I do not ordinarily read fantasy, but was talked into reading this novel. It was a mistake. I have unsuccessfully attempted to read Catchpenny on a daily basis for ten days and have finally decided to call it quits. I have finished 19% of it and actually thoroughly enjoyed parts of it but couldn’t get past the fantasy. I am very sure that anyone who enjoys that genre will be delighted by it. But, not me. Thanks to Net Galley and Vintage Books for an ARC for an honest review.

Thanks to Knopf/Vintage and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Charlie Huston's 'Catchpenny.'

I hadn't heard of Charlie Huston before but the blurb was intriguing as was the Stephen King endorsement so I was glad to dive in and glad that I did.

This is a dense and intense blend of the real, the fantastic, and the magic. Sidney Catchpenny is a ne'er-do-well who's sold more than his soul to powerful people in his effort to chase down the author of a tragic loss from years earlier.

The first quarter to third of the book is very, very dense and very heavy on the introduction of concepts and characters that come along with little context or explanation. Everything becomes clear as the narrative proceeds but there's a heavy lift placed on the reader to either figure it out or stick with it until the explanation comes in later. Some readers, I think, won't have the patience or willpower.

It really does pay off, though, if you do stick with it because this book is like an onion. Layer after layer of the story and the characters' lives and backstories are tweezed off and revealed. Once you get past that dense early part of the book it's one key revelation after another - especially about Sid's life and motivations - where we see the rounded characters for what they are, or what they have become. Exquisite writing.

Catchpenny himself is a complex character. Impossible not to like him but with a very dark side. Ultimately you're on his side.

Sinead O'Connor's music and energy is a key element in the novel and it felt poignant to be reading this so relatively soon after her untimely death and fitting that someone who wielded so much passion and stirred such emotion in the real world (in life and death) should be a figure of such symbolic magical power in the fictional world.

Bravo. Here's hoping we see Sid again.

A harrowingly charming blend of fantasy and noir-crime thriller, Catchpenny is a bold and awesome dive into LA underworld like never before. It’s an old-school styled mystery but with all the awesome stuff about the modern day storytelling.

Full review to be posted on https://www.bestthrillerbooks.com/kashif-hussain

Sidney Catchpenny is a down on his luck thief, one who can travel through mirrors, he is a sly. A friend from his past comes to him with a favor, nothing to steal, just talk to a woman and return to his friend and tell him what he thinks. Sid meets Iva, who tells him her teenage daughter, Circe, is gone, not missing, just gone. When Sid enters Circe’s bedroom, it is like a jackpot. Sid collects objects imbued with magical mojo and Circe’s entire room is full of mojo just waiting to be taken. Sid snaps out of his 14-year depression with the thought of all he could do with so much mojo, starting with paying off old debts.

Of course, nothing is ever that simple. Sid gets caught between several characters who want something from him, but Sid is strictly focused on finding Circe and stealing the mojo in her room. Sid is sweet, and while he has a good heart, he seems unable to stop saying things he knows will get him in trouble. Somehow, he stumbles through each encounter surviving by his wits and by accident. Soon everything starts to connect, all around Circe, but to what end? And Sid wants to do what is right, but doesn’t know what will be the right choice.

I wish I’d known more about the manikins that abounded in this story. And I thought it was hilarious how Sid’s hair and voice were what got him noticed, and after he lost his voice, his hair was still something they talked about. I was really intrigued with Sid’s image come to life; the other Sid didn’t seem to be a manikin, but something more, something different.

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor publishers, Charlie Huston, and Netgalley for a copy of Catchpenny. This is my honest review.

Review of Uncorrected eBook File

It’s been three days; Circe is still missing. And her mother, Iva, is desperate.

Sid Catchpenny, who for the last fourteen years has suffered with major depression, has the ability to capture magic [mojo] and to move through mirrors, a skill that made him a much sought-after thief. So when his friend, Francois, asks Sid to help find his granddaughter, he tries to shake off his depression and help.

What happened to Circe? And does Sid have enough mojo to find her and bring her home?

=========

Less a mystery than a journey of self-discovery for main character Sidney, the unfolding story is one of magic, hope, and promises. Peculiar and eccentric, the characters are, nevertheless, nuanced and believable. And, although Sid is not always likable, readers are sure to find him a mostly empathetic character.

The inimitable plot is a complex, captivating escapade filled with danger, humor, and tenderness; with some unexpected turns, it keeps the magical tale unfolding, often in surprising ways.

