November Books 7) Being Human: The Road, by Simon Guerrier
We're slowly working our way through Being Human, and have reached the second series during which all three of the published Being Human novels are set. I saw two of them the other weekend and bought them, and have ordered the third, and have now read the first, a decent effort by Simon Guerrier illustrated on the front cover by Leonora Crichlow looking at us sultrily through a noose whose rope is transparent.
It's tricky to write novels set during the fairly tight continuity of a TV show, though one format that works well here is the Being Human version of the Doctor Who / Torchwood monster-of-the-week, in this case a ghostly woman called Gemma, whose presence in our heroes' lives provokes them to help her find her own closure after the her son's death. The truth turns out to be pretty tough to uncover and also rather unpleasant in detail, with the ghosts of wronged Bristolians thronging the pages. Gemma is quite a good character study in character manipulation, and is indeed herself the main obstacle to reaching the answer; in the end Mitchell's key motivation for solving the mystery and getting rid of her is that she is driving Annie up the walls.
Meanwhile George is excused most of the Gemma sub-plot to get hooked up with some friendly colleagues who want him to father their child. But apparently there is more of that in the next book.
It's tricky to write novels set during the fairly tight continuity of a TV show, though one format that works well here is the Being Human version of the Doctor Who / Torchwood monster-of-the-week, in this case a ghostly woman called Gemma, whose presence in our heroes' lives provokes them to help her find her own closure after the her son's death. The truth turns out to be pretty tough to uncover and also rather unpleasant in detail, with the ghosts of wronged Bristolians thronging the pages. Gemma is quite a good character study in character manipulation, and is indeed herself the main obstacle to reaching the answer; in the end Mitchell's key motivation for solving the mystery and getting rid of her is that she is driving Annie up the walls.
Meanwhile George is excused most of the Gemma sub-plot to get hooked up with some friendly colleagues who want him to father their child. But apparently there is more of that in the next book.