Ishmael Jones tags along when his partner Penny is invited to attend the reopening of Tyrone’s Castle, a Cornish inn originally built by smugglers. Old acquaintances of her family are the owners and Penny is curious as to why her presence is required. When people start going missing, will Ishmael be able to figure out the reason?

Into the Thinnest of Air is the fifth book in the Ishmael Jones series and it is just more of the same.
I do like the banter between Ishmael and Penny, but not much else. The mystery is thinly veiled and the eventual conclusion is more like an episode of Scooby Doo. The book follows a familiar formula: Ishmael and Penny fall into the middle of a mystery, figure out what happens, and call on Ishmael's employer to clean up the mess. Into the Thinnest of Air is a quick read, but not one I would recommend to other readers.

Disclaimer: Severn House Publishers and NetGalley provided me with an Advanced Reader's Copy of Into the Thinnest of Air. The choice to review this book was my own.

Into the Thinnest of Air, the 5th of the Ishmael Jones series, follows the formula of the preceding books...i.e. Ishmael and his partner and significant other Penny travel to the back of beyond to an isolated location and become involved in a strange and dangerous situation. But this time it isn’t work. It’s actually a social occasion; and Penny is with her plus one for a special dinner. Ishmael is the somewhat reluctant companion.

I really enjoyed this story with its change up of the formula which sees Ishmael stymied by conflicting clues after a strange disappearance in a reportedly long-haunted pub, recently revitalized and about to reopen to the public. Can he trust his usually very accurate and reliable senses and instincts? Well there is a book 6 which I intend to read soon, but that is all I will say. Still enjoying this series quite a lot.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Simon R. Green takes Ishmael Jones and Penny Belcourt into Agatha Christie territory with Into the Thinnest of Air. Penny receives an invitation from friends of her late father to attend a party opening a new restaurant in the wilds of Cornwall. Ishmael comes along so that the two can have time alone, not working on a case. That does not work out when the hostess disappears and slowly do other guests. Is it a recreation of a murder that occurred there in Victorian times? Strange voices? But in any case Ishmael and Penny are on the case to save themselves and others.

I keep coming back to this series because it's like a warm blanket that keeps me cozy. It also causes mild anxiety because I have no idea whats going on until the end. That said there was a problem with this one. Near the end when the mystery is revealed there was one point that stuck out. We're told that the lead character has superhuman hearing. Well apparently he could hear a door opening and closing from five feet away. Also characters disappear in what seems like seconds without a trace. When you find out how this happens it doesn't make too much sense that someone could disappear without leaving some trace behind for the superhuman lead character to pick up on. Other then that it was very suspenseful and heartbreaking near the end. Another good entry in this series.

OMG! I so, so enjoyed this book and it's not normally one I'd have chosen to read. I love that about books, you chose a random one based upon it's summary, reviews and author and are taken on a journey that you never expected.

I read this cover to cover in less than 24 hours and just loved it. It's got humour, scares, conundrums, mysterious disappearances and more. A fabulous read. The lead characters are unusual in themselves and they go on a supposed romantic break, only to find people disappearing.

Although it is obviously one of a series, that in no way spoilt the read for me, rather, encouraged me to now work back through the other books.

Thanks so much to Netgalley, Severn House Publishing and Simon R Green for the opportunity to preview this excellent read.

Simon Green puts Ishmael Jones, the alien survivor of a spaceship crash and investigator for the Organization of things that go bump in the night, in a mysterious Castle Inn with his human partner Penny. People are vanishing Into the Thinnest of Air during an evening dinner to celebrate the reopening of the inn. Are monsters at work? or Is it human malice? Great novella.

When Ishmael Jones' partner Penny is invited to the private reopening of a infamous inn, they learn of the legend behind it, that the previous owner poisoned all his dinner guests while his wife and child disappeared. But when people in the present start disappearing, what began as a dinner among old friends turns into a frightening and possibly supernatural locked room mystery.

This is a creepy book with a lot of suspense. I'm always a sucker for a locked room mystery, especially one tinged with a horror aspect, and this story definitely delivers on that end. The ending also packs quite a punch, and is not one I saw coming.

