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pamela22's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Passed the time. Predictable and dated.
ogreart's review
4.0
Since I am no longer allowed to add new editions, I am going to use this even though it was an audiobook I downloaded from the net. It filled in a bunch of holes in Ishael's past. It took a while and there were unexpected twists and turns. The personal mystery expanded to take over the town. I hope there are more in the series.
ellelainey's review
4.0
Buried Memories, by Simon R. Green
Ishmael Jones, 010
★★★★☆
192 Pages
1st person, single character POV
Themes: murder, science fiction, aliens, secret organisations
Triggers: mentions of gore, violence and supernatural beings
Genre: Contemporary, Murder Mystery, Science Fiction, Crime
Buried Memories – the tenth book in the Ishmael Jones series – begins 'several weeks' after the events of the previous book. Ishmael has finally received the information about the second survivor of the alien ship crash which leads him to a tiny town of Norton Hedley, full of mysterious events. As a Mecca for UFO enthusiasts Norton Hedley has its own secrets as well as some revelations to let slip.
The cast include some of the usual suspects: Ishmael and Penny, as well as an appearance by the Colonel and Mr Whisper. It also introduces a host of new faces:
Lucy Parker – a Black Heir agent
Frank Kendall – the town librarian who is 'the only gay in the village'
Detective Inspector Violet Silver
Ellie Markham – owner of the Pale Horse hotel
Vincent Smith – local author of the mysterious and creepy, but also suspected to be the second survivor
There are a lot of spooky goings on in Norton Hedley – a house that appears and disappears, often in different locations; people who act like zombies with one mind; ley lines crossing right in the centre of the village; and lots of tales of ghosts and missing people.
Ishmael and Penny arrive in Norton Hedley to find that Vincent Smith – the person they suspect of being the second survivor – has died, but when they go to check the body for possible cause of death, they find the body missing and the mortuary man dead instead. As more bodies show up, it becomes clear that they've caused a disturbance in the quiet town that can't go unnoticed any longer.
I loved the mystery of it all, never sure who to trust, who to believe and what might be real or psychic contamination from the legends around the town. I also loved how steadfast Ishmael and Penny were, sticking together through all the difficulties and doubts, the suspicions and uncertainty. It's been a long time coming, but I was so excited to finally learn more about what Ishmael really was, where he came from, and the circumstances that brought him to Earth. I was also thrilled to finally discover the truth about the Organisation and what it really existed for. That was a surprise I definitely didn't see coming.
Although I guessed the killer pretty early on, again I didn't mind because there was so much else going on to interest me and keep me reading. And as always, there was always that niggling doubt that I'd missed something that might be revealed at the last minute. With aliens and weird creatures on the go, you never know what might pop up next.
While I could see this being a pretty decent ending to the series, I'm glad there's another book.
~
Favourite Quote
“Mr ship crashed in a field right outside Weird Shit Central,' I said, 'That can't be a coincidence.'”
Ishmael Jones, 010
★★★★☆
192 Pages
1st person, single character POV
Themes: murder, science fiction, aliens, secret organisations
Triggers: mentions of gore, violence and supernatural beings
Genre: Contemporary, Murder Mystery, Science Fiction, Crime
Buried Memories – the tenth book in the Ishmael Jones series – begins 'several weeks' after the events of the previous book. Ishmael has finally received the information about the second survivor of the alien ship crash which leads him to a tiny town of Norton Hedley, full of mysterious events. As a Mecca for UFO enthusiasts Norton Hedley has its own secrets as well as some revelations to let slip.
The cast include some of the usual suspects: Ishmael and Penny, as well as an appearance by the Colonel and Mr Whisper. It also introduces a host of new faces:
Lucy Parker – a Black Heir agent
Frank Kendall – the town librarian who is 'the only gay in the village'
Detective Inspector Violet Silver
Ellie Markham – owner of the Pale Horse hotel
Vincent Smith – local author of the mysterious and creepy, but also suspected to be the second survivor
There are a lot of spooky goings on in Norton Hedley – a house that appears and disappears, often in different locations; people who act like zombies with one mind; ley lines crossing right in the centre of the village; and lots of tales of ghosts and missing people.
Ishmael and Penny arrive in Norton Hedley to find that Vincent Smith – the person they suspect of being the second survivor – has died, but when they go to check the body for possible cause of death, they find the body missing and the mortuary man dead instead. As more bodies show up, it becomes clear that they've caused a disturbance in the quiet town that can't go unnoticed any longer.
