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A review by nietzschesghost
Bystander 27 by Rik Hoskin
4.0
Bystander 27 is a thriller set in a world where superheroes are real; you walk past them in the street every day barely blinking an eye until one day their actions have a devastating impact on your life. This is exactly what happened to ex-Navy Seal Jon Hayes. Jon and his pregnant wife, Melanie, are living their best lives together awaiting the arrival of their baby as the perfect accompaniment to their partnership. When a violent altercation breaks out between superhero, Captain Light, and supervillain, The Jade Shade, Melanie is caught in the crossfire and is killed as collateral damage when a helicopter descends on her. Hayes really just wants to move on, to heal and to mourn his loss but he can't help but wonder why. He begins to investigate the superheroes and villains who inhabit the city alongside him and needs to know exactly who is behind the costumes and capes in order to gain justice for his late wife. But the deeper he dives the more dangerous and disturbing it becomes and he then comes to the realisation that the quest for truth is not going to be an easy one.
This is a gripping action novel with plenty of danger and dark deeds but with a touch of emotion too as we feel for protagonist, Jon, and his situation. It's a fun and highly entertaining read packed with strangeness — aliens, robots and fae roam the city and there is a selection of interesting gadgets mentioned throughout. I must admit that I rarely read superhero fantasy fiction as normally it isn't my thing but I found this engaging, well-plotted and decently paced and what I particularly appreciated was instead of the caped crusaders being front and centre in the story Jon, a bystander, was the central figure which makes a refreshing change. But when Melanie is killed he decides he must act rather than just stand by and look as it is the only way to achieve the justice he very much craves. His tenacity and ceaseless effort is admirable and makes clear just how much he loved his wife. The narrative flows easily and this is very much a book you can race through in a couple of hours. Oh, and the twist at the end blew me away. Unexpected and satisfying. Many thanks to Angry Robot for an ARC.
This is a gripping action novel with plenty of danger and dark deeds but with a touch of emotion too as we feel for protagonist, Jon, and his situation. It's a fun and highly entertaining read packed with strangeness — aliens, robots and fae roam the city and there is a selection of interesting gadgets mentioned throughout. I must admit that I rarely read superhero fantasy fiction as normally it isn't my thing but I found this engaging, well-plotted and decently paced and what I particularly appreciated was instead of the caped crusaders being front and centre in the story Jon, a bystander, was the central figure which makes a refreshing change. But when Melanie is killed he decides he must act rather than just stand by and look as it is the only way to achieve the justice he very much craves. His tenacity and ceaseless effort is admirable and makes clear just how much he loved his wife. The narrative flows easily and this is very much a book you can race through in a couple of hours. Oh, and the twist at the end blew me away. Unexpected and satisfying. Many thanks to Angry Robot for an ARC.