Hot Love Inferno (Prophecy Allocation #2) by Nicky Blue

“Are you a devil? Are you a witch? Judge the soul of my enemies, Mrs Jittery Twitch.”


Blurb: “ How twisted do you like your fairy tales?

A half-woman, half-cockroach fused in a bizarre gardening accident? That would be Mrs Jittery Twitch, dwelling in the shadows of our misdeeds. If in danger, you can call upon her help… all she asks is your soul as payment. But she’s just a legend, so no need to worry.

Barry Harris is a 28-year-old man, still living with his dear old mum in a little flat above a hairdresser. His obsession with Star Trek and the martial arts won’t help him when he’s forced out on a date.
And nobody knows about the weird string of events that’s about to put everyone’s lives in danger. A trio of samurai warriors and the strangest offer of help lead Barry on a perilous mission to save the day.”

Wow! What a strange ride. The book starts with a conversation between Barry and Brian. Then Jittery Twitch is mentioned. “Are you a devil? Are you a witch? Judge the soul of my enemies, Mrs. Jittery Twitch.” - this should be the line when someone would need her help. I read the following chapters trying to figure out when will Jittery presence be needed.

I didn’t like Barry, the main character, but I thought Molly, his mom, was hilarious. She loves metal music and watches Xena. Her cooking style is even stranger. Then we are introduced to Jo. Soon after she was kidnapped by some samurai. Without her medication, Jo has only three days to live. Barry, Molly, Merrill (Jo’s aunt), and the doctor are part of the rescue team. Will manage in time? Can Barry save her from the samurais with his ninja knowledge? Why are the ninjas attacking in the first place? And then we have the neighbor's dog. The author constantly keeps readers on their toes with some weird situations or comments, strange attacks, unexpected twists, and some graphic violence.

When I started reading I didn’t have any idea if I would enjoy it or not and I rarely feel like that about a book. The footnotes seemed at first unpractical and are slowing down the pace, but then they actually made me laugh eagerly checking the next one. The course of events in the second part of the book got my interest. The author is asking the reader to pay attention and guess who the narrator is. I have to admit. I didn’t guess it but I am not going to reveal it so you can play your own game. It was fun finding out though. Despite the dark humor and some sarcasm that I enjoyed, I felt that was something missing to the plot that would make me like it more. Or I may not be entirely the right target? Anyhow, I am glad I experienced something different, twisted and ...did I say different? :) The author’s excellent comedic writing amused me.

My rating: 3/5.

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