I live in Bristol UK literary fiction and crime are my books of choice and when not reading I like to run
Wow….just finished, and what a fantastic read and possibly one of the best books written by Mr Connelly. Jack McEvoy, you Connelly devotees will remember him from The Poet when he was a crime reporter and his brother died in an apparent suicide, and what an andreniline ride that was. Now Jack a man in his 50’s and working for an online “defender of consumer rights” site called Fair Warning, is back and hot on the heels of a killer who uses a bizarre, brutally painful, and unusual way to destroy his victims….atlanto-occipital dislocation (AOD) This is a form of internal decapitation where the spine is separated from the skull. When the body of Christina Portrero is discovered, and Jack’s DNA is identified he becomes a suspect. Now I’m not going to destroy the plot by telling you that Jack did not of course commit the murder, but as he does a little digging he soon discovers that there are a number of similar deaths that appear to be related…..yep the word that we crime readers adore...wait for it….a “serial killer” is on the loose! Hold on for the ride, and I can honestly tell you that this book moves with an unrelenting pace, forget everything...put the cat out, cancel the milkman, switch off the telly, unplug that bloody phone, and just do what we all do naturally….read. We enter the world of DNA, supply and demand, seller and purchaser and of course shady trading on the darknet. Jack once again finds himself working alongside ex FBI agent Rachel Walling, hoping to ignite that old flame of passion, and entice the delectable Rachel back to his lonely single man flat!. There are false leads, a super (nasty villain) and a well researched intelligent story, just waiting to be consumed by MC’s hungry and adoring fans!
After some 25 years as one of the leaders in American crime fiction, Michael Connelly shows no signs of waning, the writing is taut, fresh, no wasted words or descriptions, simply great storytelling….if you only read one crime novel this year, this is it...many many thanks to the good people at netgalley for a gratis copy in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written….Highly, highly recommended.