The Unnatural Inquirer

Nightside #8

by Simon R. Green

John Taylor's the name. I'm a PI, working that small slice of mystical real estate in the hidden centre of London that's called the Nightside. It's a place where the sun refuses to rise, where monsters and men walk side by side, and where you can fulfill your every dark and depraved desire. What I do there, better than anybody else alive (or dead) is find things - for the right client, for the right price.
My new client can certainly afford me. The editor of the Unnatural Inquirer, the Nightside's most notorious gossip rag (the one everyone pretends not to read), has offered me one million pounds to find a man named Pen Donavon, who claims to have evidence of the Afterlife - picked up on a television broadcast and burned onto DVD. The Inquirer made Donavon a sweet deal for exclusive rights. Then both he and the disc vanished.
I don't know if the disc is on the level, but a job's a job (and a million pounds is a million pounds). Trouble is, not only are all of the usual suspects pretty dangerous individuals, but it's beginning to look like someone else - someone very powerful - is on the trail, too. And who - or what - ever it is, is deadly determined to find the disc first.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Mystery, Fiction, Horror, Paranormal, Supernatural

246 pages, Hardcover

First published January 2, 2007

About the author

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 from Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really think these books are hitting their comfortable stride. You can't go far wrong with a supernatural PI badass in a sideways kind of city intersecting with London who does all those hard jobs that no one else seems able to do.

Simple. And Noir. And fantasy. Shake it well and serve with a dash of the Necronomicon, demonic female reporters, and a very special DVD of hell that everyone wants to get their hands on.

It's a fine formula and very comforting and quite amusing. Of course, I'm not really expecting anything huge, but it satisfies on all the levels that count for light entertainment, and that is what I got.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars

The Unnatural Inquirer by Simon R. Green is book number 8 in the Nightside series. I really enjoyed this book and it reclaimed it's shine. The Nightside series is one of my favorite today and a perfect example of how good the Urban Fantasy genre can be. I would read about John Taylor everyday if I could.


These stories are classic noir like private eye mysteries in an urban fantasy setting. They are perfect for my interests today. I have been reading a lot of urban fantasy lately. Combine my new favorite genre with a detective noir like story and you have made me something special. I loved this book. I loved the writing of Green. I loved the world of Nightside. And I especially loved our main character (can't call him the good guy), John Taylor.

These marvelous urban fantasies have worked because of the amazing place, the scary and relatable hero John Taylor, and his equally interesting friends and associates. I love the humor, the action, and the writing...


A fun intimate story about John Taylor doing what he does best. Even though this one lacked the emotional punch, I could read these books all day every day. Thank you Simon R. Green for the amazing series and kick-ass, bad-ass, and simply cool hero in John Taylor.

Highest recommendations for the series.



The amazing world building combined with the fantastic writing of Simon Green make the Nightside series a favorite of mine.

[Andrew]

And so another episode in the world of Nightside, I will admit that I do enjoy this world. Not only is it full of puns and play on words but there is also a twisted view of London itself something I always enjoy having walked its streets many times. I do know that Simon Green has a number of other storylines going in other series and loves to have cameos and references to each other dotted around, so I suspect once I am finished here I will be reading more of his just to see how true it all is.

But the book itself -now I could be wrong but it seems that Mr Green does not play the long storyline or if he does he likes to break it up with shorter ones in-between. Take this book - one story (a case if you prefer) is over before half way through the book, true events from that case affect the grand finale too but still one case is wrapped up before the next one starts, the one that the blurb on the back of the book refers to. Now this is not bad in fact I will admit that I didn't figure out the ending so full respect you Mr Green, just that this has become sort of a theme.

And Its not just for the book either the series itself seems to have gone through a number of longer term story arcs too but not running through all the books just a couple of them and then another story runs through another group and so on until I suspect I have read to the end of the series and they all in fact link together in so manner.

Now this is more of an observation rather than a criticism as I think it works very well just its getting to the point where I am almost looking for it and I think that is not such a good thing as it detracts from the fun of the story. Minor details and possibly totally wrong but after the last couple of books from this Nightside this is the feeling I have. I think I ought to dig out the next one just to be sure though.

