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Ishmael Jones #7
Till Sudden Death Do Us Part
A wedding. A murder. A 200-year-old Ishmael Jones is plunged into a baffling investigation when he answers an old friend’s call for help.
Although he hasn’t seen Robert Bergin for 40 years, Ishmael feels duty bound to respond when his old friend calls for help. Robert’s daughter Gillian is about to be married, and he is afraid she’ll fall prey to the ancient family curse.
Arriving in rural Yorkshire, Ishmael and his partner Penny learn that the vicar who was to perform the ceremony has been found dead in the church, hanging from his own bell rope. With no clues, no evidence and no known motive, many locals believe the curse is responsible. Or is someone just using it as a smokescreen for murder? With the wedding due to take place the following day, Ishmael has just a few hours to uncover the truth.
But his investigations are hampered by sudden flashes of memories of the time before he was human. What is it Ishmael’s former self is trying to tell him … ?
Although he hasn’t seen Robert Bergin for 40 years, Ishmael feels duty bound to respond when his old friend calls for help. Robert’s daughter Gillian is about to be married, and he is afraid she’ll fall prey to the ancient family curse.
Arriving in rural Yorkshire, Ishmael and his partner Penny learn that the vicar who was to perform the ceremony has been found dead in the church, hanging from his own bell rope. With no clues, no evidence and no known motive, many locals believe the curse is responsible. Or is someone just using it as a smokescreen for murder? With the wedding due to take place the following day, Ishmael has just a few hours to uncover the truth.
But his investigations are hampered by sudden flashes of memories of the time before he was human. What is it Ishmael’s former self is trying to tell him … ?
192 pages, Hardcover
First published April 30, 2019
27 people are currently reading
273 people want to read
About the author
Simon R. Green
332books3,176followersSimon 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 .
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 .
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
August 1, 2019
EXCERPT: 'It all began back in the eighteenth century, when the Bergin family was a lot more prosperous than it is now. They were rich, powerful, and much looked up to in the area. The eldest daughter was to be married, but the groom had been engaged to someone else. He broke that off to marry the Bergin daughter. The spurned woman made all kinds of threats, but who was she to stand against the mighty Bergin family? The marriage went ahead as planned. Half the county was there to wish the young couple every happiness. But the woman he'd slighted sneaked into the church and murdered both the bride and the groom while they were standing at the altar. Stabbed them to death in a frenzy before the family could drag her away.
They hanged her, right there in the church, too angry to wait for a trial and official justice.But with her last owrds, the witch put a curse on the Bergin family. That no daughter of theirs would ever be able to marry, because an invisible demon would kill the groom on their wedding night. It would also kill anyone who tried to protect the bride, or get in the way of its vengeance. No more happy ever afters for a Bergin bride.'
ABOUT THIS BOOK: A wedding. A murder. A 200-year-old curse: Ishmael Jones is plunged into a baffling investigation when he answers an old friend's call for help.
Although he hasn't seen Robert Bergin for 40 years, Ishmael feels duty bound to respond when his old friend calls for help. Robert's daughter Gillian is about to be married, and he is afraid she'll fall prey to the ancient family curse.
Arriving in rural Yorkshire, Ishmael and his partner Penny learn that the vicar who was to perform the ceremony has been found dead in the church, hanging from his own bell rope. With no clues, no evidence and no known motive, many locals believe the curse is responsible. Or is someone just using it as a smokescreen for murder? With the wedding due to take place the following day, Ishmael has just a few hours to uncover the truth.
But his investigations are hampered by sudden flashes of memory: memories of the time before he was human. What is it Ishmael's former self is trying to tell him ... ?
MY THOUGHTS: Bradenford is somewhere we have all been - a small country town in the middle of nowhere with far too much past and not enough future. Yet interestingly enough, it has traffic lights...and seemingly more than one set. But I digress.....it is the perfect setting for a mystery that has a vicar hanged by his own bell rope, a family curse going back centuries, a police investigation conspicuous by its absence, an alien and a ......well, if I tell you that, it will give the whole game away!
I am a solid fan of this amusing series. The books are short (this one a mere 140 pages), entertaining and easy to read. Quite Agatha Christiesque, if you discount the alien, though there are times when I wonder about Poirot!
I love Green's writing, which inevitably makes me smile with pleasure. He is the master of pithy comments - 'There's a time and a place for being right.' But he also has a beautiful turn of phrase - 'Loose ends from the past, still haunting the present.'
Although the books are short, Green's characters are remarkably full bodied and designed to complement one another.
Although I felt that this was the weakest of the series, it is still deserving of 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 rather than down.
THE AUTHOR: Simon R. Green is a bestselling British author of sci-fi and fantasy. Born in 1955 in Bradford-Upon-Avon, Wiltshire, where he still lives, he has become a prolific author of his genre.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Severn House via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Till Sudden Death Do Us Part by Simon R. Green for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my ϻӮ.com profile page, or the 'about' page on my webpage, sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage
They hanged her, right there in the church, too angry to wait for a trial and official justice.But with her last owrds, the witch put a curse on the Bergin family. That no daughter of theirs would ever be able to marry, because an invisible demon would kill the groom on their wedding night. It would also kill anyone who tried to protect the bride, or get in the way of its vengeance. No more happy ever afters for a Bergin bride.'
ABOUT THIS BOOK: A wedding. A murder. A 200-year-old curse: Ishmael Jones is plunged into a baffling investigation when he answers an old friend's call for help.
Although he hasn't seen Robert Bergin for 40 years, Ishmael feels duty bound to respond when his old friend calls for help. Robert's daughter Gillian is about to be married, and he is afraid she'll fall prey to the ancient family curse.
Arriving in rural Yorkshire, Ishmael and his partner Penny learn that the vicar who was to perform the ceremony has been found dead in the church, hanging from his own bell rope. With no clues, no evidence and no known motive, many locals believe the curse is responsible. Or is someone just using it as a smokescreen for murder? With the wedding due to take place the following day, Ishmael has just a few hours to uncover the truth.
But his investigations are hampered by sudden flashes of memory: memories of the time before he was human. What is it Ishmael's former self is trying to tell him ... ?
MY THOUGHTS: Bradenford is somewhere we have all been - a small country town in the middle of nowhere with far too much past and not enough future. Yet interestingly enough, it has traffic lights...and seemingly more than one set. But I digress.....it is the perfect setting for a mystery that has a vicar hanged by his own bell rope, a family curse going back centuries, a police investigation conspicuous by its absence, an alien and a ......well, if I tell you that, it will give the whole game away!
I am a solid fan of this amusing series. The books are short (this one a mere 140 pages), entertaining and easy to read. Quite Agatha Christiesque, if you discount the alien, though there are times when I wonder about Poirot!
I love Green's writing, which inevitably makes me smile with pleasure. He is the master of pithy comments - 'There's a time and a place for being right.' But he also has a beautiful turn of phrase - 'Loose ends from the past, still haunting the present.'
Although the books are short, Green's characters are remarkably full bodied and designed to complement one another.
Although I felt that this was the weakest of the series, it is still deserving of 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 rather than down.
THE AUTHOR: Simon R. Green is a bestselling British author of sci-fi and fantasy. Born in 1955 in Bradford-Upon-Avon, Wiltshire, where he still lives, he has become a prolific author of his genre.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Severn House via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Till Sudden Death Do Us Part by Simon R. Green for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my ϻӮ.com profile page, or the 'about' page on my webpage, sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage
July 10, 2019
In this latest episode of the Ishmael Jones series, his assistance is unexpectedly and surprisingly requested by a former friend, someone he worked with years ago while at Black Heir. His friend, Robert Bergin, is requesting Ishmael’s assist in protecting his daughter who is to be married shortly. And, by the way, there’s already been a murder and there is a possible old family curse that may be to blame.
