Book Review: Barney Thomson and the Face of Death

Reviewed By: Jennifer Jordan

Barney Thomson and the Face of Death     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Douglas Lindsay
Class/Genre:   Mystery
Series: Barney Thomson # 4
2002, Long Midnight Publishing, 78 pages

Warning to the reader. Do NOT read this book if
1. there is someone trying to sleep next to you
2. you have a mouth full of liquid or food you intend to ingest
3. you've taken a vow of silence
4. blood makes you squeamish
5. you're not sure what squeamish means

Douglas Lindsay has benevolently written the fourth installment in the Barney Thompson series. Well, kind of... slide it in after The Cutting Edge of Barney Thomson and before A Prayer for Barney Thomson, mostly. OK, let me try it again. This novella marks the return of Barney Thomson. Both the author and his lead are strange, Scottish maniacs. Barney adds to the mix a penchant for beery philosophy, bodies and a quest for who is giving these depraved haircuts.

Our story begins in the woods above Strathpeffer, in the Scottish Highlands. Yes, as the prologue title indicates, it's 'The Usual "Four Guys Go Off Into The Woods and Die" Thing'. Except for a few unusual things. The American victims blood has been used to paint a rudimentary picture on of a screaming hooded figure the on side of one of the standing stones from the Touchstone Maze. And, horribly, each man has been given a haircut so bad it threatens to rip the very fabric of society. The FBI is drawn into the case, as is our intrepid barber, Barney. Not that he has any intention of being drawn in... it just happens. And, the unintentional investigation begins in the most logical place. A barbershop.

This is an odd little book that is immensely enjoyable. The red herring is deeply scarlet and the dénouement, in it's two and a half page glory, is not unlike a balloon burst in an echo chamber. This book begs you to become a Barney Buff.

Jennifer Jordan

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Jennifer Jordan