Synopsis
They’ve found a child with no face. They’ve called in paranormal investigator Argana Zeit. She … has gone for a coffee. Well, she is just an amateur. But that’s the last breather she and her ghost-sensing dog Max are going to get. The Peak District town of Trotterwell, usually referred to with adjectives like sleepy, picturesque, or the cringe-inducing ‘nestled’, is about to become anything but. Akira Pixel’s demon-summoning cryptocurrency scheme has the locals rioting. Something too big to be human is smashing up the council estate. An ancient pact will be shattered. And Argana, more used to messing things up than fixing them up, is going to have to be the one to put it all back together. It will take all her cunning. And, yes, that child still needs his face back.
Review
If you’ve been following my reviews for a while then you’ll know I’m a fan of Owain Oakwood’s writing and his literary creation Argana Zeit, Trotterwell’s resident paranormal investigator. I live in Derbyshire, which means many of my own familiar haunts are within these pages, since the Derbyshire Peak District is the setting for Argana’s light-hearted adventures. The town of Trotterwell is fictitious but more or less every other location is real, and a huge part of the appeal of these stories is down to Oakwood’s attention to detail. I recognise his description of Sheffield bus station, the 218 bus service is real, I’ve travelled along the Hope Valley railway line and stopped off at the café at Grindleford.
The overall premise was established by Oakwood over three fun short story collections, and in more recent publications he began experimenting with longer tales. Released in 2024, No Fae Back Now is the first full-length novel in this setting. Whilst that creative journey means there’s an extensive backstory, I think you could easily jump on board at this point. Reading the prior stories is not essential, although if you pick them up first they will add another layer of depth to this book.
Oakwood describes these stories as cosy paranormal mystery, where there’s an acceptance of such things as fact by people and the authorities. As a result, Argana is loosely attached to the police at Trotterwell, who employ her as a paranormal investigator whenever there are unusual goings on which fall outside standard procedures. However, such supernatural powers hold more sway in rural areas like the Peak District. This story involves the strange case of the discovery of a faceless child near Grindleford, which may or may not have something to do with the fae and the launch of a brand-new demonic cryptocurrency.
With the longer format, Oakwood is able to introduce/reintroduce the reader to all the strange and quirky characters who inhabit Trotterwell and its environs. Shady wannabe influencer Akira Pixels, tech guru Yasmin, dodgy druid Ewan, Melvyn the sceptical magician and fearsome exorcist Father MacGillycuddy all make an appearance. And of course Argana’s faithful companion, Max, her border collie and ghost hunter extraordinaire, is also on hand to help solve the case.
One change from the short stories is that PC Fred Berkshire is a major point of view character in this novel. He’s worked alongside Argana in a number of previous adventures but in No Fae Back Now he’s a much more significant character, with more or less the same amount of page time as her. Berkshire’s a likeable character, solid and reliable in contrast to Argana’s more haphazard and instinctive approach to life. Together they make a good team.
As I mentioned earlier, I think this book works best if you know the area, so I’m not sure how well some of this translates to a wider UK and international audience. What does translate well is Oakwood’s trademark humour and sense of fun. Whilst there are some darker moments in this story, Oakwood understands when to change the tone and most of the time he keeps things light-hearted.
I did feel that Oakwood was still finding his feet with this longer format and at times the story felt a little bit episodic, especially when compared with the short stories where there’s a relatively quick resolution to the case. However, overall, this was a fun, relaxing read, which is exactly what I want with an Owain Oakwood story. For a debut novel this is a good book with lots to recommend it. If humorous stories involving quirky characters dealing with strange, supernatural goings on is your kind of thing, then I’d encourage you to seek this one out.
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