Ghost of a Chance

Description

A brand-new series from the New York Times bestselling author of the Nightside novels!

The Carnacki Institute exists to "Do Something" about Ghosts-and agents JC Chance, Melody Chambers, and Happy Jack Palmer will either lay them to rest, send them packing, or kick their nasty ectoplasmic arses with extreme prejudice.

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Customer Reviews

Reads like a high-school project.

Meh. Not his finest. I couldn't really like the characters much - they seemed like cartoon characters, not much depth. Eddie Drood reads like a real person, these people don't. They kept spouting portentious phrases like "something big and very bad is coming into focus here".And it was really annoying the way JC kept referring to the other two as Children, as in
"Children, play nice."....I kinda wished one of the monsters would eat one of them, just for excitement.
I shall wait for the next Secret History to come out.

2010-09-04 | Bookworm (Bremerton, WA USA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 3

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Creepy new world from Simon R Green
If you've already read Simon Green in one of his other series, then you know what you are in for here: clever dialogue, fast pacing, an extremely dark and imaginative world, and horrific plot twists. Ghost of a Chance is set in an England closer to our own world when compared with the Nightside series, but there is even more potential for creepiness because of it. The three flawed heros of this series are considered the B team to their bosses due to their foibles, but get sent in to a dangerously - and suddenly - haunted London underground because everyone else is booked. I really liked that second string concept, I liked the pacing, enjoyed the characters, and loved that this book acheives a level of horror and associated gore that equals some of his Nightside work (particularly Paths Not Taken and Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth.)

If you haven't read Simon Green, this would be a good place to start. Minor quibbles include repetitive phrasing and a tendency towards flippancy, but that is easily overlooked when you also get lines like "He had a heart of gold. In a box, under his bed." Simon Green consistently puts out clever little horror/urban fantasy novels like this one and I hope he never stops.

2010-09-03 | M Carole (West Hills, CA United States) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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super urban fantasy
In a deserted supermarket in Bath, England are the Ghost Finder agents powerful in magic JC Chance, technological geek who disdains magic Melody Chambers, and telepath Happy Jack Palmer. The place is haunted and between psi and tech skills, they locate a stone age settlement miles beneath the parking lot. A woman's murder led to the haunting, but they obtain justice and dispatch the victim to the next plane and malevolence lingering from ancient times is destroyed.

Shortly afterward, the team, who are part of the Carnacki Institute, is summoned to meet with their boss. A massive supernatural event occurred at London's Oxford Circus Tube Station. The team is to learn what supernatural essence caused the incident, kick its butt, and send it back to whatever hell it calls home. They realize "it" is a Power so potent no one can defeat it. Adding to their difficulty is two dark arts practitioners from the Crowley Institute; the mission of these operatives is to kill the three Carnacki agents. When they comprehend that the otherworldly entity can terraform the planet into its environs, the adversarial pair of earth groups unite though none of the five field operatives believe they have a ghost of a chance to prevent the extinction of their world.

The newest series from urban fantasy grand mage Simon R. Green is as good as the Nightside and the Secret Histories sagas. Each of the three Carnacki heroes have their own personalities, which feel believable as they fight the supernatural; their human enemies become frenemies because they may practice dark magic but are not suicidal as they do not want to be devoured by otherworldly powers. Filled with action, no one turns London into a horror-fantasy playground better than Mr. Green consistently does as the city has a Ghost of a Chance of surviving the writer's latest magical mayhem.

Harriet Klausner

2010-09-02 | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 5

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From Hell With Love: A Secret Histories Novel

Product Details

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• Qualification: New
• ISBN13: 9780451463326

Description

It's no walk in the park for a Drood, a member of the family that has protected humanity from the things that go bump in the night for centuries. They aren't much liked by the creatures they kill, by ungrateful humans, or even by one another.

Now their Matriarch is dead, and it's up to Eddie Drood, acting head of the family, to figure out whodunit. Unpopular opinion is divided: it was either Eddie's best girl, Molly. Or Eddie himself. And Eddie knows he didn't do it.

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Customer Reviews

Eddie Loses Mollie
From Hell with Love (2010) is the fourth Fantasy novel in The Secret History series, following The Spy Who Haunted Me. In the previous volume, the Independent Agent double-crossed agents contesting to be his successor. Several were killed in the trials. Then he found out the hard way that Drood armor had changed.

