The Lucifer Messiah

Sean Mulcahy answered Uncle Sam's call. In the autumn of 1917, he left his home, his friends, and the girl he loved. On the killing fields of the Western Front, he vanished without a trace. Thirty years later his best friend Vince Sicario is a broken man. Split from his wife, run off the NYPD, his world swirls in the bottom of a bottle. Until Sean comes clawing at his door. Bleeding. Delirious. And looking not a single day older. Vince turns to the only person he trusts, his wife Maggie--the woman Sean left behind three decades earlier. Together they hit the streets of Hell's Kitchen, seeking answers to Sean's disappearance and mysterious return. But others are on the same trail, and something terrible is lurking in the dark alleys and dirty corners of the West Side. Wise guys are disappearing. Mutilated corpses are turning up. The cops are baffled and gangsters are running scared. Rumors abound of strange gatherings in the shadows, of ancient horrors reborn, of blood feasts and pagan rites rekindled. Some say the savior of the damned has come. Sean may be in terrible danger. Or the greatest danger of all--the Lucifer Messiah.

Customer Reviews:

Odd and Different

By Joshua Koppel - August 29, 2006

Sean Mulcahy went off to war in 1917 and disappeared. Now, decades later, he has returned, wounded, to the doorstep of the childhood friend who stole his girl. Vince and his estranged wife Maggie try to nurse the wounded friend back to health despite an obvious bullet wound. Sean's condition seems to be related to the changing criminal element in the neighborhood (Hell's Kitchen).

But there is more going on than just a change in criminal bosses. Strange creatures have fled Europe and taken refuge in the city. They usually look like men or women but are very different indeed. Sean might be one of them. A prophesy and a power struggle put Sean in a position he refuses to accept. Meanwhile, Vince tries to make sense of it all. Eventually it all comes to a boil and gets worked out to some degree.

This is a strange and confusing book. The real problem is that we seldom see things from a human viewpoint. For the most part we are stuck watching the action... read more

a girl in love with this "boy" book

By Gina - July 7, 2006

a friend gave me an advanced copy of this book with a disclaimer, "it's a "boy" book but you'll love it b/c of the old new york feel"... well, he was right. i don't know if it's fair to call it a "boy" book but it's totally fair to say that the author sets up midcentury new york with such vivid details that, as another reviewer put it, feels like you are watching a movie. totally recommended for boys and girls!!!

loved it, so will you!

By Helen of Troy - July 7, 2006

I rarely read fantasy books but this has intrigued me and peaked my interest for more, especially if they are going to be more written by Frank Cavallo. I was surprised to learn that this is first book. I found myself staying up late so I could read one more chapter but it never seemed like enough. I actually had to force myself to put the book down and go to sleep! The details and the imagination are impeccable! Great read, looking forward to more!