This has to be one of the most trippy CSI media tie in novels I have ever read, quite possibly one of the trippy-est of any novel I've read.

It has the requisite two stories. One is about a couple of very ill people who get exposed to some very potent chemicals and take Catherine and Ray on quite a journey through Las Vegas. The other involves a flaming clown and dirigible, bears and a multitude of circus performers (not to mention a twisty and turny story that was quite confusing. If this second story had been less confusing the final star count may have been four stars instead of three).

Of the two stories I definitely liked the one about the two ill people, a man and a woman and their unique trip through the casinos and sights of Las Vegas. It wasn't obvious how it was going to end and a lot of it had really cool and subtle allusions to the real world as it is today.

Of course, I missed Grissom and there was not nearly enough Wendy Simms or Sara Sidle, but, it was a pretty good novel and a fun, quick read. ( )

I’ve rambled on and off about tie-in books, specifically the defictionalized tie-ins. And while I have mixed feelings on those, I have a very soft spot for serialized tie-ins and novelizations, such as the following. (What can I say? I’m a fanfiction nerd.) Funnily enough, I tend to gravitate to tie-ins for shows I don’t really follow, but have a basic knowledge of who’s who and what the set-up is. (This is pretty much how I kept up with Buffy and Angel back when I was a wee nerd; my library’s YA section had a TON of WB show tie-ins.)

Enough rambling—I generally liked this. I spent about two years watching CSI: Vegas as study brain candy—I blame my roommate—and Dark Sundays fits the bill. The characters are in-character and interact with each other well. I stopped watching before Laurence Fishburne joined the cast, but I got a good grasp of Ray Langston. This being CSI of course, there’s a lot of techno-babble that may be stretched for fictional purposes. I generally liked both plots—the Theria and Bannister story was actually very creepy, especially when the book switches over to their point-of-view. And the Russian circus/Red Mafiya/KGB blackmail heist was just epically cracktacular (especially Nick and Greg’s constant “WE ARE SO SIMULATING THIS” moments), and in true CSI fashion, it kept me guessing at what the heist actually was. My only real complaint is that the Russian suspects are extremely stereotyped, although, that’s true for the show itself. It bugged me, but I should know that it’s coming.

Overall, it’s a brain candy book and an enjoyable one at that. It works well as a standalone book, and doesn’t get too involved with the overreaching character arcs in the main show. It’s a decent read for a casual fan, especially someone like me who’s pretty much fallen out of watching the show on a regular basis.
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