[Jayaprakash]

>> for some it was too literary almost to be good pulp.

Heh, exactly. I still liked it, and to work the genre/lit crossover turnstiles the other way, I'd suggest that people who liked this book try some Tim Powers. His early novel The Drawing Of The Dark is probably the closest in spirit to this one, but his later mash-ups of noir, thrillers and weird magic are also highly recommended, as is his time travel romp, The Anubis Gates.