“Call me Ishmael. Ishmael Jones.” Ishmael Jones is an alien whose starship crashed in a small English country town in 1963. For nine previous books, Simon R. Green has sent Jones to chase monsters and mysteries as Jones’ own past slowly revealed itself to him. He’s spent fifty years not aging, and found a woman to love, his partner, Penny Belcourt. Now, in Buried Memories, Ishmael and Penny go searching for a second alien and the answers to Ishmael’s past.

Ishmael suspects if he finds the starship that buried itself after transforming him into human form, he might find answers. Or, perhaps the second alien who crashed with him will have answers. A research packet sends the pair to Norton Hedley, a town with an extensive weird background. Built in the sixth century,, the town has had a great many unexplained disappearances. An author named Vincent Smith who has written a number of books about the weird events in Norton Hedley might have answers, or he might be Jones’ fellow alien. But, when Ishmael and Penny arrive at the train station in Norton Hedley, they find an agent from Black Heir in town. Ishmael never trusted Black Heir, even when he worked for them. Now, that agent, Lucy, informs the partners that eighty-seven-year-old Vincent Smith died just the day before they arrived in town.

Ishmael and Penny find a town that makes them uneasy. Everything in the town feels unreal and staged, and there are few people on the street. The owner of the inn explains it’s no longer tourist season, so everyone works out of town. But, the atmosphere is strange. And, when they go to the mortuary to see Vincent Smith, his body is missing and there’s another dead body there.

From a woods that reminds Penny of the woods in the older, darker fairy tales, to a house that disappears and reappears elsewhere, to more murders and a suspicious police detective, Ishmael and Penny have a weird case on their hands. But, really, it’s no stranger that other unusual cases the couple have handled.

This time, though, even Ishmael doesn’t know what he’ll face as he searches for answers about his past and his original home. Ishmael and Penny, as always, face the darkness with their own brand of dark humor. Simon R. Green forces Ishmael to confront his Buried Memories in a book that asks a tough question for the alien investigator. Where is home, and what does home mean?

I’ve read all ten books in this intriguing, speculative fiction series. Now, I am speculating. Will Green continue the series, or has Ishmael Jones’ adventures ended now that his secrets are no longer Buried Memories

In 2015, Green introduced readers to Ishmael Jones. Jones is an alien in disguise, remade into human form by his ships AI. Human on the outside and alien on the inside, Ishmael has not aged since his crash landing in 1963. He and his partner/companion Penny Belcourt work for a deep undercover organization. Green established in Book One (The dark side of the road), that Ishmael had lost all of his memories. Several books back, he began to recall bits and pieces of his life.

In Buried Memories, Ishmael and Penny return to the location of Ishmael's crash landing. Rural towns in England can become insulated. In Norton Hedley, the location of the crash, things have moved beyond insulated to the uncanny. Corpses turn up unexpectedly, a ghost mansion materializes then disappears, the nearby wood seems more of a wailing wood; things like this. Green is in fine form as he spins a tale that is both hilarious (the banter between Penny and Ishmael) and spooky.
Once again this was an all night read. Write quickly Mr. Green, I want to know what happens next.

Highly recommended for readers of the supernatural. Most violence appears off stage, making this suitable for readers of all ages.

Thank you to Netgalley, Severn House and Simon R Green for my arc of Buried Memories in exchange for an honest review.

Publishing: 5th October 2021

Ishmael and Penny are off on another adventure but this time it’s personal. The Organisation has agreed to investigate the little town of Norton Hedley where Ishmael crash landed in 1963 as a favour for him. But they’ve made it clear that if he wants to investigate further he’s on his own. It’s clear right from their arrival that this is no normal Town, with ghostly sightings, disappearances and weird goings on the place is a tourist trap in the summer, but out of season it’s just downright creepy. As dead bodies start to pile up Ishmael and Penny must work their hardest case yet to discover the secrets of Ishmael’s past as well as finding the killer and the secret at the heart of Norton Hedley.

I was so excited to get back into Ishmael and Penny’s world. This is one of the most underrated series’ ever and I haven’t found one book in the series yet to disappoint. This one is no different, humorous, interesting, spooky and full of mystery. The pacing is fast and the book not very long so it’s a delight to race through. I can’t recommend this book and this whole series enough!

