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Being Human #3
Being Human: Bad Blood
One of Annie's oldest friends has come looking for her - and what's more amazing is that she's found her. Denise is the ultimate party girl, and she's determined to bring Annie out of her shell. Mitchell is delighted, but George really thinks the last thing they need to do is to go out and meet new people.Annie and Denise throw themselves into organising a Bingo night at the local sports hall - after all, it's for charity, and what's not to love about having a good time? But why is Denise back in town? Why have Bristol's vampires suddenly started hanging around wherever they go? And why does George get the feeling that Bingo night is going to go horribly, horribly wrong?Featuring Mitchell, George and Annie, as played by Aidan Turner, Russell Tovey and Lenora Chichlow in the hit series created by Toby Whithouse for BBC Television
258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 4, 2010
3 people are currently reading
262 people want to read
About the author
James Goss
231 books181 followersJames Goss has written two Torchwood novels and a radio play, as well as a Being Human book. His Doctor Who audiobook Dead Air won Best Audiobook 2010. James also spent seven years working on the BBC's official Doctor Who website and co-wrote the website for Torchwood Series One. In 2007, he won the Best Adaptation category in the annual LA Weekly Theatre Awards for his version of Douglas Adams' novel Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
May 1, 2011
Three and a half stars because it held my interest and I'm a huge fan of Being Human.
Admittedly, I began the 3 book series with the third book - couldn't resist Mitchell on the cover (shallow, I know).
It's obvious the author's spent some time on set because, for the mostpart, he seems to have written Mitchell, Annie and George true to character. Most of the time I could picture the characters speaking the dialogue Goss had given them.
I'm not sure if it's male authors in general or British humour but I enjoyed the quick, witty exchanges and generally the efficiency in Goss' writing - not wordy at all but still delivers an enjoyable story.
Without question, this book is for the benefit of fans of the BBC series who already know and love the characters but I suppose this can be a disadvantage as well because fans can be extremely critical.
I wasn't completely sold on the climax. The overall concept was good but I had difficulty picturing Mitchell, Annie and George handling the situation the way they did here.
Overall, Bad Blood is an enjoyable (light) read for fans who can't get enough of the Being Human television series.
Admittedly, I began the 3 book series with the third book - couldn't resist Mitchell on the cover (shallow, I know).
It's obvious the author's spent some time on set because, for the mostpart, he seems to have written Mitchell, Annie and George true to character. Most of the time I could picture the characters speaking the dialogue Goss had given them.
I'm not sure if it's male authors in general or British humour but I enjoyed the quick, witty exchanges and generally the efficiency in Goss' writing - not wordy at all but still delivers an enjoyable story.
Without question, this book is for the benefit of fans of the BBC series who already know and love the characters but I suppose this can be a disadvantage as well because fans can be extremely critical.
I wasn't completely sold on the climax. The overall concept was good but I had difficulty picturing Mitchell, Annie and George handling the situation the way they did here.
Overall, Bad Blood is an enjoyable (light) read for fans who can't get enough of the Being Human television series.
August 16, 2010
The third of the series 2 "Being Human" tie-in novels. This one is genuinely funny and genuinely creepy--a strong finish.
Annie (the ghost) has an old friend come to visit--she's a holiday guide and life-of-the-party type. After a while, we start to notice that Denise (the friend) seems to have a strange and alluring effect on vampires. Luckily, they're all invited to bingo night!
We get some resolution to the creepy new hospital administrator story arc--but it's a damp squib. The most chilling effect is that the men with ropes and sticks usurp the text to speak directly to Annie...eek!
Annie (the ghost) has an old friend come to visit--she's a holiday guide and life-of-the-party type. After a while, we start to notice that Denise (the friend) seems to have a strange and alluring effect on vampires. Luckily, they're all invited to bingo night!
We get some resolution to the creepy new hospital administrator story arc--but it's a damp squib. The most chilling effect is that the men with ropes and sticks usurp the text to speak directly to Annie...eek!
