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Simon Canderous #1
Dead To Me
A new urban fantasy featuring a man working on the right side of law-with talents that come from left field.
Psychometry-the power to touch an object and divine information about its history-has meant a life of petty crime for Simon Canderous, but now he's gone over to the good side. At New York's underfunded and (mostly) secret Department of Extraordinary Affairs, he's learning about red tape, office politics, and the basics of paranormal investigation. But it's not the paperwork that has him breathless.
After Simon spills his coffee on (okay, through) the ghost of a beautiful woman- who doesn't know she's dead-he and his mentor plan to find her killers. But Simon's not prepared for the nefarious plot that unfolds before him, involving politically correct cultists, a large wooden fish, a homicidal bookcase, and the forces of Darkness, which kind of have a crush on him.
Psychometry-the power to touch an object and divine information about its history-has meant a life of petty crime for Simon Canderous, but now he's gone over to the good side. At New York's underfunded and (mostly) secret Department of Extraordinary Affairs, he's learning about red tape, office politics, and the basics of paranormal investigation. But it's not the paperwork that has him breathless.
After Simon spills his coffee on (okay, through) the ghost of a beautiful woman- who doesn't know she's dead-he and his mentor plan to find her killers. But Simon's not prepared for the nefarious plot that unfolds before him, involving politically correct cultists, a large wooden fish, a homicidal bookcase, and the forces of Darkness, which kind of have a crush on him.
368 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 26, 2008
79 people are currently reading
2852 people want to read
About the author
Anton Strout
33 books314 followersWhen not plotting against his mortal enemy Patrick Rothfuss, Anton Strout is the author of the Simon Canderous urban fantasy series for Ace Books including
Dead To Me, Deader Still, Dead Matter and Dead Waters.
His new series with Ace Books is entitled The Spellmason Chronicles. Alchemystic is first in the series, followed by Stonecast and the upcoming Incarnate .
He is also the host and curator of content for The Once & Future Podcast, a weekly show that focuses on discussions with other working writers.
His other writing has appeared in a variety of anthologies—some of which include Simon Canderous tie-in stories—including: Boondocks Fantasy, The Dimension Next Door, A Girl’s Guide to Guns & Monsters, Pandora’s Closet, Spells of the City, and Zombie Raccoons & Killer Bunnies, Spells of the City, Boondocks Fantasy, After Hours: Tales from the Ur-Bar, and the upcoming Human For A Day .
He currently lives outside New York City in the haunted corn maze that is New Jersey (where nothing paranormal ever really happens, he assures you). In his scant spare time, he is an always writer, sometimes actor, sometimes musician, occasional RPGer, and the world’s most casual and controller-smashing video gamer. He also works in the exciting world of publishing, and yes, it is as glamorous as it sounds.
He can be found lurking the darkened hallways of www.antonstrout.com.
His new series with Ace Books is entitled The Spellmason Chronicles. Alchemystic is first in the series, followed by Stonecast and the upcoming Incarnate .
He is also the host and curator of content for The Once & Future Podcast, a weekly show that focuses on discussions with other working writers.
His other writing has appeared in a variety of anthologies—some of which include Simon Canderous tie-in stories—including: Boondocks Fantasy, The Dimension Next Door, A Girl’s Guide to Guns & Monsters, Pandora’s Closet, Spells of the City, and Zombie Raccoons & Killer Bunnies, Spells of the City, Boondocks Fantasy, After Hours: Tales from the Ur-Bar, and the upcoming Human For A Day .
He currently lives outside New York City in the haunted corn maze that is New Jersey (where nothing paranormal ever really happens, he assures you). In his scant spare time, he is an always writer, sometimes actor, sometimes musician, occasional RPGer, and the world’s most casual and controller-smashing video gamer. He also works in the exciting world of publishing, and yes, it is as glamorous as it sounds.
He can be found lurking the darkened hallways of www.antonstrout.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 239 reviews
March 18, 2008
I nearly stopped reading this book several times. I'm not quite sure why I didn't except that I hate to leave a book unread and the books I'd ordered haven't arrived yet.
My first problem is with the language. I'll freely admit that I have a bias against using Internet slang. For the most part I don't even like it all that much on the Internet and I hate it in prose. So when the main character describes himself as a noob, I was irritated. Newbie is used a few times and I find that less grating. But characters are also described as sharing a "WTF look" and "?!" is rarely acceptable punctuation.
The language really contributed to the characters feeling like juveniles. It really had very little to do with the main characters' inexperience and everything to do with their attitudes. For example, one of the major female characters has a diary entry that's filled with "dearest diary" and multiple exclamation points. She sounds like she's 12. But then, so does he, so at least it's not a gender issue.
The main character, Simon, also thinks in very simplistic terms. When he's having dinner with someone from a rival organization he thinks of her as The Enemy and refers to her as such. Again, it makes him seem not like he's inexperienced, but like he's 12. He also has trouble controlling his temper. When does it become acceptable for a grown man to go into an office building and beat someone's desk with his bat? Grow up. Then again, the world Strout created is almost as black and white as Simon believes, despite his attempts to make it seem like there are shades of gray. Jane is working for evil because evil has a great benefits package. But she's never really evil herself. The only even slightly morally ambiguous character is an undercover agent and even he is pure good even if he is a jerk.
The world building is also not handled very well. Strout can't seem to decide if the world at large knows about the paranormal or not. There's a vast machinery in place to deal with it and no one is supposed to know, and that's fine, but then he has a reporter asking with a straight face about ghosts.
I think he tried to make it a comedy, although sometimes the book does try to take itself sort of seriously. Unfortunately, the book is neither funny nor witty. Things that started off amusing are brought up so often they start to feel like an SNL skit, going on long after they stopped being funny. Yes, pamphlets for everything is kind of funny if used sparingly, not if it's referenced a few times nearly every chapter. Also, we get it, people in New York are strange, so strange they might or might not be involved in the paranormal.
I was disappointed in the book because I think the premise is an interesting one. If treated in a more serious manner it would have been interesting to explore the problems a man with Simon's power would have. But serious is not what the author was going for and that's fine. But I don't think he pulled off a comedy, either.
It's a first novel, so maybe I should cut him some slack but it does read more like original fiction you'd find on the web than a published novel. I think it would have worked a lot better as a young adult novel. Certainly it would be a better fit for the maturity level of the characters.
My first problem is with the language. I'll freely admit that I have a bias against using Internet slang. For the most part I don't even like it all that much on the Internet and I hate it in prose. So when the main character describes himself as a noob, I was irritated. Newbie is used a few times and I find that less grating. But characters are also described as sharing a "WTF look" and "?!" is rarely acceptable punctuation.
The language really contributed to the characters feeling like juveniles. It really had very little to do with the main characters' inexperience and everything to do with their attitudes. For example, one of the major female characters has a diary entry that's filled with "dearest diary" and multiple exclamation points. She sounds like she's 12. But then, so does he, so at least it's not a gender issue.
