Woo boy. This one is an ARC so I'mma be as nice as I can be, I promise. I mean, don't get me wrong – I was super emotionally invested in this book, but unfortunately those emotions consisted of boredom (the first half), excitement that something (anything!) was actually happening (the middle), disbelief over the terrible big reveal (the ending), and relief that it was finally over. And I really, really tried to like this book, I truly did.

First off, most of The Holy Terrors consists of unlikeable* characters arguing with each other. And there is a lot of arguing, because this is the most dialogue-heavy book that I've ever read, hands down. There is pretty much no description and almost no insight into the characters' inner thoughts. The characters' backstories consist of a few lines of dialogue each. This book is probably 70% bickering and threats, 20% Diana saying “Bish” or “darling,” and 10% actual substance.

And can we talk about how unnaturally attached the characters got to each other in such a short period of time? They were in this place for, what? Twelve hours, perhaps? Within a few hours of meeting, one of the characters had practically adopted another and was swearing fealty to her like he was a medieval European knight. And “Bish” and Diana needed to get a room. “Ever since I met you, not all my thoughts have been fit for family viewing.” Classy, Bishop, very classy.

Next up: The big reveal. I think pretty much everyone will see the bulk of the it coming – it's rather obvious from very early on. But the method by which certain … things were accomplished? Come on now. Aliens could have beamed into the hall at the end and claimed responsibility via space lasers and it would have been more believable than what was actually written. I wish I could say more without spoiling things because holy crap you guys, but alas.

And then there's Alistair's sudden transformation into an insta-detective for the reveal. One minute he's a bishop and the next he's Hercule Poirot … kind of. It was so disorienting and unexpected.

So what did I like about this book? Well, the premise was good. I'm a sucker for campy ghost hunting shows, and this could be an amazing story with some (okay, a lot of) revisions. I also really liked Leslie's character, despite all of his flaws, and I wish he could have had more page time – nothing makes for a good haunted house (building?) story like a medium communing with the dead. I also think that the relationships between the characters could have been a selling point had they been built up a little more slowly and with some substance behind them.

Final rating: 1.6 stars, rounded up. The idea was good but the execution flawed.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.

*Yes, I know I'm American, but I've given up on attempting to spell this word the American way. It's unnatural.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a chance at reading this book.

Hrm. I know who Simon Green is, I have the first two books of his London paranormal mysteries series. It was during my Dresden FIles era - and those books are widely known and well regarded.

I guess this was a mixture of expectations not met and a bare bones mystery disguised as paranormal. Lets make this clear: I am 100% on board with a pastor who solves mysteries. I'm 100% on board with a series in which poses as a paranormal vs the living (which you, the reader, are having to figure out if the story's outcome is paranormal or not).

So where are the issues, why did I give this two stars? Well, for starters, the 'paranormal creepiness' does not 'creep' into the book until the 40% mark. So what are we treated to in the meantime? A lot of quips, one liners, and no real substance. We are introduced to a cast of characters (meeting the pastor first, since you seem to follow him through this), and you watch that he is paired with Diana (the actress), who you realize can only say 'Bish' 'Darling' and 'dear' way too much. You also don't learn much else about them or their personalities. You then meet the others, and... again, you don't know much more than why they're there.

People start dying but I was like, 'why do I care? why is this one guy upset over this younger girl he hardly knew and had a connection with and wanted to be like a father to her'? Where is their bonding? Where do two complete strangers who know each other for less than 4 hours get to that level?

The pastor, our lead, literally becomes a detective in the moment we loose ANOTHER person. Wait. Backup. Is the pastor also a detective on the side? What do we know about him? He is in his late twenties, handsome, and he is here because they wanted someone to be a focus point of bringing more exposure to the clergy / religious world. That's it. So when this guy starts going Sherlock Holmes 2.0 and Diana turns into a lack luster Watson, it's confusing as hell because you don't know if he moonlights as a detective on the side.

Maybe some people can just sit back and enjoy the story, but the story itself? I figured out what was going on instantly. So I read the rest of the book to see if I was right (I was) and I was upset with how it ended, because I really hoped for something to pull the rug out from under me.

I think that, with more meet, more CHARACTER development, more 'creep' factor, this could be an interesting series (which this is being pegged as) of a pastor who solves mysteries that are deemed paranormal. Though, I have to question if he is really a pastor ... since he is a bit of a horny little shit by the end of the book.

So. Here I am, writing this review. "Good, but can be better".