[Tobey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Nightside books are quick and entertaining reads. For any paranormal fantasy readers, I do suggest this series but of course, I suggest starting at Book 1 where you will meet a cast of characters guaranteed to entertain you, including our male lead, PI John Taylor.

If you like The Dresden files, you are sure to like the Nightside. Not a place you'd want to live though, just to visit, though it seems some do want to stay...

[Kathryn Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely awesome, just like all the previous books in this series! More people should really read these books they are so unique and amazing!

[Alondra Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Another fun outing in the Nightside. John has a new, but temporary (thank, God) sidekick; as he tries to find someone with someTHING. John uses his gift horribly, but necessarily and of course, that keeps the story flowing nicely. What we don't have is Suzi, Razor Eddie or Dead Boy. We get Walker (yuck) and Alex. So, the storyline was not as fierce as usual.

This was still fun to read.

[Timelord Iain · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one really frustrated me... after 6 books saving a doomed future, now every book manufactures someone who can block JT's Private Eye powers, because there's nothing else stopping him from using it to solve every case in 5 seconds...

[ناصر اسدی · Rating 3 out of 5]

برای علاقه مندان سبک خود کتاب شاید جذاب باشه ولی برای من جذاب نبود با اینکه همین یک جلد از این سری کتابو خوندم ولی با همین یک دونه هم میشه فهمید تو بقیش چه خبره

[Farnaz Ps · Rating 3 out of 5]

مزخرف ترین ترجمه ای بود که به عمرم خوندم. صد رحمت به زیرنویس فیلمها!

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

As always with a Nightside book, it was eminently readable and entertaining, showing off all the usual creativity and sharp writing. That said, it wasn’t one of my favorite entries in the series. The plot was a bit basic and it seemed that John got out of trouble a few times a little easily.

Still a good book, just not one of the best in the series.

[Jennifer Gryczkowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is okay. Nothing special. Some elements of the ending seem contrived.

Green brings in a new power player, the Removal Man, who is a huge urban legend in the Nightside. It bugs me that in the seven books preceding this one, no "Removal Man" is ever even mentioned, but in this one everyone's heard of him and fears him, not to mention Taylor somehow "knows" he's real. The reason he's never been mentioned before is obvious, of course: Green hadn't thought him up until this story. But there's still a disconnect when there's this guy who's been a huge deal in the Nightside for a long time, and the eighth book is the first time we hear about him. I'm sure Green could have found a less jarring way to introduce the new character (who isn't the only player in the Nightside we're newly introduced to; there's also the Cardinal and a bunch of others). Maybe I'm being unreasonable, but it jumped out at me as being lazy and unplanned.

As for Bettie, she and Taylor are in mortal danger with people about to kill them until Taylor kills them first, and she protests afterward. She's a reporter and part succubus, and she keeps wanting to see the famous John Taylor in action, but when he does his thing she gets all upset about it? And then she's all, 'I could learn to love you. You're not really a killer.' And no matter what he tells her, Bettie believes Taylor kills people because he's with Suzie and not the other way around.

Was I supposed to hate Bettie? Because Taylor seemed okay with her, but I really didn't like her. I was sort of hoping this assignment would cost her her life. If she's not prepared to kill people, she's not as equipped as she thinks she is to live in Taylor's world, but that isn't displayed in the story as much as it needs to be.

All in all, an average installment in the Nightside series.

[Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 around John while also seeing him through the eyes of the lust-filled and fueled Betty Divine. Being a reporter should lend her a thicker skin, yet in the company of Mr. Taylor, we see just how offensive and ruthless he can be. Betty also provides a healthy dose of temptation for John, and through his reactions and musings on her charms, a whole lot of character is revealed, both about him and about his relationship with Suzie Shooter. It adds a level of complexity that helps drive this series beyond the big bad of the Lilith War, which in mind should have ended the series, but with Green's focus on John's character, has allowed this series to stay interesting.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was the only book of the Nightside series that I have been bored with. No interesting characters - the two new ones that were introduced had promise, but were not developed at all, and the plot was lackluster.