I enjoyed this outing very much, reading quickly through the chapters, wondering what was going to happen to the members of the wedding party and also to Ishmael. For this is an even more introspective Ishmael than usual. Even before he learns of his new case, he finds himself thinking of his past, his human past, and feeling the barriers between his known and unknown selves slipping. The entire novel has a more serious tone to it as Ishmael questions what his inner self may be and risks involvement in a case that could bring him to the attention of old “masters.” Of course, Penny is his constant partner through thick and thin.
I definitely recommend this to all who have been following Ishmael’s journey. While this can be read as a stand alone, it would be much better enjoyed and appreciated if at least one or two of the series books were read beforehand.
A copy of this book was provided by Severn House Publishers through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I enjoyed this outing very much, reading quickly through the chapters, wondering what was going to happen to the members of the wedding party and also to Ishmael. For this is an even more introspective Ishmael than usual. Even before he learns of his new case, he finds himself thinking of his past, his human past, and feeling the barriers between his known and unknown selves slipping. The entire novel has a more serious tone to it as Ishmael questions what his inner self may be and risks involvement in a case that could bring him to the attention of old “masters.” Of course, Penny is his constant partner through thick and thin.
I definitely recommend this to all who have been following Ishmael’s journey. While this can be read as a stand alone, it would be much better enjoyed and appreciated if at least one or two of the series books were read beforehand.
A copy of this book was provided by Severn House Publishers through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
March 4, 2024
Til Sudden Death Do Us Part
By Simon R. Green
This book has Ishmael and Penny going to a wedding to be a body guard for a past associate of Ishmael. His friend's daughter is getting married, and the vicar has been found murdered. Everyone blames the family curse.
It's a great who-done-it with great characters, twists, and Ishmael 's scary real self trying to come through.
By Simon R. Green
This book has Ishmael and Penny going to a wedding to be a body guard for a past associate of Ishmael. His friend's daughter is getting married, and the vicar has been found murdered. Everyone blames the family curse.
It's a great who-done-it with great characters, twists, and Ishmael 's scary real self trying to come through.
April 16, 2019
One of the great things about ARCs from netgalley is discovering new authors. The downside is that on discovering a new author I find I'm so far behind in my reviews that I actually discovered them 2 years ago but still haven't read that book and so yet again I'm reading the books in the wrong order. Oh well hopefully by the time this book is released I will have caught up.
Forgetting that I should've started this series in 2017 the description intrigued me. I'm not one for spy stories but a spy who is an alien in a non-aging body suit investigating the death of a small village vicar? That I can get behind.
I ploughed through this in no time. Ishmael heads to a Yorkshire village to see his old colleague and investigate the family curse - no groom has ever made it past his wedding night when marrying a Bergin woman. The spy element is a bit of a non-factor in this story beyond Ishmael being bailed out just the once by his boss, otherwise it's a closed-room murder type of book and I enjoyed it all the more for that. Ishmael is grappling with the re-emergence of his alien self and the murders are piling up. I'm always happy when it gets bizarre and you can't say more bizarre than this.
Having come in at book 7 I'm not intrigued by the events leading up to this plot and how he and Penny met and formed a working partnership, what other adventures they've been on. They have an appealing relationship I'm keen to know more about. I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to picking up on the rest of the authors books.
Forgetting that I should've started this series in 2017 the description intrigued me. I'm not one for spy stories but a spy who is an alien in a non-aging body suit investigating the death of a small village vicar? That I can get behind.
I ploughed through this in no time. Ishmael heads to a Yorkshire village to see his old colleague and investigate the family curse - no groom has ever made it past his wedding night when marrying a Bergin woman. The spy element is a bit of a non-factor in this story beyond Ishmael being bailed out just the once by his boss, otherwise it's a closed-room murder type of book and I enjoyed it all the more for that. Ishmael is grappling with the re-emergence of his alien self and the murders are piling up. I'm always happy when it gets bizarre and you can't say more bizarre than this.
Having come in at book 7 I'm not intrigued by the events leading up to this plot and how he and Penny met and formed a working partnership, what other adventures they've been on. They have an appealing relationship I'm keen to know more about. I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to picking up on the rest of the authors books.
November 15, 2021
A beach read. Part fantasy/alien.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2019
I have been a huge Simon R. Green fan ever since I read his Nightside series. I love how Green mixes sci-fi and horror elements along with a healthy splash of humor....makes for very enjoyable stories! I started reading Ishmael Jones when I finished the Nightside books. For me, this new series filled the void left by the ending of the Nightside storyline. Quirky, a bit scary, definitely entertaining!
Ishmael Jones has a deep, dark secret.....he's actually an alien. He knows he's an alien, but he's been stranded on Earth for a very long time. And he doesn't remember exactly where he is from, or even what he really is. He's been working for various secret organizations for decades doing various strange and dangerous investigations. Now he teams up with his human girlfriend, Penny Balcourt, to investigate mysterious, strange cases around the UK.
Till Sudden Death Do Us Part is the seventh Ishmael Jones story. Ishmael and his sidekick are once again on the case.....but this time it's a bit different. Someone from Ishmael's past hunts him down to ask for help. The family is cursed. Each time a female family member gets married before the sun rises after the wedding night, people will be dead. Ishmael wants to prevent a dead groom and wedding party members..... At the same time, he's dealing with his own inner demons. Literally. It seems he might be remembering who he is.....and his alien self might be trying to pop out into the sunshine.
Great story this time! Green never disappoints me! I enjoyed the story of the family curse and also the character development for Ishmael in this newest book. The ending of the story surprised me a bit....I wasn't expecting either of the two reveals. Nice!
Love this series! I'm definitely on board for the next book!
**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Severn House via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
Ishmael Jones has a deep, dark secret.....he's actually an alien. He knows he's an alien, but he's been stranded on Earth for a very long time. And he doesn't remember exactly where he is from, or even what he really is. He's been working for various secret organizations for decades doing various strange and dangerous investigations. Now he teams up with his human girlfriend, Penny Balcourt, to investigate mysterious, strange cases around the UK.
Till Sudden Death Do Us Part is the seventh Ishmael Jones story. Ishmael and his sidekick are once again on the case.....but this time it's a bit different. Someone from Ishmael's past hunts him down to ask for help. The family is cursed. Each time a female family member gets married before the sun rises after the wedding night, people will be dead. Ishmael wants to prevent a dead groom and wedding party members..... At the same time, he's dealing with his own inner demons. Literally. It seems he might be remembering who he is.....and his alien self might be trying to pop out into the sunshine.
Great story this time! Green never disappoints me! I enjoyed the story of the family curse and also the character development for Ishmael in this newest book. The ending of the story surprised me a bit....I wasn't expecting either of the two reveals. Nice!
Love this series! I'm definitely on board for the next book!
**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Severn House via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
September 30, 2022
And so the series starts to draw to a close (at least that is what I am assuming as there are currently only 10 volumes in this series) - and things are starting to pick up for the finale.
Like many multi-work book series there is a predictable cycle where the underlying storyline takes a back seat for some episodic fun but invariable much assert itself again and move to centre stage - and this book certainly feels like it is preparing for that.
Without giving anything away the duo are called in to deal with a family curse that is in danger to ruining young couples hope of happiness (or even any kind of future) and it just gets weird from there.
