- ISBN13: 9780441014606
- Condition: New
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Product Description
In the wake of the war that left the Nightside leaderless, Jeremiah Griffin-one of the last of the immortal human families-plans to fill the power vacuum. But his granddaughter has disappeared, and he wants John Taylor to use his special abilities to find her. Except someone-or something-is blocking Taylor’s abilities.
Joshua Koppel @ 1:44 am
I don’t know who wrote the blurb on the back of this one but it had little to do with the book itself. In the wake of the Lilith War the Nightside and its inhabitants is in a state of recovery. One of the most powerful remaining is the immortal Griffon. He contacts John to find out who has kidnaped his granddaughter. She was to be the sole inheritor of the Griffon’s enormous estate but now she has disappeared. But right at the start of the case John finds out someone, or thing, is shutting down his gift when he tries to find the heiress. He is going to have to solve this case the old fashioned way.
John only has a short period of time to find the missing girl. As a gumshoe he proceeds to interview the entire Griffon clan in hopes of getting a lead. Meanwhile the Griffon is hoping that John’s reputation can succeed in forcing the kidnapper’s hand. John delves deep into the family history and keeps coming up with absolutely nothing until the pieces finally start to fall into place and make sense.
The back of the book claims this is a book about the power vacuum and how some want Taylor to assume power but it is not. Instead we get a book much closer to the first in the series. We get a good hard-boiled mystery and more insight into the Nightside and its denizens. Most of the usual support cast are not present. Although some are mentioned we never see Susie Shooter or Razor Eddie. This was also a nice return to earlier days as Taylor really has to rely on his own skills to solve the mystery and set things as right as they can be. A very good tale. Check it out.
L. J. Roberts @ 2:31 am
PI John Taylor has been hired, for ten million pounds, by Jeremiah Griffith to find his missing granddaughter. Griffith is not the most powerful man in Nightside and immortal. He is said to have made a pact with the Devil and as long as his grandchildren don’t reach the age of adulthood, he, his wife and children, remain immortal. So why is he now so determined to find his missing granddaughter just days before her 18th birthday. Is he tired of immortality, or does he want to destroy?
I’m very happy to have the Angel Wars over and have John Taylor back investigating with his usual humor, strange “friends,” and array of powers. Nightside is a fascinating place to visit, but only from the safety of my sofa. Although this entry could stand on its own, it is a series best read in order. I find these books to be delightful escape, although they are not particularly recommended for the weak of stomach.
R. Kyle @ 3:16 am
Welcome to the Nightside, an alternate London where it’s always 3 AM and the living isn’t easy. You can get anything you want at Alice’s Restaurant–if you’re willing to pay the price. Think about that–in the Nightside, ambulances are fueled by pain and suffering and taxis run on virgin’s blood.
John Taylor is the premier private eye in the Nightside. Just recently, he saved the place from extinction when his mother, Lilith (yes, that Lilith) tried to take over.
Now, the biggest baddest man in the Nightside has hired John to find his 17 year old grand-daughter, Melissa. Jeremiah Griffin is immortal and nobody really knows what bargain he made for that. One thing everyone knows is you don’t cross the Griffin and live. And John’s got less than 24 hours to find Melissa.
This seventh book of the “Nightside” stories is one of the best so far. “Hell to Pay” is hard to put down, full of the dark Chandleresque humor that typifies Simon R. Green’s work. While I’d recommend anyone start with the beginning of the “Nightside” series, “Hell to Pay” is a good introduction–and trust me, you will want the six books prior to this one.
R. Howell @ 4:35 am
The culmination of the first cycle came to an end with the Lilith War and our hero John Taylor is back for more. John Taylor is hired by the most powerful and richest (not to mention immortal) man in the Nightside, The Griffin, to find his missing granddaughter. Of course there are catches, such as his finder’s ability doesn’t seem to be working properly and then there’s the intrusion of the SAS – the Salvation Army Sisterhood, a militaristic convent of nuns. We visit some new locales in the Nightside and return to a few old ones. Dead Boy tags along briefly and there’s cameos by Alex the bartender, Walker, and Shotgun Suzie.
Overall, a nice introduction into the supposed new cycle of John Taylor adventures in the Nightside, that hidden section of London where it’s always 3:00 am and the greater Powers, Beings, and Gods walk. This is a great series of books and Simon Green has added another successful sequal to the series. It’s good enjoyable fantasy fiction that doesn’t require alot of brainpower.
DanD @ 5:16 am
John Taylor is quite possibly the most feared man in the Nightside, a city hidden within the city of London that is populated by some of the most fearsome men (and monsters) that exist…and even a few that don’t. However, there is one invididual whose notoriety matches Taylor’s: Griffin, the Immortal, the man who owns most of the Nightside.
Since the Authorities were destroyed in the Lilith War (in which Taylor fought and defeated his own mother, the first wife of Adam who got kicked out of Eden because she was just a tad too evil), the Griffin has set his eyes on authority over the Nightside. But it all hinges upon his niece, who has was listed as his sole inheritor–just before she was kidnapped. Now, Taylor has been put on the case, to find the Griffin’s niece within 24 hours and return her safely, no matter who has to get hurt. But while investigating the troubled and immortal Griffin family, Taylor begins to suspect that things aren’t what they seem…which is usually the case, in the Nightside. This time, however, because his powers are blocked by some Being, Taylor will have to work the old-fashioned way–and that clock is ticking…
I thought, with the climactic ending of “Sharper Than a Serpent’s Tooth,” the Nightside series had come to an end; thank God I was wrong. “Hell To Pay” picks up shortly after that novel’s ending, and features the ecclectic cast of characters Green’s fans have come to look forward to. John Taylor is one of the most interesting private detectives since the days of Holmes, and it is a genuine treat to let him narrate his adventures as he goes up against goblins, demons, terrorist nuns, and even man-eating cars. The Nightside series is truly unique, and is certain to go down as a mystery/sci-fi classic.