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Dead Man Walking: A Country House Murder Mystery with a Supernatural Twist by Simon R. Green
kathydavie's review against another edition
5.0
Second in the Ishamel Jones British spy mystery series and revolving around a marooned alien-turned-human spy. This story, a locked-room mystery, is set in a country house in the North Riding in Yorkshire.
My Take
I sure enjoyed reading Ishmael sidestep the new Colonel who is trying so hard to shove aside the deal Ishmael made with the Organization. Naturally, I also liked how much Ishmael enjoyed making the Colonel uncomfortable with Ishmael's choices, *snicker* Our protagonists do employ a lot of snark, lol.
I do like Penny; she reminds me of Shotgun Suzie from Green's Nightside and Molly Metcalf from his Secret Histories, confident and something of a loose cannon.
Now Ishmael, he's a James Bond-like character whose mind we read thanks to Green using first person protagonist point-of-view. He reminds me of Jack Reacher with the same calculating mind, as he assesses situations and personalities. He's such a cool customer; I could learn a lot from him on how to handle confrontational situations.
I do wish Green had increased the tension about what Parker knows…that Ishmael (and us) want to know. He raised the issues, but then left them. Well, okay, it's probably better for my peace of mind that I'm not obsessing about it, but…ya know… As for the doctors, I couldn't help but enjoy their comeuppance from their arrogant attitudes to the truths of their characters.
Parker does release the names of the last two Colonels: Oliver Cranleigh and James Belcourt, but only slips out teases of what else he know. It's a sticky conundrum Green sets up, with all the inherent problems in determining if Parker really is Parker.
Using a variation on the flashing arrow plot beat, Green rode a fine line between how-can-they-not-question and how-the-heck in determining the truth behind these murders.
It comes across as a complex story, but in the end, it's pretty simple with its theme of family wronged.
The Story
Frank Parker had been the best, the absolute best until he went rogue and worked for anyone who would pay him. Now he wants to come home.
The Characters
In 1963, Ishmael Jones survived the crash of his spaceship and life on this planet partly through the transformations the damaged ship managed. Now he ensures his safety by spying for the British government. Penny Belcourt is his unofficial partner since events at Belcourt Manor in The Dark Side of the Road, 1; the one person Ishmael trusts to not stick a knife in his back.
The Organization is…
…so secret that no one knows it exists, except for a very few. The new Colonel is much less accommodating and more starched-up than the last one. He acts as the point-of-contact for their agents.
Ringstone Lodge is…
…a country house in Yorkshire and notorious within the Organization, enough that it even frightens Ishmael. The former Regimental Sergeant Major, Donald MacKay, is head of security, retired from a Highland regiment. The belligerent Alan Baxter and Karl Redd are guards supplied by the Organization. The interrogators are the too-excited Dr. Alice Hayley and her submissive, more academic partner, Dr. Robert Doyle. Philip Martin is the resident technician, brilliant with computers, from the Ministry of Defense.
Frank Parker had been the blue-eyed boy given all the most important, dangerous cases. "Back in the day, you could frighten a whole room full of really bad people just by dropping his name."
Hettie Longthorne was the Ringstone Witch buried in the family cemetery.
The Cover and Title
The cover is dark in blues and purple misting in a strange room with opposing arched windows, a pale blue light glowing from outside, on either side and a short railed staircase on both sides as well, with a headless man hanging in between. Security cameras frame the series information at the top and convey a sense of alertness, even as the text descends into a burnt white textured font for the author's name with a simpler font used for the title immediately below.
The title is what they fear, a Dead Man Walking.
My Take
I sure enjoyed reading Ishmael sidestep the new Colonel who is trying so hard to shove aside the deal Ishmael made with the Organization. Naturally, I also liked how much Ishmael enjoyed making the Colonel uncomfortable with Ishmael's choices, *snicker* Our protagonists do employ a lot of snark, lol.
I do like Penny; she reminds me of Shotgun Suzie from Green's Nightside and Molly Metcalf from his Secret Histories, confident and something of a loose cannon.
Now Ishmael, he's a James Bond-like character whose mind we read thanks to Green using first person protagonist point-of-view. He reminds me of Jack Reacher with the same calculating mind, as he assesses situations and personalities. He's such a cool customer; I could learn a lot from him on how to handle confrontational situations.
I do wish Green had increased the tension about what Parker knows…that Ishmael (and us) want to know. He raised the issues, but then left them. Well, okay, it's probably better for my peace of mind that I'm not obsessing about it, but…ya know… As for the doctors, I couldn't help but enjoy their comeuppance from their arrogant attitudes to the truths of their characters.
Parker does release the names of the last two Colonels: Oliver Cranleigh and James Belcourt, but only slips out teases of what else he know. It's a sticky conundrum Green sets up, with all the inherent problems in determining if Parker really is Parker.
Using a variation on the flashing arrow plot beat, Green rode a fine line between how-can-they-not-question and how-the-heck in determining the truth behind these murders.
