Nightingale's Lament

"John Taylor has just solved the mystery of two friends' deaths when he is called to another case. Charles Chabron wants Taylor to contact his daughter, Rossignol (French for nightingale), a young singer who has fallen under the sway of the ruthless Cavendishes, a husband-and-wife management team. Rossignol used to sing upbeat, happy songs, but now her set is so melancholy that people leave her show and commit suicide. After visiting Rossignol at the Goth club Caliban's Cavern, where she performs nightly, Taylor knows something is wrong. When he goes to the Cavendishes' management company, a pair of somnambulists beat him mercilessly, leaving him near death and with no one to turn to but Pew, an old enemy. With the help of Dead Boy, a deceased mugging victim who now fights criminals, Taylor tries to locate the Cavendishes' former protege, Sylvia Sin, and find a way to rescue Rossignol from the couple's clutches. The latest installment in Green's Nightshade series is a delight--exciting, action packed, truly suspenseful." - Booklist

Dramatis Personae


Joe Flanigan as John Taylor- Taylor is the protagonist of the story. He describes himself as tall, dark, and not particularly handsome. He's the stereotypical detective from old B-movies. He's a down-on-his-luck detective who lives out of his office. He has a talent (as in, a magical talent) for finding things.



Daniel Ratcliffe as Dead Boy- "Dead Boy was 17. He'd been 17 for over 30 years, ever since he was murdered. He made a deal to come back and avenge his death. But he didn't read the fine print, which didn't mention being able to lie down again. He does good deeds in hopes of breaking his contract and is an expert on death. He is a walking corpse, possessing his own body and while it doesn't decay, it also doesn't heal. So Dead Boy must stitch and staple his body together whenever he get damaged.

Zooey Deschanel as Rossignol- Rossignol is an up-and-coming music act that is taking the Nightside by storm. Unfortunately, her music is inspiring people to commit suicide. She is French, five feet tall, slender, with jet black hair, pale skin, and ruby red lips. Overall, she has a very elegantly goth look on stage.



Hugo Weaving and Vanessa Angel as Mr. and Mrs. Cavendish- Emotionless and robotic-like, they had that look actor one receives too many face-lifts. They look very much alike and there are rumors that they are also brother and sister. Their speech and movements are eerily synchronized.


Gavin Rossdale as Billy "The Jonah" Lathem- The Jonah is trying very hard to live up to his father's, who was a power in the Nightside, name. However, John is not impressed, as they grew up together. He used to want to be an accountant, before he decided there was no money in it. He dresses in a very formally in a midnight blue tuxedo complete with scarlet-lined opera cape.


Julian McMahon as Julian Advent- Also known as the Victorian Adventurer, he was the greatest hero of his age. He fought all the evils of Queen Victoria's time and never once looked like losing. He was tall, lithely muscular, impossibly graceful in an utterly masculine way, with jet-black hair and eyes, and an unfashionably pale face. Handsome as any movie star...he still wore the black and white formal dress of his time. He currently owns and is chief-editor for the Night Times, the Nightside newspaper. ß