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The Unnatural Inquirer (Nightside #8)
The publisher of "The Unnatural Inquirer"?the Nightside's most notorious rag?has offered John Taylor one million pounds to find a man who claims to have evidence of the afterlife stored on a DVD. "The Inquirer" made the guy a sweet deal. Then he and the disc vanished. And if Taylor's not careful, he may be next.
ebook, 272 pages
Published
January 2nd 2008
by Ace Books
(first published 2007)
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Jan 23, 2008
Joshua
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone into the oddity of city life.
Shelves:
urban-fantasy
This is book 8 in Simon R. Green's Nightside series and like the rest of the Nightside books, you will have to have read them in order to understand what is going on. I have always enjoyed the books, since they delve into dark fantasy and pulp. All of Green's Nightside books feel like a walk through a modern representation of Lovecraft without all the verbose descriptions that Lovecraft was always so fond of. The only problem I've ever had with Green's Nightside books is that they can get a bit...more
Jan 30, 2009
Rachel
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction,
supernatural
This was a fun read -- John Taylor is hired by the tabloid "Unnatural Inquirer" to track down a DVD that supposedly captured a message from beyond. He is assigned a partner who is half succubus, Bettie Divine, who develops a serious interest in him, and together they search the Nightside for the DVD and its owner.
On the plus side, Bettie is fairly entertaining, the story is interesting, and it hints at whether one would really *want* to see a genuine glimpse of the afterlife, without beating the...more
On the plus side, Bettie is fairly entertaining, the story is interesting, and it hints at whether one would really *want* to see a genuine glimpse of the afterlife, without beating the...more
This is the 8th book in the Nightside series by Simon Green. It followed much in the pattern of the last book. Which is to say, it was okay.
In this book someone has promised the Unnatural Inquirer (a Nightside tabloid) exclusive rights to a DVD recording from the Afterlife. The Unnatural Inquirer hires John Taylor to find it when it goes missing. They send Betty Divine along with him to document his findings along the way.
This book was just okay. The series seems to have lost some of it's intere...more
In this book someone has promised the Unnatural Inquirer (a Nightside tabloid) exclusive rights to a DVD recording from the Afterlife. The Unnatural Inquirer hires John Taylor to find it when it goes missing. They send Betty Divine along with him to document his findings along the way.
This book was just okay. The series seems to have lost some of it's intere...more
I'm still not quite sure what to think of the Nightside books. They certainly aren't the best written or most clever books I've ever read, they're packed with cliches (both of the genre and cliched phrases and situations that have been used in every book) and honestly the gender and racial politics leave a LOT to be desired. (Note: anytime someone decides to use Lillith as a Big Bad Nasty it's a tipoff that we're not in radical territory.) Still, Green manages to keep me coming back. I like this...more
Jan 04, 2009
Sarah
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
urban-fantasy
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
The Nightside. Everyone's favorite guilty pleasure that they can't ever leave behind. Literally. And, I must confess, I'm one of those who got sucked into the Nightside years ago, tried to get out, and now am back because I just couldn't resist. I used to be a pretty hard-core fan, always picking up the latest Nightside novel as soon as it hit shelves. But after I read Hell to Pay a few years ago, I stopped paying attention to the Nightside. It's hard to explain, but I just wasn't as enchanted b...more
Nov 19, 2008
Cameron
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone who likes paranormal mysteries, anyone who likes Jim Butcher's books
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
If you haven't read the Nightside books, you are missing a HUGE treat. They're probably the fastest moving books I've ever read (only Ian Fleming's Bond books read anywhere near as fast for me). I'll preface this by saying I'm not a huge fan of Green's other fantasy series so I'm not a Green fanatic, but the Nightside books are just pure escapist fare that for me can do no wrong. They are gory at times; they are violent and irreverent. The hero does what he has to, and that's not always pretty,...more
I think this detail packed story is geared to a very particular reader; one who likes both film noir and the supernatural. While the author put a lot of effort into creating a wild world where anything can happen, I felt like he did not put a lot of effort in the actual story line. The story goes in a lot of different directions and revisits characters that appear in the previous books in the series for no real reason. One example of the author’s lack of effort is when he spends several pages de...more
Like the one before, this entry in the Nightside series takes us back to its film noir and pulp detective novel genre roots. John Taylor is playing the tired gumshoe again. And as usual he is at the center of the race for a macguffin in contention by major forces within the Nightside. He is teamed up with "girl reporter" Bettie Divine.