It comes across as a complex story, but in the end, it's pretty simple with its theme of family wronged.
The Story
Frank Parker had been the best, the absolute best until he went rogue and worked for anyone who would pay him. Now he wants to come home.
The Characters
In 1963, Ishmael Jones survived the crash of his spaceship and life on this planet partly through the transformations the damaged ship managed. Now he ensures his safety by spying for the British government. Penny Belcourt is his unofficial partner since events at Belcourt Manor in The Dark Side of the Road, 1; the one person Ishmael trusts to not stick a knife in his back.
The Organization is…
…so secret that no one knows it exists, except for a very few. The new Colonel is much less accommodating and more starched-up than the last one. He acts as the point-of-contact for their agents.
Ringstone Lodge is…
…a country house in Yorkshire and notorious within the Organization, enough that it even frightens Ishmael. The former Regimental Sergeant Major, Donald MacKay, is head of security, retired from a Highland regiment. The belligerent Alan Baxter and Karl Redd are guards supplied by the Organization. The interrogators are the too-excited Dr. Alice Hayley and her submissive, more academic partner, Dr. Robert Doyle. Philip Martin is the resident technician, brilliant with computers, from the Ministry of Defense.
Frank Parker had been the blue-eyed boy given all the most important, dangerous cases. "Back in the day, you could frighten a whole room full of really bad people just by dropping his name."
Hettie Longthorne was the Ringstone Witch buried in the family cemetery.
The Cover and Title
The cover is dark in blues and purple misting in a strange room with opposing arched windows, a pale blue light glowing from outside, on either side and a short railed staircase on both sides as well, with a headless man hanging in between. Security cameras frame the series information at the top and convey a sense of alertness, even as the text descends into a burnt white textured font for the author's name with a simpler font used for the title immediately below.
The title is what they fear, a Dead Man Walking.
miduhadi's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
meganh123's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
ellelainey's review against another edition
4.0
Dead Man Walking, by Simon R. Green
Ishmael Jones, 02
★★★★☆
208 Pages
1st person, single character POV
Themes: murder, science fiction, aliens, secret organisations, forced proximity
Triggers: mentions of gore, violence and supernatural beings
Genre: Contemporary, Murder Mystery, Science Fiction, Crime
~
Dead Man Walking is the second book in the Ishmael Jones series and takes place a year after the events of Book 1. This time, we have a locked room mystery, more forced proximity as a building goes into lockdown, and more new highly suspicious characters.
Ishmael and Penny are back, working as a team this time. Penny apparently did some training in weapons and self-defence, so she's more than just a pretty face, add that onto her strong resolve in a crisis, her romantic partnership with Ishmael and the fact she's a highly sensible quick thinker and she's more than proven her place in the series. I'm so glad she's more than just his girlfriend or a pretty face to distract people, as I worried she might be. I've lost faith in women “sidekicks” – for want of a better term – being showcased appropriately, but Green does a great job making the most of the strong woman she is and making sure she's always got a part to play.
As well as the recurring characters – and the new Colonel too – we have a host of new characters. The plot is basically what the blurb says and picks up exactly there: Ishmael is brought in to speak to Frank Parker, a notorious ex agent who went away to work for the opposition many years ago and who has now handed himself in for interrogation, for reasons no one understands. He claims to have information about traitors within the Organisation, and Ishmael is sent to join an interrogation team, to find out if that's true or not. There's also the complication of Frank having had repeated plastic surgery to disguise himself while on the run from the Organisation, so they need Ishmael to confirm if he really is Frank Parker, after all.
It makes for an interesting story. Combining the high stakes of what Parker might know, whether he really is who he claims or the opposition trying to get into the Organisation's stronghold, with a locked-room mystery, the forced proximity of lockdown, and a high-tech atmosphere allows for a story full of interest, intrigue and wrong turns. Everyone is suspicious, everyone a suspect, and the only people Ishmael and Penny can trust are each other.
The new characters are:
MacKay – an ex-military man who is in charge of the facility
Martin – a young tech genius who oversees the intense security of the facility
Hayley and Doyle – two psychoanalysts brought in to interrogate Parker
Redd and Baxter – two security personnel
and Parker himself – an ex-agent under investigation
All other members of the facility were sent away when Frank Parker arrived, to keep the secret of his arrival and anything he might say or be overheard. Surprisingly the facility is an intense stronghold that makes Ishmael nervous, due to its high tech security and the unknown things that go on there. The building has a history of being haunted, but Ishmael also knows that many people who go in there for interrogation might never be seen again and that there are too many people who would like to find out exactly what he is and what he's capable of and the best place to catch him is in that facility. From the start, he's on his guard and never quite settles, which means that he's often distracted from the case.
There was also some great representation within the story: both with a gay couple, and an age gap couple who were also inter-racial. I love a good, strong diversity rep in mainstream stories, so this was nice to see and done sensitively.
~
Overall, again this was a strong murder mystery wrapped up in Ishmael's personal life. I liked the blend of both, as it was a stronger story than Book 1 and much better paced. I do feel like the 40% first death and forced proximity may be a pattern or blueprint for the series, but that's not always a bad thing in a murder mystery.
I loved the new characters, as well as Penny and Ishmael's character growth. It was great to see that neither were as helpless as the previous book, though there were still moments that felt dragged out beyond need.
~
Favourite Quote
“See? Isn't this fun? Paranoia, a game the whole family can play.”
Ishmael Jones, 02
★★★★☆
208 Pages
1st person, single character POV
Themes: murder, science fiction, aliens, secret organisations, forced proximity
Triggers: mentions of gore, violence and supernatural beings
Genre: Contemporary, Murder Mystery, Science Fiction, Crime
~
Dead Man Walking is the second book in the Ishmael Jones series and takes place a year after the events of Book 1. This time, we have a locked room mystery, more forced proximity as a building goes into lockdown, and more new highly suspicious characters.
Ishmael and Penny are back, working as a team this time. Penny apparently did some training in weapons and self-defence, so she's more than just a pretty face, add that onto her strong resolve in a crisis, her romantic partnership with Ishmael and the fact she's a highly sensible quick thinker and she's more than proven her place in the series. I'm so glad she's more than just his girlfriend or a pretty face to distract people, as I worried she might be. I've lost faith in women “sidekicks” – for want of a better term – being showcased appropriately, but Green does a great job making the most of the strong woman she is and making sure she's always got a part to play.
As well as the recurring characters – and the new Colonel too – we have a host of new characters. The plot is basically what the blurb says and picks up exactly there: Ishmael is brought in to speak to Frank Parker, a notorious ex agent who went away to work for the opposition many years ago and who has now handed himself in for interrogation, for reasons no one understands. He claims to have information about traitors within the Organisation, and Ishmael is sent to join an interrogation team, to find out if that's true or not. There's also the complication of Frank having had repeated plastic surgery to disguise himself while on the run from the Organisation, so they need Ishmael to confirm if he really is Frank Parker, after all.
It makes for an interesting story. Combining the high stakes of what Parker might know, whether he really is who he claims or the opposition trying to get into the Organisation's stronghold, with a locked-room mystery, the forced proximity of lockdown, and a high-tech atmosphere allows for a story full of interest, intrigue and wrong turns. Everyone is suspicious, everyone a suspect, and the only people Ishmael and Penny can trust are each other.
The new characters are:
MacKay – an ex-military man who is in charge of the facility
Martin – a young tech genius who oversees the intense security of the facility
Hayley and Doyle – two psychoanalysts brought in to interrogate Parker
Redd and Baxter – two security personnel
and Parker himself – an ex-agent under investigation
All other members of the facility were sent away when Frank Parker arrived, to keep the secret of his arrival and anything he might say or be overheard. Surprisingly the facility is an intense stronghold that makes Ishmael nervous, due to its high tech security and the unknown things that go on there. The building has a history of being haunted, but Ishmael also knows that many people who go in there for interrogation might never be seen again and that there are too many people who would like to find out exactly what he is and what he's capable of and the best place to catch him is in that facility. From the start, he's on his guard and never quite settles, which means that he's often distracted from the case.
There was also some great representation within the story: both with a gay couple, and an age gap couple who were also inter-racial. I love a good, strong diversity rep in mainstream stories, so this was nice to see and done sensitively.
~
Overall, again this was a strong murder mystery wrapped up in Ishmael's personal life. I liked the blend of both, as it was a stronger story than Book 1 and much better paced. I do feel like the 40% first death and forced proximity may be a pattern or blueprint for the series, but that's not always a bad thing in a murder mystery.
I loved the new characters, as well as Penny and Ishmael's character growth. It was great to see that neither were as helpless as the previous book, though there were still moments that felt dragged out beyond need.
~
Favourite Quote
“See? Isn't this fun? Paranoia, a game the whole family can play.”
leia3771's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Almost the same as the first book. And it was so easy to guess the killer that I thought it couldn’t be them. Ugh, I really wanted to love this book. At least Ismael and Penny were delightful.
bookish_eclecticism's review against another edition
1.0
I do not remember the first one being this easy to figure out, though I may have blocked that aspect out.
I will continue to read the series. His sense of humor and the mystery of Ishmael is enough to keep me reading, but this one was painful, and I REALLY HATE HAVING TO SAY THAT!
Please let the next one be better. Please. Please?
I will continue to read the series. His sense of humor and the mystery of Ishmael is enough to keep me reading, but this one was painful, and I REALLY HATE HAVING TO SAY THAT!
Please let the next one be better. Please. Please?
jennilathrop's review against another edition
4.0
Good second book in the series. Giving us little bits about the larger mystery while still having a good (though predictable) mystery at the heart of the story. Still like these better than the Drood books by far.
abilouise_'s review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
prideguy's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Another good book in the series.