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Ishmael Jones #3
Very Important Corpses
Ishmael Jones travels to the Scottish Highlands on a mysterious dual mission in this intriguing, genre-blending mystery.
The Organisation has despatched Ishmael and his partner Penny to Coronach House on the shores of Loch Ness where the secretive but highly influential Baphamet Group are holding their annual meeting. The Organisation believes an imposter has infiltrated the Group and they have instructed Ishmael to root him or her out. It s not Ishmael s only mission. The first agent sent by the Organisation has been found dead in her room, murdered in a horribly gruesome manner. Ishmael must also discover who killed his fellow agent, Jennifer Rifkin and why.
Dismissive of rumours that the legendary Coronach Creature is behind Jennifer s death, Ishmael sets out to expose the human killer in their midst. But he must act fast before any more Very Important People are killed."
The Organisation has despatched Ishmael and his partner Penny to Coronach House on the shores of Loch Ness where the secretive but highly influential Baphamet Group are holding their annual meeting. The Organisation believes an imposter has infiltrated the Group and they have instructed Ishmael to root him or her out. It s not Ishmael s only mission. The first agent sent by the Organisation has been found dead in her room, murdered in a horribly gruesome manner. Ishmael must also discover who killed his fellow agent, Jennifer Rifkin and why.
Dismissive of rumours that the legendary Coronach Creature is behind Jennifer s death, Ishmael sets out to expose the human killer in their midst. But he must act fast before any more Very Important People are killed."
201 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2017
About the author
Simon R. Green
291 books3,132 followersSimon 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
February 14, 2024
This was really good read but I have to say the books so far in the series always seem to be a litte too similar , let me explain.
So book one was a house mile's from anywhere in a snow storm with a killer on the loose everyone's a suspect.
book 2 was in a secret compound no way out with a killer on the loose everyone's suspect.
And finally we have book 3 set at Coronach House in the highlands, house is on lock down everyone's a suspect, and again there is a killer on the loose.
so although I'm enjoying this series I'm going to need a little variety to continue going forward so I will let you know what I find in book 4
Happy Reading 📕📙📚📓📒📘📔📗📘📒📚📙📕📖📚📗📓📒📘📔📗📓📚📙📕📖
So book one was a house mile's from anywhere in a snow storm with a killer on the loose everyone's a suspect.
book 2 was in a secret compound no way out with a killer on the loose everyone's suspect.
And finally we have book 3 set at Coronach House in the highlands, house is on lock down everyone's a suspect, and again there is a killer on the loose.
so although I'm enjoying this series I'm going to need a little variety to continue going forward so I will let you know what I find in book 4
Happy Reading 📕📙📚📓📒📘📔📗📘📒📚📙📕📖📚📗📓📒📘📔📗📓📚📙📕📖
January 18, 2020
I read Dead Man Walking, the previous book in this series, last summer and loved it. So image my happiness of getting the chance to read this book. Just like in the previous book must Ishmael and his partner Penny once again travel to an isolated house to investigate a mystery. But, this time it's to Coronach House on the shores of Loch Ness. A fellow agent has been murdered, and now Ishmael must find out who killed her before anyone else is murdered. But, that's easier said than done.
Very Important Corpses is a bit similar to the Dead Man Walking, not so much the case, but the old house far from civilization, with a dark history. And, as with Dead Man Walking mayhem will soon arise, and more people will end up dead. I found this book to be entertaining and engrossing, although, not as good as Dead Man Walking. But, still pretty awesome. I love both Ishmael and Penny, they are a very dynamic duo and it's quite fun reading about their antics as they try to investigate (and threaten and fight people) for answers, well mostly Ishmael.
The revealing of the big bad villain was perhaps not a big surprise, but I quite enjoy returning to Ishmael and Penny's world of mysteries, mayhem, and murders and I look forward to reading the next book (and the first one that I have yet gotten my hands on)!
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
Read this review and others on A Bookaholic Swede
Very Important Corpses is a bit similar to the Dead Man Walking, not so much the case, but the old house far from civilization, with a dark history. And, as with Dead Man Walking mayhem will soon arise, and more people will end up dead. I found this book to be entertaining and engrossing, although, not as good as Dead Man Walking. But, still pretty awesome. I love both Ishmael and Penny, they are a very dynamic duo and it's quite fun reading about their antics as they try to investigate (and threaten and fight people) for answers, well mostly Ishmael.
The revealing of the big bad villain was perhaps not a big surprise, but I quite enjoy returning to Ishmael and Penny's world of mysteries, mayhem, and murders and I look forward to reading the next book (and the first one that I have yet gotten my hands on)!
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
Read this review and others on A Bookaholic Swede
March 3, 2024
Very Important Corpses
By Simon R. Green
Ishmael travels to be a security agent for some high profile business people. One of his fellow agents was killed there and he is sent there to find who did it while he is there. It's a great mystery with weird characters, some creepy science fiction/horror, twists, and Penny is there too! Good story!
By Simon R. Green
Ishmael travels to be a security agent for some high profile business people. One of his fellow agents was killed there and he is sent there to find who did it while he is there. It's a great mystery with weird characters, some creepy science fiction/horror, twists, and Penny is there too! Good story!
March 2, 2017
There are times when I just want to read something that is not too complicated or involved. I found myself in that situation after reading and reviewing a few heavy books recently. With that in mind, I took to NetGalley to find a title that had the potential to be fun, light, and just pure escapism without my having to remember 50 characters’ names and houses. I stumbled across Very Important Corpses by Simon R. Green because of the cover mostly. Yes, they say never judge a book by its cover, but this one drew me in for some reason and made me want to read the synopsis. Simon R. Green is traditionally a fantasy/sci-fi author and I had heard of his work before but had never read anything by him. Quickly skimming the synopsis of the book, I saw that it was a supernatural mystery of sorts that took place in Scotland and also involved Loch Ness. I’m a sucker for anything to do with the Loch Ness monster so Mr. Green, you had me at Nessie! I guess you could say there is a degree of ridiculousness to that but there’s a part of me that really enjoys ridiculousness and I won’t apologize for it. In short, if I was looking for something that was solely pure escapism, this passed the test for me as far as the premise went anyway.
As soon as I received the advance reading copy from the publisher, I eagerly immersed myself in the story. Essentially the story is a mystery, but there are so many supernatural aspects to it that it can also be considered a dark fantasy or even horror to a certain degree. Ishmael Jones is an agent who works for a shadowy black ops organization known strangely enough as “The Organization”. Oh, and that’s not all. Did I tell you that Ishmael is an alien? Yes you heard me correctly; he’s an alien and the only survivor of his alien starship crash-landing in southwest England in the year 1963. Did I mention something about being attracted to ridiculousness earlier? But as I said, this is exactly what I was in the mood for and so I kept on reading. As I turned the pages, the story began to take shape and I settled in for what quickly become a very entertaining yarn. Ishmael is charged by his boss, known only as The Colonel, with investigating the murder of one of the Organization’s operatives. The operative was found dead in her room at the historic Coronach House on the shores of Loch Ness while performing security duties protecting the Baphamet Group. The Baphamet Group is a collection of the 12 most influential people in the world who meet annually in such secrecy that their names are only known by the months of the year. The most senior member being December, next senior being November, and so on. What is discussed at these meetings is unknown, but it has been surmised that the Baphamet Group controls and influences the world economy as well as the governments of many countries. Not only has an operative of The Organization been murdered, but it is also revealed that one of the members of the Baphamet Group may have also been taken out and replaced with an imposter for some devious reason. Ishmael embarks on his mission to Coronach House with his partner Penny to attempt to hopefully uncover the dual dead-body mystery. As soon as he arrives; however, it is obvious that not only do the staff at Coronach House not want him there, but the Baphamet Group as well. Good thing that Ishmael doesn’t take no for an answer. Think of Ishmael as Harry Dresden with more cockiness and you’ve pretty much encapsulated his personality. It becomes clear very early on in the book that someone is hiding an extremely important secret from Ishmael and that the murdered operative may have stumbled across a revelation that necessitated her being eliminated before she could speak to anyone about it. The question is, was it a member of the Baphamet Group or one of the many staff members at Coronach House? Couple all of this with a side-story about the Loch Ness Monster and a few other local monster legends, and you’ve got a multidimensional supernatural mystery that delivers on a number of levels.
I really liked Very Important Corpses. It kept me thoroughly entertained for a few nights before bed and I would classify this book as a perfect night time read. It was exactly the kind of book that I wanted to read to scratch my particular itch, so to speak. At just over 200 pages, it was also a relatively quick read. That’s not to say I liked everything about it. I did have some minor quibbles. For one, I thought the main character Ishmael Jones tended to be a bit over-the-top at times. I got a little weary of him constantly getting what he wanted too easily and bullying everybody into submission. I understand that this was probably by design, but it still grated on me after a while. Also, the characters weren’t fleshed out that much which I thought made them a bit two dimensional at times. That being said, neither of these things made me want to put the book down and I was able to set it aside as I approached the final reveal. And what a reveal it was! In the end, I was left very satisfied and this will definitely not be the last Simon R. Green book that I read. I am interested to check out some of his other works because I really do enjoy the way he delivers a story. Bottom line: I recommend Very Important Corpses if you are looking for a fun, scary, and entertaining read before bedtime.
As soon as I received the advance reading copy from the publisher, I eagerly immersed myself in the story. Essentially the story is a mystery, but there are so many supernatural aspects to it that it can also be considered a dark fantasy or even horror to a certain degree. Ishmael Jones is an agent who works for a shadowy black ops organization known strangely enough as “The Organization”. Oh, and that’s not all. Did I tell you that Ishmael is an alien? Yes you heard me correctly; he’s an alien and the only survivor of his alien starship crash-landing in southwest England in the year 1963. Did I mention something about being attracted to ridiculousness earlier? But as I said, this is exactly what I was in the mood for and so I kept on reading. As I turned the pages, the story began to take shape and I settled in for what quickly become a very entertaining yarn. Ishmael is charged by his boss, known only as The Colonel, with investigating the murder of one of the Organization’s operatives. The operative was found dead in her room at the historic Coronach House on the shores of Loch Ness while performing security duties protecting the Baphamet Group. The Baphamet Group is a collection of the 12 most influential people in the world who meet annually in such secrecy that their names are only known by the months of the year. The most senior member being December, next senior being November, and so on. What is discussed at these meetings is unknown, but it has been surmised that the Baphamet Group controls and influences the world economy as well as the governments of many countries. Not only has an operative of The Organization been murdered, but it is also revealed that one of the members of the Baphamet Group may have also been taken out and replaced with an imposter for some devious reason. Ishmael embarks on his mission to Coronach House with his partner Penny to attempt to hopefully uncover the dual dead-body mystery. As soon as he arrives; however, it is obvious that not only do the staff at Coronach House not want him there, but the Baphamet Group as well. Good thing that Ishmael doesn’t take no for an answer. Think of Ishmael as Harry Dresden with more cockiness and you’ve pretty much encapsulated his personality. It becomes clear very early on in the book that someone is hiding an extremely important secret from Ishmael and that the murdered operative may have stumbled across a revelation that necessitated her being eliminated before she could speak to anyone about it. The question is, was it a member of the Baphamet Group or one of the many staff members at Coronach House? Couple all of this with a side-story about the Loch Ness Monster and a few other local monster legends, and you’ve got a multidimensional supernatural mystery that delivers on a number of levels.
I really liked Very Important Corpses. It kept me thoroughly entertained for a few nights before bed and I would classify this book as a perfect night time read. It was exactly the kind of book that I wanted to read to scratch my particular itch, so to speak. At just over 200 pages, it was also a relatively quick read. That’s not to say I liked everything about it. I did have some minor quibbles. For one, I thought the main character Ishmael Jones tended to be a bit over-the-top at times. I got a little weary of him constantly getting what he wanted too easily and bullying everybody into submission. I understand that this was probably by design, but it still grated on me after a while. Also, the characters weren’t fleshed out that much which I thought made them a bit two dimensional at times. That being said, neither of these things made me want to put the book down and I was able to set it aside as I approached the final reveal. And what a reveal it was! In the end, I was left very satisfied and this will definitely not be the last Simon R. Green book that I read. I am interested to check out some of his other works because I really do enjoy the way he delivers a story. Bottom line: I recommend Very Important Corpses if you are looking for a fun, scary, and entertaining read before bedtime.
September 20, 2020
So on to book three of the Ishmael Jones series and I must say it is a book of intriguing differences - I have to be careful here as I do not want to give away any spoilers since as I often say there are far better more details reviews who can do that better than I.
Anyway why the differences - well the first is the fact we have a whodunnit - no surprise there since it is the premise of this story and the details are shown in the books "blurb" but there are other elements where and they are not as clearly or as obviously referred to. True if you know the series (this is book 3 after all) you are hardly going to be surprised but it is interesting how they are played down.
However there is also the familiarity of this book - anyone who has read a number of Simon R Greens books will admit he has a certain style and approach to things. Having read and enjoyed the Nightside series you can certainly spot things.
And then there is the fun part - it is often noted that although there are not many (but there are a few) official cross overs in his various series there are often references to them - as if they share a common universe - the challenge is finding them and yes there were a few dropped in this book for sure.
A fun read if not one of the stand out books compared to others he has written.
Anyway why the differences - well the first is the fact we have a whodunnit - no surprise there since it is the premise of this story and the details are shown in the books "blurb" but there are other elements where and they are not as clearly or as obviously referred to. True if you know the series (this is book 3 after all) you are hardly going to be surprised but it is interesting how they are played down.
However there is also the familiarity of this book - anyone who has read a number of Simon R Greens books will admit he has a certain style and approach to things. Having read and enjoyed the Nightside series you can certainly spot things.
And then there is the fun part - it is often noted that although there are not many (but there are a few) official cross overs in his various series there are often references to them - as if they share a common universe - the challenge is finding them and yes there were a few dropped in this book for sure.
A fun read if not one of the stand out books compared to others he has written.
November 18, 2018
I now have another series to fit into one of my favorite reading niches: the paranormal, witty, mystery novel. Thank you Simon Green for adding to my reading pleasure and your obvious love of the English language.
Call me Ishmael. Ishmael Jones.
There is a hidden world, of the strange and unnatural. A
shadowy world, of aliens and monsters and men who
have monsters in them. I operate in the darkest parts of
the hidden world, dealing with things that shouldn’t exist
but unfortunately do. And if I’ve done my job properly,
none of you will ever know I was there.
So the story begins with the vaguest of hints at what might be to come and the style with which it will be presented.
Ishmael is a monster hunter with a past, a past I will not share as learning about him is part of the fun. This is the third book in the series (I haven’t read the first two and that didn’t bother me). I’m sure more history exists in earlier and later books as he seems to be a “man in progress”.
The premise here: Ishmael and partner Penny are assigned to get to Scotland ASAP to investigate a conference being held at a great house on the shore of Loch Ness. Their immediate concern: the previous operative on the job has been killed under strange circumstances. The inconvenience: the meeting involves a secretive international economic group of untold power who are not known by the world and want no interference. What could go wrong?
Well, throw in legends of monsters in the house, possible people who aren’t who they seem to be, crimes that don’t make sense, all presented in language that’s a joy to read.
I will definitely continue with this series.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Call me Ishmael. Ishmael Jones.
There is a hidden world, of the strange and unnatural. A
shadowy world, of aliens and monsters and men who
have monsters in them. I operate in the darkest parts of
the hidden world, dealing with things that shouldn’t exist
but unfortunately do. And if I’ve done my job properly,
none of you will ever know I was there.
So the story begins with the vaguest of hints at what might be to come and the style with which it will be presented.
Ishmael is a monster hunter with a past, a past I will not share as learning about him is part of the fun. This is the third book in the series (I haven’t read the first two and that didn’t bother me). I’m sure more history exists in earlier and later books as he seems to be a “man in progress”.
The premise here: Ishmael and partner Penny are assigned to get to Scotland ASAP to investigate a conference being held at a great house on the shore of Loch Ness. Their immediate concern: the previous operative on the job has been killed under strange circumstances. The inconvenience: the meeting involves a secretive international economic group of untold power who are not known by the world and want no interference. What could go wrong?
Well, throw in legends of monsters in the house, possible people who aren’t who they seem to be, crimes that don’t make sense, all presented in language that’s a joy to read.
I will definitely continue with this series.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
June 5, 2017
Third in the Ishmael Jones dark urban fantasy sci-fi series and revolving around an alien-transformed-to-human super-secret operative with his human partner, Penny Belcourt.
My Take
Aha! The series arc is Ishmael Jones. Okay, too obvious, you say? The wrinkle is that Ishmael lost his memory seventy-some years ago and has been operating in the dark. Now his memory is starting to come back. And it’s scaring Penny.
It's literally a narrative hook with that first line — "Call me Ishmael" and incorporates a dark-and-stormy-night plot beat. The story itself is a bit Jack Reacher and a bit James Bond with a healthy dose of Green’s Nightside and Secret Histories series — and this is the first time that Green mentions the Droods, specifically.
Ishmael thinks of his strategy much as Reacher does, and our knowledge of it comes through from that first-person protagonist point-of-view, since we get are able to get inside his head. Of course, it’s not just Reacher-type thinking, but also Reacher-type winning, and I do so enjoy Ishmael letting loose on the “bad" guys, lol.
Green makes use of past narrative flashbacks to provide us with background on Ishmael, Penny, Chris, and the Organisation, and they're a good example of providing info without dumping it on the reader.
It always blows my mind that people are so intent on keeping secrets that could help clear the mystery up, although since it is a locked-room(s) mystery, it’s inevitable that there are facts unknown.
The Story
Their last agent murdered, the Organisation is sending Ishmael Jones to Scotland to be in charge of all the security for the conference with the remit to root out the imposter within the Group and discover who murdered a fellow agent.
It may appear to be an unnatural creature, but Ishmael doesn't believe in ghosts. He does believe in creative humans, and he intends to expose whoever it is. IF he can act fast enough before everyone is murdered.
The Characters
In 1963, Ishmael Jones’ spaceship crashed, but the transformer was also damaged, not enough that it couldn’t transform Jones into a human-like being, but enough that Ishmael’s memories were lost. He’s been a dark secret agent since then in return for their protection. Penny Belcourt has been his human partner since the end of The Dark Side of the Road , 1.
The Baphomet Group is…
…made up of twelve economic movers and shakers who make the decisions that affect the world. They answer to no one, not even their own names. Instead they have adopted the months of the year. December is their chairman. October, a financial genius, is always running late. January and March are pretending to have an affair. August is having his own affair. All the families have had dealings with the hidden world.
Irwin is one of the private security people. John Smith is one of the chauffeurs. The professional escorts include Scarlett who is a former field agent, the Lovely Lola, Georgina who is a professional tomboy, Maurice as the muscle man, Lady Paine is la Belle Dame sans Merci, Range Rider, and Wanda Whiplash.
Coronach House is…
…located on the shores of Loch Ness and is rented out to interested parties. The Major Domo, a.k.a., Helen McGregor, is in charge. Emily, Ruby, and Laura are maids. Holroyd is another of the staff.
Christopher Baron is what he calls himself these days, and he’s the current Head of House Security. He’s known Ishmael from way back in the day, 1964 to be exact, and he isn’t aging, either.
The Organisation is…
…a super-secret group whose mission is to protect Humanity from things that don’t officially exist. This new Colonel (who has a stick up his backside and is incredibly frustrated that he doesn’t know all he wants about Ishmael) is the middle man. Jennifer Rifkin was the first agent assigned to the Baphomet conference.
Black Heir is a similar organisation that cleaned up after alien contacts, salvaging any tech they left behind. Other organisations that either Ishamel or Baron worked with included the Science Pirates, the Beachcombers, and the Demon Runners. Crow Lee had been the Most Evil Man in the World. The Case of the Positive/Negative Double Agent screwed up both their careers. The Immortals were a group of shapeshifters who wanted to rule the world. The Droods are a family who have watched over the world, ensuring its survival, and terrifying world governments and bad guys. Frank Parker was a traitor in Dead Man Walking , 2.
The Cover and Title
The cover is so very dark with its blacks and deep, deep blues. Ishmael, his shoulders hunched in jacket and jeans, stands before Coronach House in a stark landscape under dark and stormy skies, just a hint of moon allowing us to see the house. All the text is in white with the series information at the very top, the author’s name burnt and distressed immediately below it, the title in its thin font is below that, and informational blurbs are at the very bottom.
The title is for the Baphomet Group, for they make Very Important Corpses.
My Take
Aha! The series arc is Ishmael Jones. Okay, too obvious, you say? The wrinkle is that Ishmael lost his memory seventy-some years ago and has been operating in the dark. Now his memory is starting to come back. And it’s scaring Penny.
It's literally a narrative hook with that first line — "Call me Ishmael" and incorporates a dark-and-stormy-night plot beat. The story itself is a bit Jack Reacher and a bit James Bond with a healthy dose of Green’s Nightside and Secret Histories series — and this is the first time that Green mentions the Droods, specifically.
Ishmael thinks of his strategy much as Reacher does, and our knowledge of it comes through from that first-person protagonist point-of-view, since we get are able to get inside his head. Of course, it’s not just Reacher-type thinking, but also Reacher-type winning, and I do so enjoy Ishmael letting loose on the “bad" guys, lol.
Green makes use of past narrative flashbacks to provide us with background on Ishmael, Penny, Chris, and the Organisation, and they're a good example of providing info without dumping it on the reader.
It always blows my mind that people are so intent on keeping secrets that could help clear the mystery up, although since it is a locked-room(s) mystery, it’s inevitable that there are facts unknown.
The Story
Their last agent murdered, the Organisation is sending Ishmael Jones to Scotland to be in charge of all the security for the conference with the remit to root out the imposter within the Group and discover who murdered a fellow agent.
It may appear to be an unnatural creature, but Ishmael doesn't believe in ghosts. He does believe in creative humans, and he intends to expose whoever it is. IF he can act fast enough before everyone is murdered.
The Characters
In 1963, Ishmael Jones’ spaceship crashed, but the transformer was also damaged, not enough that it couldn’t transform Jones into a human-like being, but enough that Ishmael’s memories were lost. He’s been a dark secret agent since then in return for their protection. Penny Belcourt has been his human partner since the end of The Dark Side of the Road , 1.
The Baphomet Group is…
…made up of twelve economic movers and shakers who make the decisions that affect the world. They answer to no one, not even their own names. Instead they have adopted the months of the year. December is their chairman. October, a financial genius, is always running late. January and March are pretending to have an affair. August is having his own affair. All the families have had dealings with the hidden world.
Irwin is one of the private security people. John Smith is one of the chauffeurs. The professional escorts include Scarlett who is a former field agent, the Lovely Lola, Georgina who is a professional tomboy, Maurice as the muscle man, Lady Paine is la Belle Dame sans Merci, Range Rider, and Wanda Whiplash.
Coronach House is…
…located on the shores of Loch Ness and is rented out to interested parties. The Major Domo, a.k.a., Helen McGregor, is in charge. Emily, Ruby, and Laura are maids. Holroyd is another of the staff.
Christopher Baron is what he calls himself these days, and he’s the current Head of House Security. He’s known Ishmael from way back in the day, 1964 to be exact, and he isn’t aging, either.
The Organisation is…
…a super-secret group whose mission is to protect Humanity from things that don’t officially exist. This new Colonel (who has a stick up his backside and is incredibly frustrated that he doesn’t know all he wants about Ishmael) is the middle man. Jennifer Rifkin was the first agent assigned to the Baphomet conference.
Black Heir is a similar organisation that cleaned up after alien contacts, salvaging any tech they left behind. Other organisations that either Ishamel or Baron worked with included the Science Pirates, the Beachcombers, and the Demon Runners. Crow Lee had been the Most Evil Man in the World. The Case of the Positive/Negative Double Agent screwed up both their careers. The Immortals were a group of shapeshifters who wanted to rule the world. The Droods are a family who have watched over the world, ensuring its survival, and terrifying world governments and bad guys. Frank Parker was a traitor in Dead Man Walking , 2.
The Cover and Title
The cover is so very dark with its blacks and deep, deep blues. Ishmael, his shoulders hunched in jacket and jeans, stands before Coronach House in a stark landscape under dark and stormy skies, just a hint of moon allowing us to see the house. All the text is in white with the series information at the very top, the author’s name burnt and distressed immediately below it, the title in its thin font is below that, and informational blurbs are at the very bottom.
The title is for the Baphomet Group, for they make Very Important Corpses.
June 16, 2017
Ishmael Jones and Penny Belcourt are sent to Coronach House on the banks of Loch Ness to protect the Baphomet Group who are meeting in secret to determine the fate of the world. If you think the Bilderberg Group is in charge of the world, you just haven't met the Baphomet Group yet. The previous agent sent by the Organization was found murdered in her room, so Ishmael is tasked with revenging Jennifer Rifkin's death and solving the mystery of who killed her and how. Ishmael is an alien who arrived on this planet years ago; his spaceship crashed and the on-board computer fashioned him into a replicate of a human. His powers are legendary in the Hidden World, where he fights evil in all its forms. Simon Green writes hilarious send-ups of spy novels and this is no exception; arch dialog between Ishmael and everyone sets the stage for his eventual triumph.
May 19, 2020
A fun mystery with clues throughout for a who dunit with some fun fantasy/sci fi twists that are nice tie ins with other Green books.
September 24, 2021
i'm loving this series so far .
July 4, 2024
I had to read this because I love the Loch Ness monster. I found the quality of the writing okay. Loved finding a new mystery novel that broke the rules but kept the overall murder mystery format. Wasn't sure what to make of the Moby Dick opening but it works after comparing the detective with other Ishmaels in the bible and Melville's story. Definitely an interesting read and a cross genre entry into Tartan Noir.
August 10, 2018
Brilliant, gory, scary and wonderful, as per usual.
March 1, 2017
I’ve done my usual trick of dropping into the middle of a series, but while I was aware there was something of a backstory that I didn’t know, most of the action and focus was on the current situation so it wasn’t an issue. Ishamael is certainly an intriguing figure. Endowed with superhuman powers, he is used to dealing with the nasties coming from other dimensions. Neither is he wholly on the side of the angels – he’s been involved in plenty of dirty operations in the past, although he’s doing his best to clean up his act, these days. So he isn’t an operative who would usually be in evidence for this kind of assignment, where he is dealing with VIPs who require some finesse when dealing with them. But a colleague has been brutally murdered, so he has been sent, along with his pretty young colleague Penny, to sort it out.
This story is the equivalent of the locked room puzzle, except it is a locked house tucked away on the shores of Loch Ness, with a shadowy creature roaming around in the grounds – and a savage killer in their midst. Ishmael stomps around thoroughly upsetting everyone, while Penny smooths them over. Meanwhile, the bodycount is rising and so are the stakes… This is an enjoyable, fast-paced whodunit with plenty of plot twists and turns. No, I didn’t guess who the villain was as I just tucked in and went along for the ride. If you enjoy your whodunits with a paranormal twist, then have a go at this one – it’s fun.
While I obtained the arc of Very Important Corpses from the publisher via NetGalley, this has in no way influenced my unbiased review.
This story is the equivalent of the locked room puzzle, except it is a locked house tucked away on the shores of Loch Ness, with a shadowy creature roaming around in the grounds – and a savage killer in their midst. Ishmael stomps around thoroughly upsetting everyone, while Penny smooths them over. Meanwhile, the bodycount is rising and so are the stakes… This is an enjoyable, fast-paced whodunit with plenty of plot twists and turns. No, I didn’t guess who the villain was as I just tucked in and went along for the ride. If you enjoy your whodunits with a paranormal twist, then have a go at this one – it’s fun.
While I obtained the arc of Very Important Corpses from the publisher via NetGalley, this has in no way influenced my unbiased review.
February 7, 2017
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.**
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.**
May 3, 2017
"Once More Unto the Breach, Dear Friends..."
I am a great fan of Simon R. Green, and believe that his "Nightside" series is one of the most clever, atmospheric, wildly creative, and crisply paced noir/horror/detective series available. In a pinch I'm happy to pick up a "Secret History" book to see what the Droods are up to. The Ishmael Jones books, of which this is the third, follow along the same lines as "Nightside" and "Secret History", (as opposed to, say, the "Deathstalker" or "Mistworld" series, which are more sci-fi-ish books). As a consequence, if you've run out of other Greens, this is a good place to stop for a pick me up.
But, while the Ishmael Jones books are good fun and fine diversions, they don't compare well with the much more creative, twisty and varied "Nightside" and "Secret History" books. If confronted with a snap quiz I would have a hard time remembering the differences among "The Dark Side of the Road", (Book #1), "Dead Man Walking", (Book #2), and this book. They all have the same isolated country house settings, the same sorts of threats, the same sorts of violent dispatches of the innocents, (what is it with all of those lose heads that keep turning up in the books?), and the same sorts of resolutions. Ishmael does a lot of monologuing for a supposedly close-mouthed secret operative, but the monologues don't change much from book to book.
That said, sometimes predictable and dependable are what you want and need. Ishmael and his spunky sidekick/girlfriend Penny are both quick with a quip, have an interesting chemistry, and make a fine double-act. Penny is good at perky-deadpan, which is hard to write, and Ishmael does resigned and tormented about as well as possible. Whether they are lurking, or skulking, or fighting creatures, or gathering clues, or doing a big reveal in the drawing room in the presence of all the suspects - well, they are just fun and entertaining company. Sometimes that's what you want, and on that score Green delivers fairly and admirably.
(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
I am a great fan of Simon R. Green, and believe that his "Nightside" series is one of the most clever, atmospheric, wildly creative, and crisply paced noir/horror/detective series available. In a pinch I'm happy to pick up a "Secret History" book to see what the Droods are up to. The Ishmael Jones books, of which this is the third, follow along the same lines as "Nightside" and "Secret History", (as opposed to, say, the "Deathstalker" or "Mistworld" series, which are more sci-fi-ish books). As a consequence, if you've run out of other Greens, this is a good place to stop for a pick me up.
But, while the Ishmael Jones books are good fun and fine diversions, they don't compare well with the much more creative, twisty and varied "Nightside" and "Secret History" books. If confronted with a snap quiz I would have a hard time remembering the differences among "The Dark Side of the Road", (Book #1), "Dead Man Walking", (Book #2), and this book. They all have the same isolated country house settings, the same sorts of threats, the same sorts of violent dispatches of the innocents, (what is it with all of those lose heads that keep turning up in the books?), and the same sorts of resolutions. Ishmael does a lot of monologuing for a supposedly close-mouthed secret operative, but the monologues don't change much from book to book.
That said, sometimes predictable and dependable are what you want and need. Ishmael and his spunky sidekick/girlfriend Penny are both quick with a quip, have an interesting chemistry, and make a fine double-act. Penny is good at perky-deadpan, which is hard to write, and Ishmael does resigned and tormented about as well as possible. Whether they are lurking, or skulking, or fighting creatures, or gathering clues, or doing a big reveal in the drawing room in the presence of all the suspects - well, they are just fun and entertaining company. Sometimes that's what you want, and on that score Green delivers fairly and admirably.
(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
February 12, 2017
3.5
*Book source ~ NetGalley
An Organization agent has been murdered at a hush-hush corporate retreat featuring the Baphamet Group, so they send Ishmael Jones to take over the security for the event, protect the VIPs, and find her killer. Not necessarily in that order.
