The first chapter of From Hell, With Love, book 4 in the Secret Histories series, has enough excitement to serve as the climax for other novels. Instead, it leads to something bigger, something the mighty Drood family didn't know, to their cost. Their first loss is their Matriarch, Martha Drood, Eddie's grandmother. She won't be the last. (It was interesting to find out that Eddie's late mother was slated to be the Matriarch after Martha.) Someone was able to temporarily turn a bunch of Droods into homicidal maniacs right in their own home, Drood Hall. Could it have anything to do with Doctor Delirium, a mad scientist long dismissed as no real threat? What about Tiger Tim, a rogue Drood? Who are those strangers who consider themselves to be the anti-Droods?

These are questions Eddie is going to have to answer -- the fate of the entire world is at stake.

Notes:

See book 1, The Man With the Golden Torc, for what happened to the Heart, the introduction of Ethel, how Eddie's Uncle James, 'the Grey Fox,' greatest of Drood field agents, died, and how the Matriarch's second husband, Alistair, was injured.

See book 2, Daemons Are Forever, for the invasion of the Hungry gods.

See book 3, The Spy Who Haunted Me, for Alexander King, the legendary Independent Agent.

This book introduces the dragon head.

I enjoyed the narration and the cultural references. (There really was a comic book character named Tiger Tim, by the way.) ( )

Fun adventure, but I should have taken a break from the series before continuing with it. Every bit is so familiar--he must use a word processor. Pickup descriptions, actions, phrases. Not great. The story does move along, though, which is why I continue with these. ( )

Everyone's favorite secret agent shaman is back with his witchy lady in From Hell with Love, the latest in Simon R. Green's Secret Histories series. After gaining popularity for the series, Green expanded what was originally a trilogy into a full-blown series. From Hell with Love is the first step out of the original mold and into something more. The result is good, but not great.

Eddie Drood never has it easy. Especially now, with the Matriarch of the Drood family dead and the family in chaos, with Eddie as the acting head of the family to unravel the mystery behind his grandmother's death. Some people even dare to point the finger at Eddie himself.

From Hell with Love tried to expand the Secret Histories universe, but something about it just didn't quite hit critical mass yet. This world just isn't as wild or as well developed as Nightside, so I find myself missing it. At least, in Hell with Love, readers get the opportunity to return to Nightside even more, but almost to a point where it starts to feel like Secret Histories is leaning too much on the Nightside instead of developing into its own universe.

Despite this, I just can't dislike Green novels. Hell with Love has entertaining twists and turns, and is far more engaging and unexpected than the last novel in the series, Spy Who Haunted Me. But let me warn you: the cliffhanger ending of Hell with Love will make you so mad. Luckily for me, I had the next book close at hand, but if you don't, you'll want to throw the book against the wall -and immediately run out and buy the next one. ( )

The matriarch, the leader of the Drood's, has been murdered in cold blood....and some in the family are thinking that Eddie and Molly had something to do with it. Out to prove their innocence and to stop Doctor Delirium from using the apocalypse door, Eddie and Molly set off on their biggest adventure to date. Along the way an old rogue returns, the family is attacked in its home base, and an ancient powerful is revealed at last. And only the Drood's...with the help of some of Frankenstein's creatures, stand in the way.

This is a typical Simon R. Green work, fast paced, full of action, tired cliches, and a story that keeps you coming back for more. If you've not read in the Drood universe before, put the book down and go pick up the first one. Even though you can read these out of order it really does help to have the background of what's gone on before (and just because their fun books to read.) This isn't the best book of the series and Green does tend to drag on a bit with describing some of the battle scenes and action which draws the book out a bit. He also repeats a lot of the same phrases in the book and from earlier books, which to me takes away a bit. Overall though, its another rousing book in the series and sets the stage for something even bigger. ( )

Green's style is getting a bit tiresome for me, because of its predictability. He needs to come up with some new tricks, but to be fair his original tricks are quite good. This Drood story has a truly great ending, and a lot of fun on the way, but is very gory. So is all of Green. Not appropriate for children but good fun for the rest of us. ( )