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Deal or No Deal: A Case from the Midnight Eye Files Kindle Edition

by William Meikle (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 164 ratings
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Three beers and a packet of crisps is a tempting offer for your soul when you don't really believe you have one. But when it comes time to pay up, suddenly it doesn't seem like such a sweet deal. You're going to need help, but who are you going to call?

There's one man who might help, a man who knows the nature of deals with the dark side, and the ways of the old city.

Derek Adams, the Midnight Eye, is on the case...

Deal or No Deal? is a case from William Meikle’s gripping urban fantasy/noir detective series, The Midnight Eye Files. The mysteries continue in volume one: The Amulet.

Praise for the Midnight Eye Files

"Meikle’s writing makes you feel like you’re there, in the rain with Derek Adams, searching seedy pawn shops and bars for the answers. The atmosphere is terrific, and the author knows that sometimes less is more." - The Lovecraft ezine

"I encourage you to pour yourself a couple of fingers of whisky and visit Meikle’s and Derek’s Glasgow some evening as the shadows grow long." - New Pulp

"The writing itself is crisp, filled with good description and strong dialogue. The Scottish setting, while not prominent, grounds the reader in a sense of place. The characters, while themselves variations on noir tropes, are beleivable, and more importantly, likable. All of this, taken together, makes for a smooth, enjoyable read." - Rich Ristow, Strange Latitudes

"A loving romp in and out of both the Lovecraft Mythos and the noir detective novel.". - Bill Gagliani, Chizine
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  1. Print length
    58 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    May 25, 2017
  5. File size
    441 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
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  8. Enhanced typesetting
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0728LDZFR
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Gryphonwood Press; 1st edition (May 25, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 25, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 441 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 58 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 164 ratings

About the author

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William Meikle

William Meikle

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I am a Scottish writer, now living in Canada, with over thirty novels published in the genre press and over 300 short story credits in thirteen countries. I have had books published with a variety of publishers including Dark Regions Press, DarkFuse and Severed Press, and my work has appeared in a number of professional anthologies and magazines.

I live in Newfoundland with whales, bald eagles and icebergs for company and when I'm not writing I drink beer, play guitar and dream of fortune and glory.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
164 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Steve Vernon, Horror Author and Windbag at Large
5.0 out of 5 stars I've got bills to pay and I love a bargain
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2018
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Okay, so I grab a lot of free e-books, whenever I can. What can I tell you? I've got bills to pay and I love a bargain. Still, you always have to take this free books with a big old grain of salt. Some of them are really good reads, some of them stink out loud.

This one was one of the good ones.

If you are a fan of hard-boiled detective fiction mixed with out-of-this-world horror than you are really going to enjoy this book. If you dig Steve Niles Cal Macdonald series, or those classic Garth Ennis John Constantine tales from HELLBLAZER, or even Jim Butcher's series - THE DRESDEN FILES - you are really going to enjoy this book.

I will give you some warning though. If you aren't that familiar with Scottish thug-dialect you might need to swallow a pint of Guinness before you take a stab at reading this book. It isn't fancy. It isn't pretty. It's hard-boiled horror and it is well worth the read. It is a tale of a bargain with the Devil that goes dangerously wrong for every one concerned. The hero, Derek Adams or as he is sometimes known as - The Midnight Eye, is hired to unmake a bargain that was struck a couple of decades ago. I got a real kick out of the way that this scruffy old private eye manages to out-bargain Old Nick himself with an offer that Satan just cannot refuse.

yours in storytelling,

Steve Vernon
6 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining mystery listening 🎶🔰
Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2022
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Another will written British 🏰 mystery relationships adventure thriller short story by William Meikle. Adams is asked too find four men who had served with this man 🚹 in the army thirty years ago. He finds that one has died. That leaves three, Adams finds all of them. He tells them to come to the man's 🚹 house Wednesday night 🌙 . Two show up ☝ and Adams is sent too find the reminding 🚹 man. He finds him but he will not come with Adams. I would recommend this novella to anyone looking for a quick fantasy paranormal activity read. Enjoy the adventure of reading or listening to Alexa read books 📚. 2022 😮👒👑
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Lee
3.0 out of 5 stars Fun romp
Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2020
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Ok quick fun read. I like the lead character . William Meikle is a pretty cool author. All in all I enjoy his books. Three pints and some crisps, please!
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Rita J. Spratlen
5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing Short Story!
Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2018
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I thought this quite the clever story. It was like a twilight zone episode. The author is very talented and has a great imagination. I really liked it. It sure kept my attention. I will be following this author.
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Randy Stafford
4.0 out of 5 stars Evidently, the Devil Does Bundled Transactions
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2018
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Derek Adams is Meikle’s favorite series character. Like Meikle, he’s a Glasgow man. He smokes a lot, drinks a lot, and doesn’t really try for the women. He’s a private eye with old school methods: legwork, a few phone calls, and a lot of talking to the more dubious elements of Glasgow in pubs.

