Hell, Incorporated (Jeff Folschinsky Series)

After a budget exorcism goes right in all the wrong ways, Dominic Pecus of Ninth Gate Incorporated is summoned to investigate what the heck happened. Among the questions that need answers: How did this young woman come to be possessed? How did she die in the process of the exorcism? Who performed the ritual? Where are the exorcists now? And most importantly, where is that poor demon? … Wait, what?

Along for the ride is first-day hire Max, our bewildered main character who tries in vain to keep up with his excentric boss and the otherworldly realities of his new job. And as he soon finds out, it’s a very weird job — Dominic and Max work for Hell.

In an explanation that is gracefully glossed over, Hell has outsourced much of its earthside affairs to mankind, who investigate fishy supernatural events and liaise with their employer’s heavenly counterpart. At length, Dominic reveals to Max that the issue isn’t necessarily that someone was possessed, or even that the exorcism resulted in the death of the victim. (As Dominic explains, these things happen from time to time.) The real pickle is that the demon extracted from the young woman never came home after his joyride. Faced with the possibility that the demon may have been murdered, notably without any help from powers above or below, the duo follows an entertaining (if linear) trail of breadcrumbs to the truth.

Jeff Folschinsky’s Hell, Incorporated, is a straightforward adventure that is light on twists and turns but chock full of laughs. The slim page count doesn’t leave a lot of room for red herrings, character development, or exposition, and frankly, that’s just great. Folschinsky instead focuses on cracking jokes and hurrying the reader along to the next amusing set piece.

It’s difficult to describe the book’s comedic tone, but if you can imagine a James Bond movie performed by the cast of The Muppets, then you’re most of the way there. Folschinsky is effortlessly funny and manages to get great mileage out of the simplest gags, often delivered by Ninth Gate boss Dominic. One joke in particular is used over and over and over again, but Folschinsky puts just enough spin on the delivery each time to avoid beating the punchline into the ground like so many ill-fated sketch comedy skits. The longer it goes on, the funnier it becomes. Weaved throughout are also surprising moments of magical horror evocative of Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. Readers will find in Hell, Incorporated, an accessible read that successfully oscillates between absurdist comedy, terror, and detective procedural. Fans of Seth McFarlane, or really, any reader looking for a slim, standalone adventure with a humorous punch will find a lot to love.