I don't know if I built this book up in my own expectations, I've not read Lynda La Plante's work before this one but people had recommended her to me.
I have to say however I found this book pretty hard to engage with and I struggled to read it.
The premise was fine as was the lead character but I felt the story and secondary characters lacked substance, as a reader I didn't care who was doing what or where the story went next.
There were lots of good sections, and plot threads that started well, but a lot seemed to fizzle out in key places or be wrapped up quickly.
One positive however was the level of technical detail, clearly knows about criminal investigating and the procedures to a high standard.However the level of insubordination between Moran and his detectives constantly seemed unlikely in a police department. It's one thing following hunches, it's another to have the detectives constantly berating one another and got a bit dull.
Unfortunately the concerns I had when reading the first impression proved to be founded. The story did lack a sense of depth and doesn't really have much to make it stand out.
I've read a lot of good crime fiction and this one didn't do much for me. Maybe if I'd read the rest of her work and seen it as a continuation of the characters it could be alright? but as a crime novel lacks something
I have to say however I found this book pretty hard to engage with and I struggled to read it.
The premise was fine as was the lead character but I felt the story and secondary characters lacked substance, as a reader I didn't care who was doing what or where the story went next.
There were lots of good sections, and plot threads that started well, but a lot seemed to fizzle out in key places or be wrapped up quickly.
One positive however was the level of technical detail, clearly knows about criminal investigating and the procedures to a high standard.However the level of insubordination between Moran and his detectives constantly seemed unlikely in a police department. It's one thing following hunches, it's another to have the detectives constantly berating one another and got a bit dull.
Unfortunately the concerns I had when reading the first impression proved to be founded. The story did lack a sense of depth and doesn't really have much to make it stand out.
I've read a lot of good crime fiction and this one didn't do much for me. Maybe if I'd read the rest of her work and seen it as a continuation of the characters it could be alright? but as a crime novel lacks something