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Hawk & Fisher #1
La muerte ronda en Haven
HAWK & FISHER
They're the battle-scarred crimebusters of a never-ending urban war...Hawk rules the streets by broad-sword. Fisher cracks down on toughs with the deadly dagger that she wields with unflinching skill. Their merciless beat is the rough town misnamed Haven -- a dark and murderous place overrun with spell-casters, demons, and thieves. Ready money will buy anything in their town...
Anything except justice. That requires a magic touch.
They're the battle-scarred crimebusters of a never-ending urban war...Hawk rules the streets by broad-sword. Fisher cracks down on toughs with the deadly dagger that she wields with unflinching skill. Their merciless beat is the rough town misnamed Haven -- a dark and murderous place overrun with spell-casters, demons, and thieves. Ready money will buy anything in their town...
Anything except justice. That requires a magic touch.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
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1326 people want to read
About the author
Simon R. Green
312 books3,207 followersSimon Richard Green is a British science fiction and fantasy-author. He holds a degree in Modern English and American Literature from the University of Leicester. His first publication was in 1979.
His Deathstalker series is partly a parody of the usual space-opera of the 1950s, told with sovereign disregard of the rules of probability, while being at the same time extremely bloodthirsty.
Excerpted from Wikipedia.
His Deathstalker series is partly a parody of the usual space-opera of the 1950s, told with sovereign disregard of the rules of probability, while being at the same time extremely bloodthirsty.
Excerpted from Wikipedia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
January 18, 2016
I was coming off of the evocative, wrenching City of Blades, and by all accounts Hawk & Fisher was a fast, fun adventure, perfect for clearing the palate. Well, not really by my account. But by others, maybe.
It opens with City Guardsmen Hawk and Isobel Fisher headed through a slum on a mission. The couple has been pulled off a child prostitution case to find a young woman kidnapped by a vampire. A quick confrontation and voila! The first chapter ends with a quip. Chapter two begins the main story: later that night, Hawk and Fischer are tasked to guard a prominent Councilman bent on passing a reform law. Councilor Blackstone is at a very exclusive houseparty given by Sorcerer Gaunt, celebrating his first year in office. Various notables are in attendance, including his actress wife, his hired witch Visage, a policy adviser, another councilor and former general Hightower and his wife, as well as another couple who are close personal friends of Blackstone. Just when Hawk and Fisher get comfortable, the unthinkable happens. Gaunt releases a spell to isolate the house and voila! Fantasy manor mystery where one of the houseguests must be the murderer.
The writing, ye gods, the writing. Technically apt for action scenes, it brings me back to Dick and Jane days. You think I'm joking, right?
He opened the door a crack, stepped back a pace and then kicked the door in. It flew back to slam against the inner wall, and the sound was very loud on the quiet. The echoes took a long time to die away. Hawk slipped cautiously into the room, his axe in one hand and the lamp in the other. The room was empty, save for a heavy metal bed pushed up against the far wall. Fisher moved slowly round the room, tapping the walls and looking for hidden panels. Hawk stood in the middle of the room, and glared about him."
Yeah, not kidding. While that may work for one or two action-focused paragraphs, in this case, virtually everything that isn't exposition is written in this step-by-step prose. It is pedestrian writing, describing what should be a suspenseful scene in mundane words. It does improve as the story gets underway and dialogue plays a more prominent role, but it never impresses. In fact, for a mystery, it gets a bit muddier as more perspectives are thrown into the water. While it is primarily third person limited from Hawk, as the events progress, it jumps around into other guests. It was a strange decision, as it ended up spoiling the murderer before Hawk and Fisher solved the case.
Oh, and speaking of solving--I'm not sure where the acclaim for H&F come from, as they are the worst guards and investigators ever. Despite agreeing to stick close to Blackstone, they don't. During the investigation, they mostly seem to ask each other questions, the other responding with a frustrated, "but how can we know?" particularly with sorcerous. Though they get the easy out of a truth spell, they are unable to come up with phrasing that will give them needed answer from the suspects.
As a very small aside, I find Green's depictions of women generally problematic. One of the reasons I was interested in this is that it was billed as a 'husband-wife team of fighters,' something very unusual in the fantasy world. It still is. Given the reader occasionally dips into Hawk's thoughts, we never get the equivalent with Fisher, except in the moment she's fending off a rude advance. While they are supposed to be equals, she's bored, drinks a lot of wine, encourages Hawk to relax, and during investigations doesn't ask any questions. Oh, and she still gets her ass kicked in all the fights and is saved by Hawk's intervention. I won't go into the accessory women characters, except to note that they all are defined pretty much in terms of attractiveness and their importance is how they relate to the men.
Simon Green and I were clearly not meant to be. While I've tried many of his books, particularly a number in The Nightside, I find it very hard to remember details in most of what I've read--they all blend into one typical Green book. While I had hopes that this would be the series that brought me into his fan club--or at least helped me appreciate his writing--it appears that's Hawk and Fisher are as forgettable as the rest.
It opens with City Guardsmen Hawk and Isobel Fisher headed through a slum on a mission. The couple has been pulled off a child prostitution case to find a young woman kidnapped by a vampire. A quick confrontation and voila! The first chapter ends with a quip. Chapter two begins the main story: later that night, Hawk and Fischer are tasked to guard a prominent Councilman bent on passing a reform law. Councilor Blackstone is at a very exclusive houseparty given by Sorcerer Gaunt, celebrating his first year in office. Various notables are in attendance, including his actress wife, his hired witch Visage, a policy adviser, another councilor and former general Hightower and his wife, as well as another couple who are close personal friends of Blackstone. Just when Hawk and Fisher get comfortable, the unthinkable happens. Gaunt releases a spell to isolate the house and voila! Fantasy manor mystery where one of the houseguests must be the murderer.
The writing, ye gods, the writing. Technically apt for action scenes, it brings me back to Dick and Jane days. You think I'm joking, right?
He opened the door a crack, stepped back a pace and then kicked the door in. It flew back to slam against the inner wall, and the sound was very loud on the quiet. The echoes took a long time to die away. Hawk slipped cautiously into the room, his axe in one hand and the lamp in the other. The room was empty, save for a heavy metal bed pushed up against the far wall. Fisher moved slowly round the room, tapping the walls and looking for hidden panels. Hawk stood in the middle of the room, and glared about him."
Yeah, not kidding. While that may work for one or two action-focused paragraphs, in this case, virtually everything that isn't exposition is written in this step-by-step prose. It is pedestrian writing, describing what should be a suspenseful scene in mundane words. It does improve as the story gets underway and dialogue plays a more prominent role, but it never impresses. In fact, for a mystery, it gets a bit muddier as more perspectives are thrown into the water. While it is primarily third person limited from Hawk, as the events progress, it jumps around into other guests. It was a strange decision, as it ended up spoiling the murderer before Hawk and Fisher solved the case.
Oh, and speaking of solving--I'm not sure where the acclaim for H&F come from, as they are the worst guards and investigators ever. Despite agreeing to stick close to Blackstone, they don't. During the investigation, they mostly seem to ask each other questions, the other responding with a frustrated, "but how can we know?" particularly with sorcerous. Though they get the easy out of a truth spell, they are unable to come up with phrasing that will give them needed answer from the suspects.
As a very small aside, I find Green's depictions of women generally problematic. One of the reasons I was interested in this is that it was billed as a 'husband-wife team of fighters,' something very unusual in the fantasy world. It still is. Given the reader occasionally dips into Hawk's thoughts, we never get the equivalent with Fisher, except in the moment she's fending off a rude advance. While they are supposed to be equals, she's bored, drinks a lot of wine, encourages Hawk to relax, and during investigations doesn't ask any questions. Oh, and she still gets her ass kicked in all the fights and is saved by Hawk's intervention. I won't go into the accessory women characters, except to note that they all are defined pretty much in terms of attractiveness and their importance is how they relate to the men.
Simon Green and I were clearly not meant to be. While I've tried many of his books, particularly a number in The Nightside, I find it very hard to remember details in most of what I've read--they all blend into one typical Green book. While I had hopes that this would be the series that brought me into his fan club--or at least helped me appreciate his writing--it appears that's Hawk and Fisher are as forgettable as the rest.
October 14, 2010
This is a fantasy tale set in grimy and dark town called Haven. How and Fisher are a husband and wife, and partners on the city guard. This book is basically about husband and wife cops in a fantasy setting, and was quite entertaining. This is a first book in a series devoted to them, and I will definitely be tracking down the next one post haste.
This story finds Hawk & Fisher tackling a locked room murder mystery with a touch of "Ten Little Indians" thrown in for good measure. It was quite a fun read, and this book left me guessing up until the very end.
The writing was very good, and the characters of Hawk and Fisher, as well as all the supporting characters are well crafted. The town of Haven itself is also well crafted and it is interesting to see such a dark and dreary town full of murder and dark intent, in the fantasy world, which all too often only has idyllic towns as settings. It was also interesting to see the heroes of this fantasy be police investigators simply doing their job, which is not something I had encountered directly before.
Overall I would definitely recommend this to any fan of fantasy, as I think Hawk and Fisher are two interesting characters, and the town of Haven a place worth visiting.
This story finds Hawk & Fisher tackling a locked room murder mystery with a touch of "Ten Little Indians" thrown in for good measure. It was quite a fun read, and this book left me guessing up until the very end.
The writing was very good, and the characters of Hawk and Fisher, as well as all the supporting characters are well crafted. The town of Haven itself is also well crafted and it is interesting to see such a dark and dreary town full of murder and dark intent, in the fantasy world, which all too often only has idyllic towns as settings. It was also interesting to see the heroes of this fantasy be police investigators simply doing their job, which is not something I had encountered directly before.
Overall I would definitely recommend this to any fan of fantasy, as I think Hawk and Fisher are two interesting characters, and the town of Haven a place worth visiting.
January 30, 2017
Отвратителен смотан превод ("Визидж"??? Честно ли???), на практика никаква редакторска и коректорска работа... но перфектна книга! :)
March 26, 2024
یه کتاب کارآگاهی به سبک آگاتا کریستی ولی باحال ترش 😍
https://youtu.be/5O5wjfrgnBc?si=qWgor...
https://youtu.be/5O5wjfrgnBc?si=qWgor...
August 30, 2012
This book didn't work in several ways.
First, the story development as a "whodunit" was a bit too transparent to work. Hints in the development of the plot gave the conclusion away. There were no twists and turns developed other than the main two characters' own errant musings. So while I as the reader could guess the outcome, the main characters' seemed confused. I wasn't trying to work out possible solutions to a good mystery caper. I was questioning the characters-as-sleuths' intelligence.
Second, the two main characters were described as honest, but competent and even dangerous as city guards. I found this description intriguing, but was disappointed to find these attributes were not further developed in the story. There was some banter among supporting characters about their legendary prowess and honesty. I, however, found no real temptations written for the characters to tempt them away from honesty. There were fight scenes. But, the characters came across more lucky than skilled. In this story, the heroes' mettle went untested, which seems odd in a fantasy book.
Finally, and most importantly, the two main characters were extremely underdeveloped. I found the two characters to be interchangeable halves of a single bland character. They are married, but I did not see any interplay between them recognizable as coming from a deep relationship. They are partners in a dangerous profession, but their approach seemed haphazard instead of coming from mutual training and reliance.
I cannot imagine what happened to this book. The concept is there. The execution was horrendous.
First, the story development as a "whodunit" was a bit too transparent to work. Hints in the development of the plot gave the conclusion away. There were no twists and turns developed other than the main two characters' own errant musings. So while I as the reader could guess the outcome, the main characters' seemed confused. I wasn't trying to work out possible solutions to a good mystery caper. I was questioning the characters-as-sleuths' intelligence.
Second, the two main characters were described as honest, but competent and even dangerous as city guards. I found this description intriguing, but was disappointed to find these attributes were not further developed in the story. There was some banter among supporting characters about their legendary prowess and honesty. I, however, found no real temptations written for the characters to tempt them away from honesty. There were fight scenes. But, the characters came across more lucky than skilled. In this story, the heroes' mettle went untested, which seems odd in a fantasy book.
Finally, and most importantly, the two main characters were extremely underdeveloped. I found the two characters to be interchangeable halves of a single bland character. They are married, but I did not see any interplay between them recognizable as coming from a deep relationship. They are partners in a dangerous profession, but their approach seemed haphazard instead of coming from mutual training and reliance.
I cannot imagine what happened to this book. The concept is there. The execution was horrendous.