In the novel, Edwin Drood is a field agent of the Drood family, the protectors of humanity against magic and aliens. Eddie had been head of the family for a while, but set up a democratic system to select his replacement. He is very fond of Molly.

Molly Metcalf is a witch and a critic of the Drood Family. She likes Eddie, but hates most of his family. She has two sisters, both of whom are strong witches.

Martha Drood is Eddie's grandmother. She had been the Matriarch. Now she has been elected as the head of the family, subject to an advisory council.

Jack Drood is the Family Armourer and Eddie's Uncle. He runs the madcap team that come up with all the cool gadgets.

Doctor Delirium is a mad scientist. He had been a talented -- but not uncommon -- researcher until he inherited his uncle's fortune and private soldiers.

In the story, Eddie comes to Los Angeles. After a fourteen hour flight and LA traffic, Eddie is a bit irritated. He meets with Luther Drood -- the local field agent -- and they scout the Magnificat Hotel.

The Magnificat is not yet open, but the Really Old Curiosity Shoppe is having an auction on the top floor. They have a fine assortment of magical, alien and just plain weird items for sale, but Eddie is mainly interested in the Apocalypse Door. This very dangerous artifact could let all Hell invade the Earth en masse.

After they arrive at the hotel, Eddie uses his second sight to scan the area. Everything looks normal until he notices the dragon at the top. It looks hungry, but dragons usually do.

Eddie and Luther break into the wards and shields surrounding the hotel and take out two guards. Then they ride up to the top floor on the previously locked elevator. There they find Doctor Delirium's soldiers fighting against another mercenary group.

The two Droods start whomping the mercenaries while Doctor Delirium studies the Apocalypse Door. After defeating the soldiers, Eddie turns to capture Doctor Delirium. Then both Delirium and the Apocalypse Door vanish from the room. Eddie breaks the hotel.

Eddie returns to London after failing in his mission, but first goes to his flat in Kensington rather than Drood Hall. He uses the Merlin Glass to visit the wildwoods, but Mollie is not there. So Eddie returns home.

Then he uses the Glass to go to the roof of Drood Hall. He looks around at the grounds and takes the back stair down to the Sanctity room. On the way, he checks in with Ethel.

The Matriarch and the Council are waiting in the Sanctity. Uncle Jack gives him a nod, but Harry is sarcastic as usual. The Matriarch mentions the destruction of the hotel. The meeting does not go very well.

Mollie crashes the meeting and disputes with the Matriarch. She says a few threatening words and the Sarjeant-at-Arms activates his armour and draws his pistols. Eddie sweeps Mollie off her feet and takes her away.

Mollie tells him more about the Immortals. Only the original few are truly eternal, but even the half-breeds live for a long time. They all are shapeshifters and can change to look like anyone. Mollie says that they had sent the second mercenary group to the Magnificat Hotel.

Afterward, Eddie is awakened by the head of Operations. The Matriarch has been found dead in her bedroom. Eddie and Molly hurry to the room and find the Matriarch stabbed in the heart.

This tale sends Eddie looking for Doctor Delirium and the Immortals with revenge on his mind. He is dropped on the latest known position of the Doctor's mercenaries, but finds the camp deserted except for the dead. Apparently the inhabitants have killed each other.

This story provides more information on the death of Eddie's -- and Mollie's -- parents. The next installment is For Heaven's Eyes Only. Read and enjoy!

Highly recommended for Green fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of magical weapons, armed combat, and stubborn field agents. If anyone is not familiar with this series, the initial volume is The Man With the Golden Torc.

-Arthur W. Jordin

2010-08-10 (Smyrna, GA USA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Cliffhanger ending
Fast paced, overall a decent entry to the Golden Torc series. Blink and you'll miss the various references he scatters about.

2010-08-08 (LaVergne, TN United States) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Give me more Drood
Every book in these series has been fun, exciting, well written, creative with great characters and a fantastic premise. I devoured this in a day. I love that Green's universes are slowly becoming more and more interconnected. This has a great ending and I can't wait for the next one! Where is the audiobook??

