Lust, Money and Murder - Mike Wells

 

This book was a total change from what I have just read and was a free recommendation from people via Twitter. I thought I'd give it a go as it's not something I would 'normally' read (although I am no longer sure what that is).

The first part of this book wasn't great for me. The author tries to cram in a lot of back story as his main character grows from little girl to adult. Key events are mentioned and highlighted but most of this is done in narrative form. While this is very well written, it prevents the reader from getting to know the character very well. I thought it erected a barrier between myself and the protagonist and made it difficult for me to get to know her properly. Don't get me wrong though, the narrative is very well written, there isn't a word there that doesn't belong and neither does it drag on and on, or ponder over insignificant details.

Narrative takes a sharp exit at about half way, which was when I truely started to enjoy the book. We see things from the point of view of a well developed, flawed character. She finds herself with the wrong person despite her best efforts to do the right thing. Nor is she perfect at everything, she had things she isn't so good at and it makes it easy to like her. It is the opposuite of the first half of the novel and is well worth the wait.

The pacing picks up during the second half of the novel and after this I found myself unable to stop reading, despite a tent needing to be packed and such other matters. I was a little disappointed with the ending but that's a personal preference. It's not about closure, the ending just snuck up on me and I was expecting things to be a little more rounded. I guess I'll have to read the second one to find out what happens. A cunning marketing ploy from Mike Wells no doubt - it worked. Go and read this book, its worth a go!

Broken Dreams - Nick Quantrill

I’ll start this post off with a confession; I’m not a big reader of detective novels. My parents are but it was never really a genre I could get behind for one reason or another but when one of my colleagues at my new work mentioned her husband had a published book, I made it my job to give it a read.

The first thing that struck me was the story. There are two main arcs in the novel and you find yourself really wanting to know what happens. One is the murder of a successful woman and the other is the tracking down of a young woman for her mother who is dying of cancer. Both are interwoven together and the way the plot flings you is artfully done.

The story itself is set in the city of Hull, which is where I live, so it was nice to know the areas the author was talking about. He gets it spot on without ramming the topography of the city down the reader’s throat.

The characters are instantly likeable and you find yourself sympathising with them. You really do want them to win, even when the odds seem stacked against them. It can’t be an easy job being a private detective and this is shown so well throughout the novel.

The only stumbling block for me was, at times, the dialogue didn’t really match what was happening at the time. You’re told the character is angry, but the words he says don’t really reflect this. It’s only a minor point though and I think that as Nick writes more books, this will fade away.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in either Hull, or detective novels, or both. I look forward to reading his latest novel, which is out next month.

Next Review: In her Name: Empire – Michael R Hicks.