November 3, 2016
Agatha Christie in (sort of) Forgotten Realms. Not wholly succesful either as fantasy or as mystery, and not particularly memorable... yet a surprisingly enjoyable read nonetheless, and quite clever in places. Definitely recommended for those who like this sort of thing - unchallenging, comfortable, amusing (though not an outright comedy) fantasy murder mystery that mostly knows its own limitations, and that takes its setting seriously without ever taking itself more seriously than it merits. Taken as what it is, it's probably better than a lot of pulp fantasy novels. On the other hand, if you don't like this sort of thing, it's probably not going to change your mind.
Look over here for a slightly longer review.
Look over here for a slightly longer review.
April 17, 2019
Creo que es una de las obras más curiosas que he leído dentro de lo que se puede denominar "espada y brujería". En esencia se trata de una especie de "Diez negritos" asentado en un escenario en el que hay magia, guerreros y espadas.
Me ha resultado una lectura muy curiosa, además, porque llevo viendo la portada del genial Luis Royo desde que era muy pequeño y no me imaginaba para nada que fuera a contener una historia "a lo Agatha Christie".
Me ha resultado una lectura muy curiosa, además, porque llevo viendo la portada del genial Luis Royo desde que era muy pequeño y no me imaginaba para nada que fuera a contener una historia "a lo Agatha Christie".
February 17, 2018
I read this years ago and recently picked up the first three books in this series to delve back into. I am so glad I did. The author is an old favorite of mine from the Deathstalker books and others. I forgot how much I liked these characters, far before the Egil and Nix books came along. Hawk and Fisher were the pair to read, after Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser.
Hawk and Fisher are Captains of the Guard, the law upholding foaction in the huge fantasy city of Haven. This book starts with them searching for a vampire in the squalor surrounding Chandler Lane. This little adventure very nearly gets them dead, as the vampire is something they have not dealt with before and he is a nasty piece of work, once a noble and mover and shaker in the city. The pair dispatch him and go home to lick their wounds as always, and together they are, for Hawk and Fisher are not only the most reputed and able of the Guard, they are husband and wife. The banter between them and the seriousness in which they take their job, in addition to the wit and snark they manage towards each other and those they deal with, is really wonderful.
I just finished this one and am about to start into the second book. Having never read it back in the day I am almost more excited to read new (old) stories with Hawk and Fisher than I was to reread the first one. This book is just a great one for anyone who likes fantasy and sword and sorcery.
The bulk of this book is a rarity; a murder dinner mystery within the home of a powerful sorcerer named Gaunt. There are twists and turns here that are unexpected and yet oh so very fun to read! Give this one a try!
Danny
Hawk and Fisher are Captains of the Guard, the law upholding foaction in the huge fantasy city of Haven. This book starts with them searching for a vampire in the squalor surrounding Chandler Lane. This little adventure very nearly gets them dead, as the vampire is something they have not dealt with before and he is a nasty piece of work, once a noble and mover and shaker in the city. The pair dispatch him and go home to lick their wounds as always, and together they are, for Hawk and Fisher are not only the most reputed and able of the Guard, they are husband and wife. The banter between them and the seriousness in which they take their job, in addition to the wit and snark they manage towards each other and those they deal with, is really wonderful.
I just finished this one and am about to start into the second book. Having never read it back in the day I am almost more excited to read new (old) stories with Hawk and Fisher than I was to reread the first one. This book is just a great one for anyone who likes fantasy and sword and sorcery.
The bulk of this book is a rarity; a murder dinner mystery within the home of a powerful sorcerer named Gaunt. There are twists and turns here that are unexpected and yet oh so very fun to read! Give this one a try!
Danny
August 17, 2023
Sherlock and Watson in a grim dark fantasy set city that turns into a locked room murder mystery? I never knew just how much I needed this combination in my life.
This is my first Simin R Green book and I can say I am a huge fan of this story. Fast moving. Well written. Good characters. Decent action and the mystery and tension just builds and builds. While it becomes pretty obvious at about the 75% mark just what has and is happening it was still a lot of freaking fun getting to that last page. I will be reading the next Hawk and Fisher book. Sooner rather than later.
This is my first Simin R Green book and I can say I am a huge fan of this story. Fast moving. Well written. Good characters. Decent action and the mystery and tension just builds and builds. While it becomes pretty obvious at about the 75% mark just what has and is happening it was still a lot of freaking fun getting to that last page. I will be reading the next Hawk and Fisher book. Sooner rather than later.
February 12, 2015
Романът е добър, но не е това, което очаквах. Имайки предвид жанра смятах, че ще има бурни преследвания, битки с чудовища и разбойници, красив и опасен град, пълен с магии... но останах изненадан, когато разрах, че това е детективска история, развиваща се н�� фона на фентъзи свят.
Хоук и Фишер започват историята с битка с вампир, избиващ жителите на град Хейвън. След това са призовани да охраняват известен политик-реформатор с многобройни врагове след политическия елит на града. Оттук нататък започва класическа криминална история тип "убит в заключена стая". Политикът умира по мистериозен начин и убиецът е един от гостите в къщата, от която никой не може да излезе до изгрев слънце. Цялата история се развива в рамките на нощта, в която някой започва да избива един по един гостите. Хоук и Фишер се опитват да разкрият извършителя, но всички имат мотив да извършат всяко едно от убийствата, а жертвите падат една след друга. Намесват се тъмни сили и магии.
Историята е интересна, имайки предвид мистичния елемент в нея. Макар и класически тип, криминалната история е поднесена по интригуващ начин и до последния миг читателя не може да разбере кой всъщност е убиеца и какви са мотивите му. Завършека наистина е неочакван.
Когато започнах романа очаквах много неща, но не и сравнително статична криминална история, развиваща се в рамките на една нощ в една къща. Не успях да науча почти нищо от град Хейвън, да видя как Хоук и Фишер са се сдобили с мрачната си слава, нито да научва повече подробности как двамата са се събрали. Хоук и Фишер се държат просто като колеги и романтичния момент просто липсва, въпреки че ми се искаше да науча малко повече за тях двамата.
Историята събуди достатъчно интерес, за да искам да прочете и други романи от поредицата.
Хоук и Фишер започват историята с битка с вампир, избиващ жителите на град Хейвън. След това са призовани да охраняват известен политик-реформатор с многобройни врагове след политическия елит на града. Оттук нататък започва класическа криминална история тип "убит в заключена стая". Политикът умира по мистериозен начин и убиецът е един от гостите в къщата, от която никой не може да излезе до изгрев слънце. Цялата история се развива в рамките на нощта, в която някой започва да избива един по един гостите. Хоук и Фишер се опитват да разкрият извършителя, но всички имат мотив да извършат всяко едно от убийствата, а жертвите падат една след друга. Намесват се тъмни сили и магии.
Историята е интересна, имайки предвид мистичния елемент в нея. Макар и класически тип, криминалната история е поднесена по интригуващ начин и до последния миг читателя не може да разбере кой всъщност е убиеца и какви са мотивите му. Завършека наистина е неочакван.
Когато започнах романа очаквах много неща, но не и сравнително статична криминална история, развиваща се в рамките на една нощ в една къща. Не успях да науча почти нищо от град Хейвън, да видя как Хоук и Фишер са се сдобили с мрачната си слава, нито да научва повече подробности как двамата са се събрали. Хоук и Фишер се държат просто като колеги и романтичния момент просто липсва, въпреки че ми се искаше да науча малко повече за тях двамата.
Историята събуди достатъчно интерес, за да искам да прочете и други романи от поредицата.
July 9, 2009
Kind of a cop story set in a fantasy world with a male and female partners. This one was pretty interesting and certainly is a pretty good idea for a series.
September 27, 2023
Simon Green's Hawk and Fisher was, in many ways, a good old-fashioned mystery akin to the Agatha Christie era. In fact, the book reminded me of the old Christie classic "And Then There were None, with one important difference. Green's novel is a fantasy that includes magicians, vampires, and werewolves. Consequently, it makes it a little more difficult to catch the murderer considering that they may not be who or what you assumed they were. In any case, there wasn't much more to say about the novel. The characters are well developed, and both Hawk and Fisher are likable as crime fighters in a medieval type environment that has been transformed into a somewhat modern setting and then leavened with a bit of supernatural flavoring. The book was very well written, and fun to read.