I loved the mystery of it all, never sure who to trust, who to believe and what might be real or psychic contamination from the legends around the town. I also loved how steadfast Ishmael and Penny were, sticking together through all the difficulties and doubts, the suspicions and uncertainty. It's been a long time coming, but I was so excited to finally learn more about what Ishmael really was, where he came from, and the circumstances that brought him to Earth. I was also thrilled to finally discover the truth about the Organisation and what it really existed for. That was a surprise I definitely didn't see coming.
Although I guessed the killer pretty early on, again I didn't mind because there was so much else going on to interest me and keep me reading. And as always, there was always that niggling doubt that I'd missed something that might be revealed at the last minute. With aliens and weird creatures on the go, you never know what might pop up next.
While I could see this being a pretty decent ending to the series, I'm glad there's another book.
~
Favourite Quote
“Mr ship crashed in a field right outside Weird Shit Central,' I said, 'That can't be a coincidence.'”
elfington's review
3.0
I wish these were just a little bit better written. The idea is great, the characters are fun, but the writing can be a bit repetitive and that pulls me out of the story.
annieb123's review
4.0
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Buried Memories is the 10th book in the Ishmael Jones SF mystery series by Simon Green. Released 5th Oct 2021 by Severn House, it's 192 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a humorous and well written mystery with a strong SF element (the titular protagonist is an alien in more or less human form). His sidekick and partner is a human espionage agent and despite the occasional necessary badassery and alien tech (and weapons), they drink tea, eat scones, and reprimand baddies with the best traditional classical sleuths. If readers can stretch to imagining a mashup where Agatha Christie's Tommy & Tuppence are set down in Stross' world of the Laundry Files by a cinematographer from the X-Files, they'd come remarkably close.
I've been impressed with Green's masterful control of the tension arc in his other books and this one is no exception. He has a wonderful way of making the most mundane occurrences seriously *creepy*. I devoured this installment in one sitting. All of the books work well as standalones (there's an intro back-story to get readers up to speed). Some of the main plot points in this book are dependent on back history from previous books, so there will be some pretty major spoilers if read out of order, but readers won't be lost or have trouble following along if they choose to read them that way.
The dialogue is often sarcastic and slyly humorous. The book is populated by weird and bizarre characters (and some of them are even human). I found myself grinning often and chuckling out loud a few times. The denouement and resolution were exciting and satisfying and I am really really looking forward to What Comes Next.
Four stars. SF mystery weirdness at its creepy best.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
Buried Memories is the 10th book in the Ishmael Jones SF mystery series by Simon Green. Released 5th Oct 2021 by Severn House, it's 192 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a humorous and well written mystery with a strong SF element (the titular protagonist is an alien in more or less human form). His sidekick and partner is a human espionage agent and despite the occasional necessary badassery and alien tech (and weapons), they drink tea, eat scones, and reprimand baddies with the best traditional classical sleuths. If readers can stretch to imagining a mashup where Agatha Christie's Tommy & Tuppence are set down in Stross' world of the Laundry Files by a cinematographer from the X-Files, they'd come remarkably close.
I've been impressed with Green's masterful control of the tension arc in his other books and this one is no exception. He has a wonderful way of making the most mundane occurrences seriously *creepy*. I devoured this installment in one sitting. All of the books work well as standalones (there's an intro back-story to get readers up to speed). Some of the main plot points in this book are dependent on back history from previous books, so there will be some pretty major spoilers if read out of order, but readers won't be lost or have trouble following along if they choose to read them that way.
The dialogue is often sarcastic and slyly humorous. The book is populated by weird and bizarre characters (and some of them are even human). I found myself grinning often and chuckling out loud a few times. The denouement and resolution were exciting and satisfying and I am really really looking forward to What Comes Next.
Four stars. SF mystery weirdness at its creepy best.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
bethwodzinski's review
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
thaisdematte's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
zachb's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
annarella's review
5.0
I love Ishmael Jones series and I think this is one of the best as it's quite complex, full of twists, but also the one that gives us some information about Ishamel's past and the shadow organisations he worked for.
I hope there will be a lot of other books i this series and it somehow sounded like a "final" one and this would be sad.
The world building is excellent and Ishamel/Penny are at their best, loved their banters.
The plot is fast paced, I simply ihnaled, and there's a lot of twists and a great solution.
I can't wait to read another book in this series.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I hope there will be a lot of other books i this series and it somehow sounded like a "final" one and this would be sad.
The world building is excellent and Ishamel/Penny are at their best, loved their banters.
The plot is fast paced, I simply ihnaled, and there's a lot of twists and a great solution.
I can't wait to read another book in this series.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
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