He’s also a magnet for the weird.

I enjoyed Adams’ boozy, cynical, sarcastic voice in The Midnight Eye Files, the most complete collection of Derek Adams tales.

The series works best at longer lengths, but, while this is only novella, it’s long enough to put Adams’ voice in your head and provide a satisfying tale.

And it’s an old story: selling your soul to the Devil.

The usual bargain is a soul for wealth, knowledge, or sex. Here it’s three beers and a packet of crisps.

At least that’s the story Fraser McDougall, Adams’ latest client – and a well-paying one he is – tells him. And McDougall wasn’t the only who sold his soul thirty years ago in a drunken night at the pub.
And now, it looks like the Devil has come to collect. McDougall wants the other people at the party that night found (well, not every one – one’s already dead under mysterious circumstances).

Exactly how he – and the others – expect to get out from under their bargain is the story. Adams’ final solution to the “Collector” problem is typical of him: effective but not exactly permanent.
One person found this helpful
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truelies
5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read!
Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2019
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First book I've read by this author - will be reading more! Loved it. I read it in one setting and left me satisfied. Well delivered & really good characters! Thanks Mr Meikle!!
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Don Kidwell
4.0 out of 5 stars "I decided to leave the door open...
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2018
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...Either it, or I, might want to make a hasty exit."

1) Why I chose this book : Eerie cover and interesting book description
2) Any course language present : Fair amount of the f-word which might be appropriate given one is dealing with an agent of Hell called the Collector
3) Type of book : Supernatural short story set in Glasgow back a century ago meant as a lead in for the Midnight Eye Files series
4) Formatting/Editing : Generally good with only a rare miss such as a confused tense
5) Best/Worst aspect of book : Loved the humorous passages and creepy plot involving chanting monks, glowing circles, flame, smoke, shadow and more.
6) Favorite Passage : "Blonde tarts hanging around with one legged men aren't exactly two to a penny."
7) Bottom-line : Roped me in such that I want to read more of the series making for a very good read that I did enjoy!
One person found this helpful
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Nancy Moody
5.0 out of 5 stars Certainly a Gifted Author!
Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2019
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William is certainly a gifted author; however the book is too dark for my liking. Anyone that likes horror stories would definitely like this book.
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Top reviews from other countries

Mark
5.0 out of 5 stars Carnacki meets Rebus
Reviewed in Canada on June 3, 2018
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This book is like a combination of two of my favorite genres, paranormal and mystery/crime. If you enjoyed Carnacki The Ghost Finder and Rebus, then this book will be your cup of tea. The Glasgow setting adds extra colour to the dialogue. I can't wait to read the next one.
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David L. Brzeski
5.0 out of 5 stars Willie Meikle is a master of the novella format.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 25, 2018
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It’s always good to reconnect with an old friend. It’s been a few years now since I last encountered Derek Adams and since he’s coming to visit with us soon at Occult Detective Quarterly Presents, I figured it was about time for us to get reacquainted.

Derek Adams is a likeable character, as long as he doesn’t breathe in your face. In Deal or No Deal Derek is, as is not uncommon, suffering the inclement Glasgow weather in a quest to restock his dwindling supply of booze and smokes. When he gets back from this little outing, he finds his next case awaiting him on his doorstep. Derek doesn’t like Fraser McDougall III at first sight, and I can’t claim to disagree with his judgement. In my head, he was played by Fulton Mackay of Porridge fame. Still, a case is a case, and Derek is low on funds as usual.

Derek soon discovers that what he’d hoped would be a well-paid messenger job turns out to be a lot more complicated, and McDougall and his cronies are relying on Derek to bail them out. Derek soon wishes he’d just taken the money and walked away, but, with the help of some of his rather shady pals, he blunders on. I say ‘blunders’, with no fear that Derek Adams or William Meikle would be offended. At no point does Derek have any clear idea what he’s doing, but he somehow manages to avoid too much bloodshed… for now. That’s not a spoiler, because we all know Derek lives to wing it through more adventures. I won’t say too much more, other than that Derek’s solution here might well have consequences one day.

