Epeolatry Book Review: Consequential by T.C. Parker

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Title: Consequential
Author: T.C. Parker
Genre: Fantasy Mystery
Publisher: Nefarious Bat Press
Publication Date: 7th October, 2024
Synopsis: Fresh from her recent foray into crime-solving, demonic fallen god (and would-be detective) Sunny is back from Coventry – with a debt still owed to the murderous ghost of Lady Godiva, and now a giant mythical pig in need of babysitting on her to-do list.
What she needs, more than anything, is a nice hot bath and an episode of Poirot.
Fate, unfortunately, has other plans. As does her newest human ally, Jonas.
Plans that will lead Sunny down a conspiracy-riddled rabbit-hole of murder, mutilation and moral philosophy – and give her a brand-new reason to dust off her fedora and go chasing after the perp

Consequential is the third novel in T.C. Parker’s Hummingbird Murder Mystery Universe. Returning is Jonas, one of the main characters from the first book, Hummingbird, alongside Sunny, the demon protagonist introduced in the second book, To Coventry. If you haven’t read the first two novels, you can still enjoy this one as Parker delivers an overview of the characters and their relationship.

The novel is divided into character chapters. Most are from the perspective of Sunny and Grady, a new character to the series. This offers a great perspective from different viewpoints, leading to an even better “who done it” moment.

Sunny is a fun and sharp protagonist. Her powers and abilities offer a fresh take on the everyday murder mystery. Her sense of humor keeps everything light despite some very intense scenes. Both the way she speaks with people and her internal monologues show wit and a verbose use of formal language and historical references. 

It’s a pleasure to get to spend most of the reader’s time with Sunny because Jonas falls a bit flat in this novel. He’s introduced early alongside his boyfriend, Dan, who is worried about his missing ex-boyfriend. The missing ex spurs Sunny to action as she can’t let a good mystery go unsolved. Jonas isn’t seen again until halfway through the book when his own powers help Sunny interrogate a suspect. 

From start to finish, the story is clever and humorous. Even after a rather grizzly murder, the resulting ghost plays the role of comic relief well, lightening a tense situation.

Consequential by T.C. Parker combines the best elements of old school occult detective stories and horror. If you are a fan of horror, witty demons, or detective/murder mysteries, I recommend picking up a copy of this novel. 

/5

Available from Amazon.

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