I have to admit, I almost put this book down within the first two pages, because the strangeness factor behind the main character, Ishmael, just seemed so, to put it bluntly, weird. I hadn't known what the premise behind him was (and won't say it here to avoid spoilers), which is a good thing, because I wouldn't have picked up the book otherwise. It's not a bad or nasty thing, it's just not at all what I expected when I picked up a mystery.

I'm definitely glad I kept going with this book, because it ended up being so full of suspense, and horror aspects, and mystery. And that ending was really well-done. Get past the premise of the main character and you're in for a clever mystery.

EXCERPT: Black Rock Towen and its surroundings have a long-standing reputation as a place where people go missing. Never any clues or even a warning. They just disappear without a trace when no one’s looking.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Dinner at an ancient Cornish inn leads to one baffling disappearance after another in the latest intriguing Ishmael Jones mystery.

“It’s just a nice weekend, in a nice country inn. Nothing bad is going to happen …”

Ishmael Jones and his partner Penny are attending the re-opening of Tyrone’s Castle, an ancient Cornish inn originally built by smugglers. Over dinner that night, the guests entertain one another with ghost stories inspired by local legends and superstitions. But it would appear that the curse of Tyrone’s Castle has struck for real when one of their number disappears into thin air. And then another . . .

Is the inn really subject to an ancient curse? Sceptical of ghost stories, Ishmael believes the key to the mystery lies in the present rather than the past. But with no bodies, no evidence and no clues to go on, how can he prove it?

MY THOUGHTS: I came into this book, #5 in the Ishmael Jones series, completely ignorant of Jones’s background. Had I known his background, I probably never would have picked this book to read. And that would have been a great pity, because I would have missed out on a amusing, well written mystery with just a touch of something extra. For Ishmael is an alien who, stranded on earth, has taken on human form with, of course, a few idiosyncrasies.

The author, Simon R Green, has done a magnificent job in portraying this group of people who, with the exception of Ishmael and Penny, were old friends reuniting after many years separation. But while all appears friendly on the surface, there are little jibes and digs with more barbs than could be expected from real friends. There is an underlying animosity that no one is willing to admit to, until the innkeeper’s wife vanishes. Green’s dialogue is superb, as is his talent for creating a creepy atmosphere. And while I would rather have not read about an alien, that aspect didn’t weigh heavily on the plot.

This variation on a locked room mystery was an entertaining read and, yes, I would read other books in this series and by this author. This book is well able to be read as a stand-alone mystery. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to Severn House via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of Into the Thinnest Air by Simon R Green for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the ‘about’ page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.

This review and others are also published on myGoodreads.com page https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2199348414

As this is book 5 in the series and I have read them all have I started to see a pattern to these tales. Well, you only have to read two books to see a pattern. Ishmael Jones and Penny travel to a remote place and in the castle/old mansion, etc. weird shit happens and many people die horribly.

Dead Man Walking the first book I read in this series (and book two in the series) is still my favorite Ishmael Jones book. I think because the concept was new and I was intrigued by his past and all the gory deaths, of course, made the book awesome. Yeah, I'm a very easy to please.

Into the Thinnest of Air is so far the one book that I feel is not really working for me. Sure, there were some funny moments between Ishmael and Penny, but the funny banter felt lighter than usual and the mystery of the Tyrone Castle felt neither intriguing nor especially mysterious. People that kept mysteriously disappearing? Not as interesting as people suddenly being brutally murdered along the way by some mysterious foe. And, the ending, well I was not terribly surprised, to be honest. I do hope the next book is better.

This entertaining locked-room mystery takes place in a creepy Cornish Castle with a long-standing curse hanging over it. After winning a substantial sum on the lottery, the couple hosting this particular evening have transformed it into an inn with a fine-dining restaurant and Penny, Ishmael’s partner, has been sent an invitation. They seem particularly keen for her to attend, although they were really friends of her father. So she feels obligated to go along and is sure that Ishmael will be equally welcome. However as he walks through the door, he realises that not only were they not expecting anyone to accompany Penny, they are not remotely pleased to see him.

