Something from the Nightside

Nightside, Book #1

By Simon R. Green

ISBN# 9780441010653

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

Review

John Taylor is a struggling private Investigator that lives in his office and can’t even pay the bills.  Then, money walks into his door in the form of Joanna Barrett.  The rich businesswoman has misplaced her teenage daughter, well the teen ran away, and she wants John to find her.  John has a gift to find lost things.  However, this lost thing has gone to where he swore, he’d never go again … the Nightside.

The Nightside is the dark underbelly of London.  It’s where all of the things that go bump in the night call home.  It’s magical, deadly and totally addicting.  John left enemies behind there, and they may just collect on old debts as he looks for the runaway teen.  The key is to get in and out as quickly as possible.  However, it quickly becomes apparent that something evil is residing in the Nightside, something unnatural even for the Nightside and it’s hiding Cathy.  And, it’s up to John to find her.  After all, it’s the only way he will get paid.  Can John find what’s missing before it’s too late?

This is one of those older books that I really didn’t know what to expect.  It’s a small and quick read though.  I found the world building of the Nightside to be quite interesting.  Having something other in the middle of a bustling city is nothing new in books though.  However, I did enjoy the way the author painted the Nightside for me.

I found the relationship between John and Joanna, if you want to call it that, to be completely unnecessary.  I really didn’t think there was much there, but in the end, he was devastated over it.

I found the ending of this book to be a bit strange, but I guess that is to be expected with a book like this. 

This was a decent read with great world-building, I just wish the story was as vivid as the world itself.