The only interesting development happened on one page - and that took all of one paragraph. Alex and Cathy have hooked up. Amusing, right? But thats it. You find out about it and then you move on.

For such a short book, it just dragged. What a disappointment.

[Karlo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not quite sure why I keep reading this series; it's like a burger from a chain (McD, BK, etc.), momentarily filling, and then you wonder if the mild disatisfaction and queasiness was worth it. It never is.

For those who haven't started this series: Think of a B-Movie (or worse, FanFic) version of Delano's John Constantine, with a little more Chandler thrown in. *Sigh* Worst of all, I'll probably read the next one too.

[CJ - It's only a Paper Moon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect perfect book after the last one. Great mix of the noir, horror, fantasy that I loved in the first six books. The last book was a little bit of a bridge but hey, this one made up for it!

Romance, adventure, fantasy, noir atmosphere and mystery all rolled into one. This is the Simon R. Green I know and love.

[hotsake (André Troesch) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another disappointing story and it might be the worst of the lot. The mystery was fine but John Taylor was really insufferable in this.
2.5/5

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 by it anymore, and I had grown somewhat bored of it, so I stopped reading cold turkey. Then, I recently read the news that the series was going to end, with the final novel hitting shelves early next year. After constantly seeing the dark and fascinating covers of the Nightside novels as they continued, I thought it was finally time to go back.

Returning to the Nightside after being gone for so long was like visiting with old friends -who haven't changed at all in the meantime. I slipped easily back into the Nightside world, again discovering what exactly it was about the dark world that originally captivated me. This time around, our hero John Taylor, sets off to find a DVD for the horrible tabloid rag The Unnatural Inquirer that could contain some an actual recording of the afterlife. With Shotgun Suzie in tow, it's never just the simple.

It's really funny reading this book now, especially with everything going on with Rupert Murdoch and News of the World's wiretapping. The way that Green describes The Unnatural Inquirer sounds almost exactly like what's going on Murdoch, but taking to an even bigger extreme. While Green wrote this story years ago, it's funny to see how closely it parallels current events.

It really was great getting back to the Nightside. Now that it looks like the series has a clear ending and a stronger focus on where it's going, it's far more enjoyable. I almost hate to admit it, but I've been sucked back into the Nightside and I don't want to leave.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 repetitive. He reiterates what happens in previous books as if trying to make each new book a jumping on point for new readers. This is a problem because it is impossible to understand everything that is going on unless you have read the books in order, so I think that Green's describing of past events over and over in each consecutive book unnecessary.
The Unnatural Inquirer is the story of what would happen if someone caught a look into the afterlife on a dvd? Is some knowledge too much and are some things really worth knowing? Would the testing of the faiths of man be challenged and how would one act with the knowledge that everything he once believed was a lie?
I have always enjoyed the odd bunch of characters in Green's books, from walking gods, to the church of Elvis, to queens and kings of alternate worlds and evil King Arthur's.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 reader over the head with the question. Taylor spends some time (again, not too obviously) thinking about what he has with Suzie, and what he could have with Bettie, and what he really wants, which is something that really had to happen eventually. And we get a good sense for why Suzie is a much better match for him.

On the minus side, Green uses the "something is shutting down my gift" device again to prolong the story. It does act as a clue as to who's behind the situation, but still, twice in a row is getting somewhat annoying. But it also gives a new explanation for his reluctance to use the gift unless the situation is dire, something that is taken to extremes in this one, to good effect. :)

[Rosie · Rating 2 out of 5]

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 describing how the main character sneakily makes his way past a Tyrannosaurus Rex guarding a door and then when it is time to leave, the main character thinks to himself something along the lines of, “Now I have to figure out a way to get past the T-Rex again. And then I did.” Then the story moves on to a new chapter. To me this just seemed like complete laziness on the author’s part.

