a nicely amibiguous main character - is he worthy of our sympathy? why should we care?
Kernick paints enough grip that we are pulled through the story, with the help of some of his regular characters.

Really enjoyed this book and thought it was full of suspense. But did not have time to review it before it was archived. Apologies.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

‘It’s night, and I’m in a strange house.
The lights are on, and I’m standing outside a half-open door.
Feeling a terrible sense of foreboding, I walk slowly inside.
And then I see her.
A woman lying sprawled across a huge double bed.
She’s dead. There’s blood everywhere.
And the most terrifying thing of all is that I think her killer might be me …’
A traumatic car-crash. A man with no memory, haunted by nightmares.
When the past comes calling in the most terrifying way imaginable, Matt Barron is forced to turn to the one person who can help.
Ex Met cop, turned private detective, Tina Boyd.
Soon they are both on the run...

*3.5 stars*

There is one thing I can usually count on with Simon Kernick's books - consistency. Cracking plot, a main character that you can feel comfortable with, and a series of twists and turns that keep the pages flicking.

And for the most part, that is exactly what I got. Tina Boyd is one of the better private detectives I have come across (and believe me, I have read my fair share!) She has developed really well over the duration of this series. Still a highlight of this series, that is for sure.

The action and suspense were their usual high level. Plenty of thrills and spills to keep the most die-hard thriller fan happy...

But, for me, the plot seemed to go missing this time. The body count seemed to grow, but the logic behind it all seemed to falter along the way, leaving me wondering if he was going to be able to pull it back together in time for the finale. He did, but not without some moments (many pages) of wondering what was actually going on.

All in all, a good thriller novel - but not as good as some of the previous books in this series - or indeed, his career.


Paul
ARH