Why does this author insist on dumbing down his books? Is he making a statement? Or am I just not getting the humor? I love the world, Ishmael’s character, and the murder mystery, but the stupidity is taking a toll on my interest in continuing this series. There is some humor and some twists and turns, but his girlfriend Penny is a twit and the dumb shit that happens is getting old right quick and in a hurry, ruining an otherwise excellent supernatural story revolving around a murder mystery. After three books with basically the same cocktail of stupid shit, I’m going to make a wild guess and say it’s done on purpose. It’s not impressive. Anyway, I may check the next story out when it’s pubbed, but then again, I may not.
Extra Review: My son also has read this series and he agrees that the stupid shit is just…stupid and it’s getting on his nerves. He really likes Ishmael though. For this book, he figured out the murderer, but then was thrown for a loop and then figured it out again. He enjoys the mysteries and will most likely continue with the series.
Rating~4 stars
*Book source ~ NetGalley
An Organization agent has been murdered at a hush-hush corporate retreat featuring the Baphamet Group, so they send Ishmael Jones to take over the security for the event, protect the VIPs, and find her killer. Not necessarily in that order.
Why does this author insist on dumbing down his books? Is he making a statement? Or am I just not getting the humor? I love the world, Ishmael’s character, and the murder mystery, but the stupidity is taking a toll on my interest in continuing this series. There is some humor and some twists and turns, but his girlfriend Penny is a twit and the dumb shit that happens is getting old right quick and in a hurry, ruining an otherwise excellent supernatural story revolving around a murder mystery. After three books with basically the same cocktail of stupid shit, I’m going to make a wild guess and say it’s done on purpose. It’s not impressive. Anyway, I may check the next story out when it’s pubbed, but then again, I may not.
Extra Review: My son also has read this series and he agrees that the stupid shit is just…stupid and it’s getting on his nerves. He really likes Ishmael though. For this book, he figured out the murderer, but then was thrown for a loop and then figured it out again. He enjoys the mysteries and will most likely continue with the series.
Rating~4 stars
March 13, 2018
Ishmael Jones is a sick joke: "Did you hear the one about the detective who solves murders by hanging around until the only people left standing are the detective, his girlfriend, and the killer?" An alien in a man's skin, he's stronger than a human, faster than a human, and has a better sense of smell than a human. On the other hand, he's not incredibly bright. When Ishmael Jones is sent to solve a mystery, he speculates and ponders and snoops and sniffs and ultimately demonstrates that he has the same crime-solving chops as Inspector Clouseau. This happens in every Ishmael Jones book. Makes you wonder about his employer, the enigmatic "Organization," doesn't it?
If you've read two or more Simon Green novels in the same series and found them entertaining you probably don't mind the repetition. Green is supremely talented at recycling material while supplying just enough novelty to keep his readers hungry for more. But the Ishamel Jones series is a bit extreme even for Green; it appears to be an exercise to see how little Green can change from book to book and still make money.
I'm not saying that you shouldn't read this book. This one is actually better than the second, which went on way too long for far too stupid a denouement. I'm just saying that you need to be prepared for more of the same. That's all.
If you've read two or more Simon Green novels in the same series and found them entertaining you probably don't mind the repetition. Green is supremely talented at recycling material while supplying just enough novelty to keep his readers hungry for more. But the Ishamel Jones series is a bit extreme even for Green; it appears to be an exercise to see how little Green can change from book to book and still make money.
I'm not saying that you shouldn't read this book. This one is actually better than the second, which went on way too long for far too stupid a denouement. I'm just saying that you need to be prepared for more of the same. That's all.
December 18, 2016
Ungebildeter Leser mit überflüssiger Meinung / Very Important Corpses - Simon R. Green
Titel: Very Important Corpses (zur Zeit kein deutscher Titel)
Autor: Simon R. Green
Genre: Mystery, Humor
Jahr: 2017
Durchschnittliche Lesedauer: 7 Stunden
Kurz und Knapp: Wer Simon R. Green kennt und seine Nightside oder auch Ghost Finder Serien mag, kann hier nichts falsch machen. Wer ihn nicht kennt, muss mit der Beschreibung “Men in Black” trifft auf Sam Spade vorlieb nehmen. Klare Leseempfehlung!
Wertung: 4 / 5
Beschreibung:
Die Organisation hat Ishmael und seine Partnerin Penny an das Coronach House am Ufer des Loch Ness geschickt, in dem die geheimnisvolle, aber einflussreiche Baphamet-Gruppe ihr jährliches Treffen abhält. Die Organisation glaubt, ein Betrüger hat die Gruppe infiltriert und sie haben Ishmael angewiesen, ihn - oder sie - aufzuspüren. Es ist nicht Ishmaels einzige Mission. Die erste Agentin, die von der Organisation geschickt wurde, ist tot in ihrem Zimmer aufgefunden worden, ermordet auf eine grauenhaften Weise. Ishmael muss ebenfalls herausfinden, wer seine Kollegin Jennifer Rifkin getötet hat - und warum.
Die Gerüchte ignorierend, dass die legendäre "Coronach-Kreatur" hinter Jennifers Tod steckt, will Ishmael den menschlichen Mörder in ihrer Mitte aufdecken. Aber er muss schnell handeln - bevor noch mehr wichtige Menschen getötet werden.
Review:
Simon R. Green ist für mich einer der Meister der gegenwärtigen Urban Fantasy Welle. Er ist weit gekommen von den Anfängen, in denen er das Buch zum Film von Kevin Costners Robin Hood schreiben durfte zu den Nightside Romanen, die einen in die Unterwelt der Londoner Unterwelt führen.
Dieser mittlerweile dritte Roman der Ishmael Jones Reihe beinhaltet alles, was einen echten Green ausmacht: Geheime Organisationen, die in den geheimen Welten unserer Welt existieren (inklusive Verrätern), Monster, die sich unter uns bewegen und Züge (wenn auch nicht so dominant wie in anderen Romanen).
Und hier ist Ishmael unser Man in Black, geschickt von DER ORGANISATION, zusammen mit seiner Partnerin Penny, um das Böse, das im Verborgenen lauert, im Zaum zu halten.
Ich persönlich liebe den Schreibstil von Mr. Green, der leicht, locker mit sarkastischem Unterton seine Geschichten erzählt ohne Spannung einbüßen zu müssen. Jedoch handelt es sich bei dieser Reihe um Whodunnit-Krimis mit einer überschaubaren Anzahl von Lokalitäten im Gegensatz zu den üblichen “Wir hetzen von Punkt A nach Punkt B und sammeln dort, was uns zu Punkt C bringt”-Reißern. Ein erfrischendes Ausbrechen aus dem üblichen Green-Rezept, der sich stilistisch aber dennoch treu bleibt. Für Kenner: mehr Ghost Finder als Nightside. Für Neulinge: Miss Marple im Stile Sherlock Holmes in einer James Bond-igen Welt, in der die Men In Black genauso Realität sind wie sämtliche Geheimbünde, die jemals eine Urban Legend Seite gekreuzt haben oder selbst dafür zu geheim sind.
Von mir eine eindeutige Leseempfehlung!
An alle, die die Ghost Finders kennen: habt ihr auch das Gefühl, dass die Ishmael Jones Reihe zu dem wird, was Simon Green mal für die Ghost Finders geplant hatte, bevor die ein ganz anderes Eigenleben entwickelten?
I received this book in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.
________
Englische Version:
Title: Very Important Corpses
Author: Simon R. Green
Genre: Mystery, Humor
Year: 2017
Average reading time: 7 hours
In short: Anyone who knows Simon R. Green and likes his Nightside or Ghost Finder series can not go wrong here. If you do not know him, you have to make do with the description "Men in Black" meets Sam Spade. A defintive reading recommendation!
Rating: 4 / 5
Description
The Organisation has despatched Ishmael and his partner Penny to Coronach House on the shores of Loch Ness where the secretive but highly influential Baphamet Group are holding their annual meeting. The Organisation believes an imposter has infiltrated the Group and they have instructed Ishmael to root him – or her – out. It’s not Ishmael’s only mission. The first agent sent by the Organisation has been found dead in her room, murdered in a horribly gruesome manner. Ishmael must also discover who killed his fellow agent, Jennifer Rifkin – and why.
Dismissive of rumours that the legendary ‘Coronach Creature’ is behind Jennifer’s death, Ishmael sets out to expose the human killer in their midst. But he must act fast – before any more Very Important People are killed.
Review:
Simon R. Green is for me one of the masters of the present Urban Fantasy wave. He has come a long way from his humble beginnings of writing the movie tie-in book to Kevin Costner's Robin Hood to the Nightside novels that lead you into the underworld of the underworld of London.
This third novel of the Ishmael Jones series contains everything that makes a real Green: Secret organizations that exist in the secret worlds of our world (including traitors), monsters that move among us and trains (though not as dominant as in other novels but mentioned).
And here Ishmael is our Man in Black, sent by THE ORGANIZATION, together with his partner Penny, to keep the evil that lurks in secret at bay.
Personally, I love the writing style of Mr. Green, who tells his stories in an easy-going style with a sarcastic undertone without losing any tension. You definitely want to know how the story proceeds. However, this series is more of a “Whodunnit” with a manageable number of locations as opposed to the usual "We rush from point A to point B and collect there which brings us to point C" action set pieces. A refreshing break from the usual green recipe, which remains stylistically true to itself. For connoisseurs: more Ghost Finders than Nightside. For newcomers: Miss Marple in the style of Sherlock Holmes in a James Bond world where the Men In Black are just as much a reality as all the secrets organizations that have ever crossed an Urban Legend site or are too secret even for them.
A definitive reading recommendation!
To all who know the Ghostfinders: do you also feel that the Ishmael Jones series will become what Simon Green had planned for the Ghost Finders before they developed a completely different life?
I received this book in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.
Titel: Very Important Corpses (zur Zeit kein deutscher Titel)
Autor: Simon R. Green
Genre: Mystery, Humor
Jahr: 2017
Durchschnittliche Lesedauer: 7 Stunden
Kurz und Knapp: Wer Simon R. Green kennt und seine Nightside oder auch Ghost Finder Serien mag, kann hier nichts falsch machen. Wer ihn nicht kennt, muss mit der Beschreibung “Men in Black” trifft auf Sam Spade vorlieb nehmen. Klare Leseempfehlung!
Wertung: 4 / 5
Beschreibung:
Die Organisation hat Ishmael und seine Partnerin Penny an das Coronach House am Ufer des Loch Ness geschickt, in dem die geheimnisvolle, aber einflussreiche Baphamet-Gruppe ihr jährliches Treffen abhält. Die Organisation glaubt, ein Betrüger hat die Gruppe infiltriert und sie haben Ishmael angewiesen, ihn - oder sie - aufzuspüren. Es ist nicht Ishmaels einzige Mission. Die erste Agentin, die von der Organisation geschickt wurde, ist tot in ihrem Zimmer aufgefunden worden, ermordet auf eine grauenhaften Weise. Ishmael muss ebenfalls herausfinden, wer seine Kollegin Jennifer Rifkin getötet hat - und warum.
