THE INCIDENT OF THE HARROWMOOR DOGS is the first thing I've
read by Daniel Abraham, who's becoming well-known as an author of science
fiction and fantasy under his own name and a couple of pseudonyms. This is a
novella featuring a couple of characters who have appeared previously in some
of Abraham's short stories. Balfour and Meriwether (we don't find out their
first names) are a pair of tough Englishmen in the 1880s who carry out
dangerous assignments for a secret intelligence agency headed by a nobleman who
reports directly to the Queen.
This time they're asked to track down a fellow agent who has disappeared while investigating the case of an explorer and war hero who is locked up in a sinister sanitorium after suffering a breakdown of some sort. It seems that this unfortunate patient has been having nightmares that somehow reveal information the British government would prefer to keep secret.
Balfour—whose weapon of choice is knives—and Meriwether—who carries a brace of pistols and is good with them—pursue different lines of investigation that ultimately lead them to the same place, a warren of tunnels under the English countryside that contain a horrifying secret.
THE INCIDENT OF THE HARROWMOOR DOGS is a well-written, very entertaining blend of mystery, espionage, adventure, and horror. There's a little Conan Doyle, a little Robert E. Howard, even a little Robert Louis Stevenson. There's a late twist in the plot that seems a little forced to me, but hey, it's Abraham's story, not mine. And overall I had a fine time reading it.
The earlier Balfour and Meriwether adventures are available here. I liked this one enough that I've already bought them and look forward to reading them.
This time they're asked to track down a fellow agent who has disappeared while investigating the case of an explorer and war hero who is locked up in a sinister sanitorium after suffering a breakdown of some sort. It seems that this unfortunate patient has been having nightmares that somehow reveal information the British government would prefer to keep secret.
Balfour—whose weapon of choice is knives—and Meriwether—who carries a brace of pistols and is good with them—pursue different lines of investigation that ultimately lead them to the same place, a warren of tunnels under the English countryside that contain a horrifying secret.
THE INCIDENT OF THE HARROWMOOR DOGS is a well-written, very entertaining blend of mystery, espionage, adventure, and horror. There's a little Conan Doyle, a little Robert E. Howard, even a little Robert Louis Stevenson. There's a late twist in the plot that seems a little forced to me, but hey, it's Abraham's story, not mine. And overall I had a fine time reading it.
The earlier Balfour and Meriwether adventures are available here. I liked this one enough that I've already bought them and look forward to reading them.