I'm not sure how to feel about the Bettie Divine character's role in the story. She seems so flighty and vapid, it was difficult to see John forming a connection w...more
I'm not sure how to feel about the Bettie Divine character's role in the story. She seems so flighty and vapid, it was difficult to see John forming a connection w...more
Mar 09, 2013
Yvonne Boag
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
supernatural,
fantasy
John Taylor is back as the PI for hire in the eighth book in the Nightside series. Warning: This series needs to be read in order or you have no idea what is going on.
Taylor has been hired by the Unnatural Inquirer, the gossip newspaper that will print anything. He has been offered 1 million pounds if he finds a man who claims to have recorded on dvd hard evidence of the afterlife. No one knows what is on the dvd but everyone is willing to do anything to get their hands on it. John has to go he...more
Taylor has been hired by the Unnatural Inquirer, the gossip newspaper that will print anything. He has been offered 1 million pounds if he finds a man who claims to have recorded on dvd hard evidence of the afterlife. No one knows what is on the dvd but everyone is willing to do anything to get their hands on it. John has to go he...more
With my help you could be a better person, a real hero!
"But that's not me," I said. "And never was. I am what I have to be, to get things done; and the includes the bad as well as the good. Suzie understands that. She's always understood me. She accepts me, all of me. I've never had to explain myself to her. She's my friend, my partner, my love. I love her, and she loves me as best as she can. And she cares about the real me, not the legend you still insist on seeing when you look at me. I want...more
"But that's not me," I said. "And never was. I am what I have to be, to get things done; and the includes the bad as well as the good. Suzie understands that. She's always understood me. She accepts me, all of me. I've never had to explain myself to her. She's my friend, my partner, my love. I love her, and she loves me as best as she can. And she cares about the real me, not the legend you still insist on seeing when you look at me. I want...more
This was my second Nightside book, and I enjoyed it much less than the first.
It's urban-fantasy-meets-old-fashioned-private-eye-noir, kind of a cool combination. Green is a little too smug and self-aware to be really good though; the protagonist is supposed to be tough and dangerous but he usually just comes off as a poser.
The author uses too many superlatives, like Pratchett but worse. Every other character is the baddest, deadliest, evilest thing to ever walk the Nightside. It gets old.
But it'...more
It's urban-fantasy-meets-old-fashioned-private-eye-noir, kind of a cool combination. Green is a little too smug and self-aware to be really good though; the protagonist is supposed to be tough and dangerous but he usually just comes off as a poser.
The author uses too many superlatives, like Pratchett but worse. Every other character is the baddest, deadliest, evilest thing to ever walk the Nightside. It gets old.
But it'...more
John Taylor teams up with a buxom reporter from the Unnatural Inquirer to track down a DVD showing the afterlife.
Frankly, this book was very bland -- the mystery was mostly a McGuffin and it seemed like its entire purpose was to set up events to come in upcoming books. There are new Authorities in the Nightside, but no one but Walker knows who or how.
Bettie Devine, the aforementioned buxom reporter, was an amazingly boring. Which was unexpected coming from Green, the gentleman who brings us Suz...more
Frankly, this book was very bland -- the mystery was mostly a McGuffin and it seemed like its entire purpose was to set up events to come in upcoming books. There are new Authorities in the Nightside, but no one but Walker knows who or how.
Bettie Devine, the aforementioned buxom reporter, was an amazingly boring. Which was unexpected coming from Green, the gentleman who brings us Suz...more
The 8th book in the Nightside series. Someone has apparently recorded a snippet of the Afterlife and has sold the DVD rights to the Unnatural Inquirer but then disappeared and the paper wants him found so have hired John Taylor to do just that. With everyone else looking for it as well, possibly even Heaven and Hell, can he find it in time or merely pick up the pieces?
Good Nightside book but without an overarching plot, the series has gotten thin. John Taylor can always use his gifts or some oth...more
Good Nightside book but without an overarching plot, the series has gotten thin. John Taylor can always use his gifts or some oth...more
And yet again I stumble into a series somewhere along the way. Luckily this book can be read as a standalone although you do feel you're missing some background here and there. Otherwise it's a dark, gritty detective story with a film noir feel set in a strange, dangerous otherworldly city. I really liked the worldbuilding and the characters. The story could have been better, but the setting and the writing kept me entertained enough to overlook the lack of strong plot. I might pick up another b...more
The publisher of The Unnatural Inquirer?the Nightside's most notorious rag-has offered John Taylor one million pounds to find a man who claims to have evidence of the afterlife stored on a DVD. The Inquirer made the guy a sweet deal. Then he and the disc vanished. And if Taylor's not careful, he may be next.
