Closer to Higuri You in terms of narrative sanity, but to Kaori Yuki in terms of happy-ending-ness and relative well-meaning-ness of the protagonists. (And it worries me that I consider people like Cain and Kira "well-meaning," but, you know. Relative to Cesare!) They are both pretty good comparisons, though. I agree with rachelmanija that Carey is a love-her-or-hate-her type writer.

Midway through Douglass's Wayfarer books, I discovered that I had developed a sharp personal dislike for every single named character.