#Bookvent – Celebrating my prime reads of 2024
My day fourteen #bookvent choice is a e-book which, on the face of it, actually shouldn’t have labored however, actually, is presumably a piece of genius. Half Christie-esque, not fairly cosy crime, thriller, half all out motion thriller, with a slight trace of science fiction thrown in for good measure, it sounds on paper like one heck of a mismatch, and but it was so addictively excellent that it had me smiling and chuckling from begin to end. My hat is off to the writer as it is a actually elegant piece of crime fiction that’s punchy, generally actually, enjoyable, tense and surprisingly emotional. It ticks all of the bins in ways in which, logically, it shouldn’t. A seasoned writer he could already be, however he’s pulled an absolute blinder with this one. My day fourteen choose is …
by Chris Brookmyre
FORGET WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW
THIS IS NOT THAT CRIME NOVELPenny Coyne. The little previous woman who has solved a number of murders in her in any other case sleepy village, regardless of bumbling native police. A razor-sharp thoughts in a twinset and tweed.
Johnny Hawke. Onerous-bitten LAPD murder detective. All the time in bother together with his captain, all the time shedding companions, however all the time battling for the reality, no matter it takes.
In opposition to all the chances, towards the regular story, their worlds are about to collide. It begins with a lifeless author and a mysterious marriage ceremony invitation. It is going to finish with a rabbit gap that goes so deep, Johnny and Penny would possibly come to query not simply whodunnit, however whether or not they wish to know the reply.
A cross-genre hybrid of Agatha Christie and Michael Connelly, The Cracked Mirror is essentially the most imaginative and entertaining crime novel of the yr, a genre-splicing rollercoaster with a poignantly emotional coronary heart.
That is the last word in style mashups. The blurb is true. Do overlook what you suppose you already know. Neglect no matter style conventions you expect from a criminal offense fiction/thriller novel. Neglect every little thing and simply sit again and benefit from the experience, There are a number of the conventions noticed in Chris Brookmyre’s delightfully unconventional novel, however he delivers them with the added bonus of a lot extra. Penny Coyne and Johnny Hawke are two individuals from very, very completely different worlds. One in all probability shouldn’t even exist within the sphere of the opposite, and positively not inside their respective social circles. Hell, even their tales, that are fed to us alternately, learn like two totally separate novels. One is extra Miss Marple, the opposite, as others have famous, extra Hieronymus Bosch. Even the (attainable) murders they’re investigating exist on reverse ends of the thriller spectrum. I simply couldn’t think about how Mr B may even start to deliver them collectively, and but, because the e-book progressed, that is precisely what he achieved. So what occurs when a hardened LA Detective crashes into the world of a puzzle loving spinster? Absolute magic. And carnage. A number of that. The story is pulsing with pressure and thriller, the characters are so brilliantly opposing – the epitome of chalk and cheese – however they mix so brilliantly that I couldn’t assist however love them each. They only shouldn’t work however they completely do. The entire story shouldn’t work however then this writer could be very canny, and his excellent use of setting and scenario make this a break neck, excessive threat, thriller of epic proportions. I’d like to see it made for TV or movie – it could be an actual hoot. There’s one other factor to the story that’s higher learn than defined, nevertheless it does assist to tie every little thing collectively in a method I didn’t count on in any respect. Sure, the e-book takes an surprising flip close to the top however, in equity, it goes by quite a few these alongside the best way and I actually sort of beloved it. And that ending … I used to be not anticipating that degree of emotion to hit me. I’m tearing up now simply reminiscing. Enjoyable, contemporary and one thing very particular. It helped make my summer time studying a blast.
You may learn my full overview right here.
Completely happy #bookvent studying all
Jen