The main character, Simon, also thinks in very simplistic terms. When he's having dinner with someone from a rival organization he thinks of her as The Enemy and refers to her as such. Again, it makes him seem not like he's inexperienced, but like he's 12. He also has trouble controlling his temper. When does it become acceptable for a grown man to go into an office building and beat someone's desk with his bat? Grow up. Then again, the world Strout created is almost as black and white as Simon believes, despite his attempts to make it seem like there are shades of gray. Jane is working for evil because evil has a great benefits package. But she's never really evil herself. The only even slightly morally ambiguous character is an undercover agent and even he is pure good even if he is a jerk.
The world building is also not handled very well. Strout can't seem to decide if the world at large knows about the paranormal or not. There's a vast machinery in place to deal with it and no one is supposed to know, and that's fine, but then he has a reporter asking with a straight face about ghosts.
I think he tried to make it a comedy, although sometimes the book does try to take itself sort of seriously. Unfortunately, the book is neither funny nor witty. Things that started off amusing are brought up so often they start to feel like an SNL skit, going on long after they stopped being funny. Yes, pamphlets for everything is kind of funny if used sparingly, not if it's referenced a few times nearly every chapter. Also, we get it, people in New York are strange, so strange they might or might not be involved in the paranormal.
I was disappointed in the book because I think the premise is an interesting one. If treated in a more serious manner it would have been interesting to explore the problems a man with Simon's power would have. But serious is not what the author was going for and that's fine. But I don't think he pulled off a comedy, either.
It's a first novel, so maybe I should cut him some slack but it does read more like original fiction you'd find on the web than a published novel. I think it would have worked a lot better as a young adult novel. Certainly it would be a better fit for the maturity level of the characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2016
Having just finished a true kitten squisher (The Luminaries), it was time for something light and frothy. Dead To Me fit the bill, providing entertainment for one evening, two coffee breaks, and one lunch hour. Not at all convoluted, it was easy to keep track of in these short reading bursts.
If I was to compare it to food (and really, why not?), I would call it cotton candy. No nutritional value, empty sugar calories, and potential cavity hazard.
I felt it had a rather adolescent tone, with the main character being awfully fixated on “girls,” be they phantom or real. These women (and really, anyone over 16 isn’t a girl, IMO) are frightfully inconsistent, varying wildly between being helpless & feminine and being strong & butt-kicking, often on the same page. There is the stereotypical psycho ex-girlfriend, Tamara, who gets helpfully murdered by the bad guys, the ghost-woman Irene who goes ballistic because of the phone messages left by the psycho ex-girlfriend, and Jane, the innocent gal from the country who has been drawn into evil because she needs a job (and apparently hasn’t a brain in her head, thus protecting her from zombies).
But in all fairness, the male characters do not fare much better. The main character, Simon, indulges in a lot of immature behaviour on the job, displaying temper, insubordination, and impulsiveness that would cause negative consequences for anyone but this special snowflake. He carries a bat for self defense and since his moods also swing psychotically between being calm and somewhat reasonable to being a bat-wielding basher, he tends to whack first and ask questions later. Combine that with his tendency to fall instantly in love with any female who crosses his path and you have a very unpredictable and unrealistic main character.
It’s cute, it’s fluffy, and it obviously owes a great debt to ideas from Harry Potter. My first venture into the urban fantasy genre and I realize that there must be superior offerings out there. I would never have chosen it if it wasn’t on the reading list for my real-life book club. At some point, I’ll definitely check out other offerings in the genre.
If I was to compare it to food (and really, why not?), I would call it cotton candy. No nutritional value, empty sugar calories, and potential cavity hazard.
I felt it had a rather adolescent tone, with the main character being awfully fixated on “girls,” be they phantom or real. These women (and really, anyone over 16 isn’t a girl, IMO) are frightfully inconsistent, varying wildly between being helpless & feminine and being strong & butt-kicking, often on the same page. There is the stereotypical psycho ex-girlfriend, Tamara, who gets helpfully murdered by the bad guys, the ghost-woman Irene who goes ballistic because of the phone messages left by the psycho ex-girlfriend, and Jane, the innocent gal from the country who has been drawn into evil because she needs a job (and apparently hasn’t a brain in her head, thus protecting her from zombies).
But in all fairness, the male characters do not fare much better. The main character, Simon, indulges in a lot of immature behaviour on the job, displaying temper, insubordination, and impulsiveness that would cause negative consequences for anyone but this special snowflake. He carries a bat for self defense and since his moods also swing psychotically between being calm and somewhat reasonable to being a bat-wielding basher, he tends to whack first and ask questions later. Combine that with his tendency to fall instantly in love with any female who crosses his path and you have a very unpredictable and unrealistic main character.
It’s cute, it’s fluffy, and it obviously owes a great debt to ideas from Harry Potter. My first venture into the urban fantasy genre and I realize that there must be superior offerings out there. I would never have chosen it if it wasn’t on the reading list for my real-life book club. At some point, I’ll definitely check out other offerings in the genre.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 21, 2011
Ghastly, er, ghostly. There are kernels of good ideas here, but for the most part the book is filled with tropes, awkward writing, intrusive explanations and wildly inconsistent characters. I kept putting it down in disgust, but picking it back up because my OCD disorder wanted to know the ending.
Tone and Plot: It's like an adolescent male writer is regurgitating Dresden lite, mixed with the Ministry of Magic courtesy of Harry Potter, sprinkled with every stereotype of the male detective in the genre. Simon is the lead character who wears sassy grunge tees and whose back up coat is a long black trench. His weapon is an extendable bat (calling Harry...). He reads pamphlets published by his office with such titles as "Deadside Manner: Staying Cool in Troubled Times." The head of his Other Division is named Brit named Argyle Quimbley, whom we first meet sipping tea through a handlebar mustache (must all semi-humorous characters have 'Q' names and funny facial hair?)
Female characters: Unfortunately true to the genre, they are stereotyped beyond belief, usually as the perfect, beautiful, helpless damsel-in-distress, but also the crazy jilted girlfriend. Sometimes, they are both. Actually, the females are just as poorly characterized as the males. When Simon is spying on Jane, one of the "evil cultists," he reads her diary entry written while she was spying (because females always keep diaries). Moreover, she complains in the diary about how her thong is uncomfortable: "something this invasive usually buys me a drink first!" Really? Is that the 14 year old male imagining of what's in a female diary? Because I'm having trouble believing a woman who is rising through the tiers of hierarchy in the cultist organization is writing in a diary... about her underwear.
Male characters: Simon, the male character, is inconsistent, sexist and illogical beyond belief. Initial scene in the book, he's about to have sex and flashes on his girlfriend having sex with a random guy. Rather than make a semi-plausible excuse (we've heard them, guys), he let's her think he's been reading her diary. Really? He'd rather be thought a stalker than a psychic freak? Or just a jerk for telling some other lie? Made no sense. Likewise when we go through a detailed passage about bargaining at an antique meet for an Intellivision, we're told this is how he legitimately earns money, by returning meaningful found items to owners. When he finds the owner, instead of just saying "I'm an antiques dealer, and I was hoping to sell it to you for a fair price," he does a weaselly "just happened to find it, no I couldn't take a cent" act and hope for a reward. That's a technique that seems like it would occasionally fall through and result in a loss, while being honest would help establish him as a legitimate businessman doing a legit service. If he wants to be legit, why is he still running his legit business like a con?
Simon remains erratic throughout the book. In third scene, we have him meeting his mentor at a ghost sighting. Simon freezes numerous times. Later, Anton has the nerve to have Simon describe himself as "the good cop," and "a quiet person." Yet when they go to a business office to inquire the whereabouts of a stolen item, he's yelling and swinging his bat around like he's going to hurt something, accelerating the questioning process into a major incident. When Tamara, the first angry ex-girlfriend,
I loved the idea of "psychometry." Plot was semi-interesting, even if we couldn't figure out if the bad guys were corporate businessmen, evil cultists or the Mob. Liked tiny little flashes like the first-aid kit with mummy fingers, the prophet on the subway (wasn't that in Matrix?), and addicts main-lining ghosts. Hate the characters and the characterization. On reflection, I'm wondering if it's supposed to be an urban fantasy farce, along the lines of what Pratchett or Asprin have done with fantasy. Except Pratchett's characters are likeable.
Tone and Plot: It's like an adolescent male writer is regurgitating Dresden lite, mixed with the Ministry of Magic courtesy of Harry Potter, sprinkled with every stereotype of the male detective in the genre. Simon is the lead character who wears sassy grunge tees and whose back up coat is a long black trench. His weapon is an extendable bat (calling Harry...). He reads pamphlets published by his office with such titles as "Deadside Manner: Staying Cool in Troubled Times." The head of his Other Division is named Brit named Argyle Quimbley, whom we first meet sipping tea through a handlebar mustache (must all semi-humorous characters have 'Q' names and funny facial hair?)
Female characters: Unfortunately true to the genre, they are stereotyped beyond belief, usually as the perfect, beautiful, helpless damsel-in-distress, but also the crazy jilted girlfriend. Sometimes, they are both. Actually, the females are just as poorly characterized as the males. When Simon is spying on Jane, one of the "evil cultists," he reads her diary entry written while she was spying (because females always keep diaries). Moreover, she complains in the diary about how her thong is uncomfortable: "something this invasive usually buys me a drink first!" Really? Is that the 14 year old male imagining of what's in a female diary? Because I'm having trouble believing a woman who is rising through the tiers of hierarchy in the cultist organization is writing in a diary... about her underwear.
Male characters: Simon, the male character, is inconsistent, sexist and illogical beyond belief. Initial scene in the book, he's about to have sex and flashes on his girlfriend having sex with a random guy. Rather than make a semi-plausible excuse (we've heard them, guys), he let's her think he's been reading her diary. Really? He'd rather be thought a stalker than a psychic freak? Or just a jerk for telling some other lie? Made no sense. Likewise when we go through a detailed passage about bargaining at an antique meet for an Intellivision, we're told this is how he legitimately earns money, by returning meaningful found items to owners. When he finds the owner, instead of just saying "I'm an antiques dealer, and I was hoping to sell it to you for a fair price," he does a weaselly "just happened to find it, no I couldn't take a cent" act and hope for a reward. That's a technique that seems like it would occasionally fall through and result in a loss, while being honest would help establish him as a legitimate businessman doing a legit service. If he wants to be legit, why is he still running his legit business like a con?
Simon remains erratic throughout the book. In third scene, we have him meeting his mentor at a ghost sighting. Simon freezes numerous times. Later, Anton has the nerve to have Simon describe himself as "the good cop," and "a quiet person." Yet when they go to a business office to inquire the whereabouts of a stolen item, he's yelling and swinging his bat around like he's going to hurt something, accelerating the questioning process into a major incident. When Tamara, the first angry ex-girlfriend,
I loved the idea of "psychometry." Plot was semi-interesting, even if we couldn't figure out if the bad guys were corporate businessmen, evil cultists or the Mob. Liked tiny little flashes like the first-aid kit with mummy fingers, the prophet on the subway (wasn't that in Matrix?), and addicts main-lining ghosts. Hate the characters and the characterization. On reflection, I'm wondering if it's supposed to be an urban fantasy farce, along the lines of what Pratchett or Asprin have done with fantasy. Except Pratchett's characters are likeable.
June 12, 2008
A potentially interesting book (which seemed vaguely as if it might be a sequel, but I couldn't find out whether or not this was the case) which ended up being disappointing.
The story is told in first person by Simon Candorous, who is an unreliable narrator: and not the literary sort of unreliable, where he tells you untrue things because he's got a secret, or is interestingly deceived, he's just the sort of unreliable which forgets to pick you up at the bus station because he thought that was yesterday, or tomorrow, and anyway, his show was on.
Simon works for the Department of Paranormal Affairs, whatever name it's being called in this book, and is new, and somewhat uncertain in his position, and his interactions with the paranormal. He's a touch-psychic, but he's not really used to foiling zombie invasions. The action begins when he and his partner find themselves dealing with a ghost who just isn't as dead as she should be.
Where the story fell apart for me is that the author doesn't seem aware of the mismatch between what the narrator is telling the reader, and what is actually taking place on the page. For example, at one point Simon says of his 'good cop' role in the partnership, "I knew the routine, something so simple even I could handle it given my limited amount of fieldwork at Connor's side." And then he does it really badly.
Simon finds Irene, the ghost they are investigating fascinating, and the books wants me to believe that he is smitten with her. But their flirtation was so awkward as to be creepy. Here's the passage where I gave up:
"She floated off, laughing, and in that moment, I desperately wished that Irene were alive. Not because of my strange attraction with her, or that she was someone I could picture myself dating, but because it would be easier to strangle her smart ass that way."
Granted, Irene had been performing the obnoxiousness that the author seems to feel counts as flirting (and I guess it was flirting in high school), and I'm pretty sure actual domestic violence is not part of Simon's character. But he just wished that a dead woman were alive so he could strangle her: how am I supposed to like this man enough to keep reading about him?
The story is told in first person by Simon Candorous, who is an unreliable narrator: and not the literary sort of unreliable, where he tells you untrue things because he's got a secret, or is interestingly deceived, he's just the sort of unreliable which forgets to pick you up at the bus station because he thought that was yesterday, or tomorrow, and anyway, his show was on.
Simon works for the Department of Paranormal Affairs, whatever name it's being called in this book, and is new, and somewhat uncertain in his position, and his interactions with the paranormal. He's a touch-psychic, but he's not really used to foiling zombie invasions. The action begins when he and his partner find themselves dealing with a ghost who just isn't as dead as she should be.
Where the story fell apart for me is that the author doesn't seem aware of the mismatch between what the narrator is telling the reader, and what is actually taking place on the page. For example, at one point Simon says of his 'good cop' role in the partnership, "I knew the routine, something so simple even I could handle it given my limited amount of fieldwork at Connor's side." And then he does it really badly.
Simon finds Irene, the ghost they are investigating fascinating, and the books wants me to believe that he is smitten with her. But their flirtation was so awkward as to be creepy. Here's the passage where I gave up:
"She floated off, laughing, and in that moment, I desperately wished that Irene were alive. Not because of my strange attraction with her, or that she was someone I could picture myself dating, but because it would be easier to strangle her smart ass that way."
