Title: The Last Days of Max Payne
Author: Pat Taylor
Rating: T
Genre: Adventure/Mystery
Pairing: Max/Mona
Chapters: 13 / 11 / 12
Words: 15,300 / 16,016 / 15,292
Updated: Jun 17, 2006
Published: Sep 16, 2005
Status: Complete
Summary: In a sweltering Indian summer, Max and Mona make plans to escape the city in which they feel they have nothing however, they will have to contend with a ruthless enemy and a mysterious fatal disease. Set a year after the events of The Fall of Max Payne.
Part 1: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2581336/1/The_Last_Days_of_Max_Payne
Part 2: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2776100/2/The_Last_Days_Of_Max_Payne_Part_Two
Part 3: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2891683/1/The_Last_Days_of_Max_Payne_Part_Three

Review: This is literally the only Max Payne fanfiction of reasonable quality and significant length. The author writes action well, and the Max/Mona interaction is rightfully brief. It is enough to sort of intrigue the reader, but not enough to overexpose Mona, something that would result in the loss of her femme-fatale aura.

I also like the occult aspect, but it is more religious fanaticism than the Satanic frenzy of the first max Payne game where mobsters stocked up on the Necrominicon and similar titles. It lends to the atmosphere, and the author tried to make it intense.

There is some weak foreshadowing, some grammatical issues (the use of reverberate in particular) and slips of finger.

Spoiler

Plot-wise, the author broke one of the cardinal rules of noir detective fiction by slaughtering a police precinct. Once the detective finds the culprit behind the killings etc, it's supposed to be over. But then the detective finds the culprit, and can't arrest him, it's a mild mindfuck. Escalation was an risky path to take, but I liked how it turned out.

So, definitely not without its faults, but I found it enjoyable.

The author would have been better served to combine the three parts into one single story on FFnet. Even together, it clocks in at only about 45,000 words.

4/5. Short and sweet, like the games.


Checked by Minion, February 14, 2015