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The Clown Service #2
The Rain-Soaked Bride
A number of influential South Korean nationals are committing suicide on UK soil. In all cases they seem to simply drop whatever they're doing and swiftly -- almost vacantly -- end their own lives. An electronics importer falls from the top floor of his high-rise office, the ambassador to the UK shoots his chauffeur and drives his own car off London Bridge, an actor sets fire to himself during a movie premiere...
August and Toby investigate and slowly uncover the ancient force of the Rain-Soaked Bride, a ghostly spirit of vengeance that drags her enemies to their deaths.
Once summoned the spirit cannot be dismissed until it takes the life it is charged with, it will be unstoppable in its pursuit of the mortal it has in its sights. Unfortunately, after getting too close to the source of the spirit, that mortal is now Toby Greene.
August and Toby investigate and slowly uncover the ancient force of the Rain-Soaked Bride, a ghostly spirit of vengeance that drags her enemies to their deaths.
Once summoned the spirit cannot be dismissed until it takes the life it is charged with, it will be unstoppable in its pursuit of the mortal it has in its sights. Unfortunately, after getting too close to the source of the spirit, that mortal is now Toby Greene.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published July 3, 2014
7 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
December 21, 2014
This was a supremely delightful read. When I requested this book for review, I really had no idea what to expect. I don't normally read mystery novels, but for whatever reason (perhaps the awesome cover) this caught my eye. For once my superficial cover lusting payed off!
I am always a sucker for witty dialogue and this book had it in abundance. Each character had their own unique brand of humour and quirk, and for me this was the icing on the cake of an already awesome book. The plot kept me guessing to the end and I was honestly surprised when the villain was unmasked.
I am always appreciative when a story leaves a smile on my face and since The Rain Soaked Bride went above and beyond in the entertainment department I will definitely be reading more from this author.
Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Buy
Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
December 26, 2020
I thought it was about time I finished off the Clown Service trilogy especially considering how long ago I had read the first book.
I have to say that I did enjoy the book although many of the twists in the book were a little predictable although they were easily over looked when these are weighed against the dry and pithy dialogue between the characters.
I guess what I am saying is that some storylines use tried and tested ideas (no I am not going to go in to details and reveal potential clues and spoilers to the storyline) but what they do is pull it back with characterisation and dialogues. I have read (as I am sure you have too) too many books where amazing plot ideas are squandered on poor dialogue or flat and 2 dimensional characters.
This is not the case with the Rain Soaked bride - if anything it feels like Guy Adams (and I have read a number of his books so I know he has it in him) is just reaching his stride with this book which means that there are high hopes for the third and final installment.
So if you like this sort of thing by all means give this series ago but like the famous UK phrase goes its a bit Marmite for some you will either love it or hate it.
I have to say that I did enjoy the book although many of the twists in the book were a little predictable although they were easily over looked when these are weighed against the dry and pithy dialogue between the characters.
I guess what I am saying is that some storylines use tried and tested ideas (no I am not going to go in to details and reveal potential clues and spoilers to the storyline) but what they do is pull it back with characterisation and dialogues. I have read (as I am sure you have too) too many books where amazing plot ideas are squandered on poor dialogue or flat and 2 dimensional characters.
This is not the case with the Rain Soaked bride - if anything it feels like Guy Adams (and I have read a number of his books so I know he has it in him) is just reaching his stride with this book which means that there are high hopes for the third and final installment.
So if you like this sort of thing by all means give this series ago but like the famous UK phrase goes its a bit Marmite for some you will either love it or hate it.
July 16, 2019
Crossover urban-fantasy/espionage thriller where a sorcerer attempts to break-up an international conference at a remote site thorough assassination resulting in a country house mystery.
This is the second book in the Clown Service series. I'm reading this because I liked the first book in the series The Clown Service (my review).
This was an urban-fantasy/spy thriller that shapes up as a country house mystery. A sorcerer is engaged by a third power to break-up an international conference between the UK and Korea taking place at an English manor house. The sorcerer’s use of magic for the purpose of assassination causes MI5 to skeptically engage Section 37 (A.K.A The Clown Service) their Preternatural Investigations Op. Section 37 consisting of August Shining (a white wizard) and his apprentice Toby Greene fight magic with magic and try to ferret-out the assassin from amongst the delegates and staff at the isolated conference. Country House Mysteries are a very British mystery sub-genre. I thought doing an urban fantasy crossover with it was clever. The writing is also very British and in places comedic. The author achieves atmosphere and moves the story quickly with a screenplay-like style. Finally, the story extends both long-term plot lines and sets up for new ones.
My dead-tree copy was a moderate 340-pages. Original UK copyright for the story was 2014. I read the book very quickly. Note not a great deal of prose is dedicated to backstory. Reading this book without having read the first book in the series would substantially detract from its enjoyment.
Guy Adams is a British author who writes in several genres. This is the second book in his Clown Service series. The series is three (3) books. The last book in the series was written in 20015.