Die Gerüchte ignorierend, dass die legendäre "Coronach-Kreatur" hinter Jennifers Tod steckt, will Ishmael den menschlichen Mörder in ihrer Mitte aufdecken. Aber er muss schnell handeln - bevor noch mehr wichtige Menschen getötet werden.
Review:
Simon R. Green ist für mich einer der Meister der gegenwärtigen Urban Fantasy Welle. Er ist weit gekommen von den Anfängen, in denen er das Buch zum Film von Kevin Costners Robin Hood schreiben durfte zu den Nightside Romanen, die einen in die Unterwelt der Londoner Unterwelt führen.
Dieser mittlerweile dritte Roman der Ishmael Jones Reihe beinhaltet alles, was einen echten Green ausmacht: Geheime Organisationen, die in den geheimen Welten unserer Welt existieren (inklusive Verrätern), Monster, die sich unter uns bewegen und Züge (wenn auch nicht so dominant wie in anderen Romanen).
Und hier ist Ishmael unser Man in Black, geschickt von DER ORGANISATION, zusammen mit seiner Partnerin Penny, um das Böse, das im Verborgenen lauert, im Zaum zu halten.
Ich persönlich liebe den Schreibstil von Mr. Green, der leicht, locker mit sarkastischem Unterton seine Geschichten erzählt ohne Spannung einbüßen zu müssen. Jedoch handelt es sich bei dieser Reihe um Whodunnit-Krimis mit einer überschaubaren Anzahl von Lokalitäten im Gegensatz zu den üblichen “Wir hetzen von Punkt A nach Punkt B und sammeln dort, was uns zu Punkt C bringt”-Reißern. Ein erfrischendes Ausbrechen aus dem üblichen Green-Rezept, der sich stilistisch aber dennoch treu bleibt. Für Kenner: mehr Ghost Finder als Nightside. Für Neulinge: Miss Marple im Stile Sherlock Holmes in einer James Bond-igen Welt, in der die Men In Black genauso Realität sind wie sämtliche Geheimbünde, die jemals eine Urban Legend Seite gekreuzt haben oder selbst dafür zu geheim sind.
Von mir eine eindeutige Leseempfehlung!
An alle, die die Ghost Finders kennen: habt ihr auch das Gefühl, dass die Ishmael Jones Reihe zu dem wird, was Simon Green mal für die Ghost Finders geplant hatte, bevor die ein ganz anderes Eigenleben entwickelten?
I received this book in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.
________
Englische Version:
Title: Very Important Corpses
Author: Simon R. Green
Genre: Mystery, Humor
Year: 2017
Average reading time: 7 hours
In short: Anyone who knows Simon R. Green and likes his Nightside or Ghost Finder series can not go wrong here. If you do not know him, you have to make do with the description "Men in Black" meets Sam Spade. A defintive reading recommendation!
Rating: 4 / 5
Description
The Organisation has despatched Ishmael and his partner Penny to Coronach House on the shores of Loch Ness where the secretive but highly influential Baphamet Group are holding their annual meeting. The Organisation believes an imposter has infiltrated the Group and they have instructed Ishmael to root him – or her – out. It’s not Ishmael’s only mission. The first agent sent by the Organisation has been found dead in her room, murdered in a horribly gruesome manner. Ishmael must also discover who killed his fellow agent, Jennifer Rifkin – and why.
Dismissive of rumours that the legendary ‘Coronach Creature’ is behind Jennifer’s death, Ishmael sets out to expose the human killer in their midst. But he must act fast – before any more Very Important People are killed.
Review:
Simon R. Green is for me one of the masters of the present Urban Fantasy wave. He has come a long way from his humble beginnings of writing the movie tie-in book to Kevin Costner's Robin Hood to the Nightside novels that lead you into the underworld of the underworld of London.
This third novel of the Ishmael Jones series contains everything that makes a real Green: Secret organizations that exist in the secret worlds of our world (including traitors), monsters that move among us and trains (though not as dominant as in other novels but mentioned).
And here Ishmael is our Man in Black, sent by THE ORGANIZATION, together with his partner Penny, to keep the evil that lurks in secret at bay.
Personally, I love the writing style of Mr. Green, who tells his stories in an easy-going style with a sarcastic undertone without losing any tension. You definitely want to know how the story proceeds. However, this series is more of a “Whodunnit” with a manageable number of locations as opposed to the usual "We rush from point A to point B and collect there which brings us to point C" action set pieces. A refreshing break from the usual green recipe, which remains stylistically true to itself. For connoisseurs: more Ghost Finders than Nightside. For newcomers: Miss Marple in the style of Sherlock Holmes in a James Bond world where the Men In Black are just as much a reality as all the secrets organizations that have ever crossed an Urban Legend site or are too secret even for them.
A definitive reading recommendation!
To all who know the Ghostfinders: do you also feel that the Ishmael Jones series will become what Simon Green had planned for the Ghost Finders before they developed a completely different life?
I received this book in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.
February 20, 2018
UGH! Seriously. This is EXACTLY the same story as the previous two books. If it were a stand alone book, it would be great. But it's not. This is the THIRD book in the series and it is EXACTLY the same as the previous two. Not similar. Not kind close. EXACTLY THE SAME.
Two agents are sent to a house with some kind of supernatural killer. The house is on lock down while Jones has to figure out who did it and stop it before everyone dies. But, unfortunately, almost everyone dies before he can figure anything out. But not to worry. His alien super powers save the day at the last minute, he gets the killer and they wander off. Which book did I describe? Surprise! All three.
This one was actually WORSE because the person who did the killing is exactly who you think it is. Because you find out how he did it before it's even done. In chapter two. And despite every sign to the complete opposite, Jones continues to trust this person with out question. While I as a reader shouted at every plot development that the monster is killing someone right now and this is how he did it.
At this point, I think I will have to abandon this series. How disappointing. I miss the Nightside books.
Two agents are sent to a house with some kind of supernatural killer. The house is on lock down while Jones has to figure out who did it and stop it before everyone dies. But, unfortunately, almost everyone dies before he can figure anything out. But not to worry. His alien super powers save the day at the last minute, he gets the killer and they wander off. Which book did I describe? Surprise! All three.
This one was actually WORSE because the person who did the killing is exactly who you think it is. Because you find out how he did it before it's even done. In chapter two. And despite every sign to the complete opposite, Jones continues to trust this person with out question. While I as a reader shouted at every plot development that the monster is killing someone right now and this is how he did it.
At this point, I think I will have to abandon this series. How disappointing. I miss the Nightside books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2019
This series just keeps getting better and better. Once again, Ishmael Jones is called to work on a case by his mysterious boss. He and Penny head to a house near Loch Ness. Something is killing members of a secret society and Ishmael has to sort it all out.
This is probably my favorite so far out of the three books I have read in the series. I loved the atmosphere of the setting for this one. Give me a scene set in a dark tunnel with scary sounds and I'll be riveted until it's over. The killer in this book was a cool one. I won't spoil it for you. There is also a great twist in the end that I didn't see coming.
The characters are also what I enjoy immensely about this series. I love the banter between Ishmael and Penny. Their relationship reached an interesting turning point here. We also learn a little more about Ishmael's past. I still highly recommend this series. The books are well written and a lot of fun to read.
This is probably my favorite so far out of the three books I have read in the series. I loved the atmosphere of the setting for this one. Give me a scene set in a dark tunnel with scary sounds and I'll be riveted until it's over. The killer in this book was a cool one. I won't spoil it for you. There is also a great twist in the end that I didn't see coming.
The characters are also what I enjoy immensely about this series. I love the banter between Ishmael and Penny. Their relationship reached an interesting turning point here. We also learn a little more about Ishmael's past. I still highly recommend this series. The books are well written and a lot of fun to read.
November 11, 2018
Originally published at Reading Reality
Once upon a time, a tour guide told me that “sightings of the monster are directly related to consumption of the Highland beverage.” In other words, if you stand around Loch Ness and drink enough Scotch, you’ll definitely improve your odds of seeing Nessie. Or possibly two or three Nessies, depending on how many bottles you need to find the monster in the lake.
Alternatively, as Penny Belcourt discovers in this third book in the Ishmael Jones series, (after The Dark Side of the Road and Dead Man Walking) all she has to do is go with Ishmael to one of his assignments for the mysterious “Organization” and she’s bound to see A monster if not THE monster.
Whether that’s an actual monster, or just the monster that lurks inside entirely too many of the “people” that the Organization sends Ishmael to deal with, is generally a toss up. It certainly pays to be prepared for either eventuality – and every other they can think of. In their line of work, paranoia isn’t a psychological condition – it’s more of a survival trait.
And if there’s one thing Ishmael Jones is good at, it’s survival. He’s been successfully surviving, and hiding in not so plain sight, since his space ship crashed in 1963 and turned him into a reasonable facsimile of a human male in his mid-20s. Just with a few useful and additional skills as well as an unchanging face and body. Ishmael has been 25 or thereabouts for over 50 years now, and it’s getting harder to hide.
Hence his work for the Organization, which keeps his secrets in exchange for his cleaning up and keeping some of theirs.
That’s what brings Ishmael – and Penny – to Coronach House on the shore of Loch Ness. One of those super-secret cabals that conspiracy wonks love to foam at the mouth about is secretly meeting at this secure and remote house, and that security has been compromised. The first Organization agent sent to figure out what’s gone wrong is dead, and Ishmael is sent to solve the mystery, clean up the mess, and make sure that someone gets the message that messing with the Organization shortens the life expectancy.
But the Organization never sends Ishmael to any easy jobs. That’s certainly the case here – especially as the body count rises and the level of wanton destruction that accompanies each body ramps up from merely vicious to downright cataclysmic.
And as usual, the people that Ishmael is supposed to protect all think that they really don’t have to listen to him. And of course they do, at least if they want to live. Not that they all manage that, either.
There are puzzles within puzzles, and wheels within wheels, as the murderer, whoever or whatever they might be, does his, her or its level best to keep Ishmael so horrified and occupied that he doesn’t have time to put the clues together until it’s nearly too late.
Escape Rating B+: Like all of the books in this series so far, Very Important Corpses was a whole lot of creepy fun. It is very definitely horror-adjacent, which makes it just the right book to review for Halloween.
One of the things that I really like about this series is the way that the horror elements are used as set decoration and distraction – and that Ishmael generally knows that’s their purpose. He’s aware that the increasing level of creepy is designed to put him off his game, and he’s determined not to be sucked in by it.
There is a hidden world in this series, a hidden world that Ishmael is definitely a part of, but he knows what’s possible and what actually isn’t – even if his range of what’s possible veers into fairly weird waters. He believes in aliens because he is one. He believes in alien tech because he’s seen it.
He doesn’t believe in ghosts. Or ancestral monsters like the one that is supposed to haunt Coronach House. And in spite of being garden-variety human, AND seeming rather open-minded about these things, Penny doesn’t believe in them either. She just asks the questions about them that Ishmael refuses to ask.
One of the things I love about this author is that the snark-o-meter is always set to high, and this book was no exception. One of the things I’ve been wondering about was whether that trademark snark would also include this author’s usual throwaway references to the other worlds he has created. While those first two books didn’t, this one does. Not in a way that will keep anyone from getting into this book, but just enough to make a reader already familiar smile in recognition.
At the beginning this series reminded me a lot of Torchwood, with Ishmael as Captain Jack. This particular entry in the series reminded me of a very specific episode of Torchwood, Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang, where someone from Captain Jack’s past shows up and we get a glimpse of who and what he was before Torchwood. That same thing happens in Very Important Corpses, where someone from Ishmael’s past turns up, and we learn a bit more about what he’s been up to in those 50 plus years.
And just as it was in Torchwood, Ishmael’s old frenemy is not exactly what he appears to be. While I didn’t figure out exactly what he was, that he wasn’t exactly on the up and up was clear fairly early on.
But it didn’t stop my compulsive turning of the pages, not one little bit. As long as I kept the lights on.
Once upon a time, a tour guide told me that “sightings of the monster are directly related to consumption of the Highland beverage.” In other words, if you stand around Loch Ness and drink enough Scotch, you’ll definitely improve your odds of seeing Nessie. Or possibly two or three Nessies, depending on how many bottles you need to find the monster in the lake.
Alternatively, as Penny Belcourt discovers in this third book in the Ishmael Jones series, (after The Dark Side of the Road and Dead Man Walking) all she has to do is go with Ishmael to one of his assignments for the mysterious “Organization” and she’s bound to see A monster if not THE monster.
Whether that’s an actual monster, or just the monster that lurks inside entirely too many of the “people” that the Organization sends Ishmael to deal with, is generally a toss up. It certainly pays to be prepared for either eventuality – and every other they can think of. In their line of work, paranoia isn’t a psychological condition – it’s more of a survival trait.
And if there’s one thing Ishmael Jones is good at, it’s survival. He’s been successfully surviving, and hiding in not so plain sight, since his space ship crashed in 1963 and turned him into a reasonable facsimile of a human male in his mid-20s. Just with a few useful and additional skills as well as an unchanging face and body. Ishmael has been 25 or thereabouts for over 50 years now, and it’s getting harder to hide.
Hence his work for the Organization, which keeps his secrets in exchange for his cleaning up and keeping some of theirs.
That’s what brings Ishmael – and Penny – to Coronach House on the shore of Loch Ness. One of those super-secret cabals that conspiracy wonks love to foam at the mouth about is secretly meeting at this secure and remote house, and that security has been compromised. The first Organization agent sent to figure out what’s gone wrong is dead, and Ishmael is sent to solve the mystery, clean up the mess, and make sure that someone gets the message that messing with the Organization shortens the life expectancy.
But the Organization never sends Ishmael to any easy jobs. That’s certainly the case here – especially as the body count rises and the level of wanton destruction that accompanies each body ramps up from merely vicious to downright cataclysmic.
And as usual, the people that Ishmael is supposed to protect all think that they really don’t have to listen to him. And of course they do, at least if they want to live. Not that they all manage that, either.
There are puzzles within puzzles, and wheels within wheels, as the murderer, whoever or whatever they might be, does his, her or its level best to keep Ishmael so horrified and occupied that he doesn’t have time to put the clues together until it’s nearly too late.
Escape Rating B+: Like all of the books in this series so far, Very Important Corpses was a whole lot of creepy fun. It is very definitely horror-adjacent, which makes it just the right book to review for Halloween.
One of the things that I really like about this series is the way that the horror elements are used as set decoration and distraction – and that Ishmael generally knows that’s their purpose. He’s aware that the increasing level of creepy is designed to put him off his game, and he’s determined not to be sucked in by it.
There is a hidden world in this series, a hidden world that Ishmael is definitely a part of, but he knows what’s possible and what actually isn’t – even if his range of what’s possible veers into fairly weird waters. He believes in aliens because he is one. He believes in alien tech because he’s seen it.
He doesn’t believe in ghosts. Or ancestral monsters like the one that is supposed to haunt Coronach House. And in spite of being garden-variety human, AND seeming rather open-minded about these things, Penny doesn’t believe in them either. She just asks the questions about them that Ishmael refuses to ask.
One of the things I love about this author is that the snark-o-meter is always set to high, and this book was no exception. One of the things I’ve been wondering about was whether that trademark snark would also include this author’s usual throwaway references to the other worlds he has created. While those first two books didn’t, this one does. Not in a way that will keep anyone from getting into this book, but just enough to make a reader already familiar smile in recognition.
At the beginning this series reminded me a lot of Torchwood, with Ishmael as Captain Jack. This particular entry in the series reminded me of a very specific episode of Torchwood, Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang, where someone from Captain Jack’s past shows up and we get a glimpse of who and what he was before Torchwood. That same thing happens in Very Important Corpses, where someone from Ishmael’s past turns up, and we learn a bit more about what he’s been up to in those 50 plus years.
And just as it was in Torchwood, Ishmael’s old frenemy is not exactly what he appears to be. While I didn’t figure out exactly what he was, that he wasn’t exactly on the up and up was clear fairly early on.
But it didn’t stop my compulsive turning of the pages, not one little bit. As long as I kept the lights on.
June 6, 2019
Originally posted on the book blog Creature From the Book Lagoon.
"Ishmael Jones travels to the Scottish Highlands on a mysterious dual mission in this intriguing, genre-blending mystery.
The Organisation has despatched Ishmael and his partner Penny to Coronach House on the shores of Loch Ness where the secretive but highly influential Baphamet Group are holding their annual meeting. The Organisation believes an imposter has infiltrated the Group and they have instructed Ishmael to root him or her out. It s not Ishmael s only mission. The first agent sent by the Organisation has been found dead in her room, murdered in a horribly gruesome manner. Ishmael must also discover who killed his fellow agent, Jennifer Rifkin and why.
Dismissive of rumours that the legendary Coronach Creature is behind Jennifer s death, Ishmael sets out to expose the human killer in their midst. But he must act fast before any more Very Important People are killed.."
After the disappointment of book 2 in the series, I was a little bit leery going in to this book. I was afraid that this would be another book that was just a cut and paste of the first book. D: While there were some repeated moments in Very Important Corpses, for the most part it was a much better book then the last one. Yay! Kinda redemption??
I’ll start with the problems I had. The “witty” banter between Penny and Ishmael is uber repetitious! They literally say the same things as they have in the other books. Word for word. How many times do we have to hear this:
Penny: “You really don’t trust anyone, do you?”
Ishmael: ” No, I don’t. ……. Except for you.”
Penny: ” Nice save, darling.”
AGH!! Please. Stop it. At least change up the way they say it! It doesn’t have to be the exact. Same. Thing. Each. Time. -.-; This kind of crap happens a lot with this series! It leaves me cringing and feeling like the author is just lazily cut and pasting things from a spread sheet or something. I don’t know much about writing, but I feel like there really shouldn’t be this many repeated phrases / conversations between all the books. :/ This isn’t the only type of repetitious thing going on in this book. Ishmael calls Penny Spy Girl, and Penny calls him Space boy. When they use those pet names, it’s almost the exact same situation as the last time they used them, so it almost feels like the exact same conversation! There is so much deja vu going on, not only in this book, but this whole series… and it’s only book 3!!! >.<* This shit shouldn’t be happening until at least book 8!!
*Sigh* Aside from the repetition, this book has a decent murder mystery. The killers were a little bit obvious towards the end, but over all it was a satisfying mystery. I was just happy that there was a supernatural element involved again. That was pretty fun and it kept anything from being obvious right off the bat.
As I’ve said numerous times already, this is a book 3 in the series. I still can’t exactly decide how much I like the main character, Ishmael Jones. He’s kind of a dick… but, in a cheeky way…. so…. I don’t know. Sometimes it seems like he just wants to be a thorn in someone’s side just because. :/ It just makes him look like a jerk though. It was cool getting to see the REAL Ishmael come out to play for a little bit at the end. He has been hiding the real him so far, and it was nice to see what he could really do.
Very Important Corpses was an entertaining story that I mostly had fun listening to. It was narrated by Gildart Jackson. It took me a little bit to warm up to Gildart at first. Sometimes the characters sound a little bit too much the same. His performance was alright though. Not the best I’ve ever heard, but not terrible either. By the end of the book his narration had grown on me and I didn’t mind it so much anymore.
"Ishmael Jones travels to the Scottish Highlands on a mysterious dual mission in this intriguing, genre-blending mystery.
The Organisation has despatched Ishmael and his partner Penny to Coronach House on the shores of Loch Ness where the secretive but highly influential Baphamet Group are holding their annual meeting. The Organisation believes an imposter has infiltrated the Group and they have instructed Ishmael to root him or her out. It s not Ishmael s only mission. The first agent sent by the Organisation has been found dead in her room, murdered in a horribly gruesome manner. Ishmael must also discover who killed his fellow agent, Jennifer Rifkin and why.
Dismissive of rumours that the legendary Coronach Creature is behind Jennifer s death, Ishmael sets out to expose the human killer in their midst. But he must act fast before any more Very Important People are killed.."
After the disappointment of book 2 in the series, I was a little bit leery going in to this book. I was afraid that this would be another book that was just a cut and paste of the first book. D: While there were some repeated moments in Very Important Corpses, for the most part it was a much better book then the last one. Yay! Kinda redemption??
I’ll start with the problems I had. The “witty” banter between Penny and Ishmael is uber repetitious! They literally say the same things as they have in the other books. Word for word. How many times do we have to hear this:
Penny: “You really don’t trust anyone, do you?”
Ishmael: ” No, I don’t. ……. Except for you.”
Penny: ” Nice save, darling.”