[Michael Mc Donnell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another Nightside book, another lazy plot hole. Here we have Harry Fabulous in Nightside #7:

“You’re in luck, sort of,” said Alex. “See that smartly dressed gentleman sitting at the table in the far corner, trying to charm someone else into buying him a drink? Well, that is no gentleman, that is a reporter. Name’s Harry Fabulous. Currently working as a stringer for the Nightside’s very own scurrilous tabloid, the Unnatural Inquirer. All the news that can be made to fit. He knows everything, even if most of it probably isn’t true.” I nodded. I knew Harry. I caught his eye and gestured for him to come over and join me. He smiled cheerfully and sauntered up to the bar. Oh yes, I knew all about Harry Fabulous. Handsome, charming, and always expressively dressed, Harry was a snake in wolf’s clothing. There was a time when Harry was the Nightside’s premiere Go To man, for everything that’s bad for you. And then he got religion the hard way, through a personal encounter he still won’t talk about, and decided to become an investigative journalist for the good of his soul. I think the idea was to expose corruption and bring down evil in high places, but unfortunately, the only place that was hiring was…the Unnatural Inquirer. Which doesn’t so much expose corruption as wallow in it. Still, we all have to start somewhere. Harry says he’s working his way up. He’d have a hard job working his way down."

Yet, in this book:

"Harry was dressed to kill, as always, looking slick and polished. He wore a long coat whose inside pockets were practically crammed with all sorts of things you might or might not want to spend too much money on. He had a long, thin face, a lean and hungry look, and dark, somewhat haunted, eyes. He smiled easily at me, a very practised smile, and I gave him something very similar in return.
We were both, after all, professionals.
“Didn’t know you worked for the Unnatural Inquirer, Harry,” I said."

Why? Because he developed amnesia? These kind of sloppy errors are fairly frequent, especially as the series goes on. They aren't major problems (well most of the time) and they are probably exacerbated by reading the series all in a row. But at the same time they just feel, at the risk of repeating myself, sloppy.

Sadly the rest of the book is of similar quality. It's solid and individual scenes are entertaining but they feel haphazardly slapped together. The central mystery moves along until the author writes himself into a dead end and then has the mystery simply solve itself by walking into a bar, an amazing anticlimax. Which is followed by two tediously similar anticlimaxes and then the book finishes itself off with another unconvincing round of John justifying his "hard men doing hard thing" approach. The book even has the same "Oh my gift isnt working for the first 4/5ths of the story and then its back and I use it to solve everything" sub-plot as the previous one. It all just feels so lazy. The only reason I don't actively dislike it is because as mentioned there are some entertaining bits and it doesnt overstay its welcome.

[Evald Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hát én most hagyom itt a sorozatot, legalábbis egy időre, mert megharagudtam az egészre. Oké, csak Taylorra, mert hogy megcsalta Suziet! MEGCSALTA! SUZIET! Mert, és ezt idézem, "jó érzés volt valakit a karjaiban tartani."
Excuse me, de mi a everloving fuck? Komolyan, kidobsz a kukába megannyi kemény munkát, komoly beszélgetést, megosztott bizalmat, csak azért, mert megcsókolt egy fél-succubus? Jól vagy, baszki? Pontosan tudod, hogy miért nem tud megérinti téged Suzie, és hogy mennyit dolgozik azon, hogy fizikailag is közel engedjen magadhoz, erre te egy csinos pofika miatt eldobod?
Ja bocsánat, nem dobod el, mert basztad bevallanni neki mikor a kötet végén felbukkant, és mivel előreolvastam a többi könyv tartalmát, ezért aztán bizton tudom, hogy nem fogja Suzie sajtreszelőre kifeszíteni a kilyuggatott bőrét. Amit pedig egyértelműen megérdemelne ezek után, mert hogy megcsalta! Fizikailag! És még érzelmileg is.
Seggfej.
Fú de mérges voltam rá.
Oké, nem hazudok, még most is mérges vagyok rá.
Mert hogy oké, én nem szeretem a szerelmi szálakat, mert túlnyomó többségük egyáltalán nincs felépítve, és végtelenül idegesítő, és ez is idegesít, félreértés ne essék, de hogy azt hittem, hogy hajlandó lesz beletenni a megfelelő munkát, de hogy erre behúzott egy ilyet.
Hát leharapom az író fejét, pedig éppen olyan büszke voltam az íróra az előző ride miatt! És erre jön egy megcsalás, csak azért mert a páros másik fele irgalmatlan PTSD-ekbe van, és nem tud fizikailag megérinteni.
Befonom a szemöldököm.
A women on women hate meg igazából már csak hab a tortán, mert hogy nyilván, miért is ne raknánk bele, miért is ne lenne full ciszheterowhiteman efölött, pedig szerintem itt aztán a fél-succubust pont nem lehet számonkérni a literális természete fölött és mint kiderült, Suzienak minden joga megvan gyanakodni.
Ez az egész aztán annyira felbaszott, hogy a sztorira nem is nagyon figyeltem oda, és amikor mégis, akkor se volt olyan nagy cécó, mert hogy egy olyan nyilt mágiával rendelkező helyen, mint a Nightside, a túlvilágot bizonyító CD nem zavar sok vizet, de I guess tévedtem. Viszont mivel nem láttam értelmét az alapnak, ezért aztán maga a sztori se tudott megfogni.
Két dolog miatt adok neki három csillagot:
- Minden kutya a Mennybe megy
- Megszüntettük a creationist istenét