Prose was good. I felt it was a little better than the first book. It had an informal, hip, British style. Note the story has not been Americanized. There are references that may baffle a non-Brit, or at least a non-Anglophile. For example, I had forgotten what type of carnival ride a Waltzer was. Dialog was better than the descriptive prose. Action sequences were well handled. The narrative was humorous. There were two (2), main POVs: August Shining and Greene. There was also the minor POVs of April Shining (August’s sister and a supporting character.) and the antagonist.
There was no sex, or drug abuse in the story. Alcohol was used for social recreation. Violence was physical and firearms. It was moderately graphic. Descriptions of resulting trauma were similarly graphic. Body count was moderate and in-line with a murder mystery.
The main characters were well executed, although they were carried over from the first book. Greene is the main character. He’s come a long way since The Clown Service. While not magically savvy he’s a full-function agent of Section 37. August Shiner is the same spymaster, bureaucrat, and sorcerer. August’s sister April Shiner continues to be my favorite character. I like her spinster, pensioner, ex- bureaucrat character. In another life I think she may have been an English Lucrezia Borgia in a previous life. Tamar, August’s Caucasian (Armenian or Azerbaijani?) ‘bodyguard’ and who magically disappeared in the first book reappears. She's now Greene's love interest. I thought this plot-line was sappy. There are several Korean and English diplomats, and MI5 subordinate characters. In the past I’ve worked closely with Koreans in and out of Korea. The Korean characters were not the folks I’m familiar with. The antagonist remains well if unfairly hidden. I take issue with magic bad guys in mysteries. Their repertoire of spells negates my deep experience with police procedurals.
The plotting was well done. It was well within the Agatha Christie inspired sub-genre. Adams leverages fantasy, horror, and whodunit tropes in the story. August Shining practices his Scientifically Understandable Sorcery to uncover the assassin. Fewer paranormal tropes were in-use than in the first book. The assassin’s weapon of choice (related to the book’s title) was a bit too derivative of the movie Ring (1999) , but does have a nice Korean tie-in with the story. Spy tropes continue in the flavor of Len Deighton. His was a gritty and morally ambiguous form of espionage. Intra-service rivalry within the Brit security services, a theme within the series, was also well done. The assassin was not who I thought they would be. Pacing was fine throughout. The addendum in which Greene gets the girl was expected, but I think will be the death of the series. Note the author is fond of awkward addendums to the story to lay the ground for future books.
Action takes place in Metro London and southwestern Warwickshire. There was also very little UK geography infotainment in the story.
This book contains about the same number and type of errors found in the first book. For example, the author confuses the Japanese keiretsu with the Korean chaebol. A problem I have with this author and many Brit authors in general is that they don't come from the Gun Cultures found in The States or SA nor do many have any professional hands-on experience with firearms. When they write about firearms they've either only read about it or seen it on TV or the movies. In one case Green unholsters his semi-auto pistol, 'cocks the hammer' and returns it to the holster. That's an easy way to shoot yourself. Also, semiautomatic pistols don't have hammers. Another tech-related error was that Greene notes his 3G mobile phone connection. In 2014 in central London, 4G service was the norm.
This was a moderately entertaining continuation of this urban-fantasy/espionage thriller series. It’s light-weight, and structured to be easily made screen ready. The author continues with using urban fantasy/horror/spy genre tropes that started the series. The riffs on these tropes are entertaining enough to be interesting. In addition the series continues to be modestly comedic. Once I buy into a series, I tend to become more forgiving. This is not a great work. Its the kind of book an Anglophilic, urban fantasy reader reads on a chaise lounge between trips to the Beach Bar. I like the characters. In addition, the author’s use of the country house mystery genre was an interesting switch. It made the book for me. I am skeptical about the effect of the Greene/Tamar relationship on the course of the series. Recommended, if you’re a fan of this type of series.
I will be reading the next book in the series A Few Words for the Dead.
Readers interested in a similar story should try the The Wolves of London.
This is the second book in the Clown Service series. I'm reading this because I liked the first book in the series The Clown Service (my review).
This was an urban-fantasy/spy thriller that shapes up as a country house mystery. A sorcerer is engaged by a third power to break-up an international conference between the UK and Korea taking place at an English manor house. The sorcerer’s use of magic for the purpose of assassination causes MI5 to skeptically engage Section 37 (A.K.A The Clown Service) their Preternatural Investigations Op. Section 37 consisting of August Shining (a white wizard) and his apprentice Toby Greene fight magic with magic and try to ferret-out the assassin from amongst the delegates and staff at the isolated conference. Country House Mysteries are a very British mystery sub-genre. I thought doing an urban fantasy crossover with it was clever. The writing is also very British and in places comedic. The author achieves atmosphere and moves the story quickly with a screenplay-like style. Finally, the story extends both long-term plot lines and sets up for new ones.
