I have heard so many great things about Christopher Moore over the years that I finally had to go check him out for myself. And where better to start than at the beginning. Practical Demonkeeping is Moore’s debut novel and I have to say I really enjoyed it. Not to use a phrase that could come back to haunt me, but I was totally sucked in.

The book has the pace and intricacy of a Carl Hiaasen mixed with a sort of sarcastic and silly demon world. Think Sick Puppy meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer except the heroes are not so attractive or nice or successful.

If you’re not drawn in by the premise, check out some of the characters – you’ve got a small time drug dealer called The Breeze, an obese police data expert called The Spider and sometimes the Nailgun, a demon named Catch who postpones his killing to enjoy the Magic Fingers of a motel room bed, Billy, a cross dressing hotel clerk who is sometimes called Roxanne and Gian Hen Gian the king of the Djinn.

And if that isn’t enough to get you reading, here’s my favorite quote from the book. When Travis, our hero, is asked what morality is, he replies, “It’s the difference between what is right and what you can rationalize.”

(If you like Christopher Moore, check back for an interview with him coming as his new release approaches in 2009!)