ALL THE BELLS ON EARTH
James P. Blaylock
Ace 1995
HB 376 pgs
ISBN 0-441-00247-1

Soul selling, golem training, insanity, bell hating, spontaneous combustion,
religious vandalism, extortion, nefarious business scams and sundry far
eastern evil artifacts are but a few of the problems facing Orange,
California and its champions of good: Father Mahoney, Reverend Bentley and
the home mail order mogul, Walt Stebbins.

Blaylock gives us a fun, homey type adventure, in which common people must
deal with uncommon and unlikely events. Similar in tone to his earlier work,
THE LAST COIN (yet vastly toned down in loonieness), the main protagonist is
once again a loveable eccentric; a man trying to make his way in his own
business, who, with his strict sense of morals as his guide, manages to
navigate dangerous waters and come out on top. The presentation is simple
yet elegant, using accessible diction in an elegant fashion.  Characterizations are realistic and the evil is menacing and not over wrought.  Subtract the saccharine ending, and it is an excellent story.

Recommended.