My dead-tree copy was a moderate 340-pages. Original UK copyright for the story was 2014. I read the book very quickly. Note not a great deal of prose is dedicated to backstory. Reading this book without having read the first book in the series would substantially detract from its enjoyment.
Guy Adams is a British author who writes in several genres. This is the second book in his Clown Service series. The series is three (3) books. The last book in the series was written in 20015.
Prose was good. I felt it was a little better than the first book. It had an informal, hip, British style. Note the story has not been Americanized. There are references that may baffle a non-Brit, or at least a non-Anglophile. For example, I had forgotten what type of carnival ride a Waltzer was. Dialog was better than the descriptive prose. Action sequences were well handled. The narrative was humorous. There were two (2), main POVs: August Shining and Greene. There was also the minor POVs of April Shining (August’s sister and a supporting character.) and the antagonist.
There was no sex, or drug abuse in the story. Alcohol was used for social recreation. Violence was physical and firearms. It was moderately graphic. Descriptions of resulting trauma were similarly graphic. Body count was moderate and in-line with a murder mystery.
The main characters were well executed, although they were carried over from the first book. Greene is the main character. He’s come a long way since The Clown Service. While not magically savvy he’s a full-function agent of Section 37. August Shiner is the same spymaster, bureaucrat, and sorcerer. August’s sister April Shiner continues to be my favorite character. I like her spinster, pensioner, ex- bureaucrat character. In another life I think she may have been an English Lucrezia Borgia in a previous life. Tamar, August’s Caucasian (Armenian or Azerbaijani?) ‘bodyguard’ and who magically disappeared in the first book reappears. She's now Greene's love interest. I thought this plot-line was sappy. There are several Korean and English diplomats, and MI5 subordinate characters. In the past I’ve worked closely with Koreans in and out of Korea. The Korean characters were not the folks I’m familiar with. The antagonist remains well if unfairly hidden. I take issue with magic bad guys in mysteries. Their repertoire of spells negates my deep experience with police procedurals.
The plotting was well done. It was well within the Agatha Christie inspired sub-genre. Adams leverages fantasy, horror, and whodunit tropes in the story. August Shining practices his Scientifically Understandable Sorcery to uncover the assassin. Fewer paranormal tropes were in-use than in the first book. The assassin’s weapon of choice (related to the book’s title) was a bit too derivative of the movie Ring (1999) , but does have a nice Korean tie-in with the story. Spy tropes continue in the flavor of Len Deighton. His was a gritty and morally ambiguous form of espionage. Intra-service rivalry within the Brit security services, a theme within the series, was also well done. The assassin was not who I thought they would be. Pacing was fine throughout. The addendum in which Greene gets the girl was expected, but I think will be the death of the series. Note the author is fond of awkward addendums to the story to lay the ground for future books.
Action takes place in Metro London and southwestern Warwickshire. There was also very little UK geography infotainment in the story.
This book contains about the same number and type of errors found in the first book. For example, the author confuses the Japanese keiretsu with the Korean chaebol. A problem I have with this author and many Brit authors in general is that they don't come from the Gun Cultures found in The States or SA nor do many have any professional hands-on experience with firearms. When they write about firearms they've either only read about it or seen it on TV or the movies. In one case Green unholsters his semi-auto pistol, 'cocks the hammer' and returns it to the holster. That's an easy way to shoot yourself. Also, semiautomatic pistols don't have hammers. Another tech-related error was that Greene notes his 3G mobile phone connection. In 2014 in central London, 4G service was the norm.
This was a moderately entertaining continuation of this urban-fantasy/espionage thriller series. It’s light-weight, and structured to be easily made screen ready. The author continues with using urban fantasy/horror/spy genre tropes that started the series. The riffs on these tropes are entertaining enough to be interesting. In addition the series continues to be modestly comedic. Once I buy into a series, I tend to become more forgiving. This is not a great work. Its the kind of book an Anglophilic, urban fantasy reader reads on a chaise lounge between trips to the Beach Bar. I like the characters. In addition, the author’s use of the country house mystery genre was an interesting switch. It made the book for me. I am skeptical about the effect of the Greene/Tamar relationship on the course of the series. Recommended, if you’re a fan of this type of series.
I will be reading the next book in the series A Few Words for the Dead.
Readers interested in a similar story should try the The Wolves of London.
September 8, 2014
The first book in this series,
The Clown Service
, took me by surprise earlier this summer. While the concept and its bright cover intrigued me sufficiently to pick it up, I hadn’t expected to enjoy it as much as I did. I was utterly charmed by Toby, his supervisor August Shining, Shining’s sister April and their neighbour Tamar. The Rain-Soaked Bride was already on my TBR-pile and I started it as soon as I could, because I couldn't wait to get back to Toby and friends.
The start of the book deals with the fall-out from the previous book in quite an interesting way. Unfortunately going into some of it, would give huge spoilers for both book one and book two, but one of the non-spoilery elements I really liked was the way Adams developed the working relationship Shining and Toby. They seem to have settled into a solid partnership and I loved the understanding that’s grown between them in the six months or so between the books. While Toby is sometimes still baffled by his boss’ eccentricities, he’s learned to trust in his judgement and act accordingly.
