Death Shall Come (Ishmael Jones Series #4)

by Simon R. Green

Overview

Ishmael Jones is faced with a dead body and a missing mummy in this highly entertaining, genre-blending mystery.

Death shall come on swift wings to whoever desecrates this tomb …

Ishmael Jones and his partner Penny have been summoned to remote Cardavan House, home of the world’s largest private collection of Ancient Egyptian artefacts, for the unveiling of George Cardavan’s latest acquisition: a bone fide Egyptian mummy.

When a bloodstained body is discovered beside the empty sarcophagus, Ishmael is dismissive of the theory that the mummy’s curse is to blame. Instead he sets out to uncover the human killer responsible. But how can Ishmael explain the strange, shuffling footsteps that creep along the corridors? Who is playing games with them … and why?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780727887214
Publisher:	Severn House
Publication date:	09/01/2017
Series:	Ishmael Jones Series , #4
Edition description:	First World Publication
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Simon R. Green was born in Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, where he still lives. He is the author of more than fifty science fiction and fantasy novels, including the Nightside, Secret Histories and Ghost Finders series.

Editorial Reviews

07/31/2017
In Green’s entertaining fourth Ishmael Jones Mystery (after Very Important Corpses), Ishmael, an extraterrestrial in human form and ace British secret agent, and his earthly companion, Penny Belcourt, travel from London to Cardavan House (“a really long way from anywhere”) at the behest of the Colonel, Ishmael’s contact at his principal employer, the super-secret Organization. The Colonel wants Ishmael to be on hand for the unveiling of an Egyptian mummy, the latest purchase of his father-in-law, George Cardavan, owner of the world’s biggest private collection of valuable Ancient Egyptian artifacts. The story soon settles into a comfortable country house mystery: when one of the bickering family members is found bludgeoned to death in front of the empty sarcophagus, Ishmael uses his intelligence, phenomenal strength, and exquisite sense of smell to track down who—or what—is responsible. Green once again smoothly blends science fiction with classic detection. Agent: Joshua Bilmes, JABberwocky Literary Agency. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"Lover of high-quality fantasy and science fiction should make it a point to seek this guy out, if they haven't already"

Booklist

09/01/2017
lshmael Jones and partner Penny have been summoned to George Cardavan's country home, where he maintains the world's largest private collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts. The discovery of a body next to an empty sarcophagus, followed by more mysterious deaths, forces the duo to identify the culprit (human or otherwise) before they are also consumed by the murderous force at work. This fourth series adventure (after Very Important Corpses) is fast-paced, entertaining, and genre-bending.—ACT

Library Journal

2017-06-20
An alien posing as human investigates the case of a murderous mummy.What makes Ishmael Jones (Very Important Corpses, 2016, etc.) an unusual person is that he isn't a person at all but an ageless alien being who's inhabited this world in human form for more than half a century. Living off the grid has presented its share of problems but also its share of opportunities for Ishmael to become more resourceful, and he's come to rely on a special set of skills—for instance, his intense sense of smell—to keep himself safe and employed. Recently, he's even found a partner in Penny Belcourt, a woman game to assist him when required or disappear in the background when not. When the Colonel, Ishmael's contact with the organization that employs him, reaches out to Ishmael with a special request, he seems so desperate that Ishmael feels he has to assent. The Colonel's request leads Ishmael and Penny to Cardavan House, where Ishmael must pose as an Egyptologist studying a mummy of Cleopatra that the Colonel's brother-in-law, George Cardavan, has acquired. Though Ishmael is distracted by the family dynamics of the wealthy Cardavan clan, the murder of one family member soon redirects his attention. It seems impossible, but the evidence points to the mummy as the likeliest culprit. If aliens are real, could mummies possibly come back to life? Green's style of sci-fi blends levity with a high body count. His target audience, reading less for the mystery than for his signature style, will doubtless find this morsel as tasty as the others.

Kirkus Reviews

"Lovers of high-quality fantasy and science fiction should make it a point to seek this guy you, if they haven't already"

Booklist