REVIEW: Very Important Corpses

Very Important Corpses
Author: Simon R. Green

Ishmael and his sidekick, Penny, return in Very Important Corpses, book #3 of the Ismael Jones series. This time, The Organization is sending them to investigate the death of another agent during a top secret meeting in Scotland. The agent was murdered at Coronach House at Loch Ness, and The Organization wants Ishmael to investigate and protect the members of the Illuminati-like group holding the meeting. There are 12 members of the Baphamet Group. That number is quickly reduced to 11 when one of their number is ripped to shreds just after Ishmael arrives on the scene. Is the killer a man or a monster? Can Ishmael and Penny solve the mystery before more people die?

I love this series! It mixes military, spies, supernatural and alien beings, horror and mystery all together to come up with something creepily thrilling. I am not new to Simon Green's writing. The Nightside series is a favorite of mine. Reading Ishmael Jones makes me want to also read Green's Ghost Finders and Secret Histories series.

The main characters are intriguing. I like how Penny loves Ishmael, even though at times she has difficulty dealing with the part of himself that he keeps hidden. Ishmael is an enigma. He doesn't age. He isn't exactly human. But, he has a moral code that he never waivers from. And, he totally kicks ass. Gotta respect a man for that....or a whatever-he-is. I like the humor that Green sprinkles into the mix. A couple times off-handed remarks from the MCs made me laugh out loud while reading.

The setting of Loch Ness for a supernatural/monster/violent killing story has been done a zillion times. But, this wasn't a tired, old, recycled plot. A plesiosaur didn't jump up out of the Loch and eat people.  The setting just added to the eeriness of the manor house, and added in the possibility of a monster. Green went beyond the old legends, only using Loch Ness as a backdrop.

This was book #3 in this series. It isn't totally necessary to read the books in order, but there are some details about the characters that will be more readily understood if you start at the beginning. But, it isn't absolutely necessary. Enough background is given in this book to understand who the main characters are without having read the first two books. Events in this book are stand-alone,  not a continuation of a story line from prior books.

Very Important Corpses will be released on March 1st. Fans of mysterious secret agent tales, supernatural stories, science fiction or horror would love this series!

For more information on Simon Green and his books, check out his website: http://simonrgreen.co.uk/

**I voluntarily read an Advance Readers Copy of this book from Severn House via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.**