This was the most difficult book for me to read so far. Green takes this opportunity to tackle the relationship that has grown between John Taylor and Shotgun Suzie, in his own subtle way. I...more
This was the most difficult book for me to read so far. Green takes this opportunity to tackle the relationship that has grown between John Taylor and Shotgun Suzie, in his own subtle way. I...more
Most of the Beings on the Street of the Gods didn’t want to talk to me. In fact, most of them hid inside their churches behind locked and bolted doors and refused to come out until I’d gone. Understandable; they were still rebuilding parts of the Street from the last time I’d been here. But there are always some determined to show those watching that they aren’t afraid of anyone, so a few of the more up-and-coming Beings sauntered casually over to chat with me. A fairly ordinary-looking priest w...more
Eighth in the Nightside dark urban fantasy series set underneath London.
The Story
After solving a minor problem at the H.P. Lovecraft Memorial Library, John Taylor runs into Walker who has a minor request. Seems this gang boss, Max Maxwell, has gotten a bit carried away and is getting greedy. Maxwell is stirring things up in the Nightside and Walker is not happy.
And there's just no rest for the wicked as Cathy just took on another case for Jack—dang, three in a row. When is Jack gonna get a chanc...more
The Story
After solving a minor problem at the H.P. Lovecraft Memorial Library, John Taylor runs into Walker who has a minor request. Seems this gang boss, Max Maxwell, has gotten a bit carried away and is getting greedy. Maxwell is stirring things up in the Nightside and Walker is not happy.
And there's just no rest for the wicked as Cathy just took on another case for Jack—dang, three in a row. When is Jack gonna get a chanc...more
The Unnatural Inquirer (Nightside #9) by Simon R. Green is yet another fantastic addition to Green’s Nightside series. John Taylor is at his best, complete with sardonic observations of the world at large. And, of course, the injection of Suzie Shooter immediately elevates the quality of novel. As an avid fan, I’ve been both gratified and intrigued by Suzie’s role as Taylor’s girlfriend. As a fellow author who also relishes and includes strong female characters in my own novels, I am completely...more
The 8th of Simon R Green's Nightside series was a good attempt, but somehow didn't seem as well thought out as it should be. My main problem with the all the hubbub about a DVD recording of the Afterlife is this: With all the gods, angels, demons, devils and other supernatural entities running around, isn't the Afterlife a fairly well solved mystery? John Taylor is the son of Lillith, one of his best friends is the Punk God of the Razor, another is the direct descendant of Merlin, son-of-Satan,...more
I won't lie: I plucked this book from the library shelf because it had a blurb from Jim Butcher on the cover. I was not disappointed.
Simon R. Green's created a wonderful milieu in the Nightside, a shady alterna-London where it's eternal night and its supernatural inhabitants fit the mood. His protagonist, John Taylor, is the perfect mix of capable and scary-dangerous. He's not quite as fun as Harry Dresden, but he's got a good sense of humour. In some ways, he also reminds me of the Doctor (but...more
Simon R. Green's created a wonderful milieu in the Nightside, a shady alterna-London where it's eternal night and its supernatural inhabitants fit the mood. His protagonist, John Taylor, is the perfect mix of capable and scary-dangerous. He's not quite as fun as Harry Dresden, but he's got a good sense of humour. In some ways, he also reminds me of the Doctor (but...more
Jun 01, 2009
Ladiibbug
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Urban Fantasy Fans
#8 Nightside - Urban Fantasy
The Nightside is a bizarre alternate dimension hidden in London, where it's always 3 a.m.
The supernatural creatures and people, if you can call them that, who roam and inhabit The Nightside will leave you laughing, amazed, stunned at the pure originality and enjoyment of this over the top series. At times this fabulous series has a comic book quality to it. If you like the quirky, the absurd, and urban fantasy, check out this series!
These books are quick reads, at abo...more
The Nightside is a bizarre alternate dimension hidden in London, where it's always 3 a.m.
