Something From the NightsideSimon R. Green |
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  12/30/2010 |
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When Joanna Barrett entered John Taylor's office in London, he thought perhaps he'd be able to pay his bills after all. Her daughter, Cathy, has run away and is missing. Taylor is her last hope. No one else has been able to find her. She had heard rumors about a place called Nightside. Taylor freezes inside. He left Nightside five years earlier and doesn't want to go back. But...he takes the case. Barrett insists on joining him when he goes there. Nightside is the under underbelly of London. Almost anything can be found there and people look the other way. It's always the middle of the night. There are things there people don't even dream about because they're so scary. John Taylor grew up in this world. His father was human; his mother was...what? Taylor has a gift that only works in Nightside. He can find things. Once he's in Nightside, he can follow Cathy Barrett. She went into Nightside willingly, even joyfully. Her trail keeps disappearing. Someone is trying to prevent him and her mother from finding her location. How to describe Nightside? One adjective that's in the teasers is macabre. That's an excellent description. Simon R. Green has created a nightmare place. But he has done it with a light touch. Taylor's character in Something From the Nightside is self-deprecating, wise cracking man with lots of angst and lots of confidence in his abilities. People respect him and are nervous of him in Nightside. He doesn't know why. He knows there's mysteries about himself and he's not sure he wants the answers. Green's light touch and first person narration keeps Nightside from being a nightmare. It's one thing to read his descriptions; it's another to actually visualize the places. It's best not to try. Some of the description from an area in Nightside, Blaiston Street, reads "Litter was piled everywhere in great festering heaps, and every inch of the dirty stone walls was covered in graffiti. The whole place stank of decay..." That thought is bad enough. Then remember it is the middle of the night. The buildings are described. It's the type of place to give anyone the shivers. There are some good twists at the end of Something From the Nightside. While not for everybody, this is a fascinating book. I first read a short story about Nightside (Mean Streets) and was intrigued. This novel confirmed that I want to read more. They may not always be easy, but probably alluring. Notice: Graphic violence |
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NIghtside Series:
Something From the Nightside |
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