In the second of Peter Grant’s visual outings, we see a kidnapping, the Russian mafia and the lengths a parent will go to to get their child back. The art here is, again, rather lovely. I find the style really suits the series, so top marks to Lee Sullivan. The story is fairly slight, once again, and readable in a quite short space of time. I found it didn’t hang together hugely well on first read, although a re-read did definitely help (and it’s short enough that you can read it a couple of times in as many hours). The graphic novel format does mean that we’re outside of Peter’s head for most of the time, which is a shame, as so much of the joy of the series for me comes from his narrative voice. But it does mean that when we do get a “Peter Grant moment”, it’s a real joy.
This one is set sometime before [book: The Hanging Tree], but probably after [book:Foxglove Summer]. Alas, DC Guleed, along with most of the regular cast, is missing from this volume, although we do get a brief scene with Dr Walid. I’ve come to really like Guleed over the last few books although a certain other former partner of Peter’s does make an appearance.
So, like I said, it’s slight, but a lot of fun. And the way the Russians manage to “persuade” Nightingale is clever.