review by showhost
THIS IS THE FIRST OF THIS AUTHORS BOOKS I HAVE READ AND I WOULD CERTAINLY READ ANOTHER. IT IS A MYSTERY MURDER BUT NOT IN THE SENSE OF PETER JAMES OR SIMON KERNICK. IT IS NOT A FAST PACED THRILLER, ITS ABOUT PEOPLE, THEIR PAST & PRESENT AND THE EVENTUAL CONSEQUENCES WHEN THEIR PATHS CROSS.
THE STORY INVOLVES JACKSON BRODIE WHO, APPARENTLY, HAS APPEARED IN PREVIOUS BOOKS. JACKSON IS AN EX-ARMY, EX-COP & EX-PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR WITH GHOSTS OF HIS PAST HE HAS TO LIVE WITH (MURDERED SISTER, SUICIDE BROTHER).
ALTHOUGH SET IN EDINBURGH, IT BEGINS WITH THE MURDER OF A MUM & HER FAMILY IN A QUIET, ENGLISH, COUNTRY LANE. ONE YOUNG CHILD RUNS, HIDES AND SURVIVES – DR JO HUNTER.
IT IS NOW YEARS LATER AND DR HUNTER IS MARRIED WITH A SMALL BABY AND EMPLOYS A 16YR OLD SCOTTISH GIRL, REGGIE, TO LOOK AFTER HER YOUNG BABY WHILE SHE WORKS PART TIME IN THE LOCAL SURGERY.
DR HUNTER IS THE NEAREST TO FAMILY THAT REGGIE HAS. HER OWN MOTHER IS DEAD & HER BROTHER IS THE WRONG SIDE OF THE LAW, WITH NO SCRUPLES. REGGIE OFTEN GOES TO THE HOME OF HER RETIRED TEACHER, MRS MCDONALD, TO READ AND STUDY.
ONE DAY, OUT OF THE BLUE, DR HUNTER & THE BABY DISAPPER WITHOUT WARNING, WITHOUT HER CAR/FILOFAX/MOBILE PHONE & BABY’S COMFORTER. IT HAPPENS TO CO-INCIDES WITH THE RELEASE OF THE MAN WHO KILLED HER FAMILY. MR HUNTER SAYS THAT SHE HAS MERELY GONE TO VISIT A SICK AUNT BUT LOYAL REGGIES DOESN’T BELIEVE HIM AND IS DETERMINEDTO FIND OUT WHERE SHE IS. REGGIE GOES TO THE LOCAL POLICE (DC LOUISE MUNROE) BUT THEY THINK SHE IS FANTASISING.
THE SAME DAY THAT DR HUNTER GOES MISSING, RETIRED TEACHER MRS MCDONALD DIES AND AN INTERCITY TRAIN IS DE-RAILED ON THE TRACK AT THE BACK OF MRS MCDONALDS HOUSE. WHERE REGGIES HAPPENS TO BE. REGGIE ON HEARING THE AWFUL NOISE GOES OUT TO THE CRASH SCENE. SHE FINDS TWO BODIES ON THE BANK, ONE DEAD THE OTHER JUST ALIVE AND SO PROCEEDS TO ADMINISTER MOUTH TO MOUTH.
SHE SAVES THE LIFE OF JACKSON BRODIE, WHO HAS HAD HIS ID STOLEN AND REPLACED WITH THE RELEASED MURDERER.
REGGIE AND JACKSON FORM A BOND & HE PROMISES TO HELP FIND THE MISSING PRESUMED DEAD OR KIDNAPPED DR HUNTER.
IT FLUCTUATES FROM PAST TO PRESENT AND OFTEN DETRACTS ON A TANGENT. THERE IS ALSO HUMOUR:
“MUM HAD A CHARLES & DIANA WEDDING MUG THAT HAD SURVIVIED LONGER THAN THE MARRIAGE ITSELF”.
AT THE CAR HIRE WHEN JACKSON WAS TRYING TO HIRE A FAMILY CAR HE WAS SCRUTINISED MY A DOUR MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN AT THE RENTAL DESK.. ‘JOY’, HER NAME BADGE PROCLAIMED – RARELY HAD A WOMAN BEEN SO MISNAMED AT BIRTH, JACKSON THOUGHT”.
IT IS A VERY WELL WRITTEN BOOK ALTHOUGH AT FIRST I HAD AN INWARD GROAN AS I’D JUST FINISHED A ‘PROSE’ TYPE BOOK AND THOUGHT THIS WAS GOING TO BE ANOTHER ‘TREACLE LIKE’ READ.
THIS BOOK KEPT ME INTERESTED, KEPT ME WANTING TO PICK IT UP. I WAS CAUGHT UP WITH THE CHARACTERS, ESPECIALLY REGGIE.
I THINK IT WOULD HELP TO JOT DOWN NAMES & RELATIONSHIPS AS I FOUND MYSELF GOING BACK THROUGH THE PAGES TO REMIND MYSELF WHO THEY WERE AND TO WHOM THEY WERE LINKED.
THERE WERE OTHER CHARACTERS IN THE BOOK BUT THEY WERE ALMOST A BY PRODUCT AND NOT SURE IF THEY ADDED TO THE PLOT OR JUST DETRACTED FROM IT?
AND I UNDERSTOOD WHERE THE TITLE CAME FROM AS IT WAS ONE BAD THING AFTER ANOTHER.
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