A Kiss Before the Apocalypse

A Kiss Before the Apocalypse (2008) Thomas E. Sniegoski

I first came across Remy Chandler when I read the anthology Mean Streets. Thomas Sniegoski wrote the closing story, and I ended up reading that story in a single sitting.

Remy Chandler is a private detective. And an angel. Except that he’s been on extended leave from being part of the heavenly choir and instead has been hanging around earth for millenia. He’s also married, although that marriage is coming to an end, for his wife has aged while he has remained ageless, so when he visits her in the nursing home, all assume she is his mother. He’s trying to deal with this impending loss when some of his brethren show up in his office asking him to the angel of Death, who seems to have disappeared.

I’m of two minds about this book. I very much like a good deal of what he’s done–I really like the fact that we’re seeing an immortal deal with the end of love rather than the start. That’s a fascinating perspective and one I thought was done extremely well. I also liked the characters, and the fact that Marlowe was a main character. I’m not sure that I think Marlowe could handle such complex thoughts as he sometimes managed, but I thought overall he did a pretty good job with it.

However. Having read the novella that follows this book, about halfway through the story I started to wish the story was moving faster, since I knew the basics of what as going to happen.

Was I overtired? Yes. Did this affect my opinion. Possibly. It’s hard to say. Usually I’m pretty good with just putting a book down and picking it up the next day. But not last night.

How does this affect my overall opinion of the book?

As I said, there are parts of the book that were very well done. I think the mystery was probably the weakest part of the story, and that may be why I was tired towards the end of the book, as the first half of the book was world building and getting to know Remy and Madeline and everyone else. And that part of the book was very very good.

And the novella that followed this was also very good (after all, it enticed me to go back and pick up the first book). So I’ve ordered the following book when it comes out in paperback, so we’ll just have to wait until then.
Rating: 6/10

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