January 31, 2024
Content Warnings: Sexual Themes, Death, Gore, Violence, Mild language
This review is for the Graphic Audio dramatized adaptation. From what I've seen in other reviews, Green's efficient writing style lends itself better to this format.
What starts as a light fantasy action story quickly turns into a classic murder mystery with fantastic elements. Green succeeds in crafting some satisfying twists and a strong conclusion.
This had the well timed reveal of any good mystery in which the reader cannot be fully confident of their suspicions until shortly before the author explicitly reveals these as reality.
Strong recommend for fantasy and murder mystery lovers.
This review is for the Graphic Audio dramatized adaptation. From what I've seen in other reviews, Green's efficient writing style lends itself better to this format.
What starts as a light fantasy action story quickly turns into a classic murder mystery with fantastic elements. Green succeeds in crafting some satisfying twists and a strong conclusion.
This had the well timed reveal of any good mystery in which the reader cannot be fully confident of their suspicions until shortly before the author explicitly reveals these as reality.
Strong recommend for fantasy and murder mystery lovers.
August 1, 2023
this book is an interesting read, good characters, story with some magic. Hawk and Fisher are city guard carrying swords and battle axes. While they are enforcing the law they end up being assigned a bodyguard job. When someone is killed this turns into a locked room mystery. A different type of fantasy that is well written
April 10, 2019
N-nah
Fisher is not a woman, but a writer's puppet, Hawk is all sword and no brain. Thanks, but no.
Fisher is not a woman, but a writer's puppet, Hawk is all sword and no brain. Thanks, but no.
January 7, 2025
Not a terrible book, but almost half way through and it's a tad slow and boring.
It's a who done it, but the characters are all a bit uninteresting! - unfortunately I've given up on this book! - DNF
It's a who done it, but the characters are all a bit uninteresting! - unfortunately I've given up on this book! - DNF
May 3, 2021
I read this years ago as part of the omnibus edition. I remember really enjoying it and I still did, though it wasn't quite long enough for me to forget the reveals. It is still a fun read that doesn't ask much of you.
March 20, 2013
I was searching for fantasy novels and I found this at a book fair, in the leftover books section. When I first read it, it was sort of confusing, because it starts at a city, in a random matter, and then it turns in a closed mansion's situation. I must admit story was a bit dizzy at first, but I have to say I don't care about story, because I fell in love with characters. I really love honorable and humble characters, and the fact that this is a married pair with all that funny complicity, I was nicely very surprised. I don't like Haven, but if Hawk and Fisher are with me, I'll probably enjoy my staying there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2015
3.5 stars actually.
It is like "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Chiristie, only with magic!
So that is basically how it is. It is not as mysterious as Chiristie's books, or as entertaining. And adding the element of magic makes the rules of the game unknown, so you have a harder time guessing about the story. But overall, it wasn't hard to predict.
There were not much character development, but it was okay in my opinion.It wasn't a novel, it was a short and fun mystery.
I enjoyed Green's NightSide series more, but this wasn't bad at all. I'm gonna read the rest of this series.
It is like "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Chiristie, only with magic!
So that is basically how it is. It is not as mysterious as Chiristie's books, or as entertaining. And adding the element of magic makes the rules of the game unknown, so you have a harder time guessing about the story. But overall, it wasn't hard to predict.
There were not much character development, but it was okay in my opinion.It wasn't a novel, it was a short and fun mystery.
I enjoyed Green's NightSide series more, but this wasn't bad at all. I'm gonna read the rest of this series.
May 16, 2012
I reread this tonight to get a fresh view on this book. First, let me explain that I am not a big fan of fantasy books. I picked this book up soley because it was written by Simon R Green...and I am glad I did. This is an old fashioned who-dunit mystery. Lock a bunch of people in a house and when people start start dying, figure out who did it. A great story! Green manages to make an engaging mystery that comes full circle. Oustanding!
April 13, 2009
This one surprised me: from the jacket illustration and copy I was expecting something along the lines of Conan or Thieve's World, but it's an Agatha Christie locked-room mystery. It's done well, with enjoyable plot twists and a pair of likeable detectives.
September 3, 2016
A murder mystery with magic, vampires and werewolves. I enjoyed the setting a lot, but found the actual mystery a bit too simple. The solution was blatantly obvious and that took some enjoyment away from an otherwise nice book.