AGH!! Please. Stop it. At least change up the way they say it! It doesn’t have to be the exact. Same. Thing. Each. Time. -.-; This kind of crap happens a lot with this series! It leaves me cringing and feeling like the author is just lazily cut and pasting things from a spread sheet or something. I don’t know much about writing, but I feel like there really shouldn’t be this many repeated phrases / conversations between all the books. :/ This isn’t the only type of repetitious thing going on in this book. Ishmael calls Penny Spy Girl, and Penny calls him Space boy. When they use those pet names, it’s almost the exact same situation as the last time they used them, so it almost feels like the exact same conversation! There is so much deja vu going on, not only in this book, but this whole series… and it’s only book 3!!! >.<* This shit shouldn’t be happening until at least book 8!!
*Sigh* Aside from the repetition, this book has a decent murder mystery. The killers were a little bit obvious towards the end, but over all it was a satisfying mystery. I was just happy that there was a supernatural element involved again. That was pretty fun and it kept anything from being obvious right off the bat.
As I’ve said numerous times already, this is a book 3 in the series. I still can’t exactly decide how much I like the main character, Ishmael Jones. He’s kind of a dick… but, in a cheeky way…. so…. I don’t know. Sometimes it seems like he just wants to be a thorn in someone’s side just because. :/ It just makes him look like a jerk though. It was cool getting to see the REAL Ishmael come out to play for a little bit at the end. He has been hiding the real him so far, and it was nice to see what he could really do.
Very Important Corpses was an entertaining story that I mostly had fun listening to. It was narrated by Gildart Jackson. It took me a little bit to warm up to Gildart at first. Sometimes the characters sound a little bit too much the same. His performance was alright though. Not the best I’ve ever heard, but not terrible either. By the end of the book his narration had grown on me and I didn’t mind it so much anymore.
November 6, 2023
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley
~
Very Important Corpses, by Simon R. Green
Ishmael Jones, 03
★★★★���
201 Pages
1st person, single character POV
Themes: murder, science fiction, aliens, secret organisations, forced proximity, shape-shifters
Triggers: mentions of gore, violence and supernatural beings, mentions of escorts
Genre: Contemporary, Murder Mystery, Science Fiction, Crime
As the third book in the Ishmael Jones series, Very Important Corpses takes a new slant on the outlandish crimes Ishmael is tasked with investigating. A clandestine financial body are gathering on the bank of Loch Ness for their annual meeting and an Organisation agent has already been killed in the household. It's up to Ishmael to find out how and why, as well as root out one of the members – called principals – who may be an imposter. Worse, when he arrives, he's also told that there's a journalist posing as a member of staff but no one is sure who they are.
With mysteries abound, it's no wonder it takes a long time for Ishmael and Penny to piece the solution together. That's also helped by the fact there are easily three times as many suspects as any of the previous books.
Our cast includes the usual: the Colonel, Ishmael and Penny. It also introduces the Major Domo of the house, twelve principals who all have one guard each, as well as their own staff, chauffeur and the household staff. That makes a little over forty residents in the house, who are all stuck with each other as murder rampages throughout the house.
(NOTE: I wrote Major Domo on purpose, because that's how she's written in the book, however the only reference I can find for her title online is the majordomo.)
Another interesting note about the cast is that one of the security members is an old Organisation member, Baron, who Ishmael has worked with and against multiple times in the past. His presence is enough of a distraction for Ishmael, but also poses some interesting questions about Ishmael's past when we discover Baron has had access to Ishmael's file and knows secrets about his past that he really shouldn't know.
The story is full of twists and turns, a lot of second guessing and misdirection. Again, it's a little hard to come up with a plausible theory of what and who because so many of the connections are in Ishmael's head and not always shown on page until the last minute. However, they all seem perfectly plausible within the world that's written, and I always suspect the right person very early on, but for entirely my own reasons – usually just the Agatha Christie logic of who has the most access and who is most conveniently placed to make events unfold.
As usual, I find Ishmael highly interesting as a main character and we finally get to see a little of that deeply rooted alien-ness coming out in this book. It made for a good continuation of the worry he's had that the deeply buried part of himself is fighting to be set loose. Then there's Penny, who I adore. She's so smart, strong and funny, strong and playful. She's not afraid of being vulnerable or ashamed of being afraid, but she's also not afraid to take care of Ishmael when he needs reassurance.
Overall, it was a solid book and I'll enjoy continuing the series into the next book and beyond.
Copy received through Netgalley
~
Very Important Corpses, by Simon R. Green
Ishmael Jones, 03
★★★★���
201 Pages
1st person, single character POV
Themes: murder, science fiction, aliens, secret organisations, forced proximity, shape-shifters
Triggers: mentions of gore, violence and supernatural beings, mentions of escorts
Genre: Contemporary, Murder Mystery, Science Fiction, Crime
As the third book in the Ishmael Jones series, Very Important Corpses takes a new slant on the outlandish crimes Ishmael is tasked with investigating. A clandestine financial body are gathering on the bank of Loch Ness for their annual meeting and an Organisation agent has already been killed in the household. It's up to Ishmael to find out how and why, as well as root out one of the members – called principals – who may be an imposter. Worse, when he arrives, he's also told that there's a journalist posing as a member of staff but no one is sure who they are.
With mysteries abound, it's no wonder it takes a long time for Ishmael and Penny to piece the solution together. That's also helped by the fact there are easily three times as many suspects as any of the previous books.
Our cast includes the usual: the Colonel, Ishmael and Penny. It also introduces the Major Domo of the house, twelve principals who all have one guard each, as well as their own staff, chauffeur and the household staff. That makes a little over forty residents in the house, who are all stuck with each other as murder rampages throughout the house.
(NOTE: I wrote Major Domo on purpose, because that's how she's written in the book, however the only reference I can find for her title online is the majordomo.)
Another interesting note about the cast is that one of the security members is an old Organisation member, Baron, who Ishmael has worked with and against multiple times in the past. His presence is enough of a distraction for Ishmael, but also poses some interesting questions about Ishmael's past when we discover Baron has had access to Ishmael's file and knows secrets about his past that he really shouldn't know.
The story is full of twists and turns, a lot of second guessing and misdirection. Again, it's a little hard to come up with a plausible theory of what and who because so many of the connections are in Ishmael's head and not always shown on page until the last minute. However, they all seem perfectly plausible within the world that's written, and I always suspect the right person very early on, but for entirely my own reasons – usually just the Agatha Christie logic of who has the most access and who is most conveniently placed to make events unfold.
As usual, I find Ishmael highly interesting as a main character and we finally get to see a little of that deeply rooted alien-ness coming out in this book. It made for a good continuation of the worry he's had that the deeply buried part of himself is fighting to be set loose. Then there's Penny, who I adore. She's so smart, strong and funny, strong and playful. She's not afraid of being vulnerable or ashamed of being afraid, but she's also not afraid to take care of Ishmael when he needs reassurance.
Overall, it was a solid book and I'll enjoy continuing the series into the next book and beyond.
May 19, 2021
Another silly, yet fun novel by an enjoyable author.
Very Important Corpses follows Ishmael Jones and Penny at the Coronach House for security. The Baphamet Group believes one of the staff members may be a undercover reporter. A simple find and remove mission becomes a murder investigation after a team member is found dead in their room.
The plot was great with the perfect blend of mystery, suspense, investigations, world building and character development. There were hints to Ishmael’s past which I loved as I plan to continue the series and would love to learn more about Ishmael’s alien origins.
The murder investigation itself was interesting as there were just enough supernatural hints (was it ghosts or the Loch Ness monster) to keep me from guessing who the murderer was.
The characters were good but I’m still not entirely sold on Penny. As a side character she’s good when she interacts with Ishmael. They bounce ideas off each other and come up with plausible theories which helps propel the plot along nicely. However, as a character on her own I find her flat and very one-dimensional.
The pacing was good without a dull moment. In some mystery novel the middle drags but not here.
I listened to the audiobook by GraphicAudio and I loved it. What made GraphicAudio unique was the added noises or music. For example, creaking wood and scratching noises was added to help highlight a suspenseful moment where characters thought they heard ghosts. Anyone who likes audiobooks I would strongly suggest this version.
Overall this was a good urban fantasy/mystery novel. Although the novel can easily be started anywhere in the series I strongly recommend you start with book one.
Very Important Corpses follows Ishmael Jones and Penny at the Coronach House for security. The Baphamet Group believes one of the staff members may be a undercover reporter. A simple find and remove mission becomes a murder investigation after a team member is found dead in their room.
The plot was great with the perfect blend of mystery, suspense, investigations, world building and character development. There were hints to Ishmael’s past which I loved as I plan to continue the series and would love to learn more about Ishmael’s alien origins.
The murder investigation itself was interesting as there were just enough supernatural hints (was it ghosts or the Loch Ness monster) to keep me from guessing who the murderer was.
The characters were good but I’m still not entirely sold on Penny. As a side character she’s good when she interacts with Ishmael. They bounce ideas off each other and come up with plausible theories which helps propel the plot along nicely. However, as a character on her own I find her flat and very one-dimensional.
The pacing was good without a dull moment. In some mystery novel the middle drags but not here.
I listened to the audiobook by GraphicAudio and I loved it. What made GraphicAudio unique was the added noises or music. For example, creaking wood and scratching noises was added to help highlight a suspenseful moment where characters thought they heard ghosts. Anyone who likes audiobooks I would strongly suggest this version.
Overall this was a good urban fantasy/mystery novel. Although the novel can easily be started anywhere in the series I strongly recommend you start with book one.
February 28, 2017
A fun, sci-fi mystery that would have worked better as a children’s book
Ishmael Jones is a not-quite human special agent who works for the mysterious Organisation. He and his partner Penny are sent to Coronach House on the shores of Loch Ness to investigate a possible intruder in a meeting of the highly secretive and influential ‘Baphamet group’. The second part of their mission is to look into the murder of a previous agent sent by the Organisation, who was found violently killed in her room. Ishmael and Penny must work quickly to unmask the murderer and identify the infiltrator, but with the body count increasing, the rumours spreading round about the mythical ‘Coronach creature’ may turn out to be more than just stories.
The plot of “Very Important Corpses” is fast-paced and gets the reader straight into the action with no time wasted on lengthy descriptions or character backgrounds. We get to know Ishmael and the other characters through their actions, although much about his supernatural origins is left as a mystery presumably to tempt readers into continuing with the series of books. The setting of a centuries-old house with a dark history provided a good atmosphere for a paranormal murder mystery and there were plenty of potential suspects to be found in the shady characters staying there. The plot was slick and never dragged with a few twists, turns and false leads included, that kept me guessing what was going on for most of the story. The whole idea is extremely creative and it is obvious that the author has a huge and expansive imagination.
