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The Angel's Kiss: A Melody Malone Mystery (Doctor Who E-books)
The Angel's Kiss: A Melody Malone Story is an ebook based on a story partially told in British science fiction television series Doctor Who.
The book, fictionally written by River Song under the detective pen-name Melody Malone. It was featured in the episode "The Angels Take Manhattan", with The Doctor reading it.
The story of "The Angels Take Manhattan" is formed in The An...more
The book, fictionally written by River Song under the detective pen-name Melody Malone. It was featured in the episode "The Angels Take Manhattan", with The Doctor reading it.
The story of "The Angels Take Manhattan" is formed in The An...more
ebook, 80 pages
Published
October 4th 2012
by BBC Digital
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Unfortunately I wasn't as impressed as I hoped to be, I still enjoyed reading it as a very short book (I doubt I would have wanted to read much more of it if it was a fully length novel). The character portrayed isn't the River I know and love, she didn't seem as smart and made far too many egotistical remarks.
The story was okay, although not without it's imperfections, but the reason I rate it so poorly is because of the writing. The writer may have captured the 'sass' of River but that charac...more
The story was okay, although not without it's imperfections, but the reason I rate it so poorly is because of the writing. The writer may have captured the 'sass' of River but that charac...more
Before I read this I was completely aware that it wasn’t the same book that’s in the episode, The Angels Take Manhattan. I’m wasn’tsure what it was intended to be…a prequel or something completely different. Nevertheless, I was disappointed.
Reading the first chapter, I had to stop part way through just to laugh. I thought the writing was terrible. It felt rushed to me and it didn’t capture the essence of River Song. As a huge fan of River Song, I would expect a better story from her. I understa...more
Reading the first chapter, I had to stop part way through just to laugh. I thought the writing was terrible. It felt rushed to me and it didn’t capture the essence of River Song. As a huge fan of River Song, I would expect a better story from her. I understa...more
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This unique Doctor Who novella is a direct tie-in to The Angels Take Mangattan, episode 5 of Season 7 of Doctor Who. A book featuring Melody Malone is an integral part of that story. But just to clarify, this novella is the events leading up to the beginning of that DW episode that happened to Melody Malone. The novella does not retell the events of the television episode. The novella ends right around the line that the Doctor first reads in the episode:
"My stocking seams were straight, my lipst...more
"My stocking seams were straight, my lipst...more
At one point in this novella, our heroine tells us "I reached [the group] in time to hear the end of a rather obvious joke and leaned forward in order to steal the punchline." I feel like this sums up a huge portion of the story: obvious and heavy handed jokes that are trying too hard.
Yes, some of them were funny. But most of them weren't, there is an equally trying-too-hard emphasis on her aesthetics and flirtations which were generally way over the top. I was disappointed by Melody, especially...more
Yes, some of them were funny. But most of them weren't, there is an equally trying-too-hard emphasis on her aesthetics and flirtations which were generally way over the top. I was disappointed by Melody, especially...more
I don't think I'm alone in saying that River Song is not my favorite Doctor Who character (the Doctor is, duh! lol). For some reason the developments during seasons 5 and 6 have put a real bad taste in my mouth for her. She's a great character, but I don't like how they've related her to Amy/Rory. It bothers me.
But, anyway, I want to say that this book has reminded me why I like her character. It doesn't really matter where she came from, she's still hilarious. This book does well showcasing her...more
But, anyway, I want to say that this book has reminded me why I like her character. It doesn't really matter where she came from, she's still hilarious. This book does well showcasing her...more
Review
This is pretty much a perfect book. I was not expecting much from it but it had me hooked from the very first page and was absolutely hilarious.
The character of River was captured perfectly and I could see and hear Alex Kingston in every line. The prose was so tightly constructed that there was almost a joke or a double meaning in every sentence. It isn’t just that it was a good story, the control the author had over each word was amazing.
I don’t imagine that many non-Whovians will read th...more
This is pretty much a perfect book. I was not expecting much from it but it had me hooked from the very first page and was absolutely hilarious.
The character of River was captured perfectly and I could see and hear Alex Kingston in every line. The prose was so tightly constructed that there was almost a joke or a double meaning in every sentence. It isn’t just that it was a good story, the control the author had over each word was amazing.
I don’t imagine that many non-Whovians will read th...more
3 likes · like · see review
This short e-book is a prequel to the Series 7 Doctor Who episode "The Angels Take Manhattan". It's narrated by River Song in her guise of New York detective Melody Malone. It's actually written by Justin Richards who is the lead writer in the book range, though this is very different from any other Doctor Who book.
