May Contain Traces of Magic

by Tom Holt
339 pgs

It's been awhile since I read a Tom Holt book. I don't know why I don't read them more often. But for some reason I don't seem to get around to reading his books till they've sat on my shelf for months or sometimes even years. He's a British author highly skilled in writing ridiculous comic fantasy books--and I mean that in the nicest way possible.

May Contain Traces of Magic is about a man named Chris. Chris is a sales rep who sells magical goods, things like portable parking spaces that store your car in a parallel universe until you need it again, and instant water (just add water). Chris also has a minor case of infatuation for the female voice of his car's satellite navigation system. Fortunately for him, that voice belongs to a small demon who's been imprisoned in the GPS system, so there's at least a small chance something could one day work out between them.

Chris's life is one day turned upside down when he pays a visit to the shop of one of his clients and finds him dead on the floor with a demon sitting on one of the shelves staring directly at him. That day begins a series of events involving time travel, shape shifting, demon possession, bathroom redecorating, and multiple instances of being flushed down the toilet into alternate realities.

I'll admit to feeling more than a little disoriented through much of the book. But the ridiculousness of the story kept me going. Fortunately, the payoff at the end was well worth it and left me looking forward to one day pulling the next book by him off my shelf.

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