Dr DOA is the latest installment in Simon R. Green’s Secret History series. Once again, we find Eddie Drood and Molly Metcalf on a mission that seems hopeless.
Of course, that doesn’t stop our intrepid heroes from fighting the good fight, beating clues out of bad people and doing what they can to guarantee the outcome of the story.
The premise of Dr DOA is simple enough: Eddie Drood has been poisoned and he has to find the antidote. Facing death even more closely than usual, our secret agent goes through the motions of trying to survive while at the same times trying to come to term with his mortality.
That’s what makes Dr DOA stand out from the other books in this series: the way the author describes the character’s emotions. You are actually getting an insight into what it would be like to walk a mile in Eddie’s shoes.
Another positive point about this book is that it goes back to a previous installment and builds on that. A good metaplot is so rare these days and it’s great to see that Green is still a master of them.
The possible tie to the Ishmael Jones series is also a beautiful addition.
Dr DOA has not reached its conclusion yet, so I look forward to reading what happens next!
Because there is such a strong connection to the other books, I wouldn’t recommend starting out with this one if you are unfamiliar with the Secret History series. I’d rather suggest you start with the first volume, The Man with the Golden Torc, so you don’t miss out on anything in later books.
I would heartedly recommend this series, though, if you like the idea of a sort of supernatural James Bond.