The Toby who is the star in this instalment of the Clown Service series, is a different person from the one we met in The Clown Service. He’s become far more self-confident and capable in this novel, a fact that comes to the fore once we move into the actual investigation of the Rain-Soaked Bride murders. He’s also gotten more of a handle on his PTSD and I liked how Adams actually incorporated this into the plot. Toby is a very sympathetic main character and it’s very easy to root for him. My other favourite character in this book was April. This time Shining’s sister is a far larger part of the book and she is both hilarious and a force of nature in the narrative. I loved discovering more of her history and seeing her in action. She’s morphed from the McGonagall/Harriet Bouquet vision I had of her in The Clown Service into someone more resembling Dame Judi Dench in her M incarnation, only more smiley.
Once again, Adams offers us an interesting mystery to ponder, though there is a bigger whodunnit quality to this one. The Rain-Soaked Bride, a mysterious apparition that kills any who see her, assassinates several important British diplomats and it’s unclear who is behind the orders to eliminate these people. Toby and Shining not only have to figure out who the Rain-Soaked Bride is exactly, but also who sent her. Something that only becomes more complicated when the story moves from a general murder mystery to a locked room puzzle. The tension increases enormously as the number of victims pile up around trade negotiations between the UK and South-Korea, which are taking place in a secure mansion in the British countryside and Shining and Toby, together with April, are the only ones able to solve the mystery, because they are the only ones prepared to accept a supernatural explanation.
The Rain-Soaked Bride is another highly entertaining and action-packed story of the Clown Service, one I enjoyed tremendously. If anything, the book is even better than the first book in the series as Adams has more time to devote to the plot and character development side of things, as he doesn’t need to establish his setting. The book doesn’t standalone, however; even if the mystery in the book is solved, the story isn’t concluded and reading the previous book is necessary to understand some of the choices Toby and Shining make in this one. Adams leaves us with a huge plot hook for the next instalment and I can’t wait to find out what happens next. If you enjoyed The Clown Service, The Rain-Soaked Bride is a must-read. If you’ve not read The Clown Service, I recommend you start there and get the most out of your reading experience.
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
The start of the book deals with the fall-out from the previous book in quite an interesting way. Unfortunately going into some of it, would give huge spoilers for both book one and book two, but one of the non-spoilery elements I really liked was the way Adams developed the working relationship Shining and Toby. They seem to have settled into a solid partnership and I loved the understanding that’s grown between them in the six months or so between the books. While Toby is sometimes still baffled by his boss’ eccentricities, he’s learned to trust in his judgement and act accordingly.
The Toby who is the star in this instalment of the Clown Service series, is a different person from the one we met in The Clown Service. He’s become far more self-confident and capable in this novel, a fact that comes to the fore once we move into the actual investigation of the Rain-Soaked Bride murders. He’s also gotten more of a handle on his PTSD and I liked how Adams actually incorporated this into the plot. Toby is a very sympathetic main character and it’s very easy to root for him. My other favourite character in this book was April. This time Shining’s sister is a far larger part of the book and she is both hilarious and a force of nature in the narrative. I loved discovering more of her history and seeing her in action. She’s morphed from the McGonagall/Harriet Bouquet vision I had of her in The Clown Service into someone more resembling Dame Judi Dench in her M incarnation, only more smiley.
Once again, Adams offers us an interesting mystery to ponder, though there is a bigger whodunnit quality to this one. The Rain-Soaked Bride, a mysterious apparition that kills any who see her, assassinates several important British diplomats and it’s unclear who is behind the orders to eliminate these people. Toby and Shining not only have to figure out who the Rain-Soaked Bride is exactly, but also who sent her. Something that only becomes more complicated when the story moves from a general murder mystery to a locked room puzzle. The tension increases enormously as the number of victims pile up around trade negotiations between the UK and South-Korea, which are taking place in a secure mansion in the British countryside and Shining and Toby, together with April, are the only ones able to solve the mystery, because they are the only ones prepared to accept a supernatural explanation.
The Rain-Soaked Bride is another highly entertaining and action-packed story of the Clown Service, one I enjoyed tremendously. If anything, the book is even better than the first book in the series as Adams has more time to devote to the plot and character development side of things, as he doesn’t need to establish his setting. The book doesn’t standalone, however; even if the mystery in the book is solved, the story isn’t concluded and reading the previous book is necessary to understand some of the choices Toby and Shining make in this one. Adams leaves us with a huge plot hook for the next instalment and I can’t wait to find out what happens next. If you enjoyed The Clown Service, The Rain-Soaked Bride is a must-read. If you’ve not read The Clown Service, I recommend you start there and get the most out of your reading experience.
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
August 19, 2018
An okay UK urban fantasy novel.
More Charles Stross' "Laundry Files" than Ben Aaronovitch's "Rivers of London".