Granted, Irene had been performing the obnoxiousness that the author seems to feel counts as flirting (and I guess it was flirting in high school), and I'm pretty sure actual domestic violence is not part of Simon's character. But he just wished that a dead woman were alive so he could strangle her: how am I supposed to like this man enough to keep reading about him?
January 6, 2016
This is like the American version of Simon Green without the complexity and original characters. I enjoyed this book but it was very uneven. Sometimes events were serious and intense or even realistically funny and other times the action and characters felt slapstick and two dimensional or like an old time superhero comic book. There were a number of puns and one-liners that felt like they belonged in a parody not a novel.
The Bad
Simon falls in love way too easily. The man he hates does good things and Simon never stops hating him. The love interest was so absurd and flat from the beginning I couldn't believe anything about her that happened later. She is completely morally ambiguous, takes a job with evil beings because it paid well and dated an assassin but Simon believes her right away when she says she's changed. The only sign she gives to prove it is that she saved his life once. So evil people can't have a weak moment or ulterior motives? People are trying to kill her so she aligns with this guy and we're supposed to buy it? Ridiculous. Simon's petty thievery in the past is often compared to evil beings who murder people and their employees. Again ridiculous. I wanted the action to be a little more serious, more life and limb, people actually having injuries that exist in the next scene, that walking through a tornado of objects would cause even a little bodily damage.
The good
Simon's gift is clever and works well in the story. I really like how he finds lost objects and returns them to their owners although it's a fine line on the morality plane and he gets WAY more money than seems reasonable. I like the office and coffee shop. I really like Simon.
Overall I think the author couldn't decide if this was a farce or a serious novel. I was sure almost every character was a double agent. I will consider reading the next one but it's not on my soon shelf.
The Bad
Simon falls in love way too easily. The man he hates does good things and Simon never stops hating him. The love interest was so absurd and flat from the beginning I couldn't believe anything about her that happened later. She is completely morally ambiguous, takes a job with evil beings because it paid well and dated an assassin but Simon believes her right away when she says she's changed. The only sign she gives to prove it is that she saved his life once. So evil people can't have a weak moment or ulterior motives? People are trying to kill her so she aligns with this guy and we're supposed to buy it? Ridiculous. Simon's petty thievery in the past is often compared to evil beings who murder people and their employees. Again ridiculous. I wanted the action to be a little more serious, more life and limb, people actually having injuries that exist in the next scene, that walking through a tornado of objects would cause even a little bodily damage.
The good
Simon's gift is clever and works well in the story. I really like how he finds lost objects and returns them to their owners although it's a fine line on the morality plane and he gets WAY more money than seems reasonable. I like the office and coffee shop. I really like Simon.
Overall I think the author couldn't decide if this was a farce or a serious novel. I was sure almost every character was a double agent. I will consider reading the next one but it's not on my soon shelf.
February 1, 2009
The first half of this book is awesome: funny, quirky, interesting. But the second half... It feels like it's written by someone else. The author suddenly uses phrases like "I threw up in my mouth a little" or "we exchanged a WTF look." I mean, huh. I really liked Simon, Connor, the Inspectre and Irene, even Wesker was funny with his acerbic sense of humor. But Jane... If there's a poster girl for a stereotypical blondie, it's her: gorgeous and cute but with empty space where her brain should be. It literally echoes in her head. And once she's introduced, the book goes downhill from there, turning the story from funny to silly to absurd. Too bad, the book had a great potential.
October 14, 2011
Surprisingly good...I wish I could give it slightly less than 4 stars, but I can't and I do want to give it more than 3. While it may not rate (to me at least) as high as some I've given 4 stars, but again, it's better than just, "pretty good".
I would say that even though I had read books before this that would qualify as urban fantasy, my "formal recognition" of the genre would be through the Dresden books by Jim Butcher. I have looked for other urban fantasy reads and series that are as good or nearly as good, and have to say that the majority of them have disappointed me.
Personally I'm not interested in books that are heavy on romance and many sometimes considered part of the UF genre tend to slide over into that. They end being more PNR (Paranormal Romance). Some of you like this of course, that's why I note it here. While there is a slight romantic angle in the book it's far from the major part of the plot. We have here a protagonist who is a little bit of a wise-a** (though he doesn't quite reach Harry Dresden's level :) who can look at life with an only slightly jaundiced eye, come up with a wise crack even when he figures he's about to "cash in his chips" and in general seem like a guy you might like to have a beer with (or a Dr. Pepper, whatever's to your taste :).
I have the second book, and am planing to pick up the third and fourth as I can. I'd say maybe 3.7 or 3.8 so, we'll go 4 stars.
I would say that even though I had read books before this that would qualify as urban fantasy, my "formal recognition" of the genre would be through the Dresden books by Jim Butcher. I have looked for other urban fantasy reads and series that are as good or nearly as good, and have to say that the majority of them have disappointed me.
Personally I'm not interested in books that are heavy on romance and many sometimes considered part of the UF genre tend to slide over into that. They end being more PNR (Paranormal Romance). Some of you like this of course, that's why I note it here. While there is a slight romantic angle in the book it's far from the major part of the plot. We have here a protagonist who is a little bit of a wise-a** (though he doesn't quite reach Harry Dresden's level :) who can look at life with an only slightly jaundiced eye, come up with a wise crack even when he figures he's about to "cash in his chips" and in general seem like a guy you might like to have a beer with (or a Dr. Pepper, whatever's to your taste :).
I have the second book, and am planing to pick up the third and fourth as I can. I'd say maybe 3.7 or 3.8 so, we'll go 4 stars.
January 1, 2021
I know that when it comes to urban fantasy/paranormal, I am supposed to cut some slack when it comes to the first book; that sometimes, a series will not get as good until book #2 or #3. So, I'm ready to have low expectation on this. At the same time, male protagonist in UF is so rare, I really want to end up liking this even before I start.
Unfortunately, I don't. Somehow, Simon ends up for me as incompetent most of the times; it's like the only thing he does is running here and there with a bat, OR trying to control his sugar drops when he is doing his psychometry power, OR dealing with some major troubles with women.
And all those names of the pamphletes / seminars that are supposed to be funny, like "Deadside Manner: Staying Cool in Troubled Times" or "Dealing with the Dearly Departed" or "Desensitizing Difficult Deaths" becomes repetitive after awhile (why so many seminars?!?).
On top of that, the gazillion times Simon's mentor, Connor Christos, calls Simon "kid", I feel like poking my own eyes with a needle, it just rattle my nerves.
I'm not impressed with the main hero. As much as I realize that this is only the first book, I don't think it's one I will follow soon. Maybe one day ... but definitely not right away.
Unfortunately, I don't. Somehow, Simon ends up for me as incompetent most of the times; it's like the only thing he does is running here and there with a bat, OR trying to control his sugar drops when he is doing his psychometry power, OR dealing with some major troubles with women.
And all those names of the pamphletes / seminars that are supposed to be funny, like "Deadside Manner: Staying Cool in Troubled Times" or "Dealing with the Dearly Departed" or "Desensitizing Difficult Deaths" becomes repetitive after awhile (why so many seminars?!?).
On top of that, the gazillion times Simon's mentor, Connor Christos, calls Simon "kid", I feel like poking my own eyes with a needle, it just rattle my nerves.
I'm not impressed with the main hero. As much as I realize that this is only the first book, I don't think it's one I will follow soon. Maybe one day ... but definitely not right away.
February 23, 2014
The reviews on Goodreads had me very worried about reading this book. But once I started reading it I found the reviews were wrong. I really enjoyed this book. It held my attention with all of the dialogue and action. I really enjoyed the characters and found them believable. I will definitely read the second book in the series.
April 2, 2008
This is quite possibly the WORST book I've ever read. I could NOT put it down. It was like watching a train/biccycle wreck. You know it's going to be really bad but one's mind can't comprehend quite how low the writing (in this case) can go. It managed to go farther than I ever imagined.
May 5, 2020
When Simon touches an object he gets images of its previous owner. He can't turn it off and it taxes his body. When he decided he didn't want to be a petty criminal anymore he found a job with the D.E.A. He's learning the ropes in this secret government division that investigates ghosts, zombies, etc.
Simon and his mentor, Connor, meet Irene who is a ghost. A ghost that seems to have more presence than normal. At first she is just a curiosity, but she mentions something prophetic. They are now assigned to investigating her death. This leads them to the cultists who have gained some legitimacy with the mayor's office.
Turns from a mystery of what happened to Irene, to a mystery of what are the bad guys up to. Action packed. The psychometric power is intriguing. I liked Irene. I liked Jane. Some scenes seemed to be written for shock value rather than how I would logically imagine it, e.g. Simon and Connor ride the train to get a sphinx-like clue from Gaynor. There is no reason why Connor couldn't have told Simon what to expect. Rounded up to 4 of 5 stars. Even with literally a couple thousand unread books in my house, I'm tempted to pick up more of the Simon Canderous series. This is the first.
Simon and his mentor, Connor, meet Irene who is a ghost. A ghost that seems to have more presence than normal. At first she is just a curiosity, but she mentions something prophetic. They are now assigned to investigating her death. This leads them to the cultists who have gained some legitimacy with the mayor's office.
Turns from a mystery of what happened to Irene, to a mystery of what are the bad guys up to. Action packed. The psychometric power is intriguing. I liked Irene. I liked Jane. Some scenes seemed to be written for shock value rather than how I would logically imagine it, e.g. Simon and Connor ride the train to get a sphinx-like clue from Gaynor. There is no reason why Connor couldn't have told Simon what to expect. Rounded up to 4 of 5 stars. Even with literally a couple thousand unread books in my house, I'm tempted to pick up more of the Simon Canderous series. This is the first.
December 13, 2020
I really enjoyed the story but I'm going to call out Joan Matthews because she was thanked in the acknowledgements. There were a lot of dumb typos in this book and it was very annoying.
August 20, 2012
Should be retooled for the "Young Adult" section
Dead To Me has the dubious honor of being one of a select few books that I couldn't finish. It's not offensive. It's not overly boring. It's not even that poorly written, although I did find it childish, which I think is the root of my issue with it. Simon (our hero) works for the DEA (Department of Extraordinary Affairs), which includes such departments as "Haunts-General" and "Things That Go Bump In The Night". Simon's boss is a F.O.G.ie, which means he's a member of the Fraternal Order of Goodness. Want to find out how someone died? Look them up in the "Directory of the Dearly Departed", which may be found in the back stacks of an occult bookstore named "Tome, Sweet Tome" on a homicidal bookshelf that can be subdued by subjecting it to "Self-published poetry anthologies, vanity press publications, local writing contest winers. Some chic lit for good measure. Really Godawful stuff."
You get the idea. "Dead To Me" reminds me of a Xanth novel, or a poorly written Harry Potter. A little retooling would make for a very enjoyable kids book, but if you're older than 15, I would look elsewhere.
Dead To Me has the dubious honor of being one of a select few books that I couldn't finish. It's not offensive. It's not overly boring. It's not even that poorly written, although I did find it childish, which I think is the root of my issue with it. Simon (our hero) works for the DEA (Department of Extraordinary Affairs), which includes such departments as "Haunts-General" and "Things That Go Bump In The Night". Simon's boss is a F.O.G.ie, which means he's a member of the Fraternal Order of Goodness. Want to find out how someone died? Look them up in the "Directory of the Dearly Departed", which may be found in the back stacks of an occult bookstore named "Tome, Sweet Tome" on a homicidal bookshelf that can be subdued by subjecting it to "Self-published poetry anthologies, vanity press publications, local writing contest winers. Some chic lit for good measure. Really Godawful stuff."
You get the idea. "Dead To Me" reminds me of a Xanth novel, or a poorly written Harry Potter. A little retooling would make for a very enjoyable kids book, but if you're older than 15, I would look elsewhere.
April 4, 2011
This was an interesting case for social media. This book came to my attention here on Goodreads a while ago, but for some reason I dismissed it as not up my alley. But the author is very involved here as an active user, not just to promote his books, so I'd see his name sometimes and wonder if I'd been too hasty. Then I'd also see it or one of the books on twitter, and see friends' reviews of his books in both places. It became clear that I should reconsider after I'd seen several positive reviews, and I'm really glad I did, because it was just what I like indeed. It has a nice balance of dark and light, adventure and humor, interesting without being heavy. There were enough new ideas to make it fresh without so many as to make it hard to get into or confusing. I'm glad I gave it a try and that I already reserved the rest of the series from the library just in case.
July 10, 2008
another book by a first time novelist. strout has written a couple of short stories but this was his first lengthy novel. what has produced is a great addition into the urban fantasy genre. simon is a psychometrist which means that he touches objects and sees visions of those who previously touched them. what follows is a romping good time (for the reader at least) as he runs into ghosts, cultists, and attacking bookshelves. enjoy the read.
March 23, 2008
I wanted to like this more than I did, but something just wasn't clicking. It felt like the author didn't have a good handle on any of the characters; they tended to act irrationally and unpredictably. The plot wasn't bad, but overall, I wasn't really thrilled. Too bad.
November 16, 2020
I enjoyed this book and binge-read the entire series in about a week. It's a unique urban fantasy that takes place in some alternate version of New York City, but it also had a very British feel to me. When I was trying to figure out how to describe it, the best I could come up with is that it's "Remington Steel" meets "The Walking Dead".
The main character is a reformed thief trying to live right. Armed with a retractable bat that he carries everywhere, Simon takes on zombies, ghosts, vampires, and a host of other fantastical characters. Each book in the series is action-packed. Simon's character arc was very well done, including his attempts to morph into a decent boyfriend. It was fun to see Simon grow his powers and his desire to be a better person.
Well done, Mr. Strout.
The main character is a reformed thief trying to live right. Armed with a retractable bat that he carries everywhere, Simon takes on zombies, ghosts, vampires, and a host of other fantastical characters. Each book in the series is action-packed. Simon's character arc was very well done, including his attempts to morph into a decent boyfriend. It was fun to see Simon grow his powers and his desire to be a better person.
Well done, Mr. Strout.
October 25, 2020
I see future for this series
September 13, 2014
This book disappointed me, to put it lightly. I was so interested in the premise; I've never read about psychometry before, and it seemed genuinely refreshing in a genre that has a lot of series that are basically copies of one another. This book had a lot of potential. Unfortunately, that potential was not only wasted, but it was poured down the drain, while the garbage disposal whirred away.
Let's start with Simon. If I wanted to read a book from the point of view of a twelve year old, I'd read a book from the point of view of a twelve year old. At least then, there's a justification for their thoughts and actions. Simon, however, is supposed to be in his early twenties. I've seen greater maturity and advanced thinking from my thirteen year old cousin. For one thing, he let Tamara think he was stalking her rather than coming up with a legitimate excuse for what he learned with his powers. Then he decided it was a swell idea to go and wave a bat around an office building, all while threatening office workers with violence after they did nothing to provoke him. And he had the audacity to refer to himself as the "good cop."
Simon had his faults (so, so many faults), but what really destroyed this book for me is Jane, the love interest. I read this book less than a month ago, but I had to go and look up her name in order to write this review; that is how unmemorable she was. Ignoring the total lack of personality and characterization, she was little more than the imaginings of a fourteen year old boy who has never had any interaction with actual women. Are we seriously supposed to believe that a woman who is quickly rising through the ranks of an "Evil" organization, who was tasked with murdering an agent for the "Good," is the kind of person who brings her DIARY to the aforementioned assassination. Not only does she bring her "dearest diary," as she so annoyingly calls it repeatedly, she writes in it about her thong. Yes. You read that correctly. As a woman in her early twenties, I can assure you that we do not write in our diaries about our underwear. In fact, as a whole, we don't keep diaries. I'm sure some young women do, but I would bet my life that they're not running a corporation that's "Evil."
I kept hoping that Jane would turn out to be double crossing him. Alas, she was just that lacking in development and realistic personality. I guess she and Simon really are perfect for each other. They both have the mentality of a twelve year old and the personality of a dead moth.
If this book had been satire or a comedy, I'd have enjoyed it significantly more. As it is, it was very obvious that the author was at least attempting for a more serious tone. Unfortunately, that just made this series unreadable for me. It had some great premises (the ghost sniffers, for instance), but they fell flat in the face of this book's more obvious failings. 1.5 stars because I can't find it in me to give it only one, yet it's not quite deserving of two.
Let's start with Simon. If I wanted to read a book from the point of view of a twelve year old, I'd read a book from the point of view of a twelve year old. At least then, there's a justification for their thoughts and actions. Simon, however, is supposed to be in his early twenties. I've seen greater maturity and advanced thinking from my thirteen year old cousin. For one thing, he let Tamara think he was stalking her rather than coming up with a legitimate excuse for what he learned with his powers. Then he decided it was a swell idea to go and wave a bat around an office building, all while threatening office workers with violence after they did nothing to provoke him. And he had the audacity to refer to himself as the "good cop."
Simon had his faults (so, so many faults), but what really destroyed this book for me is Jane, the love interest. I read this book less than a month ago, but I had to go and look up her name in order to write this review; that is how unmemorable she was. Ignoring the total lack of personality and characterization, she was little more than the imaginings of a fourteen year old boy who has never had any interaction with actual women. Are we seriously supposed to believe that a woman who is quickly rising through the ranks of an "Evil" organization, who was tasked with murdering an agent for the "Good," is the kind of person who brings her DIARY to the aforementioned assassination. Not only does she bring her "dearest diary," as she so annoyingly calls it repeatedly, she writes in it about her thong. Yes. You read that correctly. As a woman in her early twenties, I can assure you that we do not write in our diaries about our underwear. In fact, as a whole, we don't keep diaries. I'm sure some young women do, but I would bet my life that they're not running a corporation that's "Evil."
I kept hoping that Jane would turn out to be double crossing him. Alas, she was just that lacking in development and realistic personality. I guess she and Simon really are perfect for each other. They both have the mentality of a twelve year old and the personality of a dead moth.
If this book had been satire or a comedy, I'd have enjoyed it significantly more. As it is, it was very obvious that the author was at least attempting for a more serious tone. Unfortunately, that just made this series unreadable for me. It had some great premises (the ghost sniffers, for instance), but they fell flat in the face of this book's more obvious failings. 1.5 stars because I can't find it in me to give it only one, yet it's not quite deserving of two.
February 27, 2017
Simon Canderous is an agent of a NYC department created to handle the supernatural. He has the power of psychometry, the ability to see the history of any item he touches. Simon and his partner come across a ghost who is not aware she died and must solve her murder.
Parts of the book were well-written, even if Simon and Connor just stumble around New York until answers pretty much fall in their lap. I liked Simon and Jane's characters and relationship. While the book did have its faults, a see enough merit in it to check out the sequel.
Parts of the book were well-written, even if Simon and Connor just stumble around New York until answers pretty much fall in their lap. I liked Simon and Jane's characters and relationship. While the book did have its faults, a see enough merit in it to check out the sequel.
August 7, 2009
Dead To Me is the first book in a series about Simon Canderous, a twenty-four year old psychometrist, living in New York City and working for the secret Department of Extraordinary Affairs. What's a psychometrist you ask? Well, psychometry is the ability to touch an object that someone owns and find out things about them, such as memories or a certain time in their lives when they owned the object. Poor Simon hates having this ability because anything he touches with his bare hands, will allow him to know a person's deepest and darkest secrets. It makes dating quite an uncomfortable thing for him.
Simon used to work as a petty thief and is now on the side of good even though his underpaying job can hardly pay the bills. Plus, he comes in contact with all types of creatures. This includes ghosts who will turn part of your hair white if you tangle with them, thus being welcomed into the "White Stripes" group. Simon calls them the Hair Club For Men. His older partner, Connor, is part of this elite group of hair men because of his latest ghostly investigation. Simon and Connor take up a case after Simon drops his coffee through a ghost named Irene. And since they can't just have her floating around scaring people, they decide to find out who killed her. From there, Simon falls into all types of scrapes from being chased by killer bookshelves and evil cultists. He has to make sure he keeps his job and not touch anything that could possibly drain him to the point of passing out.
Since I am so use to reading about the female protagonist's point of view, it was nice for a change to read about the male's POV. Dead To Me is very quirky and Simon is such a funny and loveable guy. I wanted to give Simon a big hug because he is such a fish out of water, barely making ends meet while trying to stay alive as the things that go bump in the night try to do him in. This is a straight up Urban Fantasy with many pop culture references (Simon has a leather duster that reminds him of the one worn by Angel in the old TV series Angel) and I found myself chuckling a few times.
There is some subtle moments of a possible romance to come and since Anton has been contracted for three more books in this series, I would love to see what else he has in store for Simon.
