This novel was a joy to read from beginning to end. It is in the best tradition of the darkest noir where the city of San Francisco is not only the the backdrop but a major player in this intricate and complex story. It reminded me of the classics of the golden age of hard-boiled detective fiction. Gavin Cain is a detective Inspector with SFPD exhuming a body on a case triggered by a deathbed video recording of a funeral director. He is pulled off the case when a more urgent present day case arises, Harry Castelli, the mayor is being blackmailed. He has been sent 4 incriminating photographs of a young girl with a message that there are others and that the mayor should do the decent thing and kill himself.
This is a beautifully multilayered read, the plotting is superb and the narrative keeps you hooked. The intense and vivid descriptions make you feel as if you are in San Francisco. The characters are sharply drawn with sufficient details to render them both arresting and compelling, such as Mona and Alexa. Gavin's partner, Lucy, is a pianist in the throes of a deeply ravaging trauma, and she adds another intense layer to the story. A novel I am happy to recommend highly.
This is a beautifully multilayered read, the plotting is superb and the narrative keeps you hooked. The intense and vivid descriptions make you feel as if you are in San Francisco. The characters are sharply drawn with sufficient details to render them both arresting and compelling, such as Mona and Alexa. Gavin's partner, Lucy, is a pianist in the throes of a deeply ravaging trauma, and she adds another intense layer to the story. A novel I am happy to recommend highly.