This series has a number of underlying mysteries (as well as some of the more urgent ones) which you are starting to see poke through so I can see things ramping up from here on in and I have to say I am quite looking forward to them. As always a fun adventure with several twists but I shall leave those to other reviewers and those who choose to read this book
Like many multi-work book series there is a predictable cycle where the underlying storyline takes a back seat for some episodic fun but invariable much assert itself again and move to centre stage - and this book certainly feels like it is preparing for that.
Without giving anything away the duo are called in to deal with a family curse that is in danger to ruining young couples hope of happiness (or even any kind of future) and it just gets weird from there.
This series has a number of underlying mysteries (as well as some of the more urgent ones) which you are starting to see poke through so I can see things ramping up from here on in and I have to say I am quite looking forward to them. As always a fun adventure with several twists but I shall leave those to other reviewers and those who choose to read this book
July 18, 2019
I’ve had a rocky relationship with this series since the beginning. I am a fan of the author but this series can be a little repetitive. However, the one before and this one have been much better in that regard. I really liked the glimpse of Ishmael’s past, and I loved the glimpse of him fighting his own demons. I’m hoping we learn more about that in the next book; I want to find out more about his past pre 1963 (trying to be vague because of spoilers). One thing that bugged me a little bit, though, was that the best man picked up Ishmael and Penny at the train station, but later they were introduced to him like they’d never seen him before. I am very forgiving of those types of errors in independently published books for many, many reasons, but this isn’t independently published. That aside, I really liked this book, but I would like a little more depth in books in the series in the future, i.e. delve more into Ishmael’s and Penny’s background, Ishmael’s past, etc. Recommend this book, and I received a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.
March 30, 2023
I read the book a couple of years ago and during a reading slump so I thought it would be better to re-read the book because I couldn't remember the plot and what I thought about.
As usual Ismael and Penny travel to done remote place to solve a mystery. This time a family curse of an old friend and colleague to Ismael.
I like this series, it's like a blend between Midsummer Murders and the X-files. I Especially like the ending of the book. I'm glad I decided to read the book again because now I could appreciate the book more than when I read it the first time.
As usual Ismael and Penny travel to done remote place to solve a mystery. This time a family curse of an old friend and colleague to Ismael.
I like this series, it's like a blend between Midsummer Murders and the X-files. I Especially like the ending of the book. I'm glad I decided to read the book again because now I could appreciate the book more than when I read it the first time.
June 14, 2019
When an old friend asks for Ishmael Jones' assistance, Ishmael feels he must go even though it means having to step out of the shadows where he has tried to live since his alien ship landed on Earth in the early '60s. The friend's daughter is getting married but there is a curse on the family - the man who marries any daughter born into the family will die on their wedding night. One small problem - the man has not seen Jones in decades and although Jones has taken on human form, he doesn't age. One really big problem - Jones doesn't remember what his alien side was like but now it is fighting to get out and he's pretty sure this doesn't bode well either for Jones or for the planet.
I always enjoy Simon R Green's books in the Ishmael Jones Mystery series and Till Death Do Us Part is no exception. They're kind of a mash-up of paranormal and cozy locked room mysteries and they're great fun to read. This is a fast read with plenty of action and twists and turns but perhaps the most compelling part of this book is Jones' efforts to maintain his humanity.
Thanks to Netgalley and Severn House for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
I always enjoy Simon R Green's books in the Ishmael Jones Mystery series and Till Death Do Us Part is no exception. They're kind of a mash-up of paranormal and cozy locked room mysteries and they're great fun to read. This is a fast read with plenty of action and twists and turns but perhaps the most compelling part of this book is Jones' efforts to maintain his humanity.
Thanks to Netgalley and Severn House for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
April 2, 2019
Newest in Simon R. Green n' tremendously exciting Ishmael Jones paranormal/sci fi series, TILL SUDDEN DEATH DO US PART finds Ishmael vitally concerned that his original alien self is near to manifesting and taking over, after successful repression over the course of nearly 60 years. Called upon by a former friend with whom he worked for a clandestine organization many years before, Ishmael is tasked to halt a long-standing family curse. Unmasking a murderer, Ishmael discovers that legend is not always without foundation. I read each new novel in this series before I read anything else, and always come away purely gratified.
June 28, 2019
3.5* Not my favorite in the series, but still a solid entry.
July 15, 2019
You can find this review and all of my others over at
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Severn House Publishers, and the author via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ishmael and Penny are back for another mystery. Things are going swimmingly for the pair, besides Ishmael's "other" side trying to break out, when the Colonel appears bearing a message from an old friend of Ishmael's. Knowing the kind of person that Robert Bergin is, Ishmael doesn't take it lightly when he has to make the decision whether to help his old friend or not, of course he does. Knowing that this will probably raise more questions for Robert and Penny than Ishmael is comfortable, he pushes through and accepts the call for help with no questions asked. Once the couple have arrived in the sleepy, country town where Robert now resides, they find themselves asked "Are you here for the wedding? Or the murder?" What follows is a race against time as Ishmael is tasked with protecting Robert's soon-to-be married daughter from either a murderer intent on ripping the happy couple apart, or the centuries old family curse of the Bergin's. Twists and turns abound as Ishmael and Penny do everything in their power to keep the bride and groom alive and get to the bottom of things before it's too late.
I first came to know of Green when I was approved for the previous book in this series, Murder in the Dark, which is book number six in this series. I haven't read any of the previous titles in the series, but I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on them. Though these mysteries are generally coloured with darker tones than a cosy mystery, there's still something cosy about them to me. They tend to lean more towards the supernatural and paranormal aspects of the world rather than your run of the mill revenge murderer, that's not to say that it's never the human though. I've always been fond of the more supernatural and paranormal stories that I come across as it just adds that little bit of extra oomph that I'm looking for in a story. I was not disappointed with Murder in the Dark and I wasn't disappointed with this one either.
The story starts off with Penny and Ishmael in London (I think? My memory is shocking), they're on a break of all things. Taking breakfast in the morning sun, deciding to take a stroll down a street that Ishmael hasn't seen since the 60's. The only difference is, Ishmael is finding that his other self, the alien part of him, is breaking through and he is struggling to control it. Funnily enough, after finishing the story, I find there to be some interesting parallels between what Ishmael is dealing with and other things that are happening in the story itself, I quite enjoyed this. After the Colonel finds the pair, much to their disdain, they set off to a small, country town so that Ishmael can help an old friend of his.
I found the beginning of the story to drag quite a bit as things were set up, from memory, I had the same experience in the previous book I've read in the series. Once Penny and Ishmael had met with the Colonel and it was decided that Ishmael would help his old friend, the pacing picked up a little bit. That's not to say that this is a quick read, even though it's relatively short, I've found, in my experiences, that Green's stories are more of a slow burn. There's no rushing to be seen in these stories at all, it's more of a languorous stroll through the pages than a race, even though the suspense is an absolutely killer at times.
As always, Penny and Ishmael are witty and charming and all things likeable in a sleuthing, working for a secret government agency, pair of lovers, one with a secret that he keeps buried deep. They're relateable and likeable in their personalities. Green does an excellent job of ensuring that all characters in his stories have their own voice and distinctive personalities, you have the overbearing Gillian, the bride to be, the acquiescing groom in Tom, who will always do what Gillian asks. The old friend, Robert who is struggling with all the aspects of growing old, namely that he can't protect his daughter how he once could. The nosy and loud reporter Linda, with the mouse like camera man Ian. Cathy who's personality can only be described as larger than life and incredibly loud, we have Inspector Godwin, the only person able to be spared when there is murder afoot; the ever suspicious, dutiful law enforcement officer just trying to do his job. And lastly we have characters who are further set back than even secondary characters, the bit players who even though they blend in with the background more, are still very distinctive and memorable. If Green can do anything well, it's giving life and realness to the characters he creates, even those that are the literal wallpaper of a story, something that blends in with the background and is just there to contrast with the main objects of the story.