I somehow missed that this is a) sci-fi and b) part of a series when I requested it but you know what- it's a good read even if it isn't my genre. Ishmael Jones and his partner Penny find themselves tied up in a mess in Norton Hadley, a creepy English village where his space ship landed in 1963 and he became human. There's mysterious man- Mr. Smith- there's weird goings on, and it all adds up to a novel that's hard to describe but easy to enjoy. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm betting Green's fans will be pleased with this one.

This is such a fun series, and I really enjoy following Ishmael Jones as he learns about his past. Much gratitude to NetGalley and Severn House for the opportunity to read Buried Memories.

What can you say. Anything with iseahe has always been a great read. Even with the introduction of what might be the catalyst it was still a fantastic book. I love this series and will always read them.

For those who have not read any of this series ... just a little background. Ishmael crash landed here on Earth in 1963. The capsule he was in when landing, turned him into half alien/half human ... and he has very few memories of his former life.

But as those memories start to surface, Ishmael and his girlfriend Penny (100% human) decide to return to the small town where he crashed.

Book Blurb: Norton Hedley is no ordinary town. Apparitions, sudden disappearances, sightings of unusual beasts: for centuries, the place has been plagued by a series of inexplicable events. Ishmael’s first task is to track down local author Vincent Smith, the one man he believes may have some answers.

While seeking out Mr. Smith, a body is found in the mortuary ... a newly dead body that shouldn't there. He becomes the prime suspect, leaving Penny and himself the only people looking for a cold-blooded killer.

A blend of mystery and sci/fi, it's well-written with a few twists. I don't normally read sci-fi so it was a bit harder for me to stretch my imagination. I would recommend reading this series in order, if you are a sci-fi fan. Ishmael and Penny are very likeable and I enjoyed how they related to each other

Many thanks to the author / Canongate Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this occult fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Ishmael Jones and his partner Penny are being drawn to a small town where Ishmael has memories of his past. When they arrive in town to speak to an author of UFO's and strange happenings, they discover he died the day before under mysterious circumstances. After going to the morgue to check his body for signs they discover another dead body and the one they were looking for gone.
Although not my usual genre I enjoyed this light hearted story. A interesting and quick read that will keep readers engaged until the end.

I've read all the previous books and love them, you could read as a standalone, but you'd miss a lot of fun and mysteries being solved. Like the last book, Ishmael is remembering more of his beginnings on earth and travels to the town he thinks he crashed in. Of course Penny is with him every step of the way as we learn more of his past, and his decisions about the future. I felt the overall story ARC got moved along quite well with this episode. Lots of questions got answered for us the reader as well as Ishmael. Recieved an ARC for an honest opinion, thanks to NetGalley and Sevren House.

I 'really enjoy this series and the characters, thrilling to learn a bit more about Ishmael. This book lived up to expectations.

Thank you Netgalley and Severn House for the eARC.
This was my 2nd Ishmael Jones book and another fun and exciting read.
Ishmael and Penny are in Norton Henley, a pretty, but strangely spooky country town, where Ishmael landed in 1963. He has found out that there's another man (The Other), who survived along with him and has stayed in Norton Henley as an author, writing books about the strange happenings there: the creepy woods, the Door To Another World, UFOs, and the many disappearances from the village. But when Ishmael and Penny arrive in the village, The Other has died. The local librarian, a great character, was his best friend and has many loving and eye-opening stories about him.
I love Ishmael, but my favorite is Penny, love her feistiness and the banter and love between the two is a joy to read.
I found this an easy read as a standalone, but wished I had read the series from the beginning.
Recommended!

I have not read any of the previous Ishmael Jones books; the NetGalley description doesn't make it clear that this is part of a series. However, I am a long-time fan of Simon R Green, and as with many of his other books he provided enough background - without it being a massive info-dump - that I was able to carry on my merry way and enjoy the book regardless.

Ishmael Jones arrived on Earth in 1963; his dying spaceship turned the sole survivor into a human and wiped his memory of what had come before. Over the next few decades - covered, I assume, in the books I haven't read - Jones has both tried to hide his identity from nefarious groups who would like to exploit aliens/their technology, and also investigated mysteries himself - because Simon R Green never missed an opportunity to do clever things with mysteries and whodunnits. In this narrative, Jones has realised he was not, in fact, the only survivor of his crash, and he's going back to where it all started to try and get some resolution.

There's banter, a spooky rural English village, murders, twists and turns and double-crosses, and ultimately a fairly satisfying conclusion.

