The latest installment in the Secret History series reunites us with the Drood family, and more precisely Eddie Drood, who has now joined the Department of Uncanny together with his witch girlfriend, Molly Metcalf, the Wild Witch of the Woods. Called back to Drood Hall after a particular mission, Eddie and Molly are called on to clear up the fallout of certain events from the previous novel Live and Let Drood.
It is thus that our favorite Drood, armed with new and improved things provided by the family armorer, yet more vulnerable than ever, throws himself headfirst into the line of danger with new and old friends and foes either by his side or trying to get him killed, to take down the Casino Infernale.
And while investigating the matter at hand to best solve the problems he’s facing this time, will they ever discover who really caused the death of Molly’s parents all those years ago?
Casino Infernale is the best book in the series yet. Unlike some other Simon R. Green series, I would really recommend people read Secret Histories in the right order to know exactly what’s going on.
This is especially the case with this one. So make sure you have read especially Live and Let Drood before you pick up Casino Infernale. It’s not an absolute must, you will be able to follow the story, but you will be left with some questions if you start out with this one.
It is well-written and very fast-paced, so it never gets boring. The protagonists are always up to something and generally no good at all, which keeps it fresh. Well, you know they’ll pull mischief, because they always do, but it’s great fun to read what they’ll come up with this time.
Of course, Green keeps on surprising with a diverse cast of colorful characters to keep the reader entertained from the first word to the last.
Another bonus of this book is the guest appearances from characters we’ve previously encountered in the Nightside and Ghost Finders series and I’m sure that the cross-over element will please many of the author’s fans and will make new readers want to explore the current universe he has unfolding further.
That’s something I really love about Green, the plot is always thickening and he’s dropping clues all over the universe, which entwines masterfully over three of his series. You don’t need to read them all to get what’s going on, but it makes for a thoroughly grasping world if you do.
In conclusion, I can heartily recommend Secret History to everyone who loves James Bond-style espionage, espionage full-stop and supernatural novels. Because it’s definitely worth it with every edition and they keep on getting better by the book.