In some ways, this story reminded me a little of M.R. James’s ‘Casting of the Runes’ but I won’t tell you why, as when it comes to a short novella, it’s way too easy to pretty much tell the entire story in a review. You’re all welcome to argue the toss about that once you’ve read it for yourselves. I gather from a recent podcast interview with William Meikle that the novella is a hard sell these days, which is a crying shame, as in my opinion he’s especially good at it. I’d go as far as to say Willie Meikle is a master of the novella format.
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Cheryl E
4.0 out of 5 stars Noir And Scottish Whiskey
Reviewed in Australia on March 28, 2019
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I wasn't quite sure whether this was going to be my thing or not - I haven't really gelled with a lot of noir reads, but I needn't have worried because I absolutely loved this short read of a grizzled, Scottish P.I. and his case.
While seeming to subsist on whiskey and cigarettes, our protagonist has developed a reputation for dealing with the "unusual" happenings in life and this time takes on a wealthy client who believes he has sold his soul and now the demon has come to collect. While not being a believer, and not liking the client, he is more than happy to take his money - even if only to keep him in drink.
A wonderfully gritty private investigation series with a supernatural theme, I'll be sure to read the follow on books. Plus you've just gotta love that Scott brogue!
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Dave Higgins
4.0 out of 5 stars Good blend of horror and classic noir
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 8, 2022
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Meikle crafts a tale of a detective with a love of mundane spirits finding himself facing the supernatural kind.

There’s nothing unusual about private eyes being asked to find people. However, rather than the usual tale of a missing family member, Derek Adams’ latest client shares a tale of university friends selling their souls for beer and crisps thirty years ago as a joke that is starting to look less funny to him now one of them has died in troubling circumstances. The client just wants Derek to find his former friends and ask them to get in touch; however, when he discovers something else does seem to be hunting them can he leave them to their fate?

Blending elements of detective noir and supernatural horror, this novella could be glossed as “what if M.R. James wrote about the mean streets of Glasgow?”; and readers who find themselves intrigued by that thought are unlikely to be disappointed. However, there are flickers of social commentary within the creepy moments and gritty detection that make this more than a ghost story with the posh Victoriana replaced with grit and whisky.

While the opening segments of this book are about locating people who have not gone out of their way to be locatable (or even made themselves difficult to contact for reasons unrelated to the drunken deal), so could play out identically whatever the truth of matters, Meikle does not tease confirmation that something supernatural is almost certainly going on. This raises questions of not only whether Derek will choose to do more than he is being paid to do but whether he can do anything, adding an extra tension to the mundane uncertainty of a search through seedy and secretive areas of Glasgow.

Having established early on that this is supernatural-horror detective noir, Meikle’s handling of the second half of the arc and the denouement establishes this is equally detective-noir supernatural horror with whisky, dodgy contacts, and pragmatism taking centre stage over complex metaphysics and abstruse mysticism. Depending on reader preference for the defeating of curses, the swift practicality and moral ambivalence of the ending might feel an entirely fitting blending of genres or a let down.

Derek is an entirely suitable protagonist for this story, cynical enough that he is believable as a private eye but with enough prior experiences of the potentially odd that he does not maintain an irritating refusal to accept there might be something more that confirmation bias behind the growing creepiness. He is neither prone to deep bouts of self-examination nor driven by an underlying idealism, making him a character who will engage those readers who enjoy protagonists with feet of clay more than those who like to see the protagonist develop into a good person through adversity.

The supporting cast are each firmly based in gritty crime tropes but possessed of nuances of character that make them more than stereotype. This creates a setting that is very much mean streets with shadows that are too deep but one that has the feel of a specific and real Glasgow—albeit possibly not quite the one in this world—rather than being a generic noir city.

Overall, I enjoyed this novella. I recommend it to readers seeking supernatural horror with a gritty detective aesthetic.
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C
4.0 out of 5 stars Sold Out For Souls
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 22, 2020
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Good horror-noir work, managing to get across the supernatural and craft a realistic-ish Glasgow and its environs, from the well-off houses to the shady pub where the barman knows a guy. The inciting incident's a nicely black comic touch too, with dumb drunk teens selling their soul for beer because why not, not like anyone's actually going to come collecting when they're 40...
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