January 19, 2018
The third and unfortunately final book of the tie-in trilogy which ends with a hint that more than three were possibly planned but for whatever reason didn't happen(possibly as a result of Hobbit commitments for a certain A Turner). This time, an old friend of Annie's, holiday rep and general party animal, Denise, turns up on the trio's doorstep. Her arrival coincides with a distinct change in behaviour for all the Bristolian vampires including Mitchell culminating in a long drawn-out showdown set on Bingo Night at the local sports centre.
As always, entertaining and quick to read, it's just a shame there are no more. Still, there are always the audio versions, read by the cast by all accounts....
As always, entertaining and quick to read, it's just a shame there are no more. Still, there are always the audio versions, read by the cast by all accounts....
March 31, 2011
For full review please visit: http://shadowsireview.blogspot.com/
The third Being Human book and most definitely my favourite. In this book an old friend of Annie's arrives and she's able to see Annie, even though Annie's dead, and she insits on taking Annie, George and Mitchell out on the town to inject some excitement into their lives. Annis is also forced to join an organising comittee for the local bingo night.
Also Bristol's vampires can smell something delicious in the air. It seems to be bringing them out of hiding, and making them all slightly drunk.
I loved the character of Denise she was so full of life and energy and she really added something to the book that made it worth reading.
The other characters were at their strongest here but in places they still struggled to shine. It didn't put me off the book but it's a bit disconcerting when the main characters are out shined by a character who's only in the book.
I did enjoy the book but the only word I can think of to describe it is good. This for me is a problem that and the fact that I had to stop reading it all the time because it kept losing me are what lost this book a star.
If this book had been a little bit more it could have been truly amazing but it isn't and so it's good. That's it, it's just good.
The third Being Human book and most definitely my favourite. In this book an old friend of Annie's arrives and she's able to see Annie, even though Annie's dead, and she insits on taking Annie, George and Mitchell out on the town to inject some excitement into their lives. Annis is also forced to join an organising comittee for the local bingo night.
Also Bristol's vampires can smell something delicious in the air. It seems to be bringing them out of hiding, and making them all slightly drunk.
I loved the character of Denise she was so full of life and energy and she really added something to the book that made it worth reading.
The other characters were at their strongest here but in places they still struggled to shine. It didn't put me off the book but it's a bit disconcerting when the main characters are out shined by a character who's only in the book.
I did enjoy the book but the only word I can think of to describe it is good. This for me is a problem that and the fact that I had to stop reading it all the time because it kept losing me are what lost this book a star.
If this book had been a little bit more it could have been truly amazing but it isn't and so it's good. That's it, it's just good.
May 22, 2016
I was expecting the usual run-of-the-mill TV tie-in novel – a quickly read, bit bland but still fun story– and ended up really, really liking it. For one thing, the supporting characters are excellent (loved Denise!), and the characterisations of George, Annie and Mitchell felt pretty much spot-on, even to the point that I could imagine the actors' voices in the "intermission" sections written in first person. I actually really loved the intermissions because it allowed glimpse into George, Annie and Mitchell's backgrounds – I really appreciated that Goss went into Mitchell's human past rather than focusing solely on his life as a vampire (which the show does). The plot was really tight and engaging. I did catch a major plot hole , but in the end, I didn't care.
December 27, 2014
Excellent ending to the series of novel tie ins - (from about series 2) the construct of a new character being introduced in each volume is continued. - Really this one that is not a standalone , but is meant to be a tie - up of loose ends from the previous two novels. Dr McGough's role is finally explained - but the new character I found rather weak - but the actual writing of the novel is excellent - not for anything wrong in the new character themselves - but as her is role in the whole mythology of the series Is really quite minimal - considering the fanfare that went into her entrance into the novel - the weakest novel of the set for me - but overall well - written and well paced series - one for fans only though - bravo!
May 22, 2016
Standard disclaimer: I read the Being Human tie-in books on my Kindle over a year ago. Then I found out there were audiobooks narrated by the cast and decided to give them another go. You can read my original, pretty short review of Bad Blood here.
