Then We Die: An Inspector Carlyle Novel by James Craig
| Then We Die: An Inspector Carlyle Novel by James Craig | |
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| Category: Crime | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: Number five in the series has a fast pace and a high body count. The jury is out on whether you should - or shouldn't - answer a call of nature. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 320 | Date: August 2013 |
| Publisher: C & R Crime | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1472100399 | |
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If you were wondering where you might find Inspector John Carlyle, then having afternoon tea in the Palm Court at the Ritz might not be the first place which comes to mind. But don't worry - he's not gone upmarket - he's treating his mother and it comes as a bit of a shock when she announces that she's divorcing his father after fifty years of marriage. Carlyle thinks that what looks like a bit of trouble kicking off might be a welcome diversion - he's not big on family relationships - but he could never have imagined the ramifications of slipping away from table whilst his mother went to the ladies.
Carlyle thought that he'd caught on to the gang who were turning over rich tourists in top class hotels but instead he finds himself involved with a ruthless Israeli hit squad and - be warned - the body count is high and it's shocking. No one is safe. Carlyle's wife is worried for him and they're both having to cope with the fact that their daughter Alice is growing up - not that he's around to see much of it.
The pace is fast, very fast and you'll need to pay attention to keep up with what's happening and whilst the book does read reasonably well as a stand alone you will find the going pleasanter if you've read some if not all of the earlier books in the series. Just about all the main characters have a considerable back story and you'll find Carlyle himself a lot easier to fathom if you realise the extent to which he's straight, but not entirely straight with some very dodgy friends. London comes across as a character in its own right and it's definitely not the city the tourists see. There are some very mean streets and you get a real sense of what it must be like living in the midst of it all.
Thinking back, there's a theme running through the book and it's about the need to pay a call - the jury is very definitely out on whether it's a good or a bad thing to answer a call of nature. I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
For more city-based crime we can recommend The Red Road by Denise Mina.
Inspector John Carlyle Novels by James Craig in Chronological Order
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You can read more book reviews or buy Then We Die: An Inspector Carlyle Novel by James Craig at Amazon.com.
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