Book Review: "The Book With No Name" by Anonymous

Volume one in a fast-paced, cinematic trilogy shot through with supernatural black humor

 

In Santa Mondega, an unnamed book brings violent death to anyone who reads it, a mysterious blue stone—the Eye of the Moon—has vanished, a total eclipse is about to cast the city into utter darkness, and in the shadowed streets lurks the serial killer known only as the Bourbon Kid. Detective Miles Jensen must race to uncover the link between the book, the murders, and the Kid. But as the mystery unravels, he discovers that there's more to Santa Mondega than meets the eye. Not only is the place full of gangsters, martial-arts monks, lowlifes, bounty hunters, and an Elvis-impersonating hitman, there is a whole bunch of vampires, too. - from Amazon.com

I admit I was a bit intrigued by a book that is written by an anonymous author. Did they not want their name on it because it was that bad, or some other reason? I decided I had to find out, since even the plot description made me interested in reading it. I was not disappointed. The story brings us to Santa Mondega, and introduces a character Miles Jensen, who is a specially appointed office to the SMPD. Specially Appointed, as he deals with the more paranormal sort of things for the government. While on this particular case, he is trying to solve several murders that are related to the theft of the Eye of the Moon, a special gem said to have certain mystical properties. To add to the suspense, and eclipse, centered over Santa Mondega, could be halted causing constant darkness over the town if the gem finds its way into the wrong hands. The Bourbon Kid is a serial murderer from five years earlier, when the Eye was stolen previously, and is blamed for the murders cropping up in the current day.

Definitely a dark, humorous read. Though at times I felt it dragged a bit, trying to keep up with some of the multiple plot lines going on. Everything does sort of tie-in together at the end, leaving the reader with the good sense of the good guys winning, and the bad guys losing. Twist in a few angels, vampires, a few other paranormal types, and a gun-toting serial killer, it makes for a gritty action read.