Darren Humphries

This is the latest Agent Ward adventure.  It's dark! 

The Man from UNDEAD Who Went out in the Cold

Amazon .com UNDEAD 5 - Out in the Cold

My review - 

Ward's latest adventure takes him to various countries in the company of a glamorous read-headed lady cat-burglar. She's no ordinary thief though and her latest 'theft' is no ordinary item. Ward finds who she's working for and is helped in his quest by a fire-elemental. The gang at the heart of this story are out to engineer a situation from which they can step in and save the world, giving them immense power. At least, that's the plan.

The usually laid-back Ward, now dismissed from the agency, has some hard battles and heavy losses to face in this story. It's got greater depths than some of the earlier works. One not to miss.

Darren Humphries

Here's a quick read - another couple of short stories featuring Agent Ward.

The Man from UNDEAD - Frights and Fireworks

Amazon.com The Man from UNDEAD - Frights and Fireworks


My review - 

This is a pairing of short stories featuring the popular Agent Ward from UNDEAD. The character has matured and mellowed and is now so laid back he’s practically horizontal. His exploits in the haunted house in the first story are superb, with some lovely references to look out for! In the second story, London, and in particular parliament, once again face a bonfire night threat.

These short, seasonal stories are part of a series which could well be grouped as ‘Around the Year with The Man From UNDEAD’ – but probably won’t. They are a great idea and provide an additional variety of plots to complement those we meet in the longer series. 

Darren Humphries

This spin-off from the Man from U.N.D.E.A.D series is bound to be hugely popular with those of us who love his witty humour and mad plots.

Penny Kilkenny Saves the Day

Amazon.com Penny Kilkenny Saves the Day

My review - 

This story is a spin-off from the popular Man from U.N.D.E.A.D series. Penny is the super-efficient and slightly sarcastic assistant to the head of the Agency, but here we see her in uncharacteristic 'off-duty' mode. She has been persuaded to attend a reunion at her school and we meet her schoolmates fresh from their exploits as high achievers and icons in their fields. We also meet her first boyfriend!

This is another very enjoyable UNDEAD romp, with all the action, deaths, monsters and humour you have come to expect from a Darren Humphries book. I always wonder if he can do it again. I've not yet been disappointed!

Darren Humphries

Here's a new, seasonal offering from Darren Humphries for St Patrick's Day.

The Man From U.N.D.E.A.D.'s St Patrick's Day Parade

Amazon.com  The Man from U.N.D.E.A.D.'s St Patrick's Day Parade

My review -


This is another short, seasonal offering from Agent Ward, the man from UNDEAD.  He is dispatched by the agency to County Clare, Ireland, to look into the appearance of a banshee which is thought to have caused the death of an elderly lady .  His arrival at Ard na Mara, a top secret establishment, in an agency helicopter so put me in mind of the opening sequence of Father Ted and it set the scene for the usual clever, witty irony that characterises this series of stories.  Ward gets to grips with the case and finds out why Ireland's mythical creatures are all congregating here - and who is behind it all.

These stories are always a delight, always well written and always warm and gently funny.  I enjoy them a great deal.

Darren Humphries

Another short story by Darren Humphries which is prompted by the date.  Feb 14th!

The Man from U.N.D.E.A.D.'s St. Valentine's Day Massacre

Amazon.com The Man from U.N.D.E.A.D.'s St. Valentine's Day Massacre

My review -

Agent Ward and the delicious Veronika are planning a Valentine’s night celebration when he is called to attend a case.  A greetings card factory has been attacked, or rather, just about annihilated.  Paper hearts and roses are scattered like confetti at an enthusiastic wedding.  Green gelatinous goo is left at the site.  What’s going on?  You’ll have to read it and find out…..

Darren Humphries has hit upon a winning streak with this character and his writing has mellowed and grown more assured over the time I have been reading his work.  I suspect Agent Ward’s humour, sarcasm, heavy irony and plain sense of fun are Darren’s own.  When added to the imaginative scrapes in which our agent finds himself, it makes for a winning combination.  Agent Ward fans, get your next fix here!  

Here's a little seasonal offering not to me missed.

The Man From U.N.D.E.A.D.'s Christmas Carol

Amazon.com  The Man From U.N.D.E.A.D.'s Christmas Carol

My review -

Agent Ward, The Man from U.N.D.E.A.D., stands on his doorstep on Christmas Eve, just as his love interest Veronika is preparing egg nog. The glowing features of his former boss, in the guise of his door-knocker, then tell him he is to visit Christmases past, present and future. He meets his younger self and ensures that Ward Junior henceforth nurses a burning desire to become and agent when he grows up. He meets a present day adversary in the Oxford HQ, then travels to a future in which it appears that he is already dead!

