beishir

I was excited by this short story when I picked it up. Being a fan of hard-boiled detectives and of more bizarre topics, it looked to be a perfect fit. But, I did not stay completely excited.

I can't tell if this story was stand-alone or serialized. Maybe I didn't do my research well enough before picking it up. But, I don't see any indication that this is a serial in either the product description or in others' reviews. I am not a big fan of serials. I would be okay with the idea if this story could stand on its own and the subsequent books in the series built upon a theme. But, that is not what appears to be happening here. The ending on this one was either the worst ending to a story EVER or the second installment will pick up where this one left off. At least I think that's what is going on. I can't tell.

The author tackles a lot with this one. He creates a world reminiscent of Simon R. Green's Nightside and does so in very few pages. His concepts and ideas are superb and revealed bit by bit, leaving the reader to guess at the nature of the setting of the story. That worked!

Its hard to give this one an accurate rating because, frankly, I just don't have any idea where its going (and not in a good way). The mystery seems kind of shallow but the author lays down enough hints that something bigger is in the works. Stay tuned for the next episode?


3 1/2 STARS?....I don't know! It might be a 5 STAR story when and if I make the effort to read the subsequent works.