2010-07-18 | Cowboyninja (Laguna Hills, CA USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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kick ass entertainment
first things first simon green is 1 of my all time favourite authors in my top 3.this is his fourth entry in the secret histories series i wont go into plot because if youre reading this review you know what the storys about.i must admit to being disappointed in the last secret history novel primarily because it felt like a stand alone rather then a novel that had an impact on the main storyline.no problems here green propels the story forward with deaths epic scenes a world ending plot a new big bad and the answer to a mystery green has been teasing us with since book 2.As other reviewers noted this seems to be the series were green ties all his series together with plenty of references to other characters and events from his other works.all his novels take place in the same world and i for one look forward to the novel were john and eddie have to team up to save the world and the nightside.if you havent discovered green and enjoy action fantasy youve just found youre fix for however long it takes you to get thru his 31 novels enjoy the ride.oh and it ends on a cliffhanger.

2010-07-04 | storm (ireland) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Great Series
I've really enjoyed this series. The plots can be a little formulaic but Green keeps enough twists and turns in them that they stay interesting...even if you read most of them back to back like I did!

2010-06-27 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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The Good, the Bad, and the Uncanny (Nightside)

Product Details

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• Fitness: New
• ISBN13: 9780441018161

Description

Things were going so well for P.I. John Taylor, that it was only a matter of time before everything hit the fan. Walker, the powerful, ever-present, never­to-be-trusted agent who runs the Nightside on behalf of The Authorities, is dying. And he wants John to be his successor-a job that comes with more baggage, and more enemies, than anyone can possibly imagine.

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Customer Reviews

Change is coming to the Nightside
First Sentence: This is the Nightside.

Things are changing in Nightside. An elf--never trust an elf--hires PI John Taylor as an escort across Night. Then Larry Oblivion, the Dead Detective, asks to help him find his brother who disappeared during the Lilith War. But the biggest concern is Walker, who runs Nightside on behalf of the Authorities. He wants to retire and have PI John Taylor assume his position.

A book with a compelling opening is a joy, and Green writes great openings. I am always staggered by imagination and his ability to make the unreal seem real, unpleasant as that sometimes is.

This book blends humans--sometimes loosely defined as such--monsters and mythical characters, such as Puck; but not Shakespeare's Puck. To balance the graphicness, Green employs a delightful humor and includes references to contemporary culture and the occasional nod to Shakespeare. In fact, the book itself has a rather Shakespearean feel to it.

These are not pure fantasy books; there is some real substance and insightful observations and truth tucked in amongst the action, including a rather sad but honest observation on drugs. When John asks Walker whether the power ever goes to his head, Walker responds "...There isn't one of them that really likes or even respect me. It's the position, and the power that comes with it." Isn't that true for most people who are famous or powerful--people agree with them and laugh at their jokes not because of who they are but because of the power they hold.

At one point, Taylor talks about the value of the less important..."Is their pain any less? Their deaths any less final"...leading me to think of Shylock's speech about the Jews "...If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die?..."

Green is an excellent writer and this is clearly a transitional book. I cannot help but look forward to my next visit to the Nightside.

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UNCANNY (Para/Mys-John Taylor-Nightside/London-Cont) - VG
Green, Simon R. - 10th in series
ACE Books, ©2010, US Hardcover - ISBN: 9780441018161

2010-07-07 (Oakland, CA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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The Good, maybe better than I thought?
First things first: don't read this one first. Read the earlier ones because there are lots of spoilers in this book. Plus, you'll be missing lots of good reading if you do.

Summary--Good book, pleasant reading, another day in the life of John Taylor that took me about a day (3-4 hours) to read.

Surprise: At one point I caught a reference to a Winston Churchill quote, and soon after a allusion to Oedipus. Now I'm wondering if all the other throw-away details wouldn't be so throw-away if I were more learned!

Overall, I really liked the book, a triplet of short stories woven together. It nicely sets us up for the next chapter in John's life in a fairly amusing way (the passive/indirect way the author goes about resolving things is superb).

Finally: I remember reading about 2000 pages into Simon Green's Deathstalker series and wondering "When will this ever go anywhere? Why all the tangents? I like each page, but the books are frustrating." I think with the Nightside series, Green has found a great venue for his creativity.

2010-07-03 (Texas) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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This should have been the one that directly follwed the Lilith War.
The book hits all the marks although certain plot points are established that seem rather contrived. For instance over the last few books Suzzie Shooter always appears to be away on another contract for the majority of the time. For as descriptive and fun a place as the Nightside sounds when Simon R. Green needs his characters to do something to move the plot along it gets done but he always seems to have a problem with conflicts arising from already established characterization. If I have a problem with the book at all it isn't the answers we get regarding the fate of Larry Oblivion (excellent) or the redemption of the King of Thorns (also excellent) but it is the fact that this great character Walker did something so utterly out of character in the end. It is good that the series is winding down and it will be interesting to see what the ultimate resolution is in the next book. Good work Mr. Green.