Standard summary of the show: Annie is a ghost, George is a werewolf and Mitchell is a vampire. Together they share a house.* Shenanigans ensue in a delightful mix of tragedy, humour and powerful and awesome friendships.**
Bad Blood is the third and final book in the tie-in set. Denise, a friend of Annie's from university, has returned after years spent abroad and doesn't know what happened to Annie. Seemingly by luck, Denise can see Annie and, unaware Annie is dead, becomes determined to draw Annie out of her shell. Not everything about her presence is good though – she's harbouring a secret and the vampires of Bristol are acting strange, made maddeningly hungry by something in the air.
In my opinion, Bad Blood is the strongest of the tie-in novels. Denise works well as the unofficial fourth member of the trio, probably the best character created for the books. The plot is tight and I kind of admire Goss' dedication to the bingo theme, alternatively a bit cheesy and very imaginative. What I really love are the "intermissions" where the action breaks off while the trio plus Denise reflect on their own experiences loosely linked to the same topic.
These segments allow for a glimpse into the characters' heads, giving back-stories and beautiful little segments of their ordinary, domestic lives. I really, really loved George's monologue about Vera, the aloe vera plant he bought against Mitchell's advice and then accidently killed much to Mitchell's despair. And there is a truly amazing section narrated by Mitchell about his experiences in World War I.
The tone is more even and Goss even manages to capture the characters fairly well – so much so that when reading the book for the first time on my Kindle, it was easy to "hear" their voices reading each section. That said, there were a couple of places where the tone and characterisations fell down for me, though your mileage may vary. Firstly, there's an early scene where George and Mitchell have a play-fight while at work on the hospital, using their mops as swords. I found it juvenile in tone, OOC and just very cringey in general. Secondly, there's the fact that Mitchell has a teddy-bear. O_O
Bad Blood feels like it's meant to be Mitchell-centric in the same way The Road was meant to be Annie-centric and Chasers George-centric. But I'd argue that Annie and George play the more significant roles in Bad Blood and Mitchell had a larger, more significant role to play in the first two novels.
Like the other two books, it's difficult to know where this story is set. A vague "early Series 2" seems to work, but it doesn't completely fit into the timeline of the show. It's an annoyance, but not a major one. I did enjoy the way Bad Blood seems to feed into the early storylines for Series 2 – such as Annie getting messages from the Men With Sticks and Rope and the vampire system going haywire after Herrick's death.
There are some inconsistencies within the text. The hospital administrator, McGough, was introduced in the first book as "some chinless bureaucrat from Whitehall" holding a PhD in "economics of management", with no suggestion he has any medical expertise. However, in Bad Blood he's depicted as a doctor of medicine, providing Denise with medical treatment. I think there's some mention of Mitchell looking like a 30 year old which is just plain wrong.
The ending of Bad Blood struck me as strange – the story arcs of the tie-in series are wound up, we see the trio getting on with their lives. But the last scene doesn't work and lacks resolution. At the end of the novel, an unnamed woman rings the doorbell and then walks away as there's no one there to answer it. It feels like the segue to another story – but there's no more tie-in novels and it doesn't line up with the show as far as I'm aware.
The audiobook is narrated by Lucy Gaskell, who portrayed the often-forgotten Sam in Series 2, who does not appear in Bad Blood. Gaskell's narration is fantastic – she does a terrific job in bringing the characters and story to life. But she doesn't quite take it to the levels that Lenora Crichlow and Russell Tovey took the first two audiobooks. I would guess this is for two reasons. Firstly, it's the issue of authenticity – Crichlow and Tovey were integral to the show, playing two of the three leads during the show's heyday. Their voices automatically tie the book closely to the show in a way that Gaskell just can't. Secondly, the first two books are generally weaker and more in need of a life – thus in more need of the lift that Crichlow and Tovey's narrations provide.
I feel like a bit like a whiney fangirl in saying this, but while the audiobook is vastly enjoyable, the choice of Gaskell is a little confusing. Two of the three leads narrate two out of the three tie-in audiobooks – why not go for three out of three? It just strikes me as odd (and yes, okay, I would pay good money for an audiobook narrated by Aidan Turner).
