Book Review: The Good, the Bad, and the Uncanny by Simon R. Green

The Good, the Bad, and the Uncanny
Simon R. Green
Ace Books
ISBN 0441018165
Hardcover

According to sources as reliable as they get in the Nightside, Excalibur is coming back to town.  John Taylor is hot on the artifact’s trail because in the Nightside something that sounds good here is often lethal.

Meanwhile, the Undead Detective Larry Oblivion has hired John to help him track down his brother Tommy. John feels a certain obligation to do so since the last time he saw Tommy alive, he was supposed to be the one watching him.

And, have I mentioned that Walker, the dreaded representative of the Authorities, is dying?  He is, and he wants John to take over his job when he’s gone.

It’s just another endless night for John Taylor in a place that never sleeps, where for a price you can possess another person’s body to debauch, or worse.  It’s the Nightside, the dark-side of modern London. These stories are dark, humorous, and a fast-paced read for fans of both fantasy and light detective noir.  Probably the highest endorsement I can give the series is that my nonfiction reading spouse has read every one of them and actually keeps track of when the next book comes out so he can keep up.

“The Good, the Bad, and the Uncanny” is the eleventh in Simon R. Green’s Nightside series so far.  Like all the books, the story is mostly stand-alone, but if you enjoy the story, you will want to read the rest of them as well.  Below is the list:

1.  Something from the Nightside

2.  Agents of Light and Darkness

3.  Nightingale’s Lament

4.  Hex and the City

5.  Paths Not Taken

6.  Sharper than a Serpent’s Tooth

7.  A Walk on the Nightside

8.  Hell to Pay

9.  The Unnatural Inquirer

10. Just Another Judgment Day

11. The Good, the Bad, and the Uncanny

Reviewed by Rebecca Kyle, January 2010.

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January 17, 2010  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Full Reviews

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