2010-06-04 (SC) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Walking into Oblivion
A fog of change descends upon John Taylor at the outset of Simon Green's latest installment in his Nightside series, The Good, The Bad, And The Uncanny. While John feels no immediate effect from the fog, you just know it is foreshadowing what is to come for our somewhat Hero. However, the change that does come is one of the most significant developments in the series, and will certainly inform what is to follow.

I really enjoy the Nightside. Simon Green is a very entertaining author, and while many of his adventures may seem similar at times, he never fails to impress me with his crazy imagination. The latter part of the series has been unable to ascend to the heights it reached in the Lilith War, but after Just Another Judgement Day, and new interesting events in The Good, The Bad, And The Uncanny planting seeds for the next books, I have hopes that it still has the potential to do so.

Unfortunately, while I do have high hopes for the next novel, I cannot say that the 10th Nightside book is one of my favorites. While there is a lot that I like about the story, and I think it is a very enjoyable read, there are just several things that I am disappointed with, mostly in the characterization of Walker.

After nine books and a Secret Histories crossover, I like Walker every bit as much as John, and barring something in future novels that addresses it, I just feel his character is marred in this book. I also feel that the ending feels too short and hurried, it could have used another chapter to resolve things properly. After all this time, I just feel this book and the events that form the ending should have been more epic, more memorable, and not as disappointing. Perhaps that is the weight of my own expectations coming back on me, but, alas, I WAS expecting more.

The story is quite strong though, and the structure is an interesting change from some earlier novels in the series. John is tasked with helping an Elf, as well as The Dead Detective, Larry Oblivion. Green treats us to the usual sojourn through the Nightside formula that all the books have, and he pulls out all the crazy imaginative beasties that we expect, as well as plenty of John Taylor butt kicking that we demand. Even feels quite like the last book, with the Detective Inspectre filling in for The Walking Man.

What is unique about this story is Green actually spends time in another characters head for the first time. Larry Oblivion actually takes the reigns for a chapter, and it is a fun and interesting little story he tells. This book also contains some significant moral quandaries for John that were not as prevalent in previous installments, as well as some excellent conversations between John and Walker.

I can say this for The Good, The Bad, And The Uncanny: even if I feel it is somewhat disappointing, with the events that take place, and the seeding for future stories, I am eagerly anticipating what will happen next in the Nightside.

275 HC pages 4 out of 5 stars

2010-05-04 | Turanthor (Austin, Texas) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 4

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Terrific
Much better than the last two books. Although the last two were good, I didn't consider them terrific. This was everything I could have asked for. Had some shock value, a couple "wow" moments and was hard to put down. I'm just really sorry the series is coming to a close. I have loved the Nighside series.

2010-04-21 (San Jose, CA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Daemons are Forever (Secret Histories, Book 2)

Product Details

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• Demand: New
• ISBN13: 9780451462787

Description

The New York Times bestselling author of The Man With the Golden Torc delivers...

"RAPID-FI RE PARANORMAL SUSPENSE."(Monsters and Critics)

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Customer Reviews

Daemons Are Forever
Daemons Are Forever is the second book in the Secret Histories series. It is an enjoyable story about Eddie Drood, a secret agent.
He has to save the world from various threats, supernatural and his family.
I have read all of Simon R Green's books and find them all very enjoyable. I like the British humour in them and the larger than life characters and situations.
Deamons Are Forever is a highly entertaining story and I look forward to more in this series.

2010-08-19 (New Zealand) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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A let down after the first
I really liked the first one in the series, and I couldn't wait til I picked up a copy of the second adventure. It was a major let down.

The plot was weak. Drood has to prove to the world that just because his family was down, but they weren't out. Drood feels the only way do to this is to pick a fight with a group, and how them and the world that the Drood family isn't as weak as people think. Honestly, that's pretty much the plot. That's the biggest problem I had with the book. Drood had to pick a fight, and he picked the weakest creature (supernatural beings) to fight. To me, Drood and the family seemed like bullies. Drood kept on stumbling around and he was doing things, just to do them. **SPOLIERS** Some examples are that he had to go to the past to get the best fighters to help him and the family fight....then he had to go to the future to get a fighter too. It was just so silly.

The characters seemed to be paper thin. I also had the feeling that the characters seemed bored to be in the book. More as I read, the more I disliked them. Even my favorite, Mr. Stab.

If you read this after the first one, don't expect to much.

2010-02-28 (Rochester) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 2

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Another fantastic story!
Simon R. Green has quickly become one of my favorite authors from his Nightside series and now to this. He blends the macabre (much like Clive Barker although not as intense) with humor and a fast paced easy read.

I haven't read a single story yet by him that I did not enjoy. If you want a good book, buy this one!

2010-02-08 | colfordstudios.com (Staten Island, NY United States) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Eddie saves the word - again.
From time immemorial, the powerful Drood family has worked behind the scenes, saving the world from every imaginable threat. Until, centuries past, an alien entity corrupted the family's governing body. Since then, their agenda has been ruling the world. When field agent Eddie Drood is declared rogue, he discovers the family's corrupt secret, destroys the Heart and takes control. (The Man with the Golden Torc.)

In Daemons are Forever, Eddie Drood is not a popular man. He is resented by some, hated by others, and does not know who to trust within his own family. What is more, when he destroyed the Heart, the Droods lost their golden armor, and now the powers of the world think they have a chance to bring the family down. Only Eddie has armor, this time silver, given to him by the strange matter that replaced the Heart. He decides to show the world that the Drood family is still a force to be reckoned with and targets the Loathly Ones, alien creatures who can infect and eventually take over both human beings and animals.

The Droods, who are responsible for bringing the Loathly Ones to Earth in the first place, do not see them as a significant threat, Eddie included. But although his army destroys the Loathly Ones' nest it does so with much loss of life, and he learns that this is just the tip of the ice-burg. The Loathly Ones are working to bring the Hungry Gods to Earth from their own dimension, and when that happens they will destroy the world.

Eddie, as the narrator, shares his doubts and disappointments, both his own and with his family. He needs their help, but refuses to compromise his decision to return them to honor and decency. Eddie has always believed that "family comes first," but his resolve is tested when his love, Molly Metcalf, is infected by the Loathly Ones, and Eddie realizes that she is more important to him than family.

Characters from the first book return and new ones are introduced; we see a different side to some, and lose others. Some reviewers do not like the introduction of characters from Green's Nightside and Deathstalker series', but I think they fit the plot, in which Eddie travels to the past and future, and to other worlds, in search of help.

"Daemons are Forever," is chockfull of battles, duels, blood and gore, mayhem, heroics, sacrifice, magic and alien technology, well-defined characters, and a dab of British humor; narrated with Green's trademark rapid-fire style and wit. Will Eddie triumph in the end? How could he not?

2009-10-02 (USA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Not Your Nightside
As a fan of Green's NightSide series, this series is a big disappointment. I have been trying to narrow one critical comparison and finally come to this: the relationship between John Taylor and Susie Shooter (Nightside) is compelling because the characters are flawed, damaged superheroes worthy of a multi-book series. Eddie and Molly, IMHO, seem pulled straight from all the bad SF bodice rippers. The only construct that could make me purchase book 3 is if Green turned Molly (who is a witch - don't get me started) into a toad. If that sentence seems silly and implausible for a SF book, so will the series.

2009-07-12 (West Linn, Oregon USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 2

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The Spy Who Haunted Me (Secret Histories, Book 3)

Description

Eddie Drood's evil-stomping skills have come to the attention of the legendary Alexander King, Independent Agent extraordinaire. The best of the best, King spent a lifetime working for anyone and everyone, doing anything and everything, for the right price. Now, he's on his deathbed and looking to bestow all of his priceless secrets to a successor, provided he or she wins a contest to solve the world's greatest mysteries. Eddie has to win, because King holds the most important secret of all to the Droods-the identity of the traitor in their midst...

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Customer Reviews

Best of the Secret Histories Series
Less Drood politics and more spy "who can I trust" tension and even Walker from the Nightside series puts in an appearance. A great book, I still prefer his Nightside series (and the old Hawk and Fisher) but the book doesn't disappoint and is the best of the secret histories (I'm still reading the 4th book).

2010-07-03 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Simon R Green and the Secret Histories
I'm a big fan of Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden novels. This series popped up as a recommendation from Amazon. I tried the first and I was pleasantly surprised. Typically, I don't read much Sci-fi outside the Dresden books, but the main character, Eddie Drood/Shamus Bond is rather interesting.

If your looking for something new, I recommend "The Spy Who Haunted Me" and the other Secret Histories books. They are good reads with a little action and some far-out characters.

2010-03-08 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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The Secret Agent Game
The Spy Who Haunted Me (2009) is the third fantasy novel in the Shaman Bond series, following Daemons Are Forever, In the previous volume, the Time Train made it to the higher dimension and impacted amidst the Hungry Gods. Eddie and Mollie teleport out just before all the accumulated temporal energies exploded, closing the gateway. The Matriarch congratulated him on solving the crisis and chided him for bringing a half-elf into the household.

In the novel, Eddie Drood is a field agent for the Drood family. His area of responsibility is London and environs.

Martha Drood is Eddie's grandmother. She had been the Matriarch. Now she has been elected as the head of the family, subject to an advisory council.

Jack Drood is the Armourer and Eddie's Uncle. He runs the madcap team who come up with all the cool gadgets.

The Blue Fairy was a friend of Eddie before stealing a Drood torc. Then Queen Mab took the throne and he was admitted into the fairy enclave. The Fae gave him more training in his magical abilities.

Honey Lake is a CIA operative. She has access to many cool gadgets from the Company.

Walker is from the Nightside. He is the friendly nemesis of John Taylor.

Peter King is the grandson of Alexander King, the Independent Agent. He is a corporate espionage operative.

Lethal Harmony is an agent from Kathmandu. Katt specializes in honey traps and betrayals.

In the story, Eddie is wearing his Shaman Bond persona as he tries to find out what is going on with the Tower of London. He is hired by an Australian republican to kill the Tower ravens. Naturally, the job is not quite that simple.

Then Eddie is called back to the family mansion and ordered to drive rather than use the Merlin glass. After arriving, he finds Martha and the Armourer waiting for him. He is told that the Independent Agent is having a competition for his own replacement. The winner will get all of his accumulated secret information.

Eddie uses the Merlin Glass to reach Place Gloria, Alexander King's hideout, museum and residence. The area is covered in flux fog and nothing can be seen, but heavy footsteps sound from around him. After the fog lifts, Eddie finds that he and the other five candidates are on the top of a mountain.

They all gather around and introduce themselves. Of course, Eddie already knows the Blue Fairy and he knows of Walker. Honey, Peter and Katt are new to him.

After the introductions, the area around them shudders and then lowers into the lobby of the residence. They walk out and through a private museum into the audience chamber. Then a three-dimensional image of Alexander King appears and explains the contest.

They soon discover that the image is live, for King answers some comments (and ignores others). There will be five locations where the group must discover secrets. At the end of the quest, only one person will be left alive to receive the prize.

King causes a teleport device to appear on each wrist to take them to the designated spots. Eddie is rather startled since his golden torc is supposed to prevent such occurrences. Later they discover that the devices also travel to specific times as well to places.

At the first stop, they have to uncover the secret of the Loch Ness monster. Honey links with her boss and gets a small yellow submarine. They discover that the monster is not anything like popular theories, but they lose one of their group.

This tale takes the survivors to other sites and times, where they find all kinds of monsters. Some of them die or disappear. Eddie suspects that someone within the group is killing the others.

This novel has several references to other novels and series by this author. Both Nightsideand Shadows Fall are mentioned. And other classic allusions are made in passing.

This story has a fair amount of action. The next installment will be From Hell With Love. Read and enjoy!

Highly recommended for Green fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of ancient protectors, various strange creatures, and cocky young agents. If anyone has not previously read this series, the initial volume is The Man with the Golden Torc.

-Arthur W. Jordin

2010-02-18 (Smyrna, GA USA) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 4

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Not quite up to par...
I like Simon Green's works. Entertaining books. But, that being said, The Spy Who Haunted Me, is not quite up to what I expect from this author. It's almost as if, he didn't really write it.

The character of Walker, from the Nightside series, it totally off. It's not him. And another character, whom Green had killed off in the previous book, herein is mentioned as being alive and well.

Little things. Rather confusing when added up. Very unsatisfying ending. I do understand the need to leave some plot threads hanging for the next book in the series, but, this one has far too many in one volume.

I sincerely hope the next volume is better.

This one I found to be somewhat disappointing, when taken in relation to Mr. Green's previous works.