An egg nog will never be the same again! This is another little belter of a short story from the man who has created a genre all his own. This is a truly Wardic tale and a great Christmas offering from Darren Humphries. Merry Christmas!

Darren Humphries

This latest story of The Man from U.N.D.E.A.D. is another delightful romp of an adventure story set in a sci-fi/magic near-future near you!

One Small Step for the Man from U.N.D.E.A.D.

Amazon.com  One Small Step for the Man from U.N.D.E.A.D.

My review -

Agent Ward excels himself in this latest adventure. He not only leaves the planet's surface, but goes back in time, and all for the love of a lady. He meets some strange creatures this time; Braindrain Spider Demons, Bodycrunchers and Howler Demons are but a few of his adversaries in this action packed adventure. Once again, the writing is full of wry humour and some silly sideswipes at things we all know and love - the acronym TADRIS, for example. The book is at once a light-hearted romp and a quest for the answer to `How far would you go to save a loved one?' There's a bomb-shell ending too.

Darren Humphries excels at word-play, irony and even occasional belly-laughs. Agent Ward, whatever the circumstances, can hardly help his sarcastic tongue getting him into trouble. These `UNDEAD' stories are heavy on the fantasy and science fiction but very easy on the eye. I really enjoyed this!

Darren Humphries - The Man from U.N.D.E.A.D.

This is a series of rather funny novels featuring Agent Ward - the Man from U.N.D.E.A.D.  He occupies a parallel, slightly futuristic world in which we, the general public, are guarded from the knowledge and effects of magic, demons, dragons and more.

The Man from U.N.D.E.A.D. Book 1 - the Curious Case of the Kidnapped Chemist

Link to Amazon.com  The Man from U.N.D.E.A.D. Book 1: The Curious Case of the Kidnapped Chemist

My review -

This is an action packed adventure in a world which is shot through with magic, alien creatures and mythological beings from which we are protected by an agency - U.N.D.E.A.D. The story is narrated by Ward, a likeable and self-deprecating agent and the plot is full of twists and turns. It's an exciting and fast moving story and full of humour. It's not the belly laugh, slapstick type but is clever and subtle, using word-play and wonderful, memorable phrases, the sort of humour I much prefer. I am relatively new to Darren Humphries' work and he grows on me with each book. I was delighted to find, at the end of this, that there's a sequel. I now understand there is a whole series planned - Bring it on!

The Man from U.N.D.E.A.D. 2 - Zombie Apocalypse Now

Link to Amazon.com  The Man from U.N.D.E.A.D. 2: Zombie Apocalypse Now

My review -

As a self confessed non-zombie fan, I wonder why I am reading, let alone reviewing, this book. It's because it's the second in the U.N.D.E.A.D series and because it's written by Darren Humphries.
In the first in this series we are introduced to the hero, Agent Ward. He is a clever, daring and very likable character and any book starring him will have me reading it.

We find ourselves in a world infested at regular intervals by aliens, supernatural beings, mythological creatures and magic, from which the public are protected by the Agents from U.N.D.E.A.D. Here we continue to follow Ward as he takes his new and surprising sidekick on a chase across the globe to find out who is re-animating corpses and why.

As always, the author uses clever word-play and very funny descriptions that light up the often ludicrous situations in which our hero finds himself. I love Darren Humphries' style of writing and I'm so pleased that there are to be more in this series, especially in view of the new working partnership we discover at the end of this book.

The Man from U.N.D.E.A.D. Book 3 - Do Dragons Dream of Burning Sheep?

Amazon.com  The Man from U.N.D.E.A.D. 3: Do Dragons Dream of Burning Sheep?

My review -

I received a preview copy of the third book in this fantasy series which is really taking off now. I enjoyed the first, I really enjoyed the second and I'm thrilled to bits with the third. I think some of this is from knowing and loving Agent Ward. He is one of those characters in a book that you really warm to and I can only bear finishing one of these UNDEAD stories because I know I'll be meeting him again in the next. He is very good at his job but that involves causing chaos. He is daring, brave, but admits that he is often scared to death. He's aware of his failings but very likeable with it. In this volume he deals with a dragon, one of the deadliest beasts there is (apart from his Boss). Incidentally, I notice that if you have missed out on this series till now, you can buy the whole trilogy in one volume and catch up at your leisure (but I hope the author won't stop at three).

The beauty of these books for me is the warmth and wit of Darren Humphries' writing. He is funny without being crass and I enjoy his work immensely. There's always plenty of action in these stories and they are crisply told. If Agent Ward comes to his own personal Reichenbach Falls I shall be gutted!

You can now buy the Trilogy - The Man from U.N.D.E.A.D. Trilogy
Amazon.com  The Man from U.N.D.E.A.D. Trilogy

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