Xlibris Publishing reviews The Dark Side of the Road by Simon R. Green.
British author Simon R. Green has a history of playing with and affectionately satirizing various genres and stereotypes. He has done this in the past with the genres of detective-noir, fantasy, space opera, and others. In his novel The Dark Side of the Road, Simon R. Green plays with that of the country house murder mystery, much like the works of Agatha Christie. It is also the start of a brand new novel series from Simon R. Green, The Ishmael Jones Series.
The story follows one Ishmael Jones, a mysterious man with a mysterious past working for an equally mysterious group known only (by only those in the know) as the Organization. Receiving orders from the enigmatic Colonel, Ishmael Jones has travelled throughout the hidden parts of the world and fought threats humanity is better off not knowing about- for its own peace of mind. Now he has received an invitation from the Colonel… and a mission. Something threatens the Colonel’s family, a horror he doubts he can deal with alone, so he asks Ishmael Jones to join the Colonel and his family for the Christmas holidays in the family manor out in the country. There Jones meets the Colonel’s family, including his father, mother, step-mother, and half-sister, as well as the few servants and guests. But it is not long before Ishmael makes a frightening discovery, the Colonel has been murdered and the killer is more than likely one of the other guests. While a blizzard leaves the guests cut off from outside help and trapped with a murderer amongst them, Ishmael Jones must find out who and what murdered his Colonel. Fortunately, Ishmael has a few tricks up his sleeves, not the least of which is the fact that he isn’t human.
The Dark Side of the Road is a fun and enjoyable read, both for the story but also for Simon R. Green’s signature wordplay and tongue-in-cheek humor. While there are certain twists to the investigator and the murderer, Simon R. Green stays true to formula for the classic country house murder mystery. The story takes place at a somewhat secluded and isolated home. All the guests, i.e. the potential victims and suspects, are introduced with their various foibles and motivations revealed over the course of the investigation. The guests, investigator, and murderer are trapped in the manor, establishing no one else is present and no one else can arrive until the end of the story. Even with its fantastical elements, The Dark Side of the Road stays faithfully follows the core tenets of the genre it celebrates.
What stands out is the novel’s awareness of the genre, its traditions and its clichés. It is clear through his wordplay and witticisms that Simon R. Green is having fun telling this story, writing in a well-tread genre but doing so in his own unique voice. This should show to other authors how one does not need to innovate within a genre but rather find a voice that is uniquely theirs.
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By Ian Smith