This wonderful series of 5 novels follows the escapades of Felix Castor, an exorcist in contemporary London, who uses the tunes of his flute to bind the ghosts which possess the living and force them back into the shadow-world where they belong. In the London where Felix lives, the dead have made themselves known and are openly moving among the living in a variety of ways and Felix’s skills are in frequent demand. Each of the five books is a wonderful stand-alone novel in which Felix struggles to save both his clients and himself from the ghosts and demons which hide in plain sight all around us, though the overarching arc of the five books describes his attempt to free his friend from the demon Asmodeus (the demon which Felix himself inadvertently linked to his friend’s soul).

This first book in the series, The Devil You Know, introduces us to Felix’s world and characters–both living and departed– that populate it. The author includes fascinating descriptions of how magic and exorcism work and how the dead are able to cross over into the realm of the living.

The author makes one choice at the end of the first book which I would not have made, but it is the only way that makes that character able to have not only a recurring role in the series but a vital one in one of the later books of the quintet. I am happy to suggest that you add the Felix Castor books to your reading list!