Also, any book that opens with "Call me Ishmael" (except for the original) is going to get an appreciative eye-roll from me.

This was fun. Fans of Simon R Green know what they're getting. Possibly not the place for those new to Green to begin their adventures (I would say that's the Nightside books; the Blue Moon stories are a different kettle again).

Solid Simon R Green from start to finish- I would honestly read anything with Green's name on it but this series feels like the bastard child of Eddie Drood and the Nightside and I'm here for it every step of the way. Green's books may get a bit formulaic but I'm here for it- I know going in that I'm going to have a slightly battered and generally cynical main character whose hope for the future likely resides inside his equally battered, somehow less cynical but slightly terrifying partner (in all the ways that matter). And, if she's in a good mood, she might let him save her but it's far more likely to be the other way around.

This installment takes Ishmael and Penny to a quaint little town, that might be just a little too perfect, in his quest for a better understanding of his beginnings. After all, how can the pair be expected to avoid Ishmael's dangerous past when he has pothole size gaps in his memory? Is the man they're looking for a friend, an enemy or something in-between? And why are Black Heir and The Organization *so* interested? Honestly, Ishmael was just asking for trouble when he let Mr. Whisper pay him back. Obviously, I'm glad he fell for it!

Thanks to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to access this title in exchange for an honest review.

Buried Memories is the 10th installment of Simon R Green’s Ishmael Jones mysteries for Severn House, and I have to admit, I was very excited to read this one. Throughout the rest of the series, teasing elements of Ishmael’s past have cropped up. Ishmael himself has no memory of his earlier years due to [REDACTED FOR SPOILERS] and so this novel promised to bring some of those memories to the forefront.

Well, this book didn’t have the big Ishmael back history reveal, but it did bring to light a traitor in the Organization, and they did resolve the plot that Nemo brought up in the earlier entry to the series. Ishmael isn’t the only [REDACTED FOR SPOILERS] around now.

After helping Whisper last time, Ishmael receives information pertaining to his origin from The Colonel. Off he goes, with trusty partner Penny Belcourt in tow to the quaint, yet exceedingly spooky village of Norton Hedley. Once he arrives, the usual mystery shenanigans ensue, and people start dropping dead with no visible wounds.

Along the way, we get a hippie librarian I wish I had, a truly truly set of horrific set pieces (in the woods, and with the people in the village), and plenty of snarky banter.

So not entirely what I was expecting, but quite enjoyable. Recommended for any fans of Simon R Green, and a must read entry for anyone who has been following the Ishmael Jones mysteries. Not a good entry into the series though. Start with book 1: Dark Side of the Road.

Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for the opportunity to read and review the new Ishmael Jones and Penny Belcourt book from Simon R. Green.
I have read all of the previous books in this series, along with most of Mr. Green's other series, and I expect to be royally entertained (and a little bit spooked) from each one. "Buried Memories" did not disappoint.
Welcome to Norton Hedley, where it all began; and one of the weirdest places on earth. This is where Ishmael and Penny have come for answers to Ishmael's past - and perhaps their future. This is where 'the other' has lived since 1963 in the person of a best-selling author of books about the weird - UFOs, hauntings, A Door To Another World, multiple disappearances.... and Ishmael wants to find out what he knows.
But Ishmael and Penny are on their own this time - the visit is unsanctioned, and while the research was done by both the Organization and Black Heir, neither group will be involved in their investigations.
The witty repartee between Ishmael and Penny is there, right from the outset, along with their unflinching love and respect for each other, no matter what. And boy is there a lot of 'what', including mysterious deaths, a mansion that may or may not exist, mind control, a forest that scared the bejeezus out of this reader and - finally - maybe the answers to all of Ishmael's questions.
If you're a fan of this series, or a newcomer (and I strongly recommend you read the other books in the series first) you will not be disappointed in this instalment. I look forward to future adventures.

I love Ishmael Jones series and I think this is one of the best as it's quite complex, full of twists, but also the one that gives us some information about Ishamel's past and the shadow organisations he worked for.
I hope there will be a lot of other books i this series and it somehow sounded like a "final" one and this would be sad.
The world building is excellent and Ishamel/Penny are at their best, loved their banters.
The plot is fast paced, I simply ihnaled, and there's a lot of twists and a great solution.
I can't wait to read another book in this series.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine