Devil's Kiss

Not being a fan of The Da Vinci Code I doubted whether I would enjoy a novel whose heroine, Billi SangGreal, is the first female member of the Knights Templar. Within a few pages, however, Chadda had swept me into the hidden and claustrophobic world of his Templars whose vigilance and martial skills preserve the world from the Unholy. Nocturnal sorties from their London base at the Temple Church to sort out werewolves and vampires are run of the mill – tension mounts as a more formidable and ancient enemy reappears to challenge them and steal the Cursed Mirror, once owned by King Solomon himself.

Billi undergoes an intensive training in the use of various weapons as well as in History, Arabic, Latin, Ancient Greek and Occult Lore. She is also obliged to attend an ordinary school during the day where the cuts and bruises received during her secret martial arts training excite speculation that she may be a battered child. Her classmates have boyfriends but Billi’s remote father (the Master of the Templar Knights) frowns on any extra-curricular activity. As Billi’s resentment at this grows, she unwittingly befriends a young man who turns out to be a mortal enemy.

It is hard not to enjoy a novel that weaves stories from the Christian, Islamic and Jewish religious traditions into a thrilling plot with such skill and enthusiasm. Chadda also breaks new ground with the effortless multi-culturalism of his very London characters – from Billi herself (her real name is Belkis from her Pakistani mother) to her West African godfather Percy, also a Templar knight. This is a confident first novel written with a lot of wellie and it will be hugely enjoyed.