I can imagine there are people who have read Mike Resnick's science fiction stories and books but never felt that this was a book they would enjoy. It's easy to do so for me, as I'm one of these people. I've had one or two experiences of reading an author's other genres work and found it not really my scene and so I guess this may have put me off reading the Lucifer Jones tales.

Well I guess better later than never - for in this book there are twelve tales filled with the usual Mike Resnick engaging, humourous writing and a cast of larger than life characters. So my main worry with these was instantly alleviated, as Mike's prose worked as well set in 1920's Africa as it does in far-future galaxy-spanning adventures.

The Right Reverend Doctor Lucifer Jones is a self-proclaimed preacher, and he is touring around Africa trying to raise funds to build his church – The Tabernacle of Saint Luke. But this is a preacher with a difference. For one thing he is not above pretty much any means when it comes to raising funds. And so he gambles, cheats, attempts shady business deals, engages in slave trading, runs a brothel, and attempts to trade in ivory in these twelve linked short stories that make up this novel.

The second thing of note about Lucifer is he is pretty much useless, and fairly gullible to boot. I don't think it's going to be much of a giveaway to hear that this is a sequence of gaining and losing different fortunes. Lucifer as a preacher is a fairly comical character, he is as far from the gentle devout serious idea of a minister as it's probably possible to be.

There is also the usual combination of Resnick's own supporting characters. Anyone who has read any of this author's books before will know what to expect here. In one story we meet Herbie Miller - an ivory poacher (and part-time vampire), in another we find a mummy running through the streets of Cairo carrying off a near naked woman. And throughout it all, Lucifer's nemesis – Erich Von Horst, a man who is usually a step ahead of Lucifer Jones – not that this is a particularly difficult thing to achieve.

The reason I read this book is that I recently heard the author had recommenced writing these stories. Well I am glad I did read this and I'm very glad that Mike Resnick is writing more of this wonderful little tales.