Again it's a DC Gary Goodhew crime
thriller. This time there are a series of deaths with accident and
suicide amongst them going back a period of years.
For me Alison Bruce stands out because
of her cutting wit. I get the feel reading some of the lines that she
would make a pretty good stand up comedienne as well as being an
excellent author.
Llewellyn-Bowes at his best would not
be able to describe settings as accurately as Bruce and with him we
usually have the advantage of being able to see the setting.
Add to that a complete awareness of
characters and the whole thriller comes together near perfectly. Portrayal of an early victim gives a very clear picture of
desperation.
The only group of characters without
comparable substance for me were the potential victims. They just
didn't come across as vividly as other players.
Subtle dynamics between the junior PC
Gully, Goodhew's boss DI Marks, colleague Kincaide and Goodhew give
added dimension to the book with very different relationships between
each two people.
Kincaide is a character desperate to
succeed and aware of his own failings. He covers this with blustering
arrogance. It would be great to see his character a bit more in one
of the next books.
At £18.99 for the hardback this
was an expensive read but I got my pennies worth.
Would I buy another? Yes
Publisher - Constable
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