A mind full of murder by Derek Landy

I confess that I have not previously read any of the Skulduggery Pleasant books that weave magic into the mortal world and introduce Skulduggery Pleasant (the skeletal and brilliant magical ‘detective’) and his god-like and magical sidekick Valkyrie Cain. I can understand why they might impress lovers of magical fantasy and detective tales, as the two are intriguingly woven together in this intense murder mystery that defies mortal wisdom. Skulduggery utilises his incredible intellect to solve clues and leads Valkyrie right into the heart of a murderous attack in order to prevent further calamity. The attacks are violent and woven with magical ferocity and both the heroes of this tale must contend with incredible evil, the magical bureaucracy and the twists and turns of a magical adversary that is hard to predict. Woven into this story is also a rebellion that entangles Valkyrie's young sister. 

With an incredible background that implies that the world ended six years ago, but still exists in a parallel universe, there is much in this book to confuse. The likeable main characters variously display impossible skills eg teleporting, magical shielding, physical transformation, incredible combat capabilities that defy human logic, and yet there is an inherent thread of the logical detective genre flowing through the impossible. This is only for the lovers of dark magical fantasy who can also cope with the violent action, even though there are some light-hearted moments. Names of characters are particularly humorous, but this is just an authorial device to build a sense of the warped world in which the story unfolds. Detective skills are also woven with extreme logical reasoning and this is appealing to those who like ‘acrobatic thinking’.

I am not a personal fan of this book, but I am sure that there must be some in the 16+ - adult range who would enjoy this darkly torturous story. Note: Landy has published more than 20 books incorporating Skulduggery, and this book begins a trilogy.

Themes: Magic, Murder, Mystery, Power, Revenge.

Carolyn Hull