Anton Strout is definitely a writer to keep your eye on and I really enjoyed the paranormal world of New York City and the character of Simon.
Simon used to work as a petty thief and is now on the side of good even though his underpaying job can hardly pay the bills. Plus, he comes in contact with all types of creatures. This includes ghosts who will turn part of your hair white if you tangle with them, thus being welcomed into the "White Stripes" group. Simon calls them the Hair Club For Men. His older partner, Connor, is part of this elite group of hair men because of his latest ghostly investigation. Simon and Connor take up a case after Simon drops his coffee through a ghost named Irene. And since they can't just have her floating around scaring people, they decide to find out who killed her. From there, Simon falls into all types of scrapes from being chased by killer bookshelves and evil cultists. He has to make sure he keeps his job and not touch anything that could possibly drain him to the point of passing out.
Since I am so use to reading about the female protagonist's point of view, it was nice for a change to read about the male's POV. Dead To Me is very quirky and Simon is such a funny and loveable guy. I wanted to give Simon a big hug because he is such a fish out of water, barely making ends meet while trying to stay alive as the things that go bump in the night try to do him in. This is a straight up Urban Fantasy with many pop culture references (Simon has a leather duster that reminds him of the one worn by Angel in the old TV series Angel) and I found myself chuckling a few times.
There is some subtle moments of a possible romance to come and since Anton has been contracted for three more books in this series, I would love to see what else he has in store for Simon.
Anton Strout is definitely a writer to keep your eye on and I really enjoyed the paranormal world of New York City and the character of Simon.
February 14, 2010
A few months back I declared my love of male written and male point of view urban fantasies, but up until that point I had only read Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files. I asked for recommendations and Anton Strout’s name was tossed my way. When Literary Escapism announced the League of Reluctant Adults challenge I knew it would be the perfect time to pick up the Simon Canderous series and dig in.
Simon is an incredibly likable character. He is your typical bad guy gone good, but with an interesting twist! Simon has the ability to touch an item and is instantly transported into someone else’s experience with the object. At one time Simon misused this power, living a life of crime. Now he has turned his life around and is firmly on the side of Good, working for the Department of Extraordinary Affairs.
One of the things I like most about Simon is that he is just your regular guy, trying to do the best he can. He isn’t a super hero who can take a beating and still get back up. When he takes a hit, he goes down just like you and I would. When he uses his power, it has side effects that could be dangerous. There is a nice balance to his character and the world around him.
As much as I enjoyed Simon’s character, I also enjoyed the side characters in this book. Simon’s partner and mentor, Connor, was funny and sarcastic in all the ways I like. He is also dependable and trustworthy, even if Simon doesn’t always see it.
The plot was interesting and made fun by the government setting of the Department of Extraordinary Affairs. There is just something humorous about the idea of paranormal government agencies tied up with red tape, paperwork, and cleverly named seminars. Imagine if the forces of good had to fight evil while sticking to a budget?
My only complaint was that I think the book could have used more background, maybe a deeper look into why Simon gave up petty crime. While I enjoyed both Simon and Connor, there was something missing and I never felt like I absolutely could not put this book down. While Dead to Me may have lacked slightly in depth, it made up for in clever and descriptive visuals. Strout does a very good job of describing things in a way that is easy to visualize, while not overdoing it. Dead to Me shows a lot of promise for the series and I look forward to seeing where Anton Strout takes Simon and the DEA next!
Simon is an incredibly likable character. He is your typical bad guy gone good, but with an interesting twist! Simon has the ability to touch an item and is instantly transported into someone else’s experience with the object. At one time Simon misused this power, living a life of crime. Now he has turned his life around and is firmly on the side of Good, working for the Department of Extraordinary Affairs.
One of the things I like most about Simon is that he is just your regular guy, trying to do the best he can. He isn’t a super hero who can take a beating and still get back up. When he takes a hit, he goes down just like you and I would. When he uses his power, it has side effects that could be dangerous. There is a nice balance to his character and the world around him.
As much as I enjoyed Simon’s character, I also enjoyed the side characters in this book. Simon’s partner and mentor, Connor, was funny and sarcastic in all the ways I like. He is also dependable and trustworthy, even if Simon doesn’t always see it.
The plot was interesting and made fun by the government setting of the Department of Extraordinary Affairs. There is just something humorous about the idea of paranormal government agencies tied up with red tape, paperwork, and cleverly named seminars. Imagine if the forces of good had to fight evil while sticking to a budget?
My only complaint was that I think the book could have used more background, maybe a deeper look into why Simon gave up petty crime. While I enjoyed both Simon and Connor, there was something missing and I never felt like I absolutely could not put this book down. While Dead to Me may have lacked slightly in depth, it made up for in clever and descriptive visuals. Strout does a very good job of describing things in a way that is easy to visualize, while not overdoing it. Dead to Me shows a lot of promise for the series and I look forward to seeing where Anton Strout takes Simon and the DEA next!
April 2, 2016
It took me two attempts to get into this book; the first time I started reading it I just couldn't work up the necessary interest in it to continue. However, at the second attempt, for some reason, I had no trouble and read it right through to the end in one sitting. I ended up glad I had persevered with it.
This is light urban fantasy; we don't get terribly deep character development, or great complexity, and the Department of Extraordinary Affairs (DEA) where the protagonist (Simon Canderous) works is played for laughs. It's a caricature of the red-tape-bound government agency; the humour coming from the juxtaposition of the almost uber-normal and the weird. Simon has to contend with lots of form-filling in triplicate and the kind of training-courses that we all have to suffer through, but he's also expected to put his life on the line fighting against homicidal ghosts and human-sacrificing cultists.
Simon's a guy who has a paranormal ability that has been useful in a life of petty crime and disastrous to his love-life, and now he's decided to go straight, he's relieved to find a job where it's actually an asset and he might learn to control it. In this book, he's still very much a newbie, and one who's been rather chucked in the deep end at that. Unlike many urban fantasy protagonists, he's not amazingly powerful - his ability is to read the history of objects when he touches them; excellent for giving you an unwanted look at whoever your girlfriend was with last, but not great in the self-defence stakes. His position is that he's very much a low-level operative having to deal with stuff he's neither trained nor equipped for. It gives an interesting new spin to the urban fantasy novel where we have rather too many kick-ass heroines with near-super-powers, and arrogance to match. Simon's out of his depth and he knows it.
Since the DEA is played for laughs, it isn't entirely believable - it's just a little too exaggerated - so this book is what you might reach for if you don't really want to think too hard, or be put through the emotional wringer too much. But it's still a book worth reaching for, and, having reached for it and read it, I shall now proceed to read the next in the series.
This is light urban fantasy; we don't get terribly deep character development, or great complexity, and the Department of Extraordinary Affairs (DEA) where the protagonist (Simon Canderous) works is played for laughs. It's a caricature of the red-tape-bound government agency; the humour coming from the juxtaposition of the almost uber-normal and the weird. Simon has to contend with lots of form-filling in triplicate and the kind of training-courses that we all have to suffer through, but he's also expected to put his life on the line fighting against homicidal ghosts and human-sacrificing cultists.