Unfortunately, whilst this book was easy to read, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it would have worked far better if it had been written for children. The plot was relatively simple and easy to follow. The ideas of aliens and secret organisations were fantastical and the character of Ishmael Jones – a cool, possibly alien super-fighter – seemed designed to be popular with kids. Any interactions between the characters seemed almost ‘dumbed-down’ to make them simpler to understand and all the obviously adult elements – such as the escorts who are invited to the house to provide companionship to the members of the group – didn’t really add to the plot and felt unnecessary. It all felt quite immature and never really touched on any deep or complex issues. Whilst children’s books obviously can be entertaining for adults to read, this particular story felt like something I would pass on to younger members of my family rather than read myself, obviously with a bit of editing to remove the few swear words, some descriptions of violence and the whole escort part.
The character of Penny was also a big issue I had with this story – I found her vapid, boring and useless except as a foil to Ishmael. I’m not sure why she would be hired as a secret agent as she seems to have no real talent or abilities other than being impressed by Ishmael’s intelligence and superhuman abilities. Also, whilst she seemed to be in a romantic relationship with Ishmael, the two have little to no chemistry, and that part of the plot seemed to be unnecessarily shoe-horned in. I haven’t read the previous two instalments in the Ishmael Jones series so perhaps I am not as up-to-speed as other readers on the characters but I didn’t really connect with them and found the fantastical element a bit ridiculous.
In conclusion, this felt like it was a children’s story that had been tweaked to make it more grown-up – the characters felt quite flat and the supernatural element was a little forced at times. However, it was entertaining and if it were written for children, would probably be extremely popular so I am giving it 3 stars for its creativity and imagination.
Daenerys
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review.
Ishmael Jones is a not-quite human special agent who works for the mysterious Organisation. He and his partner Penny are sent to Coronach House on the shores of Loch Ness to investigate a possible intruder in a meeting of the highly secretive and influential ‘Baphamet group’. The second part of their mission is to look into the murder of a previous agent sent by the Organisation, who was found violently killed in her room. Ishmael and Penny must work quickly to unmask the murderer and identify the infiltrator, but with the body count increasing, the rumours spreading round about the mythical ‘Coronach creature’ may turn out to be more than just stories.
The plot of “Very Important Corpses” is fast-paced and gets the reader straight into the action with no time wasted on lengthy descriptions or character backgrounds. We get to know Ishmael and the other characters through their actions, although much about his supernatural origins is left as a mystery presumably to tempt readers into continuing with the series of books. The setting of a centuries-old house with a dark history provided a good atmosphere for a paranormal murder mystery and there were plenty of potential suspects to be found in the shady characters staying there. The plot was slick and never dragged with a few twists, turns and false leads included, that kept me guessing what was going on for most of the story. The whole idea is extremely creative and it is obvious that the author has a huge and expansive imagination.
Unfortunately, whilst this book was easy to read, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it would have worked far better if it had been written for children. The plot was relatively simple and easy to follow. The ideas of aliens and secret organisations were fantastical and the character of Ishmael Jones – a cool, possibly alien super-fighter – seemed designed to be popular with kids. Any interactions between the characters seemed almost ‘dumbed-down’ to make them simpler to understand and all the obviously adult elements – such as the escorts who are invited to the house to provide companionship to the members of the group – didn’t really add to the plot and felt unnecessary. It all felt quite immature and never really touched on any deep or complex issues. Whilst children’s books obviously can be entertaining for adults to read, this particular story felt like something I would pass on to younger members of my family rather than read myself, obviously with a bit of editing to remove the few swear words, some descriptions of violence and the whole escort part.
The character of Penny was also a big issue I had with this story – I found her vapid, boring and useless except as a foil to Ishmael. I’m not sure why she would be hired as a secret agent as she seems to have no real talent or abilities other than being impressed by Ishmael’s intelligence and superhuman abilities. Also, whilst she seemed to be in a romantic relationship with Ishmael, the two have little to no chemistry, and that part of the plot seemed to be unnecessarily shoe-horned in. I haven’t read the previous two instalments in the Ishmael Jones series so perhaps I am not as up-to-speed as other readers on the characters but I didn’t really connect with them and found the fantastical element a bit ridiculous.
In conclusion, this felt like it was a children’s story that had been tweaked to make it more grown-up – the characters felt quite flat and the supernatural element was a little forced at times. However, it was entertaining and if it were written for children, would probably be extremely popular so I am giving it 3 stars for its creativity and imagination.
Daenerys
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review.
February 10, 2017
This is the third book in the Ishmael Jones series. In this installment, Ishmael and Penny are called in by the Organisation to be security for a secret meeting of a group called the Baphamet Group because the Organisation’s original security person was murdered. Once arriving and taking over, nothing is as it seems, as it never is whenever Ishmael is called in. Everyone thinks it’s a legendary creature called Coronach Creature named after the place where the meeting is taking place, but Ishmael isn’t so sure. Will Ishmael and Penny find the murderer before everyone involved dies? As always, the book was well-written, it had an interesting plot, and it had lots of non-stop action. I really enjoy the interaction between Ishmael and Penny. They just seem so happy together. And, Mr. Green’s unique sense of humor is present is the book as it is in all of the books I’ve read by him. I find all of his books engrossing and hard to put down. However, I have to admit, I’m finding this series just a tad formulaic. Not enough to give up on the series, because I still really enjoy the books, but maybe something a little different. Don’t let this minor thing bother you; this book was a great book and I highly recommend it!
Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House Publishers for the e-copy of the book. This same review will be posted on both Goodreads and Amazon.
Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House Publishers for the e-copy of the book. This same review will be posted on both Goodreads and Amazon.
May 23, 2017
Severn House and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Very Important Corpses. This is my honest opinion of the book.
Ishmael Jones came into the world in 1963, but not in the way that you would expect. Working for the Organization with his partner, Penny Belcourt, the pair end up in Loch Ness, Scotland for some very nasty business. After the head of security for a secret organization was murdered, Ishmael is sent in to take over her place. As the investigation begins, with a fair amount of stonewalling from those in residence, Ismael is surprised to find an old acquaintance working there. Will Ishmael and Penny be able to solve the mystery before more people are murdered?
I had trouble with some of the dialogue, as it seemed forced and two dimensional in places. The pacing of the story was good and the book included just the right mix of horror, humor, and intrigue. Having read other series by Simon R. Green, I can definitely say that the Ishmael Jones books pale in comparison, but the relatively short length of the novels make them a quick way to spend an afternoon.
Ishmael Jones came into the world in 1963, but not in the way that you would expect. Working for the Organization with his partner, Penny Belcourt, the pair end up in Loch Ness, Scotland for some very nasty business. After the head of security for a secret organization was murdered, Ishmael is sent in to take over her place. As the investigation begins, with a fair amount of stonewalling from those in residence, Ismael is surprised to find an old acquaintance working there. Will Ishmael and Penny be able to solve the mystery before more people are murdered?
I had trouble with some of the dialogue, as it seemed forced and two dimensional in places. The pacing of the story was good and the book included just the right mix of horror, humor, and intrigue. Having read other series by Simon R. Green, I can definitely say that the Ishmael Jones books pale in comparison, but the relatively short length of the novels make them a quick way to spend an afternoon.
September 22, 2022
I’m going to give this series one more try then I’m done. I LOVED the first book but now it seems like he’s just copy/pasting the first book over and over. I’ve read the first three books within two weeks and I’ve found phrases and whole sentences that were used in books 1 and 2.
Also Simon wants to sound very clever but I’ve guessed the killer so quickly in each book I always thought it had to be someone else. I always think, “it can’t be that easy? It has to be a twist.” At least there was a slight twist in the first book. It’s frustrating how he drags it out then produces nothing in the end.
I usually love Simon’s books but this series feels extremely lazy.
Also Simon wants to sound very clever but I’ve guessed the killer so quickly in each book I always thought it had to be someone else. I always think, “it can’t be that easy? It has to be a twist.” At least there was a slight twist in the first book. It’s frustrating how he drags it out then produces nothing in the end.
I usually love Simon’s books but this series feels extremely lazy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2016
Review: VERY IMPORTANT CORPSES by Simon Green
[ISHMAEL JONES Book 3]
Since the first book, I've been head over heels ecstatic about this series. Ishmael Jones is a covert--very intensely--operative, currently in the employ of the generically titled The Organization. No ordinary spy is he; Ishmael Jones operates in "the hidden world," the shadows where sometimes the monsters are men; and sometimes they're monsters--literally. A lovely combination of supernatural, paranormal, and extraterrestrial/extradimensional, this series ranks high on gore content, violence, and heroism (Rocky and Bond, eat your hearts out). It's totally engrossing.
In VERY IMPORTANT CORPSES, Ishmael and his human partner Penny Belcourt (introduced in Book 1) are tasked to security at Cronach House, a Scottish fortress of high antiquity, poised overlooking notorious Loch Ness. Their charges are a secretive financial group supposed to be more secret and more powerful than even the Bilderburg Group or the Illuminati. Their sense of high entitlement enables a pointed riff on class distinctions and perceptions.
[ISHMAEL JONES Book 3]
Since the first book, I've been head over heels ecstatic about this series. Ishmael Jones is a covert--very intensely--operative, currently in the employ of the generically titled The Organization. No ordinary spy is he; Ishmael Jones operates in "the hidden world," the shadows where sometimes the monsters are men; and sometimes they're monsters--literally. A lovely combination of supernatural, paranormal, and extraterrestrial/extradimensional, this series ranks high on gore content, violence, and heroism (Rocky and Bond, eat your hearts out). It's totally engrossing.
In VERY IMPORTANT CORPSES, Ishmael and his human partner Penny Belcourt (introduced in Book 1) are tasked to security at Cronach House, a Scottish fortress of high antiquity, poised overlooking notorious Loch Ness. Their charges are a secretive financial group supposed to be more secret and more powerful than even the Bilderburg Group or the Illuminati. Their sense of high entitlement enables a pointed riff on class distinctions and perceptions.
September 5, 2017
Ishmael and Penny are sent by the Organization to a manor house on Loch Ness to provide security for the Baphomet Group, a dozen financiers who meet yearly in a different location. A previous field agent of the Organization was found dead and her room thoroughly trashed. The financiers call themselves by the months of the year, no one knowing names, especially staff. They bring their own chauffeurs and security guards. October is found killed and his room even more thoroughly trashed, as is he. Something starts a gun battle among the security guards. An old acquaintance of Ishmael’s is the head of security. More of the Group are killed, leaving only 4.
As previously, excessively high body count. At least it's short, only 201 pages.
The story is interesting, but the repeated killings get tedious.
As previously, excessively high body count. At least it's short, only 201 pages.
The story is interesting, but the repeated killings get tedious.
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