Recommended.

The only disconnect here is the repeated and unnecessary expletive certain to offend many readers; its overuse lowers the rating for the book.

I received a free copy of this book from Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor Vintage and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
#Catchpenny #NetGalley

I think my expectations were screwed on this one. Having read a couple of Mr. Huston's previous works, I expected a more noir-ish vibe, but once magic and "mirror-traveling" was introduced, I was out. Not my bag. Didn't particularly care about the plot or the characters at that point and was ready to move on to something else.

I really wanted to like this one more than I did. Based on the descriptions and cover blurbs, it hits a lot of my buttons for a good book: a noir story, an urban fantasy akin to Jim Butcher and Neil Gaiman, a thief who can travel through mirrors, a video game that threatens to spill out of the virtual world, a doomsday cult, and a missing teenager at the center of it all. That sounds like a lot…and it is.

I think maybe I was expecting more of a noir mystery story with fantasy elements built in. But this turned out to be more of a lengthy mission of self-discovery. The protagonist, Sid Catchpenny is asked by a friend to look into the disappearance of a missing teenager. We soon find out that the reason Sid has been asked to take on this task is not due to any particular experience he has in solving crimes or understanding the teen mindset. No, it’s because Sid has a certain talent, a way of using a sort of magic called mojo.

I did like the magic system here (even though Sis tells us time and again that he doesn’t do “magic”). The concept of capturing and collecting mojo from certain objects and events and then turn around and channel it in different ways, is really cool.

There is a lot going on here, and a lot of characters to keep straight but I was able to hang with it for the first half of the book. This despite the author’s tendency to jump around in time at the drop of a hat, visiting Sid’s memories as a way to fill in backstory. But as more and more weird plot twists came at me, I started to lose focus. It doesn’t help that Sid is not a particularly sympathetic character, and the rest of the cast is even worse. They particularly like to insult each other. The book started to read like a comic book plot with lots of crazy and weird things happening. Sort of like Umbrella Academy, (which I like). I suppose this is not too surprising given the author’s background in that field.

By the time I was two-thirds through, I found myself not caring too much about the characters or how the plot turned out. I was hoping to hurry up and get to the end so I could move on to the next book. That’s never a good sign.

I fully realize that many readers will love and appreciate this book far more than me. It’s not a “bad” book at all…just turned out not to be my cup of tea. It will probably win awards and accolades across the reading public for its innovative ideas and style. But I, alas, will not be looking to find more books by this author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 stars

Catchpenny follows Sid Catchpenny as he tries to solve the mystery of a missing teen, while piecing together the events of his wife's death many years ago. This book is pretty far outside my usual tastes, but every once and a while I'm in the mood for a good mystery novel. I'm not sure what to say without spoiling anything but overall I was very entertained and engaged with the story.

I was a little disappointed that the book turned out to be more journey of self discovery than mystery. Particularly because I found the main character to be a bit of a whiny, self absorbed, man child... But somehow that didn't ruin the book for me! The books pace picks up immediately and doesn't ever really slow down, which helped keep me engaged when I wanted to reach into the book and shake Sid. The mystery(s) are predictable, but the end twist totally got me. Catchpenny's bright spot is it's side characters who are well developed, and truly the star of the book. What other book has a stuck in the 80s banker/crime boss, an evil talent manager throwing a nonstop party, a doomsday cult game developer, and snarky but smarter than you teens all trying to control the fate of the world?

Also if this book was a song it would be 'From a World to Another' by Polo & Pan

Oh I wish I lived in this book! Charlie Huston has created a world where magic can be caught. Magic, or Mojo, remaining emotions, gathered via ritual. In Catchpenny, we meet the anti hero Sidney Catchpenny. He is broke and depressed. Barely living in LA and still grieving the death of his wife. Sidney has the unique talent to move through mirrors which allows him to be a much sought after thief. He hasn't been lucky or working for a while but a friend turns up and forces him into action.

Sydney's voice is unique and his energy carries us through a story that would be convoluted by any other author, where Huston makes it real. Sid needs to locate a missing teen, find a bone and fight off a series of extras - or mannikins that aren't human but sure look like it. Join Sydney in this absolutely fabulous escapade - travel in this beautiful world of magic and hope - you will not be sorry.
I didn't realize how many novels Huston has written (and Marvel Comics too) I will be reading through them all! #knopf #Vintage #anchor #pantheon #catchpenny #charliehuston

Engaging and entertaining. A recommended purchase for collections where genre-bending SFF fi is popular.

