I so enjoyed this book, my first thriller in a while and it really had me gripped.
The Mayfly opens with a gruesome murder in South Wales but the story quickly moves on from there, splitting itself between the present day timeline of Charlie Priest, successful lawyer and erstwhile Police Officer, and Albert Ruck's post war experiences with a NAZI doctor from the Buchenwald concentration camp.
The plot really rips along and Hazel introduces an interesting and strong cast of charactes. Priest is a gruff man's man struggling with a psychological condition shared by his serial killer boyfriend, he's charming and clever. I can really see him being a fantastic TV character, should any of the networks pick up this story. Fellow lawyers Okoro and Georgie offer a different perspective on the story with Georgie, especially, a warm and interesting character.
This is an accomplished first novel from James Hazel. The blend of history and the sense of the deep rooted corruption running through the book are well developed and the story is exciting and compelling. I will definitely be looking out for the second Charlie Priest book.
The Mayfly opens with a gruesome murder in South Wales but the story quickly moves on from there, splitting itself between the present day timeline of Charlie Priest, successful lawyer and erstwhile Police Officer, and Albert Ruck's post war experiences with a NAZI doctor from the Buchenwald concentration camp.
The plot really rips along and Hazel introduces an interesting and strong cast of charactes. Priest is a gruff man's man struggling with a psychological condition shared by his serial killer boyfriend, he's charming and clever. I can really see him being a fantastic TV character, should any of the networks pick up this story. Fellow lawyers Okoro and Georgie offer a different perspective on the story with Georgie, especially, a warm and interesting character.
This is an accomplished first novel from James Hazel. The blend of history and the sense of the deep rooted corruption running through the book are well developed and the story is exciting and compelling. I will definitely be looking out for the second Charlie Priest book.