Ishmael’s enhanced senses tell him there is something not quite right about this evening, so instead of a weekend getaway where they could pretend to be an ordinary couple, they find themselves pitchforked into the middle of yet another bloody adventure. Once again, Green’s snappy writing and effective scene setting swept me up into the story and had me turning the pages until it was all over. I really enjoy Ishmael as a character. While he is supposedly on the side of the angels, there is a darker side to him and I liked the fact that at one point in this story, he simply lost his temper and took it out on his surroundings.

One of Green’s strengths is his ability to give us plenty of back story and motive for all of the suspects that Ishmael and Penny, who are an interesting mix of characters and I enjoyed the fact that Green doesn’t necessarily play them to type – for instance, the vicar is far weaker than his wife. As for the denouement, while I didn’t see it coming, it had crossed my mind before I dismissed it a couple of times during the book. However, in this story, it is as much about the why, as it is the how, which I found reasonably convincing.

This one certainly managed to make a train journey to London and back far more entertaining and is recommended for fans of murder mysteries with a paranormal twist. While I obtained an arc of The Thinnest of Air from Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

INTO THE THINNEST OF AIR (Susp-Ishmael Jones-England-Contemp) - Okay
Green, Simon R. – 5th in series
Severn House – March 2018
First Sentence: Back in Victorian times a certain Elliot Tyrone ran a very popular inn, the Castle.
Penny Belcourt has been invited to the reopening of Tyrone’s Castle in Cornwell. Penny askes her partner Ishmael Jones, to accompany so that they might have a “perfectly normal weekend” together. However, it seems that one of the inn’s legends may be more than a story as one-by-one, people disappear without a trace. Is there something supernatural at work? It’s up to Ishmael to find out before the night is over and everyone is gone.
A more intriguing opening or character I doubt you’ll find. From the first pages, Green gives us both the history and the setting, and a completely unique character.
Green’s attention to detail, both in terms of places—“Old-fashioned street lights were just coming on, their honey-yellow illumination shedding a pleasant glow across the scene. It was like driving through the picture on the lid of a box containing a childhood jigsaw puzzle.”—and people—“He was smartly if casually dressed, well into his forties, and almost entirely bald. His face was smooth and shiny, his eyes were a faded blue, and his innkeeper’s smile didn’t waver once. Perhaps only I would have noticed that it didn’t even come close to touching his eyes.”—put us into the story and make it real. His subtle humor lightens tense situations—“I gestured at the nearest open door. ‘Do you want to go in first, Penny?’ ‘After you,’ said Penny. ‘And don’t be afraid to hit anything that moves.’ ‘Sounds like a plan to me,’ I said.”
Starting a series with the newest book, rather than then first, puts pressure on the author to ensure new readers still have a sense of continuity with the primary characters. In spite of the information at the beginning, one is left with the knowledge that there are a lot of details one is missing. Another issue is that if the characters are at risk, one should care about them. Other than the protagonists, most of the characters here were so unpleasant, one doesn’t really care if they disappear, although that does change as the story progresses. Another issue was that although there was the mystery of what was happening, there was also always the sense that there would be a perfectly logical explanation.
The positives, however, where the clever method by which the disappearances were enacted and learning of the what happened to those who went missing.
“Into the Thinnest of Air” is not Green’s best book; one should go to the “Nightside” series, instead. While some of his strengths were there, the “well, maybe” aspect of his storytelling was missing. Even so, it was a pleasant, quick read.

If you've read any of the others books in the series, by now you know what you are in for. A 'locked room' mystery, this one set in an ancient inn in Cornwall, haunt of ancient smugglers and scene of mysterious disappearances and historic poisonings. Penny is invited to a meal to mark the reopening of the inn by friends of her parents and of course, Ishmael goes too. It isn't long before the guests start disappearing one by one.