Simon's a guy who has a paranormal ability that has been useful in a life of petty crime and disastrous to his love-life, and now he's decided to go straight, he's relieved to find a job where it's actually an asset and he might learn to control it. In this book, he's still very much a newbie, and one who's been rather chucked in the deep end at that. Unlike many urban fantasy protagonists, he's not amazingly powerful - his ability is to read the history of objects when he touches them; excellent for giving you an unwanted look at whoever your girlfriend was with last, but not great in the self-defence stakes. His position is that he's very much a low-level operative having to deal with stuff he's neither trained nor equipped for. It gives an interesting new spin to the urban fantasy novel where we have rather too many kick-ass heroines with near-super-powers, and arrogance to match. Simon's out of his depth and he knows it.
Since the DEA is played for laughs, it isn't entirely believable - it's just a little too exaggerated - so this book is what you might reach for if you don't really want to think too hard, or be put through the emotional wringer too much. But it's still a book worth reaching for, and, having reached for it and read it, I shall now proceed to read the next in the series.
January 9, 2009
This book has been described as a sort of cross between Men in Black and Ghostbusters, and yeah, that's about right. Which means that Dead to Me is a lighthearted and very welcome antidote to a lot of the grim, gritty darkity-darkness that makes up so much of urban fantasy these days, with humor and a dash of romance driving the action rather than blatant sex and violence.
Simon Canderous is gifted with psychometry, the ability to read past incidents in a person's life by touching them or objects they've handled. He used to use his abilities for thievery, but now he's the newest recruit to the Department of Extraordinary Affairs--which, like any other government agency, is just as much about the bureaucracy and tight budgets as it is getting anything actually investigated. But when he and his partner stumble across a ghost who doesn't know she's dead, office worker zombies, and politically correct cultists out to take over the world through the power of legislation, Simon is thrown hard into the biggest case he's had to work on to date.
Dead to Me is not without issues; characterization and plot developments are both more simplistic than I'd like. On the other hand, that's kind of okay given the overall Ghostbusters-y feel of the thing, so I won't whinge about that too hard. Overall this was quite a bit of fun and I'm looking forward to the next one. Four stars.
Simon Canderous is gifted with psychometry, the ability to read past incidents in a person's life by touching them or objects they've handled. He used to use his abilities for thievery, but now he's the newest recruit to the Department of Extraordinary Affairs--which, like any other government agency, is just as much about the bureaucracy and tight budgets as it is getting anything actually investigated. But when he and his partner stumble across a ghost who doesn't know she's dead, office worker zombies, and politically correct cultists out to take over the world through the power of legislation, Simon is thrown hard into the biggest case he's had to work on to date.
Dead to Me is not without issues; characterization and plot developments are both more simplistic than I'd like. On the other hand, that's kind of okay given the overall Ghostbusters-y feel of the thing, so I won't whinge about that too hard. Overall this was quite a bit of fun and I'm looking forward to the next one. Four stars.
March 18, 2008
This is a really fun debut novel in a new urban fantasy series, and coming from someone who isn't wildly a fan of urban fantasy (epic and traditional are more my thing) I really enjoyed it!
Anton Strout has a great sense of humor, and the prose is laced with witty sarcasm that had me giggling to myself at times (I don't often giggle while reading books, so this is definitely saying something!). I've always been a fan of more sarcastic novels, but it's not often that an author pulls it off well before it starts getting irritating (example: Anita Blake. Yes, she's feisty, we get it), and a debut author, at that! Nothing like a self-deprecating hero sometimes.
It had a really entertaining story involving evil cultists (who employee zombies to do word processing!), ghostsniffers, and a wooden fish. There were no real lulls in the plot--it just kept going and kept getting better.
Looking forward to the next in the series--this was a great debut by a very witty author.
Anton Strout has a great sense of humor, and the prose is laced with witty sarcasm that had me giggling to myself at times (I don't often giggle while reading books, so this is definitely saying something!). I've always been a fan of more sarcastic novels, but it's not often that an author pulls it off well before it starts getting irritating (example: Anita Blake. Yes, she's feisty, we get it), and a debut author, at that! Nothing like a self-deprecating hero sometimes.
It had a really entertaining story involving evil cultists (who employee zombies to do word processing!), ghostsniffers, and a wooden fish. There were no real lulls in the plot--it just kept going and kept getting better.
Looking forward to the next in the series--this was a great debut by a very witty author.
June 10, 2009
Simon, a psychometric agent for the Department of Extraordinary Affairs, is involved in two major cases that somehow intertwine. Irene, an unusual ghost, has been murdered and her apartment trashed. Why? And Jane, an employee of the Sectarian Defense League, a cultist organization for evil. Simon has feelings for both Irene and Jane, the dead girl and the enemy, which pull him away from D.E.A. teachings. Of course, Faisal, the leader of S.D.L., is totally evil and out to kill Jane, Irene and Simon. This is a mystery novel that twists and turns, just when you think you know where it's going, it changes. Totally bizarre book but also really hard to put down.
BTW, psychometry is when you can pick up an object and get visions as to who, when and where that object has been. Simon wears leather gloves all the time so he doesn't get visions from every object he touches.
BTW, psychometry is when you can pick up an object and get visions as to who, when and where that object has been. Simon wears leather gloves all the time so he doesn't get visions from every object he touches.
June 17, 2008
This book is fantastic and I highly recommend all scifi people to pick this book up and read it.
funny thing was I found myself more drawn to the secondary character of Connor who I found to be more interesting. Simon Canderous was everything that a woman would want in a man, except that he could never, ever touch her without knowing about some part of her life that he doesn't need to know.
I liked the psychometry aspect of the book. How awesome would it be to pick up an item and understand the journey that item and/or person took.
I'm looking forward to more books by this fantastic young, new author.
funny thing was I found myself more drawn to the secondary character of Connor who I found to be more interesting. Simon Canderous was everything that a woman would want in a man, except that he could never, ever touch her without knowing about some part of her life that he doesn't need to know.
I liked the psychometry aspect of the book. How awesome would it be to pick up an item and understand the journey that item and/or person took.
I'm looking forward to more books by this fantastic young, new author.
March 20, 2011
All the descriptions of this book made me think I'd like it -- and, sadly, all my time reading the book made me think of how Charles Stross nailed with his Atrocity Archives series what Anton Strout is trying to do here. There's not particularly wrong with Strout's attempt to mix Dilbertesque company bureaucracy and politics with urban fantasy, but there's nothing here that wows me or makes me want to pick up the next volume in the series.
Recommended for folks who really like this sort of thing, and therefore aren't raising a high bar.
Recommended for folks who really like this sort of thing, and therefore aren't raising a high bar.
September 8, 2011
Simon Canderous can see the information about any object he touches. He used to be a thief, but now he is working for Department of Extraordinary Affairs. After he meets a ghost of a beautiful woman, his mentor and he decide to find out who killed her.
The author has some geography issues, but it was ok.
The author has some geography issues, but it was ok.
June 17, 2008
3.5 stars, really. But I plan on reading more when they come available.
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