I finished Moore’s latest book, Stupidest Angel a few days ago. As it was a Christmas book, Moore made it deliberately short and set it in Pine Cove, were two of his earlier novels were set. The latter meant he wouldn’t need to develop as many new characters, since he’d be reusing some old favorites.

As anyone who knows me, or reads this blog, knows, I’m a big Moore fan. Luckily for me, his latest effort, though short, lives up to my expectations. It’s wacky, irreverent, a touch supernatural and yet still oddly true to life.

One thing I was a bit disappointed about was what I felt was too few scenes with the stupidest angel, Raziel (who also showed up in Moore’s Lamb). It’s a small thing. I’m not even sure what I’d like to see Raziel doing, or that I think the story really suffered for this lack. In my mind, because of the title, I expected more Raziel scenes than there were.

For me, this small issue was more than made up for by the return of Skinner, the labrador retriever from Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove. I’m not sure if it’s freaky that I love the Skinner character so much, that Moore write’s such a great dog, or both. Regardless, Skinner cracks me up, because he is so unabashedly doggy, and a dogs perspective on things is, apparently, great comedy.

Many of the other main characters from Lust Lizard are present in Angel, it’s like a reunion with all your friends – and they’re just as disfunctional as you are and remember them being (if not a bit moreso, but then Christmas brings things out in most people I think).

The basic plot of Angel is this: Raziel is sent by God enact the Christmas miracle this year. He’s a doofus though, was 10 years late for Christ’s birthday (as readers of Moore’s Lamb might remember). Little Joshua Baker sees Santa killed with a shovel (accidentally as it turns out – however, the man in the Santa suit is quite dead nonetheless) and Raziel, upon meeting the distraught kid, decides that raising Santa from the dead would be a fine Christmas miracle.

Well, Raziel’s miracle is a bit non-specific and wackiness ensues – an entire graveyard of dead people are converted to brain-eating, rumor mongering (yes, the dead can still hear) zombies who proceed to attack a singles Christmas party. As most of Pine Cove’s relationships are on the rocks, conveniently, most of them are at the party.

As always though Moore’s book is not only about wackiness, and Pine Cove’s citizen grow in their own ways over the course of this ‘heart warming tale of Christmas horror’.

I could go one about how much I enjoyed this book, and Moore’s work in general, but I think you get the idea. So, once again, I will unreservedly recommend another Moore book to anyone with a sense of humor, or looking for one. Get this and read it by next Christmas!