Ultimately, though, Bad Blood is, the best of the Being Human tie-ins – so good that it surprised me how great it was for a tie-in. Gaskell's narration is enjoyable and she does a terrific job.
* Series 1-3 only.
** Series 1 only. Everyone that matters die in horrible, heart-destroying ways. Only Annie has a happy ending. You have been warned.
Standard summary of the show: Annie is a ghost, George is a werewolf and Mitchell is a vampire. Together they share a house.* Shenanigans ensue in a delightful mix of tragedy, humour and powerful and awesome friendships.**
Bad Blood is the third and final book in the tie-in set. Denise, a friend of Annie's from university, has returned after years spent abroad and doesn't know what happened to Annie. Seemingly by luck, Denise can see Annie and, unaware Annie is dead, becomes determined to draw Annie out of her shell. Not everything about her presence is good though – she's harbouring a secret and the vampires of Bristol are acting strange, made maddeningly hungry by something in the air.
In my opinion, Bad Blood is the strongest of the tie-in novels. Denise works well as the unofficial fourth member of the trio, probably the best character created for the books. The plot is tight and I kind of admire Goss' dedication to the bingo theme, alternatively a bit cheesy and very imaginative. What I really love are the "intermissions" where the action breaks off while the trio plus Denise reflect on their own experiences loosely linked to the same topic.
These segments allow for a glimpse into the characters' heads, giving back-stories and beautiful little segments of their ordinary, domestic lives. I really, really loved George's monologue about Vera, the aloe vera plant he bought against Mitchell's advice and then accidently killed much to Mitchell's despair. And there is a truly amazing section narrated by Mitchell about his experiences in World War I.
The tone is more even and Goss even manages to capture the characters fairly well – so much so that when reading the book for the first time on my Kindle, it was easy to "hear" their voices reading each section. That said, there were a couple of places where the tone and characterisations fell down for me, though your mileage may vary. Firstly, there's an early scene where George and Mitchell have a play-fight while at work on the hospital, using their mops as swords. I found it juvenile in tone, OOC and just very cringey in general. Secondly, there's the fact that Mitchell has a teddy-bear. O_O
Bad Blood feels like it's meant to be Mitchell-centric in the same way The Road was meant to be Annie-centric and Chasers George-centric. But I'd argue that Annie and George play the more significant roles in Bad Blood and Mitchell had a larger, more significant role to play in the first two novels.
Like the other two books, it's difficult to know where this story is set. A vague "early Series 2" seems to work, but it doesn't completely fit into the timeline of the show. It's an annoyance, but not a major one. I did enjoy the way Bad Blood seems to feed into the early storylines for Series 2 – such as Annie getting messages from the Men With Sticks and Rope and the vampire system going haywire after Herrick's death.
There are some inconsistencies within the text. The hospital administrator, McGough, was introduced in the first book as "some chinless bureaucrat from Whitehall" holding a PhD in "economics of management", with no suggestion he has any medical expertise. However, in Bad Blood he's depicted as a doctor of medicine, providing Denise with medical treatment. I think there's some mention of Mitchell looking like a 30 year old which is just plain wrong.
The ending of Bad Blood struck me as strange – the story arcs of the tie-in series are wound up, we see the trio getting on with their lives. But the last scene doesn't work and lacks resolution. At the end of the novel, an unnamed woman rings the doorbell and then walks away as there's no one there to answer it. It feels like the segue to another story – but there's no more tie-in novels and it doesn't line up with the show as far as I'm aware.
The audiobook is narrated by Lucy Gaskell, who portrayed the often-forgotten Sam in Series 2, who does not appear in Bad Blood. Gaskell's narration is fantastic – she does a terrific job in bringing the characters and story to life. But she doesn't quite take it to the levels that Lenora Crichlow and Russell Tovey took the first two audiobooks. I would guess this is for two reasons. Firstly, it's the issue of authenticity – Crichlow and Tovey were integral to the show, playing two of the three leads during the show's heyday. Their voices automatically tie the book closely to the show in a way that Gaskell just can't. Secondly, the first two books are generally weaker and more in need of a life – thus in more need of the lift that Crichlow and Tovey's narrations provide.
