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The Midnight Eye Files #2
The Sirens
The Midnight Eye returns.at first it's a simple lost son case, but for PI Derek Adams things turn quickly to the twilight zone. Soon he's on a remote island and up to his hips in mer-women, shape-changers and ancient fisher cults. Running back to the city doesn't help; there's magic and mayhem loose on the streets. An ancient god is waking up, and only blood will stop him!
240 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2007
3 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
About the author
William Meikle
420 books1,851 followersI'm a Scottish writer, now living in Canada, with more than thirty novels published in the genre press and over 300 short story credits in thirteen countries.
My work has appeared in a number of professional anthologies and I have recent short story sales to NATURE Futures and Galaxy's Edge. When I'm not writing I play guitar, drink beer and dream of fortune and glory.
For an intro to me, my writing and my accent see my Youtube channel
My work has appeared in a number of professional anthologies and I have recent short story sales to NATURE Futures and Galaxy's Edge. When I'm not writing I play guitar, drink beer and dream of fortune and glory.
For an intro to me, my writing and my accent see my Youtube channel
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 21, 2014
The Occult Detective genre can be quite tricky to handle, as evident from the extremely limited number of jewels scattered amongst the veritable heaps of trash across the landscape. William Meikle, and his Glasgow PI Derek Adams, have successfully managed to establish the 'Midnight Eye Files' series as a top-draw in this genre by virtue of several specialities:
1. The Detective belongs to the hard-boiled era, with all the characteristic features like witty dialogues, heavy drinking, getting himself beaten up due to backstabbing on part of the clients, etc. As any lover of Chandler's writing would attest, you have to stick to such a hero.
2. The mysteries (man)handled by our protagonist owe their origins to several different literary/mythical sources, and hence are not repetitive or boring.
3. Although the mysteries are as old as time, the setting (modern urban wasteland of Glasgow, contrasted by the highlands and lakes) makes them contemporary.
4. The plots involve not just academic arcana, but also lots of action, with a definite undercurrent of sexual tension (but nothing graphic).
Overall, if you like the Occult Detective genre, especially where the weirdness choses the protagonist and not the reverse, you would enjoy this series (only 3 books, out of which this one is the 2nd). Recommended.
1. The Detective belongs to the hard-boiled era, with all the characteristic features like witty dialogues, heavy drinking, getting himself beaten up due to backstabbing on part of the clients, etc. As any lover of Chandler's writing would attest, you have to stick to such a hero.
2. The mysteries (man)handled by our protagonist owe their origins to several different literary/mythical sources, and hence are not repetitive or boring.
3. Although the mysteries are as old as time, the setting (modern urban wasteland of Glasgow, contrasted by the highlands and lakes) makes them contemporary.
4. The plots involve not just academic arcana, but also lots of action, with a definite undercurrent of sexual tension (but nothing graphic).
Overall, if you like the Occult Detective genre, especially where the weirdness choses the protagonist and not the reverse, you would enjoy this series (only 3 books, out of which this one is the 2nd). Recommended.
August 30, 2017
The second in the Midnight Eye Files series and the best of three in my opinion.
Our tough, former cop, Glaswegian private eye is once again up to his eyes in an occult case. What starts out as a task to bring back a wayward son turns into a strange case involving mermaids and ancient Norse gods. Great story.
Our tough, former cop, Glaswegian private eye is once again up to his eyes in an occult case. What starts out as a task to bring back a wayward son turns into a strange case involving mermaids and ancient Norse gods. Great story.
October 2, 2022
Private Investigator Derek Adams is back in business, after taking a break and has Doug on the team, still suffering from his traumatic experience. Hired to find a missing son in Skye, he gets more than he bargained for, as the case takes one strange turn after another.
July 9, 2017
Another great story!
This series is fantastic! The author created another Lovecraftian detective story that works. The Midnight Eyes Files are well worth your time and money!
This series is fantastic! The author created another Lovecraftian detective story that works. The Midnight Eyes Files are well worth your time and money!
November 9, 2021
Such as enticing storytelling that I simply enjoy. The audio makes this book hum.
October 3, 2022
Oh, I enjoyed this one more than the first in the series - because I really liked the ending and the story and backstory was quite well done!
February 17, 2009
Poor cover art may turn many away from this book… a poor synopsis on the back will discourage many more. In fact, the synopsis on the back is completely irrelevant to the book – the phone call mentioned does occur… however it has no bearing on the actual story what so ever.
A true synopsis – After their previous case involving an amulet (which I assume is the first in the series) our PI, Derek Adams and his agoraphobic sidekick are hired for what should be a simple case. An old woman wants Derek to head north to a small town and retrieve her son so that he can attend his father’s funeral. What follows delves deeply into the ancient Norse mythology including sirens, Odin, Loki, a shape shifter and some not-so-friendly locals.
Although this is classified as horror, and it does contain a monster… this book is more of an irreverent supernatural crime thriller. If it weren’t for the heavy use of profanity, I would recommend this as a young adult novel. For adults, they may have a tough time buying into everything that occurs. However, even though it lacks gore and is really never frightening, it is a fun book. The characters do all have similar voices and there is very little physical description of the different characters. It would have been easier to keep them mentally separate if the author hadn’t suffered from a penchant for names starting with the letter “D” or if they had each been given a distinctive voice. The character who stands out the most is the elderly chain-smoking widow, and even she is a dichotomy in that her personality shifts as the story needs it to.
The plot itself is quite wild though the author does manage to keep a handle on it, keeping it as restrained as anything containing this much magic in modern day times can be. It is enough to keep your attention from beginning to end, and to be honest I’m still not entirely sure where the ending came from, but I’ll buy it.
If you are looking for a light read that never takes itself too seriously then this can be quite an enjoyable time. The gore is light, and there is sexual contact told in the past tense (and the men have the wounds to prove it). The book does contain heavy profanity from a specific character, adult subjects such as suicide, and gore. If this were a movie and they cut the profanity down this would be a heavy PG-13 rating.
A true synopsis – After their previous case involving an amulet (which I assume is the first in the series) our PI, Derek Adams and his agoraphobic sidekick are hired for what should be a simple case. An old woman wants Derek to head north to a small town and retrieve her son so that he can attend his father’s funeral. What follows delves deeply into the ancient Norse mythology including sirens, Odin, Loki, a shape shifter and some not-so-friendly locals.
Although this is classified as horror, and it does contain a monster… this book is more of an irreverent supernatural crime thriller. If it weren’t for the heavy use of profanity, I would recommend this as a young adult novel. For adults, they may have a tough time buying into everything that occurs. However, even though it lacks gore and is really never frightening, it is a fun book. The characters do all have similar voices and there is very little physical description of the different characters. It would have been easier to keep them mentally separate if the author hadn’t suffered from a penchant for names starting with the letter “D” or if they had each been given a distinctive voice. The character who stands out the most is the elderly chain-smoking widow, and even she is a dichotomy in that her personality shifts as the story needs it to.
The plot itself is quite wild though the author does manage to keep a handle on it, keeping it as restrained as anything containing this much magic in modern day times can be. It is enough to keep your attention from beginning to end, and to be honest I’m still not entirely sure where the ending came from, but I’ll buy it.
If you are looking for a light read that never takes itself too seriously then this can be quite an enjoyable time. The gore is light, and there is sexual contact told in the past tense (and the men have the wounds to prove it). The book does contain heavy profanity from a specific character, adult subjects such as suicide, and gore. If this were a movie and they cut the profanity down this would be a heavy PG-13 rating.
May 7, 2012
I finished this a while back. Just forgot to add a review to it. Let me just say that it was definitely NOT a disappointment. Meikle has an amazing ability to take something from legend and make it feel so real, while at the same time keeping the purity of the original legends (not the modern cartoon version of those legends, but the real, gritty, historical ones) in tact. Whenever I read a Meikle book, I find myself shaking my head and wishing I could write just half the book Willie does. He's amazing. Do yourself a favor and read the entire series.
July 25, 2016
PI Derek Adams returns in Meilkle's hard-boiled / noir follow-up to "The Amulet".
Adams finds himself mixed up in a case intermingled with Norse mythology.
This is a well-written hard-boiled novel in the tradition of Marlowe and Spade set in modern-day Scotland with a heavy dose of the supernatural.
4 STARS
Adams finds himself mixed up in a case intermingled with Norse mythology.
This is a well-written hard-boiled novel in the tradition of Marlowe and Spade set in modern-day Scotland with a heavy dose of the supernatural.
4 STARS
August 24, 2016
A FINE TALE OF A DETECTIVE AND A VERY OLD LEGEND IT IS..
Hello, these are great stories. Detectives detecting weird stuff, can't get much better than that. I think most will enjoy. Thanks.
Hello, these are great stories. Detectives detecting weird stuff, can't get much better than that. I think most will enjoy. Thanks.
December 9, 2012
Fabulous. Absolutely fabulous.
April 10, 2014
Interesting mix:
Mermaids, shape-changers, Norse gods.
Enjoyable romp.
Mermaids, shape-changers, Norse gods.
Enjoyable romp.
May 12, 2014
What a wild ride. I absolutely love this series, more mystery and intrigue. It will keep you guess until the very end. I cannot wait for the next book.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews