The Backlot Gay Book Forum discussion

A Glimpse of Heaven
By Olivier Bosman (John Billings mysteries 1)
Published by the author, 2020

A former Scotland Yard detective (for which Bosman has a complete series), John Billings is trying to establish himself as a private detective in London. Kicked off the force for being caught in flagrante delicto with another man, Billings and his dog Tilly are setting up shop in Spitalfields. Billings hires a young detective wannabe, Bart Trotter, who he suspects will be a sympathetic assistant as well as desperate enough for a job to work with him.

Having not read the series that preceded this one, I had to adjust myself to John Billings’ quirks, suspecting (correctly) that he was a bit trampled down from his displacement and would not be operating at full, um, efficiency. It seems that Trotter will play something of a comic foil to Billings’ sad self, but also blossom as a newly-made detective and sidekick.

Bosman’s writing is smart and engaging. The plot is wild and filled with magic, real and imagined, as Billings gets sucked into a secret society called the Sons of Cain. The entire story is framed with excerpts from the diary of a psychopath, whose role in the story is not entirely clear until well into the narrative; and it all ends with a teaser that certainly made me want to read the next in the series.

Very enticing review - I'm going to add this author to my TBR list.