Mr Monster - Dan Wells

Mr Monster is the second in Dan's Serial Killer series, starting with the brilliant "I am not a serial killer" which we reviewed recently. Needless to say I was extremely happy when a copy of this dropped through my door courtesy of Headline.

So the story picks up shortly after the events of the first book and once again bodies are beginning to appear. John is struggling to keep himself and Mr Monster separate and has taken to breaking just one of his rules, burning things when the need gets too much for him.

Mr Monster is darker than the first book, less of Wells humour sprinkled through, the change in writing following the progression in John's difficulties controlling his dark side. The story is more sinister and where the first sets out early we are are dealing with a demon this one offers no such clarity, making it harder to maintain John in the good guy role. Dan treads a fine line here, John is less sympathetic, more sinister and there is no real knowing which way he is going to go. There is more than one killer in Clayton now.

There is some real unpleasantness, but it's a necessary move, you can't maintain a series like this without moving into this sort of territory. There is a real touch of horror that takes me back to when Christopher Pike was the king of teen horror and the books passed around to among friends to ensure we all had sleepless nights. Finally we may have something new hitting those same notes of horror and fascination.

Once again brilliantly delivered, absolutely gripping under the covers reading.