De máskülönben: go fuck yourself John Taylor, I hope Walker and Suzie leave your body behind

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Unnatural Inquirer is the eighth book in Nightside Series written by Simon R. Green and centered on John Taylor, the main protagonist, who is not a private detective per se, but he has a knack for finding lost things.

Taylor was hired to find a man named Pen Donavon, who claims to have evidence of the Afterlife – picked up on a television broadcast and burned onto a DVD. He was hired by Gaylord du Rois, the editor of The Unnatural Inquire a gossip rag that no one claims to read, but in reality they do. The Unnatural Inquire had purchased the DVD, but Pen Donavon and the DVD disappeared. They are willing to pay Taylor a million pounds on the condition that their reporter – Bettie Divine, part succubus demon, shadow him throughout his investigation.

Like in the previous installment, Hell to Pay, something or someone is interfering with his Third Sight, and he has to accomplish this investigation the old fashion way. Which in retrospect makes sense, prior to the Lilith War, Taylor had to use his powers sparingly or he would attract the Harrowing who wanted to kill him. However, after the Lilith War, that doesn't seem to be a problem anymore, but using it all the time would make a very short novel.

The Unnatural Inquirer is written somewhat well. Green has mixed fantasy, science fiction, urban fantasy, horror and humor rather well and it flowed exceptionally well – if not a tad repetitive in some places. However, it suffers from similar failings like the previous installment, Hell to Pay, we get to meet new characters and organizations who are so important and powerful in the Nightside that we should have heard of them before, like the Removal Man and – well, The Unnatural Inquirer itself. However, it doesn't feel as egregious of a problem like in Hell to Pay.

All in all, The Unnatural Inquirer is a wonderfully written book and a very good continuation of the series, which I plan to read in the very near future.

[ZeilenZauber · Rating 2 out of 5]

‘*‘ Meine Meinung ‘*‘
Puh, der achte Teil der Nightside ist genau wie die anderen Teile:John sucht etwas und trifft dabei auf Widerstände und Probleme.
Leider muss ich schreiben „Kennste einen Teil, kennste alle“. Für mich war nur noch spannend, welche Ideen der Autor dieses Mal hatte, um seinem Protagonisten die Arbeit zu erschweren.
Die Idee an sich ist interessant, aber es läuft wie immer bei der Nightside-Reihe.
Dass der Leser die Stammcharaktere kennt, ist nett und man weiß, wie man diese einzuschätzen hat, aber die neuen Figuren bleiben dafür umso farbloser.
John kommt irgendwie aus jedem Schlamassel raus und wenn nichts Logisches zur Lösung bereitsteht, kommt aus dem Nichts Hilfe in Form von anderen Charakteren.
Dass die Übersetzung stellenweise echt miserabel ist - man kann nicht immer wortwörtlich übersetzen -, minderte meinen Spaß an der Lektüre noch weiter.
Hinzu kommen Grammatik- und Rechtschreibfehler, die mich grandios nervten.
Jetzt ist es sonnenklar, ich werde die nächsten vier Bände auf Eis legen und weiß nicht, ob ich sie noch lesen werde. Denn dieser Band erhält wegen seiner Vorhersehbarkeit 2 Sterne.

‘*‘ Klappentext ‘*‘
Mein Name ist John Taylor. Ich bin Privatdetektiv in der Nightside, der finsteren, kaputten Stadt im Herzen Londons, wo nie die Sonne scheint und Lust und Schrecken immer zu haben sind - wenn man sie bezahlen kann. Der Herausgeber des Unnatural Inquirer - des berüchtigtsten Schundblatts der Nightside - hat mir eine Million Pfund geboten, wenn ich den Mann finde, der behauptet, Beweise für das Leben nach dem Tod auf DVD zu haben. Der Inquirer hat dem Kerl viel Geld geboten. Dann ist er mitsamt der DVD verschwunden. Ich weiß nicht, ob das Ding echt ist - aber für eine Million Pfund bin ich bereit, es zu glauben. Das Problem ist, dass der Scheibe noch jemand auf der Spur ist - jemand mit sehr viel Macht. Wer auch immer es ist, setzt alles daran, die Aufnahme vor mir zu finden ...

[Chrissie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Rating I rounded up.

This is my least favorite in the series because it seems rather pointless. John is hired by one of the tabloids to locate a DVD that allegedly has evidence of the afterlife on it. A man named Pen Donavon mysteriously receives images of the afterlife on his television, he records it, and then offers it to the Unnatural Inquirer. However, Pen and the DVD go missing. John teams up with one of the sexy-demon reporters (her name is Bettie) to solve this "who gives a shit" mystery. John notices Bettie's clothing a lot. He likes having a woman near him that he's attracted to and can touch. He's feeling the strain of being in relationship with Suzie Shooter and not being able to really touch her (because she's traumatized by sexual abuse). This entire book I think was to have John come to terms with the limits to his relationship with Suzie and his feelings for her.

I'm tired of John's "private eye" ability being thwarted for unknown reasons. I get WHY though. The author probably knows his hero needs conflict and struggle. It would be boring if John could just "find" the answers so easily. This book introduces some new characters, and spoiler alert, they quickly die. I think this book could be skipped entirely. It adds nothing to the series except with the "love story" portion of it.

I confess, I'm struggling to finish this series, but I'm almost done. Onto book 9, then 3 more to go. I can do this!

[Alex McConnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entry 8 in Green’s Nightside series finds our tarnished hero John Taylor tracking down a bootleg copy of proof there’s an afterlife. If that sounds too weird for you, you’re definitely new to the series.
Green pens another fun book here, if it is a bit unnecessary to the core series progression. The Unnatural Inquirer fits in with the previous Nightside books very well, continuing to introduce us to fun and well imagined characters. I find this to be one of Green’s biggest strengths, written invented characters and keeping them engaging over a long series is a feat worth noting.
In this one John winds up with a new sidekick, a half demon reporter from the Nightside’s gossip rag; on the hunt for a dvd that proves life after death. Throughout the search we run into interesting new characters (most don’t last, that’s not a spoiler if you’ve read the series) and some old ‘friends’ all of whom have a personal interest in the recording.
As stated this entry doesn’t so much further the series lore as take the opportunity to delve into John’s romantic life and study his relationships to women. When confronted with the chance for real, physical love John finds himself in self reflection and soul searching, making for some interesting character development.
A solid if lightly substantial entry in this outstandingly imagined series.

[Kathy Davie · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 chance to kick back? Seems the Unnatural Inquirer is missing a source and the artifact they just purchased. A Pen Donovan recorded a message from Hell, the Afterlife Recording, and sold the DVD to the Unnatural Inquirer but never made it to their offices; they need JT to retrieve it.

Unfortunately, the job comes with conditions. One of which is Bettie Divine, the daughter of a "slut lust demon" and a Rolling Stone. Bettie's job is to write the story on "how John Taylor solved the case". Poor Bettie. A day in the life of John Taylor as we stroll the Nightside and its streets, chatting up its many characters. Exposing some, destroying others…

The Characters
Jack Taylor almost underwhelms Bettie Divine, a part succubus demon who rides a roller coaster of despair, amazement, and terror with a day in JT's life. At first she finds Jack's actions too prosaic for words, but as the action heats up…

Suzie Shooter, a.k.a., Shotgun Suzie, a.k.a., Oh Christ, It's Her Run! is more visible through her absence in this story, again. Although I do like JT's response when she questions Walker about the loa not possessing her, after all, "she is the best bounty hunter in the Nightside".

Walker still polices the Nightside although no one knows on whose authority he rules now that the Authorities have been killed and eaten. We'll see several major contenders in this story…snark…

Max Maxwell, the Voodoo Apostate, is so big they named him twice. Seems he's gotten a bit carried away after finding the Aquarius Key. He's pissing off a lot of people including the loa and Walker.

Cathy Barret is JT's 18-year-old secretary. She adopted Jack after he rescued her from a house that was trying to eat her. Thank god. Because Jack knows he could never deal with the paperwork! Unfortunately for Cathy, JT thinks of her as his daughter..!

Pen Donovan is an unfortunate little man wracked with guilt who managed to record a message from Hell. Scoop Malloy is the Sub-Editor of the Unnatural Inquirer. Gaylord du Rois is its Editor.

The Collector is obsessed with collecting anything of interest—museum directors watch out! And the past and future are no deterrent since the Collector has access to a time machine! It's a bit ominous here as he has no interest in the Afterlife Recording DVD as he's busy with another project…bwa-ha-ha… His current repository is certainly interesting with a truly intimidating guardian. The Cardinal is a man similar to the Collector in that he collects all the religious paraphernalia that possibly exists…including The Gospel According to Mary Magdalene with illustrations…ahem… He truly did used to be a cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church handling the works of art in their collections. Until they caught him helping himself to his favorite pieces.

The Removal Man removes anyone he judges "to be a threat to the Nightside, or the world in general…or offends his…moral beliefs."

General Condor is a military leader who got lost in a Timeslip from a future. Now he's trying to bring righteousness to the Nightside. As opposed to Queen Helena who simply wants to rule the place or Uptown Taffy Lewis who wants to grind it for every dime he can get. They don't stand a chance against John Taylor…the manipulative bugger!

Clan Buckaroo is composed of 13 very dangerous men, combat sorcerers, who walked right through Strangefellows' protections. Nor did they succumb to the JT stare. Instead they're wearing their tacky leather cowboy outfits festooned with "charms, amulets, fetishes, and grisgris" and conceptual guns. And John's mostly worried they're gonna "line dance us to death".

Alex Morrisey owns Strangefellows, the oldest pub in the world and John's home away from office. A direct descendent of Merlin Satanspawn, Alex was magically tied to the bar. At least, until Merlin finally did die. Now there are fewer protections on the pub as well.

My Take
Too funny…as usual! This one takes apart trash tabloids and junk merchandisers—you can almost see the marketers and their tacky products as you read! Then there's that developing romance between Bettie and John—how will Suzie Shooter take this?? And Cathy's new romance…look out!

Jack's cases tend to be an opportunity to roam around the Nightside exploring the different neighborhoods, meeting its curious residents, curiosities, and celebrities. Green is one imaginatively sick man with more twists and turns than the Twister or a roller coaster!!

I love it! The H.P. Lovecraft Memorial Library with The Gospel According to Pontius Pilate, Satanism for Dummies, and the book that was reading people, wiping their minds. A simple enough task for JT. Just persuade the "book to put the minds back, mostly in the right bodies" and introduce it to the Internet.

Then there's the exorcism function on his cellphone, which causes pain to telemarketers who call him! I want one!! I love Jack and Bettie's visit to the Museum of Unnatural History—"Neanderthals performed all the menial work in the Museum, in return for not being exhibits…also in charge of basic security…allowed to eat anyone they caught."

The Cover
It's Jack Taylor in his trademark white trench coat carrying a red velvet bag at the Fun Fair. Rather looks like JT is wearing a ferris wheel star on his head like a halo. A seriously grim cover! The title definitely fits since it's the Unnatural Inquirer who has hired Jack.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

I have had The Nightside Series on my TBR for YEARS! I finally got around to dusting them off and taking a walk on The Nightside. They are a somewhat gritty and darkish urban fantasy with paranormal and sci-fi elements- there is suspense, drama, and plenty of things that go bump in the night.
The series follow John Taylor, a Private Detective who has a reputation for ‘finding things that don’t want to be found”. So, what is The Nightside? It is a place (parallel/alternate reality) in London- but hidden to ‘normal’ Londoners; it is where you can find every imaginable paranormal/supernatural creature can be found, and much more. It’s "that square mile of Hell in the middle of the city where it's always three a.m. Where you can walk beside myths and drink with monsters. Where nothing is what it seems and everything is possible."
I have enjoyed my trip to The Nightside- I found it to have a bit of a noir, steampunk, supernatural feel to it- which I enjoyed. The books are all very quick and easy reads- they didn’t ‘blow me away’, but they definitely entertained!

Thank you, Mr. Green!

[Thomas DuCharme · Rating 5 out of 5]

That's more like it! I love the creativity and darkness of the Nightside novels. It's like someone put Lovecraft and Jim Butcher in a giant blender and poured the bloody, frothy remains onto the printed page and we're reading the result. But there was something about the previous novel that fizzled for me. I tried to read it twice, but never finished it. But, I pushed forward to this one and was happy to discover He'll to Pay was just a bump, not a road block, in the quality of this series. This book had everything I could want in a Nightside novel. A great mystery, tons of visceral action, and several reminders of just how brutal and badass John Taylor can be. While most of the usual recurring characters did not appear or were reduced to small roles, some new characters, including a new "sidekick", of sorts, was refreshing. The book never slowed down for long. A great read, cover to cover. If you, too, had started to feel the Nightside books were beginning to get stale, give this one a try. Besides, at barely 250 pages, it's not a huge commitment. Short, fast, and awesome!

[Teme · Rating 5 out of 5]

این جلد رو هم به اندازه‌ی جلد دوم زیااااد دوست دارم.

ماجرا از این قراره که یکی موفق شده با تلویزیونش به یه پخش مستقیم از بهشت یا جهنم وصل شه و لایوی که داشته می‌دیده رو همزمان روی یه سی‌دی ضبط کرده. و این سی‌دی و حق کپی‌رایتش رو کی خریده؟ یکی از مجلات اخبار زرد و شایعه‌ی نایت ساید

چرا جان استخدام شده؟ چون فرد ضبط‌کننده به همراه سی‌دیش گم و گور شده و الان باید پیدا بشه. در مسیر یه همچین پرونده‌ای جان دوباره با کلی شخصیت افسانه‌ای و تاریخی و تخیلی جالب برخورد می‌کنه+ به عنوان یه امتیاز ویژه بازدید از تی‌رکس واقعی هم داریم.

از ریز به ریز جزئیات بار الکس موریسی بگیر، تا محتوای اون سی‌دی و چیزی که ضبط شده بود…و حتی پایان‌بندی قصه، تر و تمیز و خیلیییی قشنگ بود.
الان دیگه کاملا به سبک نگارش و منطق قصه‌ها عادت کردم. دنبال نتایج خیلی جدی یا پند و اندرز عمیق نمی‌گردم. فقط از جریان لذت میبرم و به شوخی‌ها و کنایه‌های قصه میخندم. نوشتن یچیزی با این حجم از تخیل کار هر کسی نیست،
واقعا قشنگیاش نادیده گرفته میشه
تولیدات کتابی و انیمه‌ای و فیلم و سریالی این دوره زمونه حتی نصف نوآوری و خلاقیت این مجموعه‌ رو هم ندارن.
اونوقت اخ و پیس‌ها همش بار نایت ساید میشه:((((