Tales of the supernatural are popular these days, especially with the releases of both the Harry Potter and Twilight series. The problem with those stories though is that while they have a fan base of all ages, not everyone is into sparkling vampires or schools for wizard even if the reader enjoys the genre. If you’re looking for a mature, witty, and entertaining story of the supernatural, look no further than Simon Berkley by Eat Your Serial’s very own Leon Noble.
Simon Berkley is a man with a psychic gift. In order to pay the bills, he uses his powers as a clairvoyant to ease the pain of lonely widows looking for lost loved ones. He’s also regularly haunted by Alice, a nuisance to him and his business, while also hanging around with the last wizard on earth, Phil (think Harry Potter, retired with a drinking problem). After a near death experience while investigating a case for a client and a string of gruesome murders in the supernatural community, Simon begins a journey to solve the mystery of who’s committing these heinous crimes, and stop it before it gets worse.
As a fan of tales of the supernatural and dry humor, this twisted tale was right up my alley. Simon Berkley, delightfully cynical with a seemingly know it all attitude, paired with Alice, a sarcastic, alpha female with a no b.s. policy, makes for entertaining dialogue between the two characters throughout the story. It was conversational and realistic, well, as realistic as a conversation with a ghost can be. The story is extremely detailed and descriptive, even down to the smallest detail. For example, in chapter two, Noble mentions the change of color in Alice’s Irises, from a “heavy grey to a flashing red.” It’s a simple detail, but it adds to the tension and struggle of the situation she was in.
Another interesting and amusing part is in chapter three when Simon goes to his ex-girlfriend for some help. Who likes running into their ex? Even worse, who likes to swallow their pride long enough to ask an ex for help? It’s a completely realistic and awkward situation that was done both humorously and tactfully.
This story was a nice switch up to the norm of paranormal and supernatural stories. Yes, some of the elements are the same, but the story is told in a fresh and entertaining fashion. This was a quick read for me because I got so involved with the story and the characters that I wanted to keep reading. Will our unwilling hero find the murder in time to spare the lives of other members of his community? I could tell you, but what would be the fun in that?
Read Simon Berkley HERE for yourself!
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Written by:
The Toast 