February 4, 2016
Ugh I just can't...so many emotions.
February 13, 2021
I am a long-time fan of the Hawk And Fisher books (I like this series far more than I like the parent book that the characters make their debut in) but it is frustrating that such a fun series is written in such a formulaic way. It’s frustrating because there is so much variety in the stories being told that Mr Green could really afford to stretch his considerable talent to make this feel less like a generic set of stories and more like its own wonderful thing. Basically we’ve have a police procedural set in a fantasy city: think 87th Precinct meets Thieves World. It’s a great idea and one that was - back in the day - comparatively rarely used. But while Hawk and Fisher walk the mean streets of Haven, the steps they take ring very hollow. Green feels very influenced by Andrew Vacchs here: there’s a pair of cops who are less cynical than their reputations would have you believe battling the very worst that humanity and the supernatural can throw at them. But the style Green uses here feels very mannered and by-the-book: in the parlance of memes, Green hasn’t “seen some shit,” he’s just read about it. I don’t really mind, though: he was a young and inexperienced author at the time and his voice has grown considerably since these novels were first published. And this is a great introduction to the world: we meet a small section of Haven’s population and, in the guise of a locked-room mystery, we learn a lot of the rules of this world without feeling that we are being given an “As you know, Bob...” speech every couple of pages. Green writes a fun book, for which I can forgive a lot of sins.
March 17, 2017
An interesting one this. I like Simon R Green's work quite a lot, sometimes in spite of myself because he has a tendency to tell not show and sometimes overwrite a bit, plus some of his other series (The Nightside and The Secret Histories do lapse into formulae, albeit enjoyable formulae. Reading through other reviews the term 'mixed' appears to have been made for this book!
The Hawk & Fisher series is an example of Green's earlier work, and actually I almost prefer it thus far. Clearly it wears its influences on its sleeve – Agatha Christie and Glen Cook's Garrett P.I. (although the latter isn't mentioned as much, the modern procedural/mystery in a sword and sorcery setting is bang on the nose).
As a mystery it really isn't that bad, he doesn't try to cheat by using magical deus ex machina and everything is laid out for the reader as should be the case for any mystery novel. To be fair half the mystery is a bit obvious, although I thought the whole denoument was pretty well done.
Well worth a try for a change of pace.
The Hawk & Fisher series is an example of Green's earlier work, and actually I almost prefer it thus far. Clearly it wears its influences on its sleeve – Agatha Christie and Glen Cook's Garrett P.I. (although the latter isn't mentioned as much, the modern procedural/mystery in a sword and sorcery setting is bang on the nose).
As a mystery it really isn't that bad, he doesn't try to cheat by using magical deus ex machina and everything is laid out for the reader as should be the case for any mystery novel. To be fair half the mystery is a bit obvious, although I thought the whole denoument was pretty well done.
Well worth a try for a change of pace.
September 9, 2021
A good fun read this one, a reread for me but many years since the last one, but I still quite enjoy it. Is a bit more of a whodunnit / detective type story, but with some good action mixed in, and a nice fantasy setting overlay to it. In some respects seems similar to Asimov's detective stories in sci-fi settings, demonstrating how fantasy and sci-fi settings can support all sorts of stories.
Probably thanks to the reread, but I was certainly picking up on the clues and working out what was going on ahead of the final reveals, but shows they are nicely built up to, and certainly the reader has more info than the characters.
I like Hawk & Fisher here as well, not typical protagonists but nicely fleshed out here, even if quite different to how they are in Blue Moon Rising (haven't reread as yet, but think I read before Hawk & Fisher originally).
The other characters are also a good mix of characters, with varying shades of grey and plenty of secrets abound.
Overall, a good fun read for me, a nice whodunnit in a good fantasy setting.
Probably thanks to the reread, but I was certainly picking up on the clues and working out what was going on ahead of the final reveals, but shows they are nicely built up to, and certainly the reader has more info than the characters.
I like Hawk & Fisher here as well, not typical protagonists but nicely fleshed out here, even if quite different to how they are in Blue Moon Rising (haven't reread as yet, but think I read before Hawk & Fisher originally).
The other characters are also a good mix of characters, with varying shades of grey and plenty of secrets abound.
Overall, a good fun read for me, a nice whodunnit in a good fantasy setting.
December 13, 2024
Some bits were *very* predictable. I want to know more about Hawk and Fisher, but I guess we'll figure them out by following their cases.
It's very interesting how... the first book, Blue Moon Rising was sort of a spoof of a fantasy novel, and then we went to Blood and Honor was more like a supernatural royal heist. This one, actually, was more like a police case involving supernatural beings while still being in the same universe. It's very interesting.
--
The case was a bit... obvious...? As soon as we had the first clue about how Hightower would be somewhere once per month, I connected the dots.
Based on that, I knew there couldn't possibly be anything else than two killers in the same house. I had a hunch about the hero, but I didn't know all the things that his family made him go through, so that was actually interesting.
It's very interesting how... the first book, Blue Moon Rising was sort of a spoof of a fantasy novel, and then we went to Blood and Honor was more like a supernatural royal heist. This one, actually, was more like a police case involving supernatural beings while still being in the same universe. It's very interesting.
--
The case was a bit... obvious...? As soon as we had the first clue about how Hightower would be somewhere once per month, I connected the dots.
Based on that, I knew there couldn't possibly be anything else than two killers in the same house. I had a hunch about the hero, but I didn't know all the things that his family made him go through, so that was actually interesting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2019
Разочарован съм! Книгата започна толкова добре, само за да се сгромоляса тотално впоследствие. Идеята за криминална загадка във фентъзи свят не е нова, има доста такива произведения, някои от тях съвсем прилични. Но Саймън Грийн явно просто не го бива да пише криминалета. Хайде, бих могъл да преглътна доста дългото и скучно представяне на героите. Обаче най-тежкият грях в една криминална история е когато авторът тръгне да наглася нещата така, както на него му изнася. Следователите допускат елементарни грешки. После пък убиецът сякаш нарочно им дава средство да го уличат. Из къщата обикаля свиреп убиец - ами дайте да се разделим! (Някой май е гледал твърде много долнопробни хоръри.) Имаме нужда отново от заклинание за истина - о, съжалявам, мога да го повторя едва след 24 часа! Тъпо! Като цяло, има някоя-друга интересна хрумка, но изпълнението е слабичко. Двойка!
August 29, 2018
Hawk & Fisher have been recommended to me many times over the years. I finally got around to reading this, the first book about them, and I enjoyed it.
This story is largely a "Whodunnit?" story, with interesting, unique, and believable characters, along with a writing style that is gripping and engaging.
Now, this was written back in 1990, and over the years the multitude of books, movies and TV shows have apparently trained me on solving these kind of puzzles. While the story may have been surprising back when it was written, there were obvious loopholes and the resolution wasn't all that surprising. However, it was fun to get there all the same and I'm looking forward to the next adventure with Hawk & Fisher.
This story is largely a "Whodunnit?" story, with interesting, unique, and believable characters, along with a writing style that is gripping and engaging.
Now, this was written back in 1990, and over the years the multitude of books, movies and TV shows have apparently trained me on solving these kind of puzzles. While the story may have been surprising back when it was written, there were obvious loopholes and the resolution wasn't all that surprising. However, it was fun to get there all the same and I'm looking forward to the next adventure with Hawk & Fisher.
March 20, 2025
Straight-up fantasy world whodunit. We have a locked room murder, an isolated house filled with suspects, and a twisty ending.
I like the characters; Hawk and Fisher partners in the city guard and in life are mostly reader insert characters, serving to interrogate the suspects and catch the murderer. But the suspects are varied in personality and history and all have their secrets.
The plot is pretty fair, with the twists signaled well enough that if you pay attention you can catch some or all. But the twists are still interesting enough to hold the reader's attention.
This was a short novel when it was published and the standard novel was much shorter than it is now, so it's a very quick read. Recommended.
I like the characters; Hawk and Fisher partners in the city guard and in life are mostly reader insert characters, serving to interrogate the suspects and catch the murderer. But the suspects are varied in personality and history and all have their secrets.
The plot is pretty fair, with the twists signaled well enough that if you pay attention you can catch some or all. But the twists are still interesting enough to hold the reader's attention.
This was a short novel when it was published and the standard novel was much shorter than it is now, so it's a very quick read. Recommended.
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