The mystery itself was incredibly interesting. The whole time I had no idea whether it was supernatural or simply human monsters that were responsible for the murder (and past murders at that). Roughly halfway through I though "Ha! I've got it, I've worked it out already" nope, it wasn't so, I do love to be proven wrong in these instances. It's never fun when you work it all out before the main characters of a story. THEN! Just as the big reveal happened BAM! Another twist. I did NOT see this one coming AT ALL. Not one bit. I've come to expect big firework, finale finishes of Green's work so I sincerely hope that I am not disappointed when I start my foray through the series from the beginning!!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Severn House Publishers, and the author via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ishmael and Penny are back for another mystery. Things are going swimmingly for the pair, besides Ishmael's "other" side trying to break out, when the Colonel appears bearing a message from an old friend of Ishmael's. Knowing the kind of person that Robert Bergin is, Ishmael doesn't take it lightly when he has to make the decision whether to help his old friend or not, of course he does. Knowing that this will probably raise more questions for Robert and Penny than Ishmael is comfortable, he pushes through and accepts the call for help with no questions asked. Once the couple have arrived in the sleepy, country town where Robert now resides, they find themselves asked "Are you here for the wedding? Or the murder?" What follows is a race against time as Ishmael is tasked with protecting Robert's soon-to-be married daughter from either a murderer intent on ripping the happy couple apart, or the centuries old family curse of the Bergin's. Twists and turns abound as Ishmael and Penny do everything in their power to keep the bride and groom alive and get to the bottom of things before it's too late.
I first came to know of Green when I was approved for the previous book in this series, Murder in the Dark, which is book number six in this series. I haven't read any of the previous titles in the series, but I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on them. Though these mysteries are generally coloured with darker tones than a cosy mystery, there's still something cosy about them to me. They tend to lean more towards the supernatural and paranormal aspects of the world rather than your run of the mill revenge murderer, that's not to say that it's never the human though. I've always been fond of the more supernatural and paranormal stories that I come across as it just adds that little bit of extra oomph that I'm looking for in a story. I was not disappointed with Murder in the Dark and I wasn't disappointed with this one either.
The story starts off with Penny and Ishmael in London (I think? My memory is shocking), they're on a break of all things. Taking breakfast in the morning sun, deciding to take a stroll down a street that Ishmael hasn't seen since the 60's. The only difference is, Ishmael is finding that his other self, the alien part of him, is breaking through and he is struggling to control it. Funnily enough, after finishing the story, I find there to be some interesting parallels between what Ishmael is dealing with and other things that are happening in the story itself, I quite enjoyed this. After the Colonel finds the pair, much to their disdain, they set off to a small, country town so that Ishmael can help an old friend of his.
I found the beginning of the story to drag quite a bit as things were set up, from memory, I had the same experience in the previous book I've read in the series. Once Penny and Ishmael had met with the Colonel and it was decided that Ishmael would help his old friend, the pacing picked up a little bit. That's not to say that this is a quick read, even though it's relatively short, I've found, in my experiences, that Green's stories are more of a slow burn. There's no rushing to be seen in these stories at all, it's more of a languorous stroll through the pages than a race, even though the suspense is an absolutely killer at times.
As always, Penny and Ishmael are witty and charming and all things likeable in a sleuthing, working for a secret government agency, pair of lovers, one with a secret that he keeps buried deep. They're relateable and likeable in their personalities. Green does an excellent job of ensuring that all characters in his stories have their own voice and distinctive personalities, you have the overbearing Gillian, the bride to be, the acquiescing groom in Tom, who will always do what Gillian asks. The old friend, Robert who is struggling with all the aspects of growing old, namely that he can't protect his daughter how he once could. The nosy and loud reporter Linda, with the mouse like camera man Ian. Cathy who's personality can only be described as larger than life and incredibly loud, we have Inspector Godwin, the only person able to be spared when there is murder afoot; the ever suspicious, dutiful law enforcement officer just trying to do his job. And lastly we have characters who are further set back than even secondary characters, the bit players who even though they blend in with the background more, are still very distinctive and memorable. If Green can do anything well, it's giving life and realness to the characters he creates, even those that are the literal wallpaper of a story, something that blends in with the background and is just there to contrast with the main objects of the story.
The mystery itself was incredibly interesting. The whole time I had no idea whether it was supernatural or simply human monsters that were responsible for the murder (and past murders at that). Roughly halfway through I though "Ha! I've got it, I've worked it out already" nope, it wasn't so, I do love to be proven wrong in these instances. It's never fun when you work it all out before the main characters of a story. THEN! Just as the big reveal happened BAM! Another twist. I did NOT see this one coming AT ALL. Not one bit. I've come to expect big firework, finale finishes of Green's work so I sincerely hope that I am not disappointed when I start my foray through the series from the beginning!!
October 7, 2020
For the first time in the series it felt like a true mystery that could be followed with clues and all. It was nice to see the answer organically arrive instead of a end ahah moment.
Ishmael finishes less afraid than he has been in a long while.
Ishmael finishes less afraid than he has been in a long while.
October 13, 2020
Another fun romp around a stately home and nearby village with mysterious deaths and supernatural hints. Had a nice twist at the end.
July 8, 2019
I am a Simon R Green fan. Full stop. Always have been, always will be. To my knowledge, I've read everything he's ever published and despite the way he brought several of his most popular series to a close, all in the same year, despite his cherished collection of favorite phrases and witticisms he likes to use over and over (often in the same book!), his mind is a fascinating canvas of fantasy and horror and I'm in awe of how it works.
The Ishmael Jones series has suffered somewhat under the restrictions of the genre Green is trying to pay tribute to here. As an Agatha Christie type whodunnit, the first four or five books all seemed stuck in a "names have been changed to protect the innocent" sort of space where the same basic adventure kept happening to different people. Green further limits the series by insisting that there are no supernatural forces in this series; that all the things that go bump in the night are grounded in a sort of bizarre science fantasy, wherein the victims always insist there's a ghost, or a monster, or a mummy and Ishmael always says, "no, there's not," and Ishmael's always right. However, with book number six, just as I was starting to believe I could begin waiting for these books to show up on the bargain rack as opposed to buying them new, Green found a way to shake up his staid premise and let some light in by letting two things happen: one, he found a way to get the stories out of the drawing room and onto a broader canvas of a haunted town or archaeological dig (this may not sound like much, but it made a world of difference to me) and he also began to start digging into the mystery of Ishmael himself and just who he was before his spaceship crashlanded on Earth all those many years ago.
In "Till Sudden Death Do Us Part," Ishmael and his constant companion, Penny Belcourt are invited to the wedding of the daughter of a man Ishmael used to work with in his days with Black Heir. Of course, this is immediately complicated by the fact that the friend is in his late seventies and Ishmael still appears to be somewhere in his mid-thirties, but, as with so many questions about who Ishmael is and where he's come from, he simply refuses to answer and most of them just go away. Is there a curse on brides in the family? Is there really a witch? And is Green finally going to break his world-building open a bit and admit werewolves might be real in this world? It's a mystery, and that's just how Ishmael Jones likes it.
Honestly, the mystery in these books always takes a back seat for me to the warmth and wit of Green's writing (even those favorite, over-used phrases) and the relationship between Ishmael and Penny and Ishmael's mysterious past. Now that it looks like Green is ready to start expanding his story structure and squeezing out some answers, I'm ready for the ride.
The Ishmael Jones series has suffered somewhat under the restrictions of the genre Green is trying to pay tribute to here. As an Agatha Christie type whodunnit, the first four or five books all seemed stuck in a "names have been changed to protect the innocent" sort of space where the same basic adventure kept happening to different people. Green further limits the series by insisting that there are no supernatural forces in this series; that all the things that go bump in the night are grounded in a sort of bizarre science fantasy, wherein the victims always insist there's a ghost, or a monster, or a mummy and Ishmael always says, "no, there's not," and Ishmael's always right. However, with book number six, just as I was starting to believe I could begin waiting for these books to show up on the bargain rack as opposed to buying them new, Green found a way to shake up his staid premise and let some light in by letting two things happen: one, he found a way to get the stories out of the drawing room and onto a broader canvas of a haunted town or archaeological dig (this may not sound like much, but it made a world of difference to me) and he also began to start digging into the mystery of Ishmael himself and just who he was before his spaceship crashlanded on Earth all those many years ago.
In "Till Sudden Death Do Us Part," Ishmael and his constant companion, Penny Belcourt are invited to the wedding of the daughter of a man Ishmael used to work with in his days with Black Heir. Of course, this is immediately complicated by the fact that the friend is in his late seventies and Ishmael still appears to be somewhere in his mid-thirties, but, as with so many questions about who Ishmael is and where he's come from, he simply refuses to answer and most of them just go away. Is there a curse on brides in the family? Is there really a witch? And is Green finally going to break his world-building open a bit and admit werewolves might be real in this world? It's a mystery, and that's just how Ishmael Jones likes it.
Honestly, the mystery in these books always takes a back seat for me to the warmth and wit of Green's writing (even those favorite, over-used phrases) and the relationship between Ishmael and Penny and Ishmael's mysterious past. Now that it looks like Green is ready to start expanding his story structure and squeezing out some answers, I'm ready for the ride.
July 17, 2019
Ishmael Jones and Penny Belcourt travel to the countryside after the head of The Organization (for which Ishmael works now) tells him an old friend needs his help. Ishmael has worked for various secret organization through his years in the human world, one of which was The Black Heir. Robert Bergin warned Ishmael to get out of Black Heir before they canned him, so Ishmael feels he owes Robert, whose daughter is about to be married. Robert is concerned about the Bergin Curse that was laid upon the family centuries before by a witch who felt she was wrongfully passed over by a man who wed a Bergin ancestor. No Bergin female has survived her wedding night. But before the wedding, there are more murders that Ishmael and Penny feel are being contrived to place the blame on the Curse. But what is the Curse? The reader is left guessing until the actual wedding night. Another good romp in the world of alien Ishmael Jones.
July 13, 2019
Weddings and werewolves! There's more than one kind of monster.
July 10, 2019
Ooh, more of Ishmael’s hidden self
I don’t know why these are so addictive, but they’re really fun. This one centers around a small town with a big curse... and Ishmael is afraid that anything he does to fight it will cost him what’s left of himself.
I don’t know why these are so addictive, but they’re really fun. This one centers around a small town with a big curse... and Ishmael is afraid that anything he does to fight it will cost him what’s left of himself.
July 3, 2019
Абе реално е за четири звезди, но това ми е любимият автор, по дяволите! А и книгата си е готина - родово проклятие, обречена сватба и един извънземен агент, който трябва да спаси младоженците!
April 15, 2019
Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read a preview copy of "Till Sudden Death Do Us Part" by Simon R. Green in return for an honest review.
I have read the previous Ishmael Jones/Penny Belcourt novels, so I have historical knowledge of their escapades, and looked forward to reading the upcoming adventure.
Someone from ishmael's past with Black Heir is asking for his assistance - with a family curse; as this is outside the purview of The Organization, the Colonel lets Ishmael and Penny know that they won't have any backup if needed. But Ishmael's loyalty to an old friend who helped him greatly when it was needed cannot be denied.
And so begins the adventure as Ishmael and Penny venture out to the tiny town where Robert Bergin lives, to try and save his daughter and her soon-to-be husband from their fates on the day of their upcoming wedding. According to the family curse, put upon them by a spurned lover/witch, the moment a Bergin daughter is married, her husband (and probably her) will be killed, in cold blood. Already, the minister who had been charged with the nuptials has been cruelly killed - neck broken and tied to his church's bell, so everyone is on edge.
As with all the previous Ishmael/Penny adventures, the banter is there, the sly suggestions of ishmael's heritage, but this time Ishmael's is also dealing with 'an invisible demon'.
Although this story is nearly as complex as previous adventures - red herrings galore, inexplicable murders/deaths, etc. I have to admit that this one reads more like a novella than a novel - but you should be the judge of that.
Although skeptical, Ishmael and Penny do discover that the Bergin family is cursed - just not as everyone thought (but that would be giving the climax away).
An enjoyable addition to the Ishmael Jones stories.
I have read the previous Ishmael Jones/Penny Belcourt novels, so I have historical knowledge of their escapades, and looked forward to reading the upcoming adventure.
Someone from ishmael's past with Black Heir is asking for his assistance - with a family curse; as this is outside the purview of The Organization, the Colonel lets Ishmael and Penny know that they won't have any backup if needed. But Ishmael's loyalty to an old friend who helped him greatly when it was needed cannot be denied.
And so begins the adventure as Ishmael and Penny venture out to the tiny town where Robert Bergin lives, to try and save his daughter and her soon-to-be husband from their fates on the day of their upcoming wedding. According to the family curse, put upon them by a spurned lover/witch, the moment a Bergin daughter is married, her husband (and probably her) will be killed, in cold blood. Already, the minister who had been charged with the nuptials has been cruelly killed - neck broken and tied to his church's bell, so everyone is on edge.
As with all the previous Ishmael/Penny adventures, the banter is there, the sly suggestions of ishmael's heritage, but this time Ishmael's is also dealing with 'an invisible demon'.
Although this story is nearly as complex as previous adventures - red herrings galore, inexplicable murders/deaths, etc. I have to admit that this one reads more like a novella than a novel - but you should be the judge of that.
Although skeptical, Ishmael and Penny do discover that the Bergin family is cursed - just not as everyone thought (but that would be giving the climax away).
An enjoyable addition to the Ishmael Jones stories.
April 10, 2019
I received a copy of this novel in return for an honest review
Anyone who knows me will tell you I love Simon R Green. I don't read his Drood series or his intense Science Fiction, but I've read everything else. And his new series about Ishmael Jones? It is great!
This series is primarily closed room murder mystery types, taking place in mansions, tiny towns, old inns, and archeological sites.
In the last book we found out what Ishmael really is and in this book he struggles with worrying about whether his old self will storm through his barriers and take over, erasing everything he likes about himself and destroying the woman he loves.
I adore this authors world building, all his words link together. Nightside, Drood, Ghost Finders. They all exist in the same world of weird underground organizations, hidden unseen places and spaces and the abnormal covered by a thin layer so us normal folks never discover it. If we do? We are covered up and cleaned up as efficiently as possible.
So please go and enjoy this creepy murder mystery, but I'd recommend reading it with the lights.....on.
Like this? Find more at
Anyone who knows me will tell you I love Simon R Green. I don't read his Drood series or his intense Science Fiction, but I've read everything else. And his new series about Ishmael Jones? It is great!
This series is primarily closed room murder mystery types, taking place in mansions, tiny towns, old inns, and archeological sites.
In the last book we found out what Ishmael really is and in this book he struggles with worrying about whether his old self will storm through his barriers and take over, erasing everything he likes about himself and destroying the woman he loves.
I adore this authors world building, all his words link together. Nightside, Drood, Ghost Finders. They all exist in the same world of weird underground organizations, hidden unseen places and spaces and the abnormal covered by a thin layer so us normal folks never discover it. If we do? We are covered up and cleaned up as efficiently as possible.
So please go and enjoy this creepy murder mystery, but I'd recommend reading it with the lights.....on.
Like this? Find more at
June 6, 2019
It’s always a challenge to jump into the middle of series, but a skillful author will give you all the background you need, woven into the action without infodumps or confusion. Such was the case with this, the seventh Ishmael Jones mystery.
Ishmael Jones was a real person, or rather the pseudonym used by a covert CIA officer. Green’s Ishmael Jones isn’t exactly human and is very much a secret agent for a succession of secret agencies. He looks human enough, and has a rewarding relationship with the fearsomely smart Penny Belcourt, but he doesn’t age and he fights a continual battle to keep his demonic self submerged.
The current episode follows the classical form of a murder mystery: a gathering in a small English town, a family curse, a series of murders designed to prevent a wedding, and so forth. Green’s deft handling of the elements of the unfolding mystery (actually, several) and Jones’s personal journey make for a fast, enjoyable read. I did not see the ending coming, even though all the clues were there.
The usual disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book, but no one bribed me to say anything in particular about it. Although chocolates and fine imported tea are always welcome.
Ishmael Jones was a real person, or rather the pseudonym used by a covert CIA officer. Green’s Ishmael Jones isn’t exactly human and is very much a secret agent for a succession of secret agencies. He looks human enough, and has a rewarding relationship with the fearsomely smart Penny Belcourt, but he doesn’t age and he fights a continual battle to keep his demonic self submerged.
The current episode follows the classical form of a murder mystery: a gathering in a small English town, a family curse, a series of murders designed to prevent a wedding, and so forth. Green’s deft handling of the elements of the unfolding mystery (actually, several) and Jones’s personal journey make for a fast, enjoyable read. I did not see the ending coming, even though all the clues were there.
The usual disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book, but no one bribed me to say anything in particular about it. Although chocolates and fine imported tea are always welcome.
June 8, 2019
Ishmael and Penny are summoned to the home of an old associate of his to help guard his daughter and husband to be on her wedding day and night. There is an old curse regarding the families bride's not living through their wedding night, but there hasn't been a girl born in the family for generations, so getting information isn't exactly easy. The timing isn't great for Ishmael as he's having a personal crisis of who he really is and is it going to take over his life, a real fear of losing himself completely, and what will happen to Penny is a huge concern.
This book is a small town murder mystery set in a lonely location. It is nice to have an old friend of Ishmael that just accepts him as he is. Not as much snarky conversations between the main couple, but the action takes precedence in this who or what done it. Enjoyable fast read lots of good twists and turns looking forward to the next one.
This book is a small town murder mystery set in a lonely location. It is nice to have an old friend of Ishmael that just accepts him as he is. Not as much snarky conversations between the main couple, but the action takes precedence in this who or what done it. Enjoyable fast read lots of good twists and turns looking forward to the next one.
September 20, 2019
Originally posted on the book blog
I’m a big fan of this author. I’ve read several of his other series in the past and have enjoyed them greatly. But I’ve had a real love / hate relationship with this particular series so far. I’ve just had a lot of problems with the repetitions, the cliches, the cheesy dialogue, the predictability of the plot, and the contradictions I’ve seen so far with the Ishmael Jones Mysteries. If you don’t believe me, just look at my past reviews for the first 6 books in the series. But… like I said, I’m a big fan of Simon, so I’m all in at this point, for better or worse. Simon R. Green is normally much tighter with his writing, and I keep hoping that he will get this series back on track.
With Till Death Do Us Part we see a refreshing change up in how the book starts. We start off with seeing a little bit of Ishmael’s home life and down time. I really enjoyed that. It’s something we don’t normally get to see. Also at the start of this book is how Ishmael and Penny get involved with the case. Normally it is part of their job, but this time it’s an old friend asking for help. It was cool getting to see Ish. help a friend from his past instead of just doing another job.
Another refreshing change up to the series, is the location setting for this book. Yes, there was still a creepy, dark mansion out in the middle of nowhere, all by itself, but a good portion of the story actually takes place in the small town near by. I was really happy about this! It was so much fun getting to see Ishmael out and about in a wide open area, interacting with citizens of that town. We’ve seen the lonely old mansion setting so many times so far in the series, it was getting a little silly at how similar most of the locations were. This time we had the creeper mansion, but we weren’t just stuck there the whole time. In fact, the time at the mansion was pretty short, or at least it felt like it.
There is one more big, refreshing change up with this entry in the series. Not everyone dies! 😮 Seriously… it was starting to be kind of ridiculous how time after time the only people left alive at the end of the book were just Penny and Ishmael! I mean, keeping everyone alive is basically Ishmael’s primary job on his cases, and he kinda sucks at that! It happens in basically every book, it just became so predictable. Oh gee, we are introduced to 5 characters, I bet they all die. Yep. They do. But in Till Death do Us Part, there was a great balance of who lived and who died. It made the story harder to predict. Plenty of interesting characters and it was nice to see that some of them survived.
While I did enjoy that Ishmael wandered around the town, it was kind of annoying how a lot of the action was just Ishmael and Penny walking back and forth from one crime scene to another. Don’t get me wrong, I DO like that Ish was free range in the town. The PROBLEM is that…. all they did was walk! And look! They didn’t really find any clues or notice anything unusual. They went back and forth to all these different locations… and basically NOTHING happened! REALLY? I mean… I like that Ishmael was stumped, but… there was just no balance. Yes, he does figure out who the killer really is, but he doesn’t figure it out until the very end. There were obvious clues throughout the book, but Ish doesn’t seem to notice them or make any comments on them, until the very end when he says who the killer is, like it only just occurred to him. This just ended up making Ishmael and Penny seem kind of bad at their task. I don’t want to just watch them walk around and not figure anything out. I want to seem them wander around picking up on clues and figuring out who are their top suspects. Also, because of Penny and Ishmael just wandering around not figuring anything out, it made the story just feel super slow going for the whole first half of the book!
It didn’t help any that the killer was super obvious. If I can figure it out when the very first clue is dropped early in the story, it makes it even sadder that Ishmael didn’t pick up on it at all until the very end, after he already invited the killer back the isolated mansion. It’s just like, really? You, Mr. I-don’t-trust-anyone doesn’t find this character suspicious at all through the whole story? HOW?! It made no sense.
See, this is one of the bigger problems with this series. Inconsistencies like this. You can’t tell us how Ishmael is one of the best agents in the Organization, but then have him act so stupid. Or, like, normally he is all over people about wandering off on their own when they are in a group, but this time he makes no comments at all when the main characters start doing just that!! I really want to like this series, but stuff like this makes it very frustrating!
There are a couple of cool things that happened in Till Death Do Us Part, though. First, we get to see more of this inner alien side of Ishmael and we watch him actually get to interact with that side of himself. Getting pieces of Ishmael’s past, and seeing this inner alien side of him, is always very interesting. It’s a fun mystery that is a big story arch through the whole series. The second pretty cool thing in this novel is the surprise twist about the family curse! I gotta say, I was not expecting that!
This was not a terrible book, but it was not the best book in the series either. It just felt kind of slow going and like the main characters never really made any progress in solving things. It just kind of fell in their laps at the end of the story. :/ Most of the time they were just spinning their wheels through this whole case. A little bit of usefulness at the very end doesn’t really make up for the slow plodding through 85% of the plot.