I'm not sure why but I just could not find my way into this one despite multiple attempts based both on the cool description and excellent reviews from so many other readers. I just couldn't connect with the characters and the plot felt a little all over the place to me. Despite an intriguing magical concept, this one just didn't work for me.

I loved this book! Set modern day but with magic, called mojo, Sid Catchpenny tries to solve two mysteries, the first to find the granddaughter of a friend, and the second to find the killer of his wife 30 years ago. Sid is an unlikely but very likable protagonist. He's a practitioner of a certain type of mojo use where he can transport through mirrors, but he suffers chronic major depression and has been nearly nonfunctional for the past 14 years. A call for help from an old friend, and a touch of mojo, give him the boost he needs to get himself going again, but the idea of depression lingers as a threat. The story telling is sincere and honest, and all the main characters and relationships are deeply nuanced and complex. At it's heart is an often repeated theme of a regular-guy underdog overcoming the rich-got-richer powers that be, but it's not just whining. The story is unique and unpredictable, and deus ex machina is completely avoided. This is a delightful stand alone novel, well written, tightly plotted, and with a very satisfying conclusion. Highly recommend!

I really wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, but it really sounded interesting, and boy was it. It’ll be a little difficult to say too much as I don’t want to spoil anything, but I will say that this is somewhat of a voyage of discovery for our main character Sidney Catchpenny as he is in a race to help his friend Francois find a missing girl before the world is destroyed…maybe. There were times where I thought I had it all figured out, but then bam a revelation came along and blew my theory out of the water. This is well-written, has a very detailed and interesting plot, and there are lots and lots of action. While this isn’t actually exactly my cup of tea, I’ll definitely be trying out the next book if there is one. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

CATCHPENNY, by Charlie Huston, is the story of Sidney Catchpenny, a thief who has learned the magical art of travelling places through mirrors and who specializes in stealing items imbued with mojo, a magical and powerful essence. Sid is offered a job too good to be true where he can right his debts and make some money, but quickly and adeptly Sid starts to figure out the job he is offered is not the job that he is really supposed to do. Old friends and foes come out of the shadows and Sid can't trust anyone. When simple theft becomes cataclysmic stakes, Sid struggles with doing the right thing for humanity and the right thing to do for Sid.
Wrought with flaws and full of skepticism, Sid is a likeable character who has a dry wit and a good heart. He is being used and/or played the entire book, but somehow keeps besting his opponents. The supportive cast of characters are colorful, unique, and dastardly in all the best ways. The mystery unfolds and everything starts to connect to everything else is an excited way and tension builds as the book moved forward. The mirror travelling and use of mojo is mystifying and confusing to the world the reader is introduced too but also is confusing to the reader. It's a palpable vibe and yet unable to be captured, more like it can be coerced and manipulated. I wanted to understand it better as I was reading, but even without my grasp of it, I still enjoyed the book very much.
I would call CATCHPENNY a mystery/thriller with a sci-fi component. It's uniqueness leaves an impression on the reader and the book ends with a satisfying conclusion.

A clever, stylish urban fantasy with a crackling magic system and nuanced take on the complicated nature of love, family, and facing difficult self-truths. The protagonist, Sid, is a pessimistic, down-on-his luck Nick Miller type with the ability to harness a magical energy known as "mojo" to travel through mirrors. An enormous tragedy from his past has him in in deep with the magical crime world and clawing his way out of paralyzing depression. Huston does a thoughtful job of portraying the ugly, honest realities of living with the illness without letting it define Sid's character. Sid himself is darkly humorous narrator with a streak of unreliability that drive the compelling mysteries of his own past and parallel his quest to locate a missing teenage girl.

I loved most the small details of the story, especially the side characters: an 80's obsessed crime boss, an evil talent manager on a mission to throw a non-stop party, a doomsday video game creator, a host of glass doppelgänger's pulled from mirrors. With echoes of Neil Gaiman and Stephen King, this modern magical thriller is equal parts humor, horror, and heart. It is also a fun homage to Los Angeles and its chaotic clash of glitter and violence, as magical social media influencers clash with old-fashioned suicide cults. My only complaint is I wish the women in the story had been given a little more emotional depth: Circe comes across as an embittered teenager & Abigail serves the classic Dead Wife trope, though this is slightly circumvented at the end she nevertheless remains primarily a catalyst for Sid's own realizations and development.