The supernatural creatures and people, if you can call them that, who roam and inhabit The Nightside will leave you laughing, amazed, stunned at the pure originality and enjoyment of this over the top series. At times this fabulous series has a comic book quality to it. If you like the quirky, the absurd, and urban fantasy, check out this series!
These books are quick reads, at abo...more
THE UNNATURAL INQUIRER (Para. Mystery-John Taylor-Nightside) – G
Green, Simon R – 8th in series
Ace, 2008, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9780441015580
First Sentence: One of the many problems with working as a private eye, not counting all the many people who want to kill you, often for perfectly good reasons, is that you have to wait for the work to come to you.
PI John Taylor has been hired by Nightside’s gossip newpaper, The Unnatural Inquirer. Pen Donavon, who claims to have received a television broadca...more
Green, Simon R – 8th in series
Ace, 2008, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9780441015580
First Sentence: One of the many problems with working as a private eye, not counting all the many people who want to kill you, often for perfectly good reasons, is that you have to wait for the work to come to you.
PI John Taylor has been hired by Nightside’s gossip newpaper, The Unnatural Inquirer. Pen Donavon, who claims to have received a television broadca...more
I enjoyed this book. Like most of the Nightside books it's nearly impossible to figure out the solution to the mystery beforehand because the mysteries and the characters are unconventional. But the point of these books is not to figure out the mystery anyway.
It's interesting to see what's going on in the wake the Angel and Lilith Wars. As usual we're introduced to some new Major Players who often don't survive until the end of the book. John Taylor continues to be John Taylor.
This book did see...more
It's interesting to see what's going on in the wake the Angel and Lilith Wars. As usual we're introduced to some new Major Players who often don't survive until the end of the book. John Taylor continues to be John Taylor.
This book did see...more
Following John about the Nightside is always a good bit of fun. This easily peeved detective takes the in-between road and finds often comic ways to overcome obstacles that seem pretty darn insurmountable, and when that obstacle gets darted around and the next bad-guy-pulling-strings-while-waiting-in-the-wings steps out, it too gets a snarky response from John, and then a goodly dash of pepper in the face. Never underestimate the judicious use of condiments.
In this foray, we get to follow aroun...more
In this foray, we get to follow aroun...more
I'm only giving this one four stars, rather than Green's usual five, but only because he has set the bar so high. The Nightside series is great, and this was a good one, just not my favorite of his.
There's something in the Nightside that is causing a great stir, namely a supposed Recording from either Heaven or Hell, and some poor schlub accidentally recorded it on his souped-up TV. He's running around the Nightside, hiding from everyone who wants to get it and use it for their own ends... whic...more
There's something in the Nightside that is causing a great stir, namely a supposed Recording from either Heaven or Hell, and some poor schlub accidentally recorded it on his souped-up TV. He's running around the Nightside, hiding from everyone who wants to get it and use it for their own ends... whic...more
Another fantastic Nightside novel. John Taylor, private eye, teams up with a demon reporter from the Unnatural Inquirer to find a video that claims to be a vision of the afterlife. As usual, Simon R. Green plays in the realm of moral ambiguity, where there is no such thing as good and evil and morality can change according to the situation. A private eye with a lot of secrets needs to be careful when he ventures into the region of reporting, where the private eye might be subjected to the public...more
Sep 29, 2010
Eric Moreno
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
twistedfiction
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
A good book with many funny moments and interesting characters. But except for the fight in Strange Fellows and then later on in The Witch's Tit it was mostly just John Taylor and Bettie Divine walking and talking, talking a lot. There were some interesting twists but John got rid of the bad guys way too easily after the long set-up. The last scene between him and Suzie Shooter gave me the chills, though. Those two really aren't good people...
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Simon Richard Green is a British science fiction and fantasy-author. He holds a degree in Modern English and American Literature from the University of Leicester. His first publication was in 1979.
His Deathstalker series is partly a parody of the usual space-opera of the 1950s, told with sovereign disregard of the rules of probability, while being at the same time extremely bloodthirsty.
Excerpted...more
More about Simon R. Green...
His Deathstalker series is partly a parody of the usual space-opera of the 1950s, told with sovereign disregard of the rules of probability, while being at the same time extremely bloodthirsty.
Excerpted...more
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“It's hard to maintain a reputation for being grim and mysterious when you're accompanied by a brightly clad young thing, skipping merrily along at your side, holding your hand, and smiling sweetly on one and all.”
—
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