I’m a big fan of this author. I’ve read several of his other series in the past and have enjoyed them greatly. But I’ve had a real love / hate relationship with this particular series so far. I’ve just had a lot of problems with the repetitions, the cliches, the cheesy dialogue, the predictability of the plot, and the contradictions I’ve seen so far with the Ishmael Jones Mysteries. If you don’t believe me, just look at my past reviews for the first 6 books in the series. But… like I said, I’m a big fan of Simon, so I’m all in at this point, for better or worse. Simon R. Green is normally much tighter with his writing, and I keep hoping that he will get this series back on track.
With Till Death Do Us Part we see a refreshing change up in how the book starts. We start off with seeing a little bit of Ishmael’s home life and down time. I really enjoyed that. It’s something we don’t normally get to see. Also at the start of this book is how Ishmael and Penny get involved with the case. Normally it is part of their job, but this time it’s an old friend asking for help. It was cool getting to see Ish. help a friend from his past instead of just doing another job.
Another refreshing change up to the series, is the location setting for this book. Yes, there was still a creepy, dark mansion out in the middle of nowhere, all by itself, but a good portion of the story actually takes place in the small town near by. I was really happy about this! It was so much fun getting to see Ishmael out and about in a wide open area, interacting with citizens of that town. We’ve seen the lonely old mansion setting so many times so far in the series, it was getting a little silly at how similar most of the locations were. This time we had the creeper mansion, but we weren’t just stuck there the whole time. In fact, the time at the mansion was pretty short, or at least it felt like it.
There is one more big, refreshing change up with this entry in the series. Not everyone dies! 😮 Seriously… it was starting to be kind of ridiculous how time after time the only people left alive at the end of the book were just Penny and Ishmael! I mean, keeping everyone alive is basically Ishmael’s primary job on his cases, and he kinda sucks at that! It happens in basically every book, it just became so predictable. Oh gee, we are introduced to 5 characters, I bet they all die. Yep. They do. But in Till Death do Us Part, there was a great balance of who lived and who died. It made the story harder to predict. Plenty of interesting characters and it was nice to see that some of them survived.
While I did enjoy that Ishmael wandered around the town, it was kind of annoying how a lot of the action was just Ishmael and Penny walking back and forth from one crime scene to another. Don’t get me wrong, I DO like that Ish was free range in the town. The PROBLEM is that…. all they did was walk! And look! They didn’t really find any clues or notice anything unusual. They went back and forth to all these different locations… and basically NOTHING happened! REALLY? I mean… I like that Ishmael was stumped, but… there was just no balance. Yes, he does figure out who the killer really is, but he doesn’t figure it out until the very end. There were obvious clues throughout the book, but Ish doesn’t seem to notice them or make any comments on them, until the very end when he says who the killer is, like it only just occurred to him. This just ended up making Ishmael and Penny seem kind of bad at their task. I don’t want to just watch them walk around and not figure anything out. I want to seem them wander around picking up on clues and figuring out who are their top suspects. Also, because of Penny and Ishmael just wandering around not figuring anything out, it made the story just feel super slow going for the whole first half of the book!
It didn’t help any that the killer was super obvious. If I can figure it out when the very first clue is dropped early in the story, it makes it even sadder that Ishmael didn’t pick up on it at all until the very end, after he already invited the killer back the isolated mansion. It’s just like, really? You, Mr. I-don’t-trust-anyone doesn’t find this character suspicious at all through the whole story? HOW?! It made no sense.
See, this is one of the bigger problems with this series. Inconsistencies like this. You can’t tell us how Ishmael is one of the best agents in the Organization, but then have him act so stupid. Or, like, normally he is all over people about wandering off on their own when they are in a group, but this time he makes no comments at all when the main characters start doing just that!! I really want to like this series, but stuff like this makes it very frustrating!
There are a couple of cool things that happened in Till Death Do Us Part, though. First, we get to see more of this inner alien side of Ishmael and we watch him actually get to interact with that side of himself. Getting pieces of Ishmael’s past, and seeing this inner alien side of him, is always very interesting. It’s a fun mystery that is a big story arch through the whole series. The second pretty cool thing in this novel is the surprise twist about the family curse! I gotta say, I was not expecting that!
This was not a terrible book, but it was not the best book in the series either. It just felt kind of slow going and like the main characters never really made any progress in solving things. It just kind of fell in their laps at the end of the story. :/ Most of the time they were just spinning their wheels through this whole case. A little bit of usefulness at the very end doesn’t really make up for the slow plodding through 85% of the plot.
April 14, 2019
Thank you to Netgalley, Simon R Green and Severn House for my arc of Till Sudden Death Do Us Part in exchange for an honest review.
If you've read my reviews of Simon's books before then you'll know that I absolutely love this series. It ticks all the boxes, it's entertaining, funny, has likeable characters and there's always a mystery to solve that's usually like a sci fi Agatha Christie!
Till Sudden Death Do Us Part was once again just a really great read. Ishmael and Penny were in top form and very entertaining as always. This time they visit an old colleague of Ishmael's who needs help with a family Curse, and a wedding! Meanwhile Ishmael's former self is trying very hard to come forward, is it trying to tell him something?
I can't wait to read more in this series and would highly recommend it!
If you've read my reviews of Simon's books before then you'll know that I absolutely love this series. It ticks all the boxes, it's entertaining, funny, has likeable characters and there's always a mystery to solve that's usually like a sci fi Agatha Christie!
Till Sudden Death Do Us Part was once again just a really great read. Ishmael and Penny were in top form and very entertaining as always. This time they visit an old colleague of Ishmael's who needs help with a family Curse, and a wedding! Meanwhile Ishmael's former self is trying very hard to come forward, is it trying to tell him something?
I can't wait to read more in this series and would highly recommend it!
May 23, 2019
I've loved everything I've read by Simon R Green and this is no exception. A fast paced murder mystery, it's got everything you want from a new series - a great micro story with hints of a massive macro story line that's got a lot of depth to it.
Ishmael is called in to help an old friend dodge a family curse that affects newlyweds. Nobody has survived their wedding night for generations and with the bodies piling up, it looks like the curse is still going strong.
It's a short read that's more of a taster of what's to come than an in depth story, but it's still fun and it made for perfect reading while I was away for the weekend.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.
Ishmael is called in to help an old friend dodge a family curse that affects newlyweds. Nobody has survived their wedding night for generations and with the bodies piling up, it looks like the curse is still going strong.
It's a short read that's more of a taster of what's to come than an in depth story, but it's still fun and it made for perfect reading while I was away for the weekend.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.
July 22, 2022
Originally published at
I pulled this one from somewhere in the midst of the virtually towering TBR pile because I finished a book in one of this author’s other series for a Library Journal review and realized that I was still in the mood for his particular brand of snark and that I wasn’t caught up to Ishmael Jones yet.
So here we are. Or rather, there Ishmael Jones and his partner Penny Belcourt are, in another play on a country house ghost story. One in which the ghost may not be real, but there really is something out to get Ishmael, Penny, and whoever either invited them or whom they need to protect from something that has gone loudly, seriously and with malice very much aforethought bump in the night.
Ishmael’s been invited to a wedding in Bradenford, Yorkshire, a rural town he’s never been to before and hopes never to be again even before the mess of this case.
The thing about Ishmael – well, honestly there are a LOT of things about Ishmael, most of which Penny Belcourt knows (because they met on a case in their first adventure, The Dark Side of the Road). Ishmael and now Penny work for a mysterious organization rather coyly named The Organization because Ishmael needs something that clandestine to hide him from all the ubiquitous security devices and agencies that have cropped up all over the world since he crash-landed his UFO in 1963. And hasn’t aged a day since.
He looks human because his ship fixed that before it went defunct. But it didn’t do a perfect job. It’s not just the lack of aging, it also locked away all his memories of who and what he was before.
But this is a case that seems designed to bring back more of his past than he has any desire to meet. Both his past passing for human AND his past as an alien monster. He’s not even sure which reveal is going to be worse.
Still, he and Penny come to Bradenford because he owes an old colleague more than he can ever repay. Even if his attempt at that repayment is going to reveal at least some of the secrets he’s been keeping. Because it’s been 40 years since Ishmael and Robert Bergin have met. Bergin shows every single one of those years – while Ishmael displays precisely none.
But Bergin reluctantly recognizes that he’s not the man he used to be, while Ishmael still very much is. And that’s exactly who Bergin needs, a skilled operator used to dealing with all the terrible and secret things that no one wants to admit exist.
There’s a curse on the Bergin family and it has reached out from the past to grab his daughter and everyone involved with her wedding to an actor who probably isn’t nearly good enough for her.
But no one deserves to get sliced to pieces by some monster with fangs, claws and a 200-year-old vendetta.
It’s up to Ishmael and Penny to figure out whether there really is a curse – or just someone taking advantage of the old legends for grisly purposes of their own.
Escape Rating B: This turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. The author is very much an acquired taste – but one I acquired so long ago that when I get the craving nothing else will do.
What brings me back over and over is the snarkitude. Whoever the protagonist is in one of his series, they are all cut from the same snarky, wry, sarcastic cloth, thinking all the things we wish we’d thought at the time, making all the smart-assed observations – and still managing to get the dirty job done no matter who they piss off along the way.
Because there’s always someone – and usually multiples.
Part of what makes Ishmael Jones in particular so interesting are the built-in ironies of the whole setup. Ishmael is an alien investigating weird shit who doesn’t believe in demons, ghosts, spirits or any of the other psychic phenomena that the people he’s investigating are generally desperate to blame for whatever has gone wrong. He knows there’s weird shit out there, but he’s very much aware that there’s always a human agency behind it. Every once in a while, it’s a human agency he used to work for.
From Ishmael’s perspective, this is a story about his own past coming back to bite him. Both in the sense that he learns stuff he still didn’t want to know about his old friend Bergin and their mutual employer, but also because he’s feeling like his old identity is emerging from the shadows he’s kept it buried in for almost 60 years. He’s afraid of his own past and his inability to control it because Ishmael is the persona that Penny loves and he never wants to lose that.
But this is also a murder-mystery. Everyone in town wants it to be the old curse because no one wants to think there’s a brutal murderer roaming their peaceful little town. A mysterious curse brings tourists while a rampaging mundane murderer will drive everyone away. At least it ought to.
I have mixed feelings about the way the murders get solved. It could be interpreted as a bit of a cheap shot that got redeemed at the end with a clever twist. You’ll have to decide for yourself.
Howsomever, I enjoyed my journey with Ishmael and Penny, so I’ll be back to see how Ishmael’s reconciliation between his past and his present continues in Night Train to Murder the next time I have a taste for extreme snarkitude blended with mu
I pulled this one from somewhere in the midst of the virtually towering TBR pile because I finished a book in one of this author’s other series for a Library Journal review and realized that I was still in the mood for his particular brand of snark and that I wasn’t caught up to Ishmael Jones yet.
So here we are. Or rather, there Ishmael Jones and his partner Penny Belcourt are, in another play on a country house ghost story. One in which the ghost may not be real, but there really is something out to get Ishmael, Penny, and whoever either invited them or whom they need to protect from something that has gone loudly, seriously and with malice very much aforethought bump in the night.
Ishmael’s been invited to a wedding in Bradenford, Yorkshire, a rural town he’s never been to before and hopes never to be again even before the mess of this case.
The thing about Ishmael – well, honestly there are a LOT of things about Ishmael, most of which Penny Belcourt knows (because they met on a case in their first adventure, The Dark Side of the Road). Ishmael and now Penny work for a mysterious organization rather coyly named The Organization because Ishmael needs something that clandestine to hide him from all the ubiquitous security devices and agencies that have cropped up all over the world since he crash-landed his UFO in 1963. And hasn’t aged a day since.
He looks human because his ship fixed that before it went defunct. But it didn’t do a perfect job. It’s not just the lack of aging, it also locked away all his memories of who and what he was before.
But this is a case that seems designed to bring back more of his past than he has any desire to meet. Both his past passing for human AND his past as an alien monster. He’s not even sure which reveal is going to be worse.
Still, he and Penny come to Bradenford because he owes an old colleague more than he can ever repay. Even if his attempt at that repayment is going to reveal at least some of the secrets he’s been keeping. Because it’s been 40 years since Ishmael and Robert Bergin have met. Bergin shows every single one of those years – while Ishmael displays precisely none.
But Bergin reluctantly recognizes that he’s not the man he used to be, while Ishmael still very much is. And that’s exactly who Bergin needs, a skilled operator used to dealing with all the terrible and secret things that no one wants to admit exist.
There’s a curse on the Bergin family and it has reached out from the past to grab his daughter and everyone involved with her wedding to an actor who probably isn’t nearly good enough for her.
But no one deserves to get sliced to pieces by some monster with fangs, claws and a 200-year-old vendetta.
It’s up to Ishmael and Penny to figure out whether there really is a curse – or just someone taking advantage of the old legends for grisly purposes of their own.
Escape Rating B: This turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. The author is very much an acquired taste – but one I acquired so long ago that when I get the craving nothing else will do.
What brings me back over and over is the snarkitude. Whoever the protagonist is in one of his series, they are all cut from the same snarky, wry, sarcastic cloth, thinking all the things we wish we’d thought at the time, making all the smart-assed observations – and still managing to get the dirty job done no matter who they piss off along the way.
Because there’s always someone – and usually multiples.
Part of what makes Ishmael Jones in particular so interesting are the built-in ironies of the whole setup. Ishmael is an alien investigating weird shit who doesn’t believe in demons, ghosts, spirits or any of the other psychic phenomena that the people he’s investigating are generally desperate to blame for whatever has gone wrong. He knows there’s weird shit out there, but he’s very much aware that there’s always a human agency behind it. Every once in a while, it’s a human agency he used to work for.
From Ishmael’s perspective, this is a story about his own past coming back to bite him. Both in the sense that he learns stuff he still didn’t want to know about his old friend Bergin and their mutual employer, but also because he’s feeling like his old identity is emerging from the shadows he’s kept it buried in for almost 60 years. He’s afraid of his own past and his inability to control it because Ishmael is the persona that Penny loves and he never wants to lose that.
But this is also a murder-mystery. Everyone in town wants it to be the old curse because no one wants to think there’s a brutal murderer roaming their peaceful little town. A mysterious curse brings tourists while a rampaging mundane murderer will drive everyone away. At least it ought to.
I have mixed feelings about the way the murders get solved. It could be interpreted as a bit of a cheap shot that got redeemed at the end with a clever twist. You’ll have to decide for yourself.
Howsomever, I enjoyed my journey with Ishmael and Penny, so I’ll be back to see how Ishmael’s reconciliation between his past and his present continues in Night Train to Murder the next time I have a taste for extreme snarkitude blended with mu
April 27, 2019
This is a fabulous author and a new one for me. I have not read any previous books but I will be. The writing is fantastic and the characters are good.
May 19, 2020
Doesn't have the same feeling of fun the earlier books do, but it's like visiting with old friends.
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