Just Another Judgement Day - Simon R. Green

Just Another Judgement Day
A Novel Of The Nightside
Simon R. Green
Ace

Fantasy/Paranormal

The Nightside is a secret, hidden part of London, where it’s always 3 am and you can find absolutely anything you want. And quite a lot that you don’t. John Taylor is a PI who specializes in finding people, things, and the truth. Sometimes it’s not what anyone wanted to know.

John knows something big is happening when Walker calls on him at home. Walker is a sort of Nightside facilitator; a person who wields enormous power and influence. The Authorities, a group of individuals who run Nightside, to the extent that anyone runs anything there, has been replaced with a new group after a rather nasty incident. The new Authorities are a bunch of people who might very well wish John a good deal of harm.

But the time has come to play nicely together, because trouble is coming to Nightside, in the form of the Walking Man. The Walking Man is the personification of God’s violent vengeance. He’s come to Nightside “to punish the guilty.” That’s pretty much everyone. The Authorities want John to stop this implacable, unstoppable force and save the Nightside. Just another day at the office.

For those who are new to Nightside novels (THE UNNATURAL INQUIRER) this one might not make the best place to jump into the story. Each novel can work fairly well as a standalone, but this one requires just a bit more background than others. There’s plenty of the usual action and sarcastic humor that makes this series a real standout. This time around, there’s also a good deal of serious discussion about the nature of Good and Evil and the consequences of each. In the end, John cannot simply use his gift to affect a clean solution, leading to an ending that’s both a bit unusual and very interesting. A trip to the Nightside is always a good time, especially with John and Suzie Shooter as guides.

Rating: 8 ½
January 2009
ISBN# 978-0-441-01674-7 (hardcover)