2009-10-17 (Glassboro, NJ USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 2

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A good read, but not a great read.
This is not up to the usual quality of Simon Green's other Drood books and seems a bit of a stretch in this story, not near the interesting story lines that were found in Daemons are Forever or the the Man with a Golden Torc. A good read for a rainy afternoon, but not a have to go out and read it today book.

2009-09-14 (Atlanta, Georgia) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 3

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Nightingale's Lament (Nightside, Book 3)

Product Details

• ISBN13: 9780441011636
• Outfit: New
• Notes: BUY WITH Belief, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and benefit to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Description

In the Nightside, the hidden heart of London where it's always 3 AM, Detective John Taylor must find an elusive singer known as The Nightingale. Her silken voice has inexplicably lured many a fan to suicide--and Taylor is determined to stop her, before the whole neighborhood falls under her trance. But to catch the swift-winged Nightingale, he'll have to hear the deadly music--and survive.

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Customer Reviews

Death takes the stage in the Nightside
Death takes center stage in book 3 of Simon R. Green's Nightside series, "Nightingale's Lament." The book begins with a visit from a vengeful ghost from protagonist John Taylor's past and quickly turns into an investigation of Rossingnol, a young chanteuse whose deeply melancholic performances are rumored to drive fans to suicide. When John's snooping nearly dead-ends with the slippery and spooky Mr. and Mrs. Cavendish, he turns to both friends and enemies for help with the case ... and with survival.

What makes Green's Nightside world come alive are its unique characters, including Julien Advent, a Victorian-era newspaperman who got stuck in a time warp; Dead Boy, an undead 17-year-old with an appetite for mayhem; and Billy "the Jonah", a man with broad power over probabilities. It's a relief to find urban fantasy that doesn't focus on werewolves, vampires, faeries and other stock types out of 19th century horror and high fantasy.

The downside of reading Green is that, while he's not bad at developing interesting characters, novel situations, and confounding mysteries, he relies overmuch on the hackneyed stylistic conventions of the hardboiled detective novel. In particular, most readers will quickly tire of Taylor's constant, wry reminders of how dangerous, dark, and weird the Nightside is, and of how tricky, predatory, and untrustworthy its denizens are. It's not that Taylor's world-weary musings are not colorful or witty, but there's just too much cracking wise and too little human emotion. Jim Butcher, while not perfect, handles the noir/fantasy genre bending significantly better in his Dresden Files series.

In any event, "Nightingale's Lament," is an enjoyable, short (217pp., not including the 30pp. excerpt from Charlaine Harris' "Dead to the World") diversion well-suited for airport, beach, or general decompression.

2010-05-26 (Buffalo, NY USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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A major let down
Wow, after reading and loving the first two books in the Nightside series, I couldn't wait to start this one. It was a major let down. I felt that plot was weak. Taylor has to find out why a singer has changed, and her songs lead people to kill themselves. Honestly, that's the plot. I found this book to be very dull and not any plot twists.

I guess the biggest letdown for me is that there is so much description going on that it lost me. Green will spend about 10 pages telling us how Taylor gets to a newspaper company. The same thing happens when Taylor goes to a nightclub. We know and see every single step that Taylor takes, and it's not necessary.

I've always loved the characters that dwell in the Nightside, except for this time. The characters seemed goofy. Taylor was meeting them, and not much happens. I just feel that a lot happens for no good read.

I'm also hearing about Taylor's mom. We need to meet her already, or drop that subplot.


I hope that the next installments are much better.

2010-02-28 (Rochester) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 2

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Simon R Green Fan
I love all of his books, very interesting,exciting. Full of great supernatural characters and situations. Will keep you guessing right to the end. It is very hard to put down while you are reading it, you just want to keep going to find out what will happen next.

2009-09-30 | book luver (IN) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Read Dresden first
If you are done with the Harry Dresden series this is worth the time, otherwise read Dresden.

2009-08-20 (Marietta, GA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 3

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If I could give 3.5 I would.
I have to say that this the only installment of the Nightside series that I truly dislike not so much because of the setting which is always fun and interesting but because of the plot line. The old plotline the starlet held against her will by morally corrupt music managers has been used in every series of mystery books that I have ever read. I have always found this plot point to be idiotic but at least it proves that Green is not perfect and is as susceptible to cliques as the rest of us.

2009-08-12 (SC) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 3

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