Peter McLean’s debut novel, Drake is a dark urban fantasy complete with cowardly night creatures, demon mobsters, a faintly inept demonologist, a snarky bound demon and an almost-fallen angel, all wrapped up in a gritty, sweary, fast-paced thriller. When Don Drake, the aforementioned demonologist, winds up owing a gambling debt to a deeply unpleasant ‘businessman’, his already seedy life quickly goes from bad to worse. He soon finds himself with a problem that even the power of his bound demon – the Burning Man – might not be enough to help him with, involving exceedingly dangerous magical enemies and dubious allies who might just be even worse.
Ignore the synopsis on the back of the book if you can, as it gives away rather too many of the key plot points. All you really need to know about the story is that it’s dangerous (mostly for Don) and darkly funny, with a pitch-perfect blend of gritty urban noir, modern supernatural weirdness and occasional moments of stomach-clenching nastiness. Set in the murky depths of South London, all greasy cafes, old-school boozers and dubious nightclubs, this is a world where alcoholic university lecturers secretly teach black magic and angels wield swords and guns with lethal intent, but in which relationships flounder just like they do in the real world, and knights in shining armour are never really what’s called for.
It’s an ideal setting for a character like Don Drake, a down-and-out antihero who’s just the right side of despicable (seriously…only just) to be if not relatable then at least understandable. Despite his many flaws he makes for a surprisingly honest and self-aware narrator, providing a matter-of-fact viewpoint on the magic-infused criminal underworld he inhabits and the disreputable work – demonic assassinations, essentially – he undertakes. McLean plays him off against the snappy, irritable presence of the Burning Man – equal parts bizarre mentor, begrudging servant and freakish parasite – and the variously intoxicating, comforting, terrifying and plain confusing women in his life to great effect. Sharp, entertaining and often delightfully course dialogue ensues, as Drake somehow muddles through with a little assistance, a lot of luck and no small amount of discomfort.
This is pacy, exciting, unputdownable pulp writing at its most fun – it doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it’s nevertheless carefully plotted and well thought-out with memorable characters and a hugely satisfying sense of style. There’s no glamour here – it’s a grubby, smelly, sweary sort of story that might not be to everyone’s taste but which perfectly suits both its modern noir stylings and McLean’s straight-talking style of writing. As the first book in a trilogy it also manages the difficult job of working in its own right while also setting things up nicely for what’s to come; if all you want is a one-shot of demon-infused thriller action then it’ll nicely do the trick, but chances are if you enjoy this you’ll want to keep reading and spend a bit more time in Drake’s world of angels, demons and endless hangovers.