The story sees Melody Malone investigate when a movie star pays her a visit worrying for his life then appears to forget it ever happened the next day. It's more a story of human evi...more
The story sees Melody Malone investigate when a movie star pays her a visit worrying for his life then appears to forget it ever happened the next day. It's more a story of human evi...more
"The Angels Take Manhattan" -- the fifth episode from the current (seventh) season of Doctor Who -- saw longtime companions Amy and Rory bid a poignant and moving farewell to the Eleventh Doctor. Fittingly their final adventure involved one of the Doctor's most fearsome foes (in my view at any rate) -- the Weeping Angels. Only Stephen Moffat could take statuary associated with memorials and faith and give it such a deliciously sinister undertone.
Within the episode, the Doctor reads a pulp detect...more
Within the episode, the Doctor reads a pulp detect...more
"The Angel's Kiss" is everything I ever wanted in a solo River Song story. The sass. Her brains. The sass. Guns. The references to the Doctor and her life, which I thought were fantastic. The sass. You can tell this was deliberately hyped up in a pulp fiction manner, but the core of it is all River Song. If you're a fan of River, you're going to love this story. You can hear Alex Kingston's voice in your head as the narration goes along, and it ties in extremely well into "The Angels Take Manhat...more
This isn't quite what I expected. I thought this was the same book that the Doctor was reading in the episode, but it wasn't. For example, that pivotal moment when River asked, "Why do you have to break mine?" and the Doctor answered, "Because Amy read it in a book," was not in this book at all. So, this is supposedly what River was doing before the events in the Doctor Who episode, but not quite the same as what was presented on TV.
Also, one of the reasons I love River is because she smart and...more
Also, one of the reasons I love River is because she smart and...more
I was quite excited to hear that they were releasing the book from angels take manhattan as an e-book. River Song in a pulp detective novel? Yes please! Unfortunately this isn't the book in the episode. It's not a very good paradoy of the detective pulp genre (to the point where I did start to wonder if Justin Richards had actually ever read any Hammett or Chandler). It's not a very good plot, movie stars not remembering things and being created in a vat. Seemed more fitting for today's celebrit...more
This is the second in the new line of Doctor Who-related ebook novellas that I've read (after the first Doctor story A Big Hand for the Doctor), and I really couldn't be happier with them. Short enough to read on a couple bus rides, these stories are just lighthearted fun.
Although I'm not the biggest fan of River Song, master of the single entendre, I like the idea of further exploring her as a supernatural detective in the 40's. A lot of the one liners are groaners, but the plotting has a zany...more
Although I'm not the biggest fan of River Song, master of the single entendre, I like the idea of further exploring her as a supernatural detective in the 40's. A lot of the one liners are groaners, but the plotting has a zany...more
Nov 12, 2012
Noli Watson
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who doesn't have the time to read Problem Sleuth
If you were expecting this book to relate in any way to the plot of The Angels Take Manhattan, you'll be disappointed. If you were expecting true to form River Song, to the ego the size of Betelgeuse to the constant stream of dick jokes, you'll be spot on. If you're a fan of hers, you might give this more than two stars. I (as you might have gathered) am not, so I didn't.
This very brief and presumably hastily released story was cruising for a 1 star rating, except that two chapters in, I started...more
This very brief and presumably hastily released story was cruising for a 1 star rating, except that two chapters in, I started...more
This was a wonderful campy romp through the noir fiction genre. Supposedly the book that Amy was reading in the mid season finale of Doctor Who, we can follow River aka Melody Malone with her trusty hypnotic lipstick and seductive quips through an adventure in NY's dark underbelly. She's a detective with a heart of gold out to protect a NY starlet, Rock Railton, from someone trying to kill him and winds up involved with an Angel, a sketchy movie producer, and one or three guys named Hank.
Too ba...more
Too ba...more
I'll give Justin Richards his due - he can write in more than one style, convincingly. Where Devil in the Smoke was a juvenile Doctor Who adventure (without the Doctor), The Angel's Kiss is absolutely in the voice of River Song - Sweetie. Favourite quote: "I don't often need rescuing, but it's nice when it goes well and doesn't involve great heights." Which is a lovely little nod to the Doctor Who episodes. And in the section 'About the Author' is the priceless description: "She is possibly marr...more
This tie-in book made an appearance in the last episode of Amy and Rory’s reign in Doctor Who, and the BBC decided to publish the work as well. Written by Melody Malone, who we all now know is River Song, the short story covers her investigation into an angel-related mystery.
There’s no sign of the Doctor, although a brief allusion to him in one small paragraph, so Melody is left to her own devices to find out what is going on and who is behind it all. It’s a fun little story, but I actually foun...more
There’s no sign of the Doctor, although a brief allusion to him in one small paragraph, so Melody is left to her own devices to find out what is going on and who is behind it all. It’s a fun little story, but I actually foun...more
For those people who are fans of Doctor Who, you will remember that in the episode "The Angels Take Manhattan" that the Doctor was the fan of a novel about a fictional detective by the name of Melody Malone, better known to the Doctor and his companions Amy and Rory as Professor River Song or Melody Pond, Amy and Rory's daughter.
As the first in a new range of books, author Justin Richards writes an adventure as Melody Malone which serves as a prequel to "The Angels Take Manhattan" with Malone be...more
As the first in a new range of books, author Justin Richards writes an adventure as Melody Malone which serves as a prequel to "The Angels Take Manhattan" with Malone be...more
To be honest I hadn't really read the synopsis when I bought this book, so initially I had expected it to be the book the Doctor was reading in The Angels Take Manhattan. When I started reading it and realised that this wasn't the case, I was pleasantly surprised. It is actually a prequel, if you will, of the episode. If you're a fan of River Song, which I am, then this is the book for you. It's 100% sass and sexy, and very much in-character. I could definitely hear Alex Kingston's voice in my h...more
2 likes · like · see review
Novels often make wonderful films and TV series, but films and TV series rarely make good novels. I wasn't expecting much from The Angel's Kiss - just a light-hearted excursion with River-but-not-River - and I got no more or less than I'd hoped for.
My main criticism is that I really didn't like the author's depiction of River-but-not-River. Yes, River is sexy and witty and very comfortable in her own skin. But the way she was written seemed really... off. I just feel like the author doesn't have...more
My main criticism is that I really didn't like the author's depiction of River-but-not-River. Yes, River is sexy and witty and very comfortable in her own skin. But the way she was written seemed really... off. I just feel like the author doesn't have...more
About the author
Melody Malone is the owner and sole employee of the Angel Detective Agency in Manhattan. She is possibly married but live alone usually, and is older than both her parents. Sometimes.
Why not visit her website? Ah - probably because the internet hasn’t been invented yet.
Sorry, Sweetie. ©
Аха! Наконец и Ривер дождалась своей книжки. Мне досталась аудиоверсия, которую читает Алекс Кингстон, что придает неимоверный шарм всей истории :)
Книжка нагло мелькала в последней серии Пондов,...more
Melody Malone is the owner and sole employee of the Angel Detective Agency in Manhattan. She is possibly married but live alone usually, and is older than both her parents. Sometimes.
Why not visit her website? Ah - probably because the internet hasn’t been invented yet.
Sorry, Sweetie. ©
Аха! Наконец и Ривер дождалась своей книжки. Мне досталась аудиоверсия, которую читает Алекс Кингстон, что придает неимоверный шарм всей истории :)
Книжка нагло мелькала в последней серии Пондов,...more
I think this was the only eBook I actually bought from Amazon. Once I learned that they were actually releasing this book, I had to find and read it.
It was so easy to slip into River's--ahem, I mean Melody's voice and it had that wonderful sassiness that she pulls off so well. It was a very quick read, and I really wouldn't recommend it to those who aren't Whovians. She drops a lot of hints as to who she really is and her time traveling days, but you really wouldn't catch them if you weren't loo...more
It was so easy to slip into River's--ahem, I mean Melody's voice and it had that wonderful sassiness that she pulls off so well. It was a very quick read, and I really wouldn't recommend it to those who aren't Whovians. She drops a lot of hints as to who she really is and her time traveling days, but you really wouldn't catch them if you weren't loo...more
Melody Malone, the author of the book introduced in last week's episode of Doctor Who, The Angels Take Manhattan, gives us another tale of mystery and stone Angels in 1938 New York. (In this case, "Melody Malone" is "assisted" by frequent Doctor Who author Justin Richards.)
This isn't the book the Doctor and Amy read in the TV episode, although it is pretty strongly connected to the events seen therein. It's also a fun, if brief, weird mystery novel in its own right. It's fast-paced and exciting,...more
This isn't the book the Doctor and Amy read in the TV episode, although it is pretty strongly connected to the events seen therein. It's also a fun, if brief, weird mystery novel in its own right. It's fast-paced and exciting,...more
while the book is quiet humorous i did find the joke quiet tiring after awhile since they all seemed pretty much the same. During the key scene in which it is max's secret is revealed, the explanation was for the audience to for melody. It was clear that is was a simple and easy way to explain the situation to the audience without putting much thought into it. I did however enjoy the writing style and thought that all in all it was a amusing read. I will however say that i personally thought tha...more
Don't go into it expecting fine literature. This brief tale is a spin off from the Doctor Who: Angels Take Manhattan episode. No, it's not the book they quote from during the ep, it's a story in a similar setting with Melody Malone (River Song as a detective) uncovering a mystery involving angels (of the statue variety) in late 30's New York.
Apes noir, is decidedly over the top, ends inconclusively. Normally I'd be all over the faults here (like what's up with the whole film industry bit being...more
Apes noir, is decidedly over the top, ends inconclusively. Normally I'd be all over the faults here (like what's up with the whole film industry bit being...more
If you don’t hear the voice of Alex Kingston in your head while reading this, you’re not a Whovian.
It’s a fast-paced and exciting little story. If you like River Song, you’ll definitely like this story. I think that even non-Whovians can read this without any problems. Just remember: don’t blink and you’ll be fine.
The story is a prequel to the last episode of the midseason seven finale of Doctor Who. River is running an Angel Detective Agency in the 1930 as Melody Malone. She’s hired by a Starli...more
It’s a fast-paced and exciting little story. If you like River Song, you’ll definitely like this story. I think that even non-Whovians can read this without any problems. Just remember: don’t blink and you’ll be fine.
The story is a prequel to the last episode of the midseason seven finale of Doctor Who. River is running an Angel Detective Agency in the 1930 as Melody Malone. She’s hired by a Starli...more
For less than $3 for the e-book, it was a no-brainer that I would get this book, seeing as how I am a GINORMOUS Whovian. I only wish that the chapters had corresponded to the ones listed in “The Angels Take Manhattan.” Also, the bits that The Doctor and Amy read out loud in the park were not in the book either.
Aside from that, the book was a fun, snack-size adventure starring Melody Malone (River Song) and a mystery involving the creepiest villains in the Whovian canon, the Weeping Angels. Ther...more
Aside from that, the book was a fun, snack-size adventure starring Melody Malone (River Song) and a mystery involving the creepiest villains in the Whovian canon, the Weeping Angels. Ther...more
A nice prequel to the Doctor Who episode "Angels Take Manhatten". All-in-all, I thought it was a nice fun read, and pretty quick too. The author has Melody Mallone's character absolutely spot-on, and talks, thinks and reacts exactly as she would on TV. However, some things don't really make much sense to me and is not clearly defined in the story, but it doesn't really detract from the fun of the book. In the larger continuity of Doctor Who though, it seems that the powers of the Weeping Angels...more
First off, I love River Song! I thought her wee story in "The Angel's take Manhattan" was fun, and the whole concept of "once it's read, it can't be changed" was pretty cool too (and it's true, once you know what's going to happen in a book, nothing will change it) So when i found this online, i was pretty excited about it. What put me off was that it wasn't the same story from the show but a prequel to that episode, with River running her detective business. But it didn't cost much, so thought...more
The novel is a short prequel to the events in the Doctor Who episode "The Angels Take Manhattan". Is not the same story as featured in the episode that the Doctor was reading while it features the same name. While that would have been nice, it's a story we already know and how well it translates would have been debatable.
What the story does do is pretty well capture the character of River Song / Melody Malone just as you imagine her, you can almost hear Alex Kingston's voice narrate it. It would...more
What the story does do is pretty well capture the character of River Song / Melody Malone just as you imagine her, you can almost hear Alex Kingston's voice narrate it. It would...more
Good (time) lord, this was a cracking read! Could hear River song narrate this in my head and like a reviewer has already mentioned, I would LOVE Alex Kingston to record the narration for this.
In fact, I'd go so far to say MORE Melody Pond/River Song/Melody Malone stories!
Although the Doctor didn't feature in this, there was a nice reference to him. And a character from "Angels Take Manhattan" is mentioned too. Actually, the way the book ended, it seemed like a lead in to that episode.
Though it...more
In fact, I'd go so far to say MORE Melody Pond/River Song/Melody Malone stories!
Although the Doctor didn't feature in this, there was a nice reference to him. And a character from "Angels Take Manhattan" is mentioned too. Actually, the way the book ended, it seemed like a lead in to that episode.
Though it...more
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Justin Richards is a British writer. He has written many spin off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, and he is Creative Director for the BBC Books range. He has also written for television, contributing to Five's soap opera Family Affairs. He is also the author of a series of crime novels for children about the Invisible Detective, and novels for older children....more
More about Justin Richards...
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“Melody Malone is the owner and sole employee of the Angel Detective Agency in Manhattan. She is possibly married but lives alone usually, and is older than both her parents. Sometimes. Why not visit her website? Ah – probably because the internet hasn’t been invented yet. Sorry, Sweetie.”
—
9 people liked it
“I am Melody Malone, with ice in my heart and a kiss on my lips. In the city that never sleeps and should never blink, mysteries are my business.”
—
6 people liked it
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