An okay read, but the characters felt a little flat.
More Charles Stross' "Laundry Files" than Ben Aaronovitch's "Rivers of London".
An okay read, but the characters felt a little flat.
February 19, 2025
August Shining would like this to be categorised as science fiction, but I'm not convinced. We saved the world by time travel in the first book and now we're having to defend against a curse, a transportable curse. (Do not accept anything from anyone.) The person who lays the curse must be somewhere nearby for it to operate so if you know who it is and can get and keep yourself out of range you're safe. (Sounds easy. Hah!) The curse usually announces itself with a peal of thunder followed by highly localised drenching rain. At this point you will see a young woman dressed all in white with long black hair streaming down her back. You can't quite see her face. Whatever happens next will appear to be an accident and since no one else sees the bride the death will be ascribed to accidental causes.
SPOILERS
Okay, all gone?
Right. How is it that Toby can speak to the bride and why can she lift the effect of the curse? Her sympathy is understandable considering her story but it isn't logical that appealing to it would have an effect on the "science" of the magic. When the storm appears at the end you can't help but think that he'll be able to persuade it away just as he did before.
Are we going to have an explanation of the "higher being" in book three? Perhaps that should be "lower being" considering what appears to be its motivation. August appears to be more conflicted than one would have expected and his loyalty is definitely in doubt.
The doppelganging of Fratfield is disturbing because it seems to make managing the curse easier and what is that total blackness that settles over the house? In other manifestations the darkness was more or less what you'd expect with a heavy rainstorm but this is a Stygian blackness of great impenetrability. There's the experiencing of past events there, too. People seem to have survived before so is this review a test for Shining or has he been involved before or just what?
I'm thoroughly confused and will have to trot out and get book three to try to solve these strange concerns. It was a great read regardless.
SPOILERS
Okay, all gone?
Right. How is it that Toby can speak to the bride and why can she lift the effect of the curse? Her sympathy is understandable considering her story but it isn't logical that appealing to it would have an effect on the "science" of the magic. When the storm appears at the end you can't help but think that he'll be able to persuade it away just as he did before.
Are we going to have an explanation of the "higher being" in book three? Perhaps that should be "lower being" considering what appears to be its motivation. August appears to be more conflicted than one would have expected and his loyalty is definitely in doubt.
The doppelganging of Fratfield is disturbing because it seems to make managing the curse easier and what is that total blackness that settles over the house? In other manifestations the darkness was more or less what you'd expect with a heavy rainstorm but this is a Stygian blackness of great impenetrability. There's the experiencing of past events there, too. People seem to have survived before so is this review a test for Shining or has he been involved before or just what?
I'm thoroughly confused and will have to trot out and get book three to try to solve these strange concerns. It was a great read regardless.
July 18, 2020
Honestly I had no idea there were other books associated with this. On the back of the cover it mentions something called the Clown Service, which is a fun add since I’m fairly certain that organization is not mentioned once throughout the course of the book, instead referring to the department as Section 37. From what I gather this is the second installment regarding the happenings of the Clown Service. Either way you don’t need to have read any other books to understand what you can gather through context and still have a pleasant time.
This book was caught part way between trying to be a comedy (and managing to achieve that goal at times), and looking for a kinship with brand names like X-Files or Fringe. Agent looks for the paranormal, sometimes mocked by others in their field. If you’re looking for it, this book is a Diet X-Files that serves up a healthy amount of camp. It was a light read and I’m okay having read it.
I can’t finish this review without mentioning my favorite character April. She is a brilliantly splash of color on the page. Most characters that get to be female and sexually empowered are usually young wanton things. With April, she is often described as an older woman who is both fierce and youthful. She calls grown men “boys” and is always down for a good time. I probably wouldn’t have made it through this book without her.
Reason to read this book: You’re into the hokey-pokey and want to turn yourself around.
Favorite side character: April Shining, forever. Be still my beating heart.
This book was caught part way between trying to be a comedy (and managing to achieve that goal at times), and looking for a kinship with brand names like X-Files or Fringe. Agent looks for the paranormal, sometimes mocked by others in their field. If you’re looking for it, this book is a Diet X-Files that serves up a healthy amount of camp. It was a light read and I’m okay having read it.
I can’t finish this review without mentioning my favorite character April. She is a brilliantly splash of color on the page. Most characters that get to be female and sexually empowered are usually young wanton things. With April, she is often described as an older woman who is both fierce and youthful. She calls grown men “boys” and is always down for a good time. I probably wouldn’t have made it through this book without her.
Reason to read this book: You’re into the hokey-pokey and want to turn yourself around.
Favorite side character: April Shining, forever. Be still my beating heart.
October 24, 2021
https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3779083.html
I am familiar with Adams’ Whoniverse writing (includes a particularly good Torchwood novel), but this is a different series, the middle book of a loosely linked trilogy about the Clown Service, a secret British government agency fighting paranormal terrorism. Dark forces are attempting to cause a high-level conference between the UK and South Korea to disintegrate in acrimony and mysterious deaths (always accompanied by hyper-localised rain and a spectral bride). The writing is fun, but I really didn't have much of a clue what was going on.
I am familiar with Adams’ Whoniverse writing (includes a particularly good Torchwood novel), but this is a different series, the middle book of a loosely linked trilogy about the Clown Service, a secret British government agency fighting paranormal terrorism. Dark forces are attempting to cause a high-level conference between the UK and South Korea to disintegrate in acrimony and mysterious deaths (always accompanied by hyper-localised rain and a spectral bride). The writing is fun, but I really didn't have much of a clue what was going on.
November 22, 2018
Another enjoyable outing of the Clown Service. Not as good as book 1, but worth a few hours of your time.
Although I have to say that the GR blurb, or at least the 1st paragraph of it, bears almost no resemblance to the actual book. It's a bit random.
Although I have to say that the GR blurb, or at least the 1st paragraph of it, bears almost no resemblance to the actual book. It's a bit random.
May 25, 2017
Great read - hard to put down.
March 21, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyed the book. Second book featuring August, Toby, and April lived up to the franchise. The mystery was transparent,but the ride to unravel it was great.
May 11, 2018
Funny and chilling in equal measure.
November 14, 2019
Brilliant follow up to The Clown Service, fast paced, and a book for the disruptor generation. Good fun !
March 25, 2020
Exciting and clever. Frankly I just enjoyed reading a fiction book again!
March 18, 2015
originally posted at: http://thebookplank.blogspot.com/2015...
About two years ago I was first introduced to Guy Adams' writing in the form of The Good, The Bad and The Infernal, and was immediately taken by his writing style. A year later came something quite different, the first book in the The Clown Service series, The Clown Service, up until that time the Detective genre books were pretty much focused on a completely fantasy setting or completely current setting. The Clown Service was for me a book that marked the change, really giving a cool blend of both, making it just possible that something could exist, or making you wish it did.
The story of The Rain-Soaked Bride picks up a bit after the events of The Clown Service, a few months have passed in between both books. Toby Greene, the latest addition to the super secret organization known as Section 37, or perhaps better known as The Clown Service, is wrapping up some business in Russia. After this Guy Adams set the focus once again back in London, England. The base of operations of Section 37. Toby, however, doesn't get much time to relax and soon finds himself on another mission. Some very unexplainable murders have been happening to a specific group of people. With unexplainable I mean really unexplainable. The normal authorities are drawing blank in finding ways to figure out just how it all might have happened. When the only thing left behind is a wet spot... Now it is once again up to the new guy Toby Greene and his superior Augustus Shining to find out what is happening. Because the victims in this are special, they are from a South Korean delegation, and this could put a lot of thing at risk. As with many if not all of Guy Adams' books I always have to stop my self from telling too much and even more so when I talk about the The Clown service books as they are non-stop action packed and very funny and humorous books to start with.
And once again with, The Rain-Soaked Bride, Guy Adams did a very cool job in constructing the story. As I already mentioned above, this is part urban fantasy and a whole lot more. Guy Adams has a lot of creativity which readily comes to show when he build his story and devises the plot line. On the first it all seems rather normal, as it should be, but when you continue in the story the weird things start to pop up, the supernatural influences. In some ways they remain obscure mentionings, which allow you to think about them for yourself, what they could possible mean. But in other Guy Adams explains them in detail with an accompanying theory. Both of these elements work mighty fine together creating one heck of a promising story that delivers.
The characters that you meet along the story are both recurrent and new. Lets take Toby for starters.Looking back on the first book it readily comes to show that Guy Adams had in mind to establish Toby as the lead character. Toby was placed in The Clown Service and had to deal with it. So basically his development was getting acquainted with the weird things and Section 37 in general. From the start of the story it becomes clear that he has learned many lessons and now is the next fully operational field agent. Toby is confident in what he does and all his actions show this. Also people around have become to trust him and his judgement fully. This gives him a boost in self confidence which gives a tremendous boost to his character. Second up is Augustus Shining, I like his character a lot. He was a bit fatherly in the first book but now gives more space for Toby's development and letting him take the center stage when it comes to making decisions. Augustus in my opinion is the serious side to it all, he like to approach thing more calculated than Toby but also doesn't mind for a joke once in a while. Next to these two established characters there are also newer introductions. To begin with the sister of Augustus. April Shining who is called into action to act as a Korean translator. April doesn't look by far close to August in terms of personality, she moves like a tornado through the story producing some very funny scenes, you don't want to get in an argue with her! Though we already met April in the first book she now has a lot more coverage in The Rain-Soaked Bride, this is also an advantage of a second book, further building out the characters. There was also a brief exposure of a curse specialist Cassandra Grace, who with her brief but powerful page time added a lot of flavour to the story.
