Book Review: Jekyll & Hyde Inc.
Simon R. Green's monster mashup thrills more than chills
A London cop with a reputation for being something of a Boy Scout, Daniel Carter is horribly injured during an off-the-books raid. The rest of his team is dead… until one of the men shows up at his flat decidedly undead and smelling like it. He tells Daniel how the world really works and gives him the address for Jekyll & Hyde Inc., along with the opportunity to take his revenge.
But in order to beat the monsters, Daniel must become one himself.
The Story
It’s modern day London, and a small group of off-duty plainclothesmen have gathered in a lousy coffeeshop. They’re given an assignment: to raid an unlicensed surgery in a bookstore’s basement. If it goes well, it could mean promotions for everyone. If everything goes to hell, their higher-ups never knew anything about it. What the team finds, however, is hell on earth. Members of the Frankenstein Clan work in that basement, harvesting organs from unwilling, and not unconscious, human donors. Things go downhill (yes, downhill from hell. Shut up) after that and Daniel is left for dead.
Some time later, his body broken beyond repair, Daniel hears a knock at his door. It’s his teammate, Paul, who asks to be invited in. No surprise, since he’s now a vampire. He explains that at all the nightmare monsters from history are centered in London, and if Daniel wants to join the fight he needs to contact Jekyll & Hyde Inc. Incorporating is always important, so that your personal assets are safe if you get sued. But who sues Mr. Edward “Frickin’” Hyde? Just imagine the Glassdoor reviews.
Anyway, Daniel is introduced to the Mr. Hyde and takes his potion. Now Daniel Hyde, he meets the sexy Tina Hyde (with whom he does the monster mash in every sense, and if you think that sounds mildly incestuous, don’t think about it), and they’re tasked with wiping out all the monster clans: Frankensteins, Vampires, Mummies, and Werewolves. Lucky for them (and us), everyone has annual gatherings around the same time.
While some authors might have given each clan its own novel, Simon R. Green makes sure this one moves at lightning speed. It’s action set pieces stitched together like Frankenstein’s monster with the thinnest narrative thread. When the violence necessarily pauses and Green goes for the heartstrings, things unravel faster than a mummy in a hurricane. Yet it’s an essential part of the rhythm of story, and he always ties everything back together.
Through it all, I found reading and listening (the narrator of the audiobook sounds like Michael Cane) strangely addicting. It’s superficial in the extreme, sure, but never dull. The premise promises unhinged mayhem, and it delivers. Boy does it deliver.
The Characters
Daniel Carter/Hyde was a goody-goody cop with a shattered body. Now he’s a monster who hunts and kills monsters with abandon. He still clings to his moral principles, for now. But when you’re a near indestructible, possibly immortal, with insatiable appetites, that’s easier said than done.
You can take the girl out of the party, but you can’t take the party out of the girl. Tina Hyde was a London socialite with more issues than a comic book museum and all the STDs to prove it. When offered Dr. Jekyll’s potion she didn’t hesitate because she had nothing to lose. Not much changed, except now her idea of partying involves pizza and gratuitous violence.
Edward Hyde is still alive and, well, he’s alive. Cunning and insane, he may be the most dangerous monster of all. With a lifetime to plot and plan, everyone knows his ulterior motives have ulterior motives.
The World
“These days, the Frankenstein Clan deals in illegal surgeries. The Vampire Clan deals in all forms of seduction. The Clan of Mummies deals in drugs. The werewolves supply muscle and enforcement, for when the Clans don’t want to do it themselves. All the shit work, basically. And the ghouls make sure the bodies are never found. Because they’ll eat anything.”
The Politics
I didn’t even think about politics. This is all about sex and violence.
Content Warning
Did I mention the sex and violence? Furniture is smashed, clothes are shredded, lots of adult language. And that’s just the sex. The violence is much more graphic. There’s also some unnecessary animal cruelty and casual cannibalism that I really could have done without.
Who is it for?
If you’re craving a monster mashup and don’t have time to sit and watch that Hugh Jackman movie again, this has your name on it. It’s for anyone who wants anti-heroes doing anti-heroics with a James Bond quip at the ready.
Why read it?
Because not every horror story needs to be an introspective meditation on man’s capacity for evil. Not every monster deserves our empathy. Sometimes it’s more fun to sit back and let the creatures sort things out in the most gruesome ways imaginable. Green proves it can fun indeed. Why this particular story? Because it’s always Halloween somewhere.