9tail fox - reviews

(Shortlisted 2005 BSFA Award for Best Novel )

'Begins as a police procedural, hints at becoming an occult horror, and finishes triumphantly as a novel of character.' The Guardian

'Plays adroitly with the atmosphere of film noir, the logic of Borges and Bulgakov, and the notions of identity, loss and memory. Grimwood's is a distinct imagination, and his muscular, lucid and polished prose brings it beautifully to the page.' Daily Telegraph

'An escapist romp on the wild side with literary ambitions it goes a long way towards fulfilling... Compelling entertainment.' The Times

'A wildly inventive and gripping blend of Chinese mythology, sf and police procedural that exercises a vice-like grip from start to finish. Highly recommended.' Irish Independent

'Above all he is a fine storyteller who makes you want to keep turning the pages of this original and entertaining novel.' Sunday Telegraph.

'This is an unusual blend of crime noir, Chinese mythology, and cutting edge medical technology which combine to form an absorbing thriller with
a unique twist in the tale.' Yorkshire Evening Post

'Brings to mind Ian Rankin... That Grimwood's characterisation and plotting can be compared to Rankin is serious praise.' Vector

'Disregard for the lines between genre is something we've come to expect of Grimwood, but even by his standards this is audacious - and brilliantly, seamlessly realised.' SFX

'Teases us constantly... Grimwood is always ingenious and here he moves into the entertainingly wilful!' Time Out

'Really, really good… This book might just break JCG as big as Richard Morgan, movie deal included.' Emerald City

'Part sexy love story, part hard-edged crime thriller, this is a brilliant and original page-turner.' Cosmopolitan

'Achieves one of the most impressive meldings of police procedural and sf that I have ever seen - and achieves it by respecting the conventions and possibilities of the police procedural itself...' Gary Wolfe, Locus

'A bizarre but appealing mix of detective novel, gothic SF and Chinese mythology, Grimwood's latest has a San Francisco cop investigating his own death…' BBC Focus

'Cop noir with a twist of mysticism and a lot more besides!' Edge

'Is the book SF or fantasy? Who cares. It's good!' Charles Brown, Locus

'Whether they shelve this with mysteries, with horror, with his other SF novels or with the literary likes of David Mitchell, comb the shelves and seek it out.' Trashotron (US)

'Noir mixed with sf? It may seem an odd combination but this futuristic thriller is a great read...' Crime Confidential

'Impressive... 9tail Fox is complete in itself. Go add it to your bookshelves.' Starburst

'Literary, cleverly constructed, fast-moving and, maybe most importantly, a novel with real soul and warmth...' SFX