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zoe_e_w's review
2.0
Spoiler Warning & Preface: I am clearly not the target audience for this book, primarily because this is a Lovecraft lore book, or a story which uses the Cthulu mythos as a springboard. There is no surer way to get me to put down a book than to name drop this one guy in a non-sarcastic way. Which partly explains why my review is harsh.
Also note that I have read many of Willie's short stories and liked all of them. But the Cthulu mythos leaves such a bad taste in my mouth. It's not just used as a springboard, either. This story takes Cthulu and snuggles drunkenly in bed with him. And then everyone smokes, a lot. Seriously, if you were going to AA meetings or are just quitting smoking, this is not a story to pick up. And if you're quitting whiskey AND ciggies this week, this really, REALLY isn't the right time to read this book. Maybe later, if you're a fan of Lovecraft and are nowhere near a pack of Camels.
The premise starts off well enough, if a bit predictably. Hot dame walks into a dick's office...private dick, I mean. The dame has a job for the dick, an amulet that was stolen from her home. The dick is clearly outclassed, but like most men with more balls than common sense, he takes the job. And this PI really is a dick in my mind even if he tried to paint himself in a halfway favorable light.
Part of my problem is the character talking winsomely about the good old days when people weren't such sex freaks and weirdos. He is suspicious of "kids" (anyone under 25, apparently) and freaks. And yet despite all this talk of chivalry, he drinks a lot because back when he had a woman, she needed to talk, and he left to go party and drink instead. She killed herself, and it tore him up so badly....he pretty much kept doing more of the same for a decade. BUT, like a decade later, he decided to become a PI, and he no longer parties. He still drinks a lot, and still hangs out in pubs. But now he's grim about it.
Yeah, still not a real sympathetic guy for me. But this has to do with the fact that I often felt like I could more readily identify with the "freaks" than I could with the dick...the private dick, I mean. But the story of the amulet and its history were fascinating right up until the Mad Arab was trotted out, and the story just kept snuggling up to Lovecraft more and more until the dick is buried hip deep in Cthulu's hot, sweet, mucus-wet folds of dhoom.
But more than that, the story is Lovecraft-aware, meaning that not only is this a story that proposes to be a part of the mythos, it is also a story that suggests "Hark! Lovecraft was psychic and predicting the story all Nostradamus-like!" And when the story suggested that the big conflict was to prevent the big C-guy himself from putting in an appearance, I sighed and put the book down. Then I lit up a ciggie...okay that was a lie. But I did drink some whiskey. Okay, that was a lie too.
The writing style is good, although a bit indulgent upon stereotypes of normal and abnormal. The pace is good, and if you like Lovecraft or old school PI stories, this will probably work for you. But I will not be reaching the final fight with the evil tentacled monster because Lovecraft and his whole wide tentacled world, are not my cup of tea.
Two stars, recommended for Lovecraft fans.
Also note that I have read many of Willie's short stories and liked all of them. But the Cthulu mythos leaves such a bad taste in my mouth. It's not just used as a springboard, either. This story takes Cthulu and snuggles drunkenly in bed with him. And then everyone smokes, a lot. Seriously, if you were going to AA meetings or are just quitting smoking, this is not a story to pick up. And if you're quitting whiskey AND ciggies this week, this really, REALLY isn't the right time to read this book. Maybe later, if you're a fan of Lovecraft and are nowhere near a pack of Camels.
The premise starts off well enough, if a bit predictably. Hot dame walks into a dick's office...private dick, I mean. The dame has a job for the dick, an amulet that was stolen from her home. The dick is clearly outclassed, but like most men with more balls than common sense, he takes the job. And this PI really is a dick in my mind even if he tried to paint himself in a halfway favorable light.
Part of my problem is the character talking winsomely about the good old days when people weren't such sex freaks and weirdos. He is suspicious of "kids" (anyone under 25, apparently) and freaks. And yet despite all this talk of chivalry, he drinks a lot because back when he had a woman, she needed to talk, and he left to go party and drink instead. She killed herself, and it tore him up so badly....he pretty much kept doing more of the same for a decade. BUT, like a decade later, he decided to become a PI, and he no longer parties. He still drinks a lot, and still hangs out in pubs. But now he's grim about it.
Yeah, still not a real sympathetic guy for me. But this has to do with the fact that I often felt like I could more readily identify with the "freaks" than I could with the dick...the private dick, I mean. But the story of the amulet and its history were fascinating right up until the Mad Arab was trotted out, and the story just kept snuggling up to Lovecraft more and more until the dick is buried hip deep in Cthulu's hot, sweet, mucus-wet folds of dhoom.
But more than that, the story is Lovecraft-aware, meaning that not only is this a story that proposes to be a part of the mythos, it is also a story that suggests "Hark! Lovecraft was psychic and predicting the story all Nostradamus-like!" And when the story suggested that the big conflict was to prevent the big C-guy himself from putting in an appearance, I sighed and put the book down. Then I lit up a ciggie...okay that was a lie. But I did drink some whiskey. Okay, that was a lie too.
The writing style is good, although a bit indulgent upon stereotypes of normal and abnormal. The pace is good, and if you like Lovecraft or old school PI stories, this will probably work for you. But I will not be reaching the final fight with the evil tentacled monster because Lovecraft and his whole wide tentacled world, are not my cup of tea.
Two stars, recommended for Lovecraft fans.
j_kent_holloway's review
5.0
The first book of the Midnight Eye Files, The Amulet, blew me away. Seriously. This book and author is the perfect example of why indie authors can be just as competitive and awesome as authors from the Big 6 Publishers. Blending elements of the classic hardboiled detective story (think Philip Marlowe, Mike Hammer, and Sam Spade) and nightmarish legends and monsters straight from the mind of H.P. Lovecraft (C'thulu anyone?) and you'll have a pretty good idea of what you're in store for.
As most people know, I'm a huge Jim Butcher fan...Harry Dresden, the wizard P.I. from Chicago, is one of my favorite fictional characters. Meikle's detective really isn't anything like Dresden at all. He's no wizard. Heck, the only magic trick he knows is seeing his cigarettes and booze disappear. No, he's just an ordinary guy who's been hired to find a most extraordinary object...an amulet that opens a portal to another dimension. A dimension where the creatures inside want to come through. And Derek Adams has to figure out a way to stop an evil cult from doing just that.
With a mixture of intense action scenes, smart and witty dialogue, good looking femme fatales, and horrendous monsters with one too many tentacles growing out of their head...this book is a rip-roaring good time. I can't wait to read the rest of the series!
As most people know, I'm a huge Jim Butcher fan...Harry Dresden, the wizard P.I. from Chicago, is one of my favorite fictional characters. Meikle's detective really isn't anything like Dresden at all. He's no wizard. Heck, the only magic trick he knows is seeing his cigarettes and booze disappear. No, he's just an ordinary guy who's been hired to find a most extraordinary object...an amulet that opens a portal to another dimension. A dimension where the creatures inside want to come through. And Derek Adams has to figure out a way to stop an evil cult from doing just that.
With a mixture of intense action scenes, smart and witty dialogue, good looking femme fatales, and horrendous monsters with one too many tentacles growing out of their head...this book is a rip-roaring good time. I can't wait to read the rest of the series!
trevert's review
3.0
Lots more fun than my 3 star review might suggest. It isn't high literature or anything, but it's good fun pulp fiction, HP Lovecraft meets Raymond Chandler as narrated by Billy Connolly. I'll definitely read more of this series.
xanderbernhard's review
3.0
I wanted to like this more than I actually did. The ideas were fun, the execution was clumsy at times. Usually it was just little things, awkward phrases, over-writing. My bigger problems were that female characters were under-served and over-sexualised. On the flipside there were to many non-descript male characters whom I had trouble distinguishing between. It certainly didn't help that at least four of them had names that began with 'D'.
I think this is one of the writer's first books, so I may give him another go in the future,
I think this is one of the writer's first books, so I may give him another go in the future,
adubrow's review
4.0
(Originally posted @ CSI:Librarian.)
The Amulet has a very compelling main character with a very authentic, engaging voice. Derek Adams is a fairly normal man confronted with fairly odd situations. His detective agency has been set up to stave off despair as well as his sense of helplessness and futility when confronted with his past. Needless to say, this makes him perfect for a Lovecraft-ish tale, but unlike many of Lovecraft's "heroes," Derek has more of a spine. The setting of the book is also really fascinating not only because it is set in Glasglow but because Meikle has a real way with dialogue and detail.
In terms of atmosphere and plot, I think the mystery and horror elements were well done. I really, really liked the backstory behind the amulet and the creepy Elder God who wielded it. At the same time, I felt a certain loss of momentum as the story was moving towards its final confrontation. Maybe it was Derek being mostly normal and not equipped with his own high-powered abilities that made it fairly jarring to suddenly have him working with two people who were. Maybe I was a bit too concerned about what had happened to Doug at that point, to care about learning much about Dunlop or his lovely wife. I definitely didn't care much about about their well-being. I sincerely appreciate Mielke providing Derek with secondary characters who know what they're doing if only to keep Derek from meeting a grisly end... But I can't help thinking I would have rather read about Derek finding a way to take out a cult and its monster all on his own.
Aside from that somewhat minor complaint, The Amulet is a book that I could honestly kick myself for not reading sooner, and one that I really enjoyed. Derek was a really perfect noir PI who cared about his friends and not too much about himself. He's a character that mattered to me from beginning to end and one I definitely was relieved to find more books for. I liked that he wasn't as tough as he wanted to be. I liked most of the people he met, particularly Jimmy and Doug, as well as Derek's take on them. I liked all the little details Mielke added, I loved the Derek's sense of humor, and am still quite amused by the Gilbert & Sullivan references.
In conclusion, a really good read and introduction to a very cool character. I dug the mystery, the horror, and the slight urban fantasy vibe reminiscent of Simon R. Green's Tales from the Nightside. And I have a feeling I will be acquiring more William Meikle books in the near future. In the mean time, I would definitely recommend The Amulet to readers who pine for Lovecraft meets Chandler storylines, or to readers who simply wish their urban fantasy-tinged fiction took more risks.
The Amulet has a very compelling main character with a very authentic, engaging voice. Derek Adams is a fairly normal man confronted with fairly odd situations. His detective agency has been set up to stave off despair as well as his sense of helplessness and futility when confronted with his past. Needless to say, this makes him perfect for a Lovecraft-ish tale, but unlike many of Lovecraft's "heroes," Derek has more of a spine. The setting of the book is also really fascinating not only because it is set in Glasglow but because Meikle has a real way with dialogue and detail.
In terms of atmosphere and plot, I think the mystery and horror elements were well done. I really, really liked the backstory behind the amulet and the creepy Elder God who wielded it. At the same time, I felt a certain loss of momentum as the story was moving towards its final confrontation. Maybe it was Derek being mostly normal and not equipped with his own high-powered abilities that made it fairly jarring to suddenly have him working with two people who were. Maybe I was a bit too concerned about what had happened to Doug at that point, to care about learning much about Dunlop or his lovely wife. I definitely didn't care much about about their well-being. I sincerely appreciate Mielke providing Derek with secondary characters who know what they're doing if only to keep Derek from meeting a grisly end... But I can't help thinking I would have rather read about Derek finding a way to take out a cult and its monster all on his own.
Aside from that somewhat minor complaint, The Amulet is a book that I could honestly kick myself for not reading sooner, and one that I really enjoyed. Derek was a really perfect noir PI who cared about his friends and not too much about himself. He's a character that mattered to me from beginning to end and one I definitely was relieved to find more books for. I liked that he wasn't as tough as he wanted to be. I liked most of the people he met, particularly Jimmy and Doug, as well as Derek's take on them. I liked all the little details Mielke added, I loved the Derek's sense of humor, and am still quite amused by the Gilbert & Sullivan references.
In conclusion, a really good read and introduction to a very cool character. I dug the mystery, the horror, and the slight urban fantasy vibe reminiscent of Simon R. Green's Tales from the Nightside. And I have a feeling I will be acquiring more William Meikle books in the near future. In the mean time, I would definitely recommend The Amulet to readers who pine for Lovecraft meets Chandler storylines, or to readers who simply wish their urban fantasy-tinged fiction took more risks.
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