Mainstream Merrily - Rated 
Phil Rickman continues to keep the supernatural element of the series on the back burner which funnily enough makes the ghost all the more real when it's glimpsed momentarily in the corner of your eye. This leaves Rickman free to concentrate on the entangled ligatures of the plot which are deftly unravelled by the master's hand at the end of tense and thought provoking novel. Despite toning down on the spook-fest side to these books, Rickman still can't resist exposing us to the more macabre side of human nature, his clever creation of washed up singer Belladonna being a excellent example of what Goth-rockers become when they grow up.
He also seems determined to confront issues that other writers shy away from, perhaps as they make uncomfortable and sometimes harrowing reading. This is offset however by flashes of mercurial humour that vein the dialogue, keeping the book buoyant despite the grim and sometimes tragic turn of events that bleed through the storyline. Merrily's main antagonist this time round is the internal politics of the church itself, forcing changes in the structure of the Deliverance Office so what we are left with is basically exorcism by committee. Never a good idea. Well have you ever tried banishing a lost soul back to hell armed with only a Risk Assessment form and thirty miles of red tape?
As always Phil Rickman has provided a highly enjoyable novel full of twisting subterranean tunnels that appear at times to be leading into dead ends before surprising the reader at the last second with hidden routes that steer them back to the surface. I can't think of an author who I enjoy more and I hope he's never tempted to download the `Hungarian Suicide Song' (which crops up in the book), as a world without Phil Rickman would be so much more bland and unoriginal. I might even be forced into reading Dan Brown.....perish the thought.
A balance in appreciation - Rated
Interesting reviews so far with a wide range of thought. I Live 2 miles from Ludlow and for me, this book threw things both familiar and unknown into the spotlight and I owe Phil a thanks for that because I think it is no mean achievement to tell people something they don't necessarily appreciate about where they live. As usual Phil has brought more than the storyline to the reader, he has captured Ludlow excellently.
The book itself is the latest in a series but for the uninitiated can be read in isolation - but you will want to read more of the series, and will want to know the meaning behind some of the character references. The story is credible, particularly for those who know Ludlow or a town like it that embraces its history. Whilst you may feel the need to research some of the references - for example to the Guild - you will find it is all correct.
For me, the level of supernatural encounters or not, (as part of what Merrily does best is separate fact from probably impossible) makes the storyline(s)believable. I would not continue to read a series where every story included some fantastic encounter - it would not be real and Merrily would die of exhaustion- although she sounds to be well on the way as things stand anyway. In this story one of Merrily's Police contacts retires and is central to the storyline as the boy involved is (sorry, was) his nephew. Phil has shown true craftsmanship in portraying the reactions of the family both to the death of the boy, and the major lifechange after retirement. Any book group could get a lot out of this book- read it and tell me I am wrong!
super and natural - Rated
If I had known before I bought the first Merrily Watkins novel (The Wine of Angels) that Merrily is an exorcist, I probably would have saved my money. But I didn't know, and now I'm hooked.
The characters are fabulous - Merrily, the sometimes hapless vicar; Jane, the pagan daughter; Gomer, the archetypal local; Lol, the fragile folk-rock mystery. Any and all of these will fix your attention and concern, to say nothing of a wide array of secondary characters and ghosts. OK, the ghosts sound hard to take, but Rickman carefully constructs Merrily's vocation, making the line between spiritual work and work with spirits very faint indeed. The vicar's faith is remarkably practical and so are most of the problems she faces.
The plots grow out of the settings on the Welsh border, exquisitely detailed in all the books. In Smile of a Ghost, the town of Ludlow becomes another character, in some ways the principal victim. Of all the books, this one has the most subtly integrated element of the supernatural: you can take it or leave it.
If the exorcist plot makes you nervous, start with this book and see if your concerned affection for Merrily, Lol, Jane and others doesn't over-come your hesitation.
Good but not the best - Rated 
Having read most of Mr Rickmans work and all of the Merrily Watkins series I have to say that though this book is good and way better than most of its peers it is not as brilliant as others he has written.I too mourn the lack of Gomer Parry and hope to see him in the next novel but beyond that though the characterizations remain brilliant I felt the plot was not as well devised as previously although as usual a few twists near the end helped enourmously.The are still many good things about the book and it delves into so many ideas that intrigue but this is not his best book.By all means read it and enjoy but dont judge his work on this one novel his many other works are so much better -The Cure of Souls being in my opinion one of the best.
Been there, done that. - Rated 
Well it had to happen.......Phil Rickman finally writes an iffy novel. Mr Rickman, and his alter ego Will Kingdom, has been a personal favourite for many years and I've always looked forward to each new book but when I finished this one I just........shrugged. It's not bad but it is terribly familiar - a bit of new age mysticism, a dubious suicide, a dash of local politics, a historical mystery, an enigmatic stranger.........and of course, the Reverend's sensitive musician boyfriend and increasingly tiresome teenage daughter. What is missing though is anything remotely scarey - does Rickman now find the supernatural embarrassing? Perhaps it's time the good Reverend was given a (long) holiday - and Rickman could maybe try something new. Or another Will Kingdom would be nice.
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