The Clown Service was a terrific start to the series which yes sorry to say Guy Adams continues brilliantly in The Rain-Soaked Bride. Further developing the oftentimes weird and bit eccentric characters and of course showing more and more of his own creativity in setting up this one-of-a-kind urban fantasy slash supernatural espionage series. I haven't heard a lot of new from the blogosphere about The Clown Service books, but this is a underdog guys and girl, beware! I wish more people new about this awesome series. It is. Trust me.
About two years ago I was first introduced to Guy Adams' writing in the form of The Good, The Bad and The Infernal, and was immediately taken by his writing style. A year later came something quite different, the first book in the The Clown Service series, The Clown Service, up until that time the Detective genre books were pretty much focused on a completely fantasy setting or completely current setting. The Clown Service was for me a book that marked the change, really giving a cool blend of both, making it just possible that something could exist, or making you wish it did.
The story of The Rain-Soaked Bride picks up a bit after the events of The Clown Service, a few months have passed in between both books. Toby Greene, the latest addition to the super secret organization known as Section 37, or perhaps better known as The Clown Service, is wrapping up some business in Russia. After this Guy Adams set the focus once again back in London, England. The base of operations of Section 37. Toby, however, doesn't get much time to relax and soon finds himself on another mission. Some very unexplainable murders have been happening to a specific group of people. With unexplainable I mean really unexplainable. The normal authorities are drawing blank in finding ways to figure out just how it all might have happened. When the only thing left behind is a wet spot... Now it is once again up to the new guy Toby Greene and his superior Augustus Shining to find out what is happening. Because the victims in this are special, they are from a South Korean delegation, and this could put a lot of thing at risk. As with many if not all of Guy Adams' books I always have to stop my self from telling too much and even more so when I talk about the The Clown service books as they are non-stop action packed and very funny and humorous books to start with.
And once again with, The Rain-Soaked Bride, Guy Adams did a very cool job in constructing the story. As I already mentioned above, this is part urban fantasy and a whole lot more. Guy Adams has a lot of creativity which readily comes to show when he build his story and devises the plot line. On the first it all seems rather normal, as it should be, but when you continue in the story the weird things start to pop up, the supernatural influences. In some ways they remain obscure mentionings, which allow you to think about them for yourself, what they could possible mean. But in other Guy Adams explains them in detail with an accompanying theory. Both of these elements work mighty fine together creating one heck of a promising story that delivers.
The characters that you meet along the story are both recurrent and new. Lets take Toby for starters.Looking back on the first book it readily comes to show that Guy Adams had in mind to establish Toby as the lead character. Toby was placed in The Clown Service and had to deal with it. So basically his development was getting acquainted with the weird things and Section 37 in general. From the start of the story it becomes clear that he has learned many lessons and now is the next fully operational field agent. Toby is confident in what he does and all his actions show this. Also people around have become to trust him and his judgement fully. This gives him a boost in self confidence which gives a tremendous boost to his character. Second up is Augustus Shining, I like his character a lot. He was a bit fatherly in the first book but now gives more space for Toby's development and letting him take the center stage when it comes to making decisions. Augustus in my opinion is the serious side to it all, he like to approach thing more calculated than Toby but also doesn't mind for a joke once in a while. Next to these two established characters there are also newer introductions. To begin with the sister of Augustus. April Shining who is called into action to act as a Korean translator. April doesn't look by far close to August in terms of personality, she moves like a tornado through the story producing some very funny scenes, you don't want to get in an argue with her! Though we already met April in the first book she now has a lot more coverage in The Rain-Soaked Bride, this is also an advantage of a second book, further building out the characters. There was also a brief exposure of a curse specialist Cassandra Grace, who with her brief but powerful page time added a lot of flavour to the story.
The Clown Service was a terrific start to the series which yes sorry to say Guy Adams continues brilliantly in The Rain-Soaked Bride. Further developing the oftentimes weird and bit eccentric characters and of course showing more and more of his own creativity in setting up this one-of-a-kind urban fantasy slash supernatural espionage series. I haven't heard a lot of new from the blogosphere about The Clown Service books, but this is a underdog guys and girl, beware! I wish more people new about this awesome series. It is. Trust me.
July 29, 2015
Received from Netgalley
Toby Greene and August Shining are Agents in Section 37 in this second book of the Clown Service series by Guy Adams. Picture Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade moving to modern Britain and joining an organization that is a supernatural version of The Men in Black but without any of the resources or actual organization.
The female back up cast in this book; April Shining and Casandra were a real treat reminding me of the funny, stubborn, strong woman from so many old black and white movies I've enjoyed. and stood out as the most interesting of the characters.
Guy Adams has a very clear, enjoyable, and simple writing style that is perfect for this kind of story and when I read his books I find myself thinking I bet this is a good guy I'd like to hang out with, meaning his books make you comfortable.
The story is well constructed and perfectly serviceable and again feels like an old Cary Grant film but doesn't have a huge amount of explosive and wow scenes, which is fine to be honest because sometimes those comfy shoes are just fine.
