Scully on TV’s The X-Files, it’s no coincidence. Several characters in the books have remarked on that similarity over the past few years. (The first Carstairs novel, The Nemesis Touch, appeared in 2023.)

In their most recent adventure, described in the previous Carstairs novel, The Demonic Detective, four powerful magicians tried to destroy the world as we know it and remake it in their own image. Carstairs and Garris stopped them. However, one of them, Jacob Ravens, a Lovecraftian horror author from the 1940s, has now returned from “beyond,” more powerful than before, with the same goal. The barrier between dimensions or worlds begins to break down, with dangerous consequences. (The Apocalypse City is the type of book where it’s best not to try to figure these phenomena out logically) A giant bat attaches itself to the side of the Empire State Building, and other, even more deadly monsters appear. Carstairs and Garris’s efforts to stop Ravens and his cohorts take them to Wales, Italy, Siberia, and even various interdimensional realms.

Characters and scenarios from previous Ludo Carstairs books appear or are referenced in The Apocalypse City. Series fans will enjoy seeing some of their old favorites again. (I won’t reveal any other names to avoid spoiling the surprise.) While some familiar names are merely referenced in passing, others play significant roles in The Apocalypse City. Eventually, that becomes a problem. The book’s plot eventually resembles a “kitchen sink” pizza, with every available topping thrown in. I’ve read most of the previous Carstairs books, but I couldn’t place some characters unless I went back into the archives (which I didn’t). Supernatural doomsday books often don’t have the most coherent storylines. The enormous cast (many of whom die in gruesome fashion a few lines after their introduction), along with the numerous portals to distant locations or other dimensions (which end up resembling the secret passages in a game of Clue), make the story hard to follow at times.

Jameson does a much better job of describing specific set pieces and new monsters. The book’s best sequence takes place in a small Italian town built on the side of a steep mountain. Carstairs and Garris encounter a group of flying vampiric creatures dressed in monks’ robes who have no solid bodies, but rather are made of smoke. The agents get some help from two unlikely sources and evade the creatures. However, the “monks” find a way to follow them to their next destination, a town in the middle of the Siberian wilderness. Those familiar with earlier Carstairs works will remember the town, where Carstairs and Garris narrowly avoided death several volumes earlier in the series. However, the author has added some new twists to the locale, making it even more dangerous.

In several other Carstairs stories, Ludo has lengthy conversations with Garris and the other characters that are often the highlight of the book. He has a knack for talking himself out of trouble at crucial moments. The Apocalypse City has less talk and more action than most books in the series. I enjoyed the greater action here, especially the encounter with the smoke monks and an unusual later sequence involving Garris (who serves as the book’s narrator) and a couple of the monks. Somewhat surprisingly, the final showdown is rather contained and low-key, not, as I had been expecting, a battle royale involving hundreds of people and monsters. However, less is more effective here.

I understand the author’s desire to include shout outs to the earlier books in the series. The result was like the last episode of a long-running TV series, in which the writers bring back characters from previous seasons to take a final bow. The Apocalypse City suffers to a certain extent from an overabundance of characters. However, when the story focuses more narrowly, the book becomes more exciting and entertaining. The encounters with the smoke monks are worth the purchase price all by themselves. The Apocalypse City, despite its flaws, is a worthy conclusion to an entertaining series.

NOTE: The author graciously provided me with a copy of this book However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.