It was fairly easy to work out who was behind the odd occurrences and how it was done, in fact I can't believe it took Ishmael so long. It was still an entertaining read and I have grown to like Ishmael and can even put up with Penny at a push, but I would like the next case to be a little more complex.

Thanks to Netgalley and publishers, Severn House, for the opportunity to review an ARC.

I’ve been reading the Ishmael Jones Mystery series since Mr. Green started releasing them. At this point in the series, I am starting to feel that they are feeling the same. This one was slightly different, but the mystery was still a locked room, still one of the people who go missing, and like the rest, generally it’s always Penny and Ishmael who are left standing. That being said, I still frantically read every page of this book until the end, anxiously wanting to find out who the perpetrator/s was/were. And the end of this one left me feeling like it was too simple and Ishmael should have figured that out before the end because of his extra abilities. I can’t really say what I’d like because I don’t want to spoil the book, so I apologize if I’m a little vague. So, where do I stand with this book exactly? While the mysteries are all feeling the same, I still am glued to the pages because of Mr. Green’s engaging writing, the great relationship of Penny and Ishmael, and the fast pace of the writing, so I think I did overall like this book as it kept me entertained. If you liked the others, you will like this one. And, I think if you haven’t read the others, you will definitely love this one. Recommend! Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House Publishing for the e-copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

When I chose to read this, I didn't realise that it was the fifth in the Ishmael Jones series or that it was a paranormal mystery. However, this worked reasonably well as a standalone and it turned out to be a fun and entertaining read. There is reference to Moby Dick with the line 'Call me Ishmael', Ishmael is an alien who became stranded on earth, becoming acclimatised as a human, although the fact that he does not age has meant he stays nowhere for long. Things began to change when he become close to Penny and came to live with her. The book opens in Cornwall with a long ago Innkeeper of Tyrone's Castle who murders his Christmas dinner guests, claiming to hear voices in his head, resulting in him being hanged. In the present, Penny is taking up an invitation from Albert and Olivia Calvert, whom she hasn't seen in 20 years, for the re-opening of Tyrone's Castle. They are hoping to benefit from the tourist trade, planning to lure them in with the place's dark tragic history and ghost stories. Penny urges Ishmael to join her in a relaxing break from working for a covert organisation.

Needless to say, their dreams of a weekend break are but a pipe dream. As soon as they arrive they experience strange happenings. At the dinner, there are tensions between the guests and before long, the guests begin to narrate ghost tales based on the local folklore. And wait for it, the guests begin to disappear, including within locked rooms. Despite his background, Ishmael is inclined to not believe in spooky ghostly explanations, he favours the theory that the answers are much more likely to lie in the present rather than in the place's disturbing past. This is an absorbing story with a supernatural investigator, gruesome murders and a creepy narrative. Not what I was expecting, but enjoyable nevertheless. If you enjoy paranormal mysteries, then this is for you. Many thanks to Severn House for an ARC.

Wow! This is one of the worst books I've read. It was repetitive and amazingly simple. If it weren't for the fact that a few dead bodies showed up at the end, I could have almost convinced myself that I was reading a Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys book. I'm honestly amazed that anyone would spend money on this tripe. Not an author..ha, ha...that I'll ever read again. My thanks to Netgalley.

This is an uncanny blend of a classic mystery story and a tiny bit of science fiction. I'm not a fan of science fiction but in this case, I'm almost relieved that Ishmael is kind of alien….

Ishmael and his sidekick Penny (she's human) find themselves in a renovated castle, at a private dinner for selected guests, just before the opening night.

Somehow though, no one makes it to dessert. And the dessert itself is rather unusual - more than one helping can possibly kill the diner. Then, the guests disappear. After the first disappearance, the guests think that maybe this is a hoax, as the history of the castle is one of violence and smuggling.

Until they get picked off one by one…

So how do people disappear without even a sound, in rooms where there is no exit? And why are they taken? Most importantly, are they alive or are they gone forever, as history suggests?

Ishmael and Penny have a conundrum to solve if it's solvable and if they can manage to not disappear.

I really enjoyed this tale of mystery.

A truly spellbinding read, with all the ingredients to keep you unable to put the book down!

Elsa

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

And Now for Something A Little Bit Different, But Sort of the Same

When it comes to Simon Green novels I most definitely favor the series featuring John Taylor and the Nightside. But, as a port in the storm the Ishmael Jones novels do quite nicely. This is the fifth book to star Ishmael and Penny and it strays only a little bit from the usual formula, although in a good way.

This time around we have, as always, a country house sort of mystery. The house is actually an ancient, mysterious Inn surrounded by tales of demons, horror and the macabre. So, when the guests at a private dinner party begin to disappear one by one, from locked rooms and the like, we are not surprised. Neither are Ishmael and Penny, who immediately get to work on the solution.

As is often the case with Green's heroes there is a lot of repetition in their monologues from book to book, and sometimes even within a single book. This time out the reader is brought up to speed on who and what Ishmael is, but only once. With the backstory and character history kept to a minimum the reader is free to focus on the mystery at hand. I've never much minded the monologuing, (Green's heroes are amiable and engaging and they can digress or repeat themselves all they want as far as I'm concerned), but it is sort of refreshing to have this particular book more crisp, streamlined and fast paced. It also means Penny gets to play a larger role, and these books are always a bit brighter and more energetic, (and more amusing), when Penny plays a major part.

And this volume of the Ishmael/Penny adventures is a bit different. We spend the entire first quarter of the book sitting around a banquet table with Ishmael, Penny and the six other people who will be the victims/suspects for the rest of the tale. The ancient Castle Inn is being reopened the next day and these six, the two owners and four local friends, have been invited for a special preview celebration. Grievances, secrets, motives, hidden connections, tensions, and bits of shared history are doled out during the prickly table conversation so that when the first victim disappears all of the pieces and players are in place and the game is afoot. As the guests disappear one by one we get to speculate about why and how and by whom, which is after all the point of one of these.

In a classic sense I guess this book doesn't break much new ground. But as an Ishmael and Penny diversion I found it quite entertaining in that special Simon Green horror/paranormal/cozy style.

(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

Simon R Green has a talent for writing novels that are fresh, funny and utterly unique.  I can’t think of anyone who has so completely and successfully transformed the nature of the classic country house murder mystery.  I have yet to be disappointed by any of his Ishmael Jones novels.  They are all excellent - and Into the Thinnest of Air is no different.

Ishmael and Penny attend what they believe will be a quiet dinner at a soon to be opened Cornish Inn.  Tyrone’s Castle has a rich history of murder and mystery, complete with smugglers, spirits and more than a few disappearances.  What starts as a delicious if uncomfortable dinner becomes a night of tension and terror when the hostess disappears without a trace.  And she is but the first to vanish.  Of course no one expected Ishmael, and the hosts and attendees have no idea that solving unusual murders is bread and butter for Ishmael and Penny.

It’s amazing how Simon R Green keeps the reader glued to the page, despite the limited setting and cast.  Into the Thinnest of Air is delightfully atmospheric, full of the chills that only the dark unknown can bring.  The book will definitely appeal to fans of the series and newcomers alike.  I highly recommend Into the Thinnest of Air to anyone looking for an urban fantasy that is unique.

5 / 5

I received Into the Thinnest of Air from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

When Penny is invited to a private dinner to celebrate the opening of a new inn, she thinks it will be a change for her and her partner Ismael to have a normal evening. Things take a turn for the worst when one by one the guest start disappearing. Since no one knows her partner is a alien detective she expects him to sense what is happening.
Although not my usual type of read because of the alien aspect, I enjoyed the story. It keeps you guessing what could be going on. The story is told with a bit of humor added,

I enjoy the Ishmael Jones series for the possible paranormal twist on the classic locked room mystery. Into the Thinnest of Air is not the best of the series. At this point, I'm finding the banter between Ishmael and Penny a bit annoying, and the constant conversation in this particular novel (among all of the participants), although doubtless intended to further the story, was more irritating than anything else. Not as bad book, but, as I said, not the strongest entry in the series.