320 Books

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The Lamp of the Wicked Merrily Watkins Mysteries Phil Rickman 9780330490320 Books

The fifth book in the Merrily Watkins series is another more worldly than otherworldly mystery. This book's roots center around one of the UK's most infamous serial killers: Fred West. American readers may not be as familiar with this case and Rickman's characters generally avoid discussing the realities and details, so curious readers may want to look for more information elsewhere to put the story into better perspective.

Unfortunately, Jane's character is in a bit of a "downward" funk in this book, making her sections less pleasurable than they usually are. This does, however, greatly add to the series' overall realism. This slows some of the overall action down, or at least it did for me, making this fifth book not my favorite of the series. The premise interested me, but without a solid context on the crimes of Fred West and his wife, it just may not have the fullest impact as it could have had.


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The Lamp of the Wicked Merrily Watkins Mysteries Phil Rickman 9780330490320 Books Reviews

Jane is sometimes hard to bear but, overall, the Merrily Watkins Mysteries are well-written and interesting.
Phil Rickman's books always have compelling plots and continuing growth and development of the familiar characters. Each one in the Merrily Watkins series confronts a different type of embodiment of evil. This installment may be more accessible to British readers than Americans because of its links to some actual crimes committed in Britain, but horrific crimes have also happened here, only the particular details are different. Evil, twisted natures are always present in society. Excellent book, one which you will want to keep and re-read again and again.
As always, the story kept me turning the pages. My only complaint is that there were some annoying editing problems in the version involving inconsistent use of quotes for dialog.
I have enjoyed the previous books in this series, but I have to say that I found this one to be somewhat disjointed - not so much as a matter of plot, but with regard to character development. I must also note that, unlike the previous books, the formatting of this one for was horrible - so much so that I suspect some text went wholly missing.
Definitely one of the better additions to the Merrily Watkins series. Some peripheral characters are fleshed out much more thoroughly and given real depth. The plot threads keep moving quite well, and Merrily's recurring problem of only being able to be in one place at a time is used to excellent ends. Like most of the better books in this series, the realities of who/what/where/how/why/etc are always fun to guess at before everything becomes clear towards the end.
Good story line. I have been reading all of the Merrily Watkins series from the beginning. I will admit this was a long book with a lot of twists and turns, which is why I only gave it 4 stars, but overall it was a good read. Rickman has a way of bringing you into the story so you think it is real. There were a few parts that were drawn out, but the ending keeps you guessing. Recommend for adults- the subject matter is a little dark for the teen/ young adult audience in my opinion.
This is the second of Phil Rickman's stories featuring Merrily Watkins that I've read. Originally, I wasn't sure that Merrily, who is an Anglican minister and Deliverance Consultant (exorcist) would be the kind of character that to whom I would be attracted. Stories with romantic underpinnings put me off, and Kay Scarpetta stories have permanently put me off troublesome teenage daughters. Because Rickman has written several horror stories that I like I decided to take the leap of faith. I have to admit that I've been very pleasantly surprised.

Let me say right off that if you are expecting these tales to be horror stories you are in for a surprise. Rather, thing of them as detective/suspense with a spiritual element. Merrily Watkins, having lost her husband, was drawn to the church, and then into the ministry. When a surprising turn of events revealed some unexpected sensitivities, Merrily is trained as a Deliverance Consultant and given Ledwardine as her post. With her is her daughter Jane, a seventeen-year-old with a sharp, questioning mind, who hovers between mature insight and girlish obstinacy. Another frequent participant is Lol, a recovering addict and musician who has a close, but difficult relationship with Merrily.

The Lamp of the Wicked starts out as the story of one serial killer, Roddy Lodge, who Merrily accidentally 'outs' while helping a friend. But it quickly becomes the story of another killer entirely around whose periphery the likes of Roddy and the citizens of the town of Underhowle are entangled. One killer dead for three years, and the other shortly into the book, this story is really about the web of evil that grew out of a set of chilling events in the past and how it took on a life of its own. One doesn't exorcise ghosts, only demons, but hidden in a deserted Baptist chapel in Underhowle is something that desperately needs to be laid to rest.

As Rickman likes to do, there are parallel themes that tangle the plot. The foremost of these is a building study of the effects of close exposure to radiant power (as in electrical towers). This has been an issue in the states for some time, but it rears its head in the little town of Underhowle as well. Rickman comes up with enough facts to disquiet the reader as this thread moves from alien abduction to temporary insanity. In addition to this, Jane is in the midst of a crisis of faith that has her in a permanently sarcastic and depressed mood. In fact, all of the Ledwardine characters have something on their minds, from a contractor whose partner went up in flames with his business, to Lol, who is struggling with his fears of performing again.

These stories are apt demonstrations of Rickman's abilities. He brings to life this part of England with its conflicts between the modern and old with an easy, fluent style. His characterization, no longer driven by the need to have inhuman monsters, has grown by leaps and bounds. He manages to create interest in characters that seem unlikely heroes. Even his theological meanderings avoid the dry or overly dramatic and simply become part of the developing atmosphere.

The Lamp of the Wicked can stand by itself, but I found having read one of the early books helped in understanding some of the key relationships quickly. As you might suspect, this helps. But nothing happens that you can't work out on your own, so dive in where you may.
The fifth book in the Merrily Watkins series is another more worldly than otherworldly mystery. This book's roots center around one of the UK's most infamous serial killers Fred West. American readers may not be as familiar with this case and Rickman's characters generally avoid discussing the realities and details, so curious readers may want to look for more information elsewhere to put the story into better perspective.

Unfortunately, Jane's character is in a bit of a "downward" funk in this book, making her sections less pleasurable than they usually are. This does, however, greatly add to the series' overall realism. This slows some of the overall action down, or at least it did for me, making this fifth book not my favorite of the series. The premise interested me, but without a solid context on the crimes of Fred West and his wife, it just may not have the fullest impact as it could have had.