Meep's Reviews > Underground

Third in the series. The mystery/plot seems to move along a little faster in this and we finally get to learn more of Quinton, but there's still that blandness holding it back.

There's a rich patina of history and in the unlikely event I find myself in Seattle I'd love to take that ghost tour underground. The concept of raising the street level was fascinating to me, and having the hidden level below. Meeting the 'undergrounders' aka tramps held huge potential for characterisation.

Unfortunately the characters still don't have any depth or spark. It's all strangely passionless, there's no emotion regardless of events, so what should be the most dramatic of scenes is dull. The best example of this is near the end; Mid dramatic chase we're told Harper parks her car on the grass by some museum (specified) that's on the corner that leads to.. and.., I don't want to hear that, I want to feel she's in danger whereas the fear and urgency get completely diluted.

There's always the history lesson. We don't know how busy the street is, only that that hotel's been there since the year dot, that there used to be a statue in the square. I respect the research and some is interesting but for to me it's too heavily woven in.

In this we find out hold old Harper is, she's still skinny to a point where I started to feel fat. There's a scene early on in the book where she asks Quinton a question and after the answer we're told 'I dismissed the trivalities' that made me flinch and the impression stuck with me. Harper investigates, when she's not she sits with her ferret, re-charges like a machine then continues working. Life is full of trivialities, we're supposed to believe these two have become friends so where's the casual chatter? the curiosity?

If you removed the names it would be impossible to guess whose speaking. In this we're spared too much of the 'quirky side-kicks' so no Irish blarney. The witch and her hubby still strike me as obnoxious teenagers in this book, playing on the edge of something dangerous because it's 'cool'. (view spoiler)[When Ben is hurt near the end there's no concern, a footnote comment about checking on him and comment later to say he's alive. (hide spoiler)]. Too often the conversations are data filled, people speaking with an expertise that doesn't make sense.

Will remains underdeveloped, (view spoiler)[it's no suprise he makes his farewells (hide spoiler)] when bad things happen he irratates me when objectively his response are the most logical. Vampires - the favour that keeps on giving - Carlos is supposed to be scary yet I see him as benign due to how quickly Harper always runs to him for information. People are oddly obliging towards her; Fish (mortician), I don't understand why he'd contact Harper with information.

The result is disconcerting. I want to love these books but they lack any colour, the humour here is the choice of monster - Sisiutl, apparently the name is funny I'm either pronouncing it wrong or have missed the joke. It's a pity, the work that's gone into the research of both the area and eldrich beasties should elevate this to the top of it's genre.