For The Parents:
Violence: Mild, nothing to violent or over the top, A bit of gun and knife but not extreme
Sexuality: Except for one single very adult sentence that may even go over some younger heads there was barely a peep but for a bit of mild innuendo
Language: Extremely mild
Intensity: I'd Say 5 on a 10 scale theres a bit of scariness to it but nothing that would make a 13 Year old feel nervous.
Toby Greene and August Shining are Agents in Section 37 in this second book of the Clown Service series by Guy Adams. Picture Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade moving to modern Britain and joining an organization that is a supernatural version of The Men in Black but without any of the resources or actual organization.
The female back up cast in this book; April Shining and Casandra were a real treat reminding me of the funny, stubborn, strong woman from so many old black and white movies I've enjoyed. and stood out as the most interesting of the characters.
Guy Adams has a very clear, enjoyable, and simple writing style that is perfect for this kind of story and when I read his books I find myself thinking I bet this is a good guy I'd like to hang out with, meaning his books make you comfortable.
The story is well constructed and perfectly serviceable and again feels like an old Cary Grant film but doesn't have a huge amount of explosive and wow scenes, which is fine to be honest because sometimes those comfy shoes are just fine.
For The Parents:
Violence: Mild, nothing to violent or over the top, A bit of gun and knife but not extreme
Sexuality: Except for one single very adult sentence that may even go over some younger heads there was barely a peep but for a bit of mild innuendo
Language: Extremely mild
Intensity: I'd Say 5 on a 10 scale theres a bit of scariness to it but nothing that would make a 13 Year old feel nervous.
June 15, 2015
Amidst all the Occult Detectives and Paranormal Investigators, Guy Adams had given us an altogether different thing in "The Clown Service": Section 37, a section within the British Secret Service that deals with such menace that can't be explained using conventional ideas. This novel picks up that thread, and gives us another chilling story of betrayal, murder, diplomacy in its darkest hues, and bureaucratic politics. These adventures are as distant from their American counterparts as "Tinker Tailor Sailor Spy" is from the James Bond franchise. Nevertheless, with his typical dark humour, wit, and clean narratives, the author has given us another spy-thriller that intrigues, entertains, and ends in a cliffhanger that's bound to trouble us who have fallen in love with the protagonists. Recommended, heartily.
April 14, 2015
As enjoyable as The Clown Service was, its sequel, The Rain Soaked Bride underwhelms. From The Ring to Ten Little Indians, it wears its influences too much in its button hole, ending with a dreadful nod to James Bond that could have been avoided had the author not decided to write himself out of the relationship hole he left himself with at the end of the first book and turning it into a sprint. Where I really wanted to read The Rain Soaked Bride after The Clown Service, I will be less enamoured of the next book after the disappoints of this sequel.
June 25, 2016
Decently good urban fantasy with the occasional missteps. Much like the first Clown Service, it's frustrating to attempt piece together the world due to the number of times someone tells you that they will explain the "interesting past event" later. One of my main issues is with the ending because it took away the sense of relief of the heroes defeating the evil plot in the climax, possibly as a way to suggest heroes are continuing to fight badness except in the worst way I have ever seen. The characters are somewhat fleshed out and the plot makes sense for the most part.
October 17, 2016
I love these books. The first one was a Cold-War thriller. This second one an Agatha Christie murder mystery with some British Colonial Orientalism. Again, the character depth is surprisingly sincere. Some of the plotting may have been inconsistent, but the power of the protagonists pushes through. One major character development is slightly rushed, but otherwise I eagerly look forward to the ongoing story in the third book.
January 25, 2017
Quite as good as the first in the series, though it felt more... British? It's possible the digital version I have is the UK edition, because the grammar was distinctly British. Things like "he was sat at the table." Didn't really bother me, but did make an impression that I don't recall from the first volume. Still a lot of fun, and sets up well for the third book.
January 16, 2015
Received copy from Netgalley for review.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story,very witty and really good fun.Guy has written a really good story here.The characters and plot is really very well thought out and well written.Really good
I thoroughly enjoyed this story,very witty and really good fun.Guy has written a really good story here.The characters and plot is really very well thought out and well written.Really good
March 2, 2015
4.5 Loving these books. Witty, quirky, with awesome characters I wish I knew. Great cliffhanger ending. Can't wait for the next one in April.
April 6, 2015
Another enjoyable romp around section 37, looking forward to seeing more from this setting.
September 4, 2015
These books are great fun, and the author obviously enjoys writing them. The voices of the characters are very clear and the characters are engaging. Recommended.
May 17, 2016
I started with book 2 of the series, having bought it on impulse. I haven't read book 1 (The Clown Service) but I think it would have been better to read them in order.
January 6, 2017
Another "clown service" adventure. Good fun.
January 3, 2020
Solid and entertaining.
August 3, 2020
Was a quick interesting and light read. I hate that the title gave away spoilers tho.
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