The 'Circles of Hell' series by Mark Cain:
Novels in order:
Hell's Super
A Cold Day In Hell
Deal With The Devil
The Reluctant Devil
I'm No Angel
Beelzebub: A Memoir
Saint Peter Takes A Holiday (or It's About Time)
The League Of Unusual Denizens
A Room Of Steve's Own
Website address: https://markcainwrites.com/
Every so often, when I can't face a 'proper' novel but I need a bit of relaxing distraction, I turn my attention to what I mentally categorise as 'easy reading cosy comic fantasy' - the Inspector Hobbes series, reviewed elsewhere on this blog, is one such series, and Jodi Taylor's time-travelling historian is another. Most books by Heide Goode and Iain Grant fall into this category too (at the top end). Mark Cain's 'Circles Of Hell' series fulfils this requirement in my reading repertoire.
I have to come clean and admit that these books aren't great literature. They aren't even high up on my mental list of 'easy reading' novels. BUT they do have a soft heart, a gentle humour, amusing characters and a ridiculous premise, so if you are looking for something to read that will pass the time in a doctor's surgery or a queue or at a bus-stop, or will lull you gently to sleep at night, this might be a good choice for you.
I will say that I am currently reading The League of Unusual Denizens and I'm enjoying it, in a mild, unthinking way. The basic idea of these stories is that the protagonist, Steve Minnion, died some decades ago and has been sent to Hell. It is a traditional hell with lots of fire, brimstone and torture, demons with pitchforks and suchlike, but mostly it is just a place where things that would be irritating in the real living world reach their apotheosis. Steve is Hell's Superintendent when the series begins (he later becomes Heaven's ambassador plenipotentiary), accompanied by his best friend Orson Welles (yes, the Orson Welles). The role of superintendent essentially means he is a kind of janitor, all-round incompetent handyman (this being Hell), and was appointed to the position because he has absolutely no aptitude for the job. Except that, in fact, Steve has many excellent qualities - he is quite clever, good-humoured, kind and caring, loyal, friendly. He even gets on well with Beelzebub. He clearly isn't evil. And Hell seems to be full of people who you feel don't deserve to be there, including Steve's love-interest Florence Nightingale (yes, the Florence Nightingale). You find out later in the series why this is.
I think you can gather from that summary what kind of novels these are. They are full of puns, silliness and daft ideas, with very little making sense. You have to suspend your disbelief (and indeed your critical faculties) in order to enjoy the stories, but the warmth and good humour are very relaxing. It is difficult having a hero who is such a good guy - Steve is a rebel in Hell because he is clearly too nice a bloke to be there. He is Everyman, if Everyman is a kind-hearted, thoughtful, cheerful sort with excellent people skills.
The stories are mostly flimsy and nonsensical, and the writing is straightforward and at times naive in its style, but I find the books are like a reviving hot chocolate after a warm bath at the end of a long day's labour - easy-going, simple, mildly humorous, often ridiculous. Just don't try reading the next one straight after the previous one as I would imagine it would be like eating too many macaroons or jam tarts.
RATING: Circles of Hell series ***
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