I feel like a bit like a whiney fangirl in saying this, but while the audiobook is vastly enjoyable, the choice of Gaskell is a little confusing. Two of the three leads narrate two out of the three tie-in audiobooks – why not go for three out of three? It just strikes me as odd (and yes, okay, I would pay good money for an audiobook narrated by Aidan Turner).
Ultimately, though, Bad Blood is, the best of the Being Human tie-ins – so good that it surprised me how great it was for a tie-in. Gaskell's narration is enjoyable and she does a terrific job.
* Series 1-3 only.
** Series 1 only. Everyone that matters die in horrible, heart-destroying ways. Only Annie has a happy ending. You have been warned.
January 10, 2020
https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3319532.html
Annie (the ghost) is visited by an old friend who doesn't know that she is dead, and the three housemates are sucked into a bizarrely sinister bingo night. Tightly written and very vivid, as I have come to expect from Goss.
Annie (the ghost) is visited by an old friend who doesn't know that she is dead, and the three housemates are sucked into a bizarrely sinister bingo night. Tightly written and very vivid, as I have come to expect from Goss.
February 20, 2018
Took me a bit
It took me a bout to get through this book. I love the show, both British and American version but the book took me awhile to get through. Idk why but I just had trouble grasping it.
It took me a bout to get through this book. I love the show, both British and American version but the book took me awhile to get through. Idk why but I just had trouble grasping it.
December 5, 2017
My favorite of the series ! Funny and catchy :)
July 21, 2024
Not bad but I can see why the story wasn't used for the tv show
April 27, 2021
A book of two halves, I struggled a great deal with the first half of it, I won't lie, it really was very off-putting for me as a reader, two stars at best, though others might not agree. The second half of the book is an absolute seven-star belter, a phenomenal conclusion to not just this book but the loose trilogy of books it is part of. So overall I've hedged the rating as 4 stars, as I liked it more this time around and the amazing second half left a more favourable impression, that it would have if it had been a rubbish ending to a great first half.
February 24, 2013
Still not the greatest books.
However. Vampire Bingo night. And the jokes about George and Mitchell being a couple are STILL going.
So still a lot of fun basically.
The cover is easily the worst in the series though. Looked like I was reading a paranormal romance book (instead of a paranormal sharehouse comedy). Very embarrassing.
However. Vampire Bingo night. And the jokes about George and Mitchell being a couple are STILL going.
So still a lot of fun basically.
The cover is easily the worst in the series though. Looked like I was reading a paranormal romance book (instead of a paranormal sharehouse comedy). Very embarrassing.
June 18, 2011
I have a guilty pleasure for books based on tv shows, but this was pretty bad. The characters were just about captured correctly, but the story was draggy, it was just quite boring, and the only reason I finished it was because I was on holiday and out of other reading material.
February 1, 2013
I'm depressed to realize that there are no more books in the Being Human series. (I miss Mitchell and George!) This one was a fun ride. I especially loved all the threatening messages to Annie throughout. Creepy...
August 7, 2014
A run of the mill tie-in which pales in comparison to the TV series. It felt forced and read like fan fiction to me - though to it's credit the characters were depicted so well it made me want to watch the series again.
September 9, 2010
More like 2.5 stars. Not nearly as good as the other 2 in the trilogy. Didn't like Denise. Found out what Guffy was up to. Mostly, eh!
June 7, 2011
Love the TV series and interested to see how the books pan out, they were ok but do feel they could be longer.
February 20, 2025
Interesting story, makes me miss Mitchell as a character on the show. Wonder if they'll do stories about Hal.
January 17, 2013
Poor Annie.
October 12, 2013
Gods below, how boring and annoying it was! The worst book in the series.
February 4, 2015
Enjoyable trilogy if you've seen the UK series.
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August 3, 2011I loved these three books, just like watching the programme!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews