“The Somnambulist is a rollickiing tale of detection, adventure, thrills and mysterious goings-on in Victorian London. In short, it is a bit like the image we have of Sherlock Holmes.
The story revolves around Edward Moon, stage magician and occasional detective, who is asked to solve a mysterious and creepy murder. Always delighted to be faced with a mystery and a worthy adversary, he throws himself into the case, dragging those around him along for the ride. This includes the Somnambulist, a pale hairless giant who never speaks. It is a little odd for the book to be named in his honour, as he is essentially windowdressing. He adds to the creepy atmosphere, but is never central to the story.
The story, meanwhile, mixes the realistic with steampunk, science fiction, and complete fantasy with ease, throwing in some sinister conspiracies, secrets and dramatically named entities. The narrative voice is very much a character of its own, with throwaway remarks, interjections, and a flair for the dramatic. It is exactly the kind of story and narrative I enjoy.
I nearly gave this book 5 stars, but in the end it did not quite sustain the menace and sense of high adventure. The resolution felt a little muddled and rushed.
That said, I'll definitely keep an eye on the writings of Jonathan Barnes, and buy whatever he writes next. Very much my kind of thing, this book. Terrifically enjoyable. ”
Robert H wrote this review Sunday, August 9 2009.
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