Clive Barker’s vision of hell is everything you’d expect from the man, however he could have taken a lesson from H.P. The tension is also lessened by the increasingly fantastical elements that build throughout the book, which literally takes place in a well-defined and realized Hell dimension. The problem lies in that it happens too early in the book, which brings less tension to their continued face-offs. When D’Amour and Pinhead come face to face it is great, initially. The supernatural elements are present, but not overwhelming, and Harry’s settings of New Orleans and New York City help to give a gritty grounding to the book early on. When Harry D’Amour is introduced in the next chapter, Barker switches gears to pulp-noir and the early investigative elements are some of my favorite moments of the book. Readers are also teased in this chapter with what Pinhead’s motives are, which will compose the mystery that Private Detective Harry D’Amour is trying to solve. I was immediately drawn in and also impressed with how imposing a figure Pinhead could still be in the correct hands, his creator’s hands. The first chapter introduces new readers to Pinhead, while giving longtime fans a melding of the worlds that make up the Hellraiser franchise and The Lord of illusions film. However, if you’re a fan of the man’s work I would strongly recommend picking up this book. Was this the best Clive Barker novel? The answer is no. I was also concerned if Pinhead could still be a scary, intimidating figure after decades of exposure. When reading this book I tried to have realistic expectations, especially since Barker has not published straight horror in quite some time. The Scarlet Gospels is a book I’ve been waiting for since it was first teased many, many years ago, and I honestly believed it would never be finished or published. If you have not seen the first two films in this series, go now…seriously, this review will be waiting for you…. The Hell Priest known as Pinhead and the Lemarchand configuration were first introduced in the novella The Hellbound Heart and expanded upon in the Hellraiser film series.
And despite the films flaws, I’m a huge fan of this movie. He appeared again in Everville, the sequel to The Great and Secret Show as well as the Barker written and directed Lord of Illusions. Harry D’Amour first arrived on the scene in the short story “The Last Illusion,” as part of Barker’s Books of Blood series.
Each of these characters brings with them a long and intricate mythology. The Hell Priest known as Pinhead and the noir-influenced paranormal detective Harry D’Amour. The Scarlet Gospels is his first full-length adult novel since 2007’s amazing Cold Heart Canyon, and brings two of his favorite and best known characters together. Clive Barker has gotten the band back together.
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