OK, so Ian Tregillis’ Something More Than Night doesn’t release until December 3rd but, it being a holiday week and all, my choices of new books is fairly slim.
What is it?
I first read Ian Tregillis’ Bitter Seeds (a alternate-history fantasy set during World War 2 involving magic and Nazi super-science) when it first came out and thought it was an amazingly accomplished debut novel with a deep, realistic world and believably flawed characters. Something More Than Night is a departure from his Milkweed Triptych series and is a hardboiled mystery full of angels and murder.
What’s it about?
You see, the angel Gabriel has been murdered and the Trumpet (you know the one that knocked those pesky walls down) has been stolen. Of course it isn’t just simple murder at work but there’s more than simple murder at work; a fact that becomes readily apparent when the case falls into the lap of Bayliss (a fallen angel who has decided to model himself after Raymond Chandler’s famous detective Philip Marlowe).
Why should I read this book?
Kirkus Reviews is already calling this one of the best fiction books of 2013. Personally, I think Tregillis is an author who deserves a bigger audience than he has. The man can write a great story. It’s also a bit different than your average urban fantasy or mystery. While the world of urban fantasy is often the province of things that go bump in the night it is always nice to see someone deviating from the norm.
This sounds interesting why can’t I read it now!?
Sorry, like I said it’s a slow week, but don’t fret the winning combination of hardboiled heavenly intrigue isn’t new and there are several authors who have crafted novels with a similar tone and theme. The ever-popular Neil Gaiman may have been first out the pearly gates with his story Murder Mysteries which can be found in his uniformly excellent collection Smoke & Mirrors. Thomas E Sniegoski, known for his angelic YA series The Fallen, first introduced the world to Remiel (aka Remy Chandler) in his novel A Kiss Before the Apocalypse starring an angel detective in 2008 and has released four additional titles since. Last but certainly not least Tad William’s Bobby Dollar series which opened with 2012’s The Dirty Streets of Heaven and continues in Happy Hour in Hell are well worth a look while your waiting for Something More Than Night to be released.
