This weeks review is "The Siren" by Alison Bruce
Author Alison Bruce
This story begins with a matchbook from a club dropped and left to burn in a kitchen sink and a little boy named Riley who only wants to watch Thomas the Tank. While peacefully snuggling with her small son, Kimberly sees a news bulletin of a car being pulled out of the water and the passenger identified.
This disturbs her as more than a random news event, since she knows very well
who was in that car and worries that the whole event is coming back up,
literally in the form of the car and figuratively in the form of murder.
Her first inclination is to talk with someone who already knows the
details, her best friend Rachel. Rachel is married to the unlikable Stefen.
Within a short twist of events, and while babysitting Riley, Rachels house ends
up on fire. The police are able to find the body of Rachel but not Stefen or
little Riley.
Thus the entrance of police investigator Gary Goodhew.He finds Kimberly
understandably distraught but reluctant at the same time to give any information
that might help find her son.
The characters in this book are very well defined and easy to get inside
of. You are able to relate to and understand each of their motivations which is
a great ability this author has.
Goodhew comes across as a quirky but highly capable detective and part of
the enjoyment in reading this book is seeing how he relates to everyone in his
life. While not detracting from the solving of the mystery itself, this adds
another note of flavor to the readers senses.
The author is British so there are British phrases and terms used as well
as the description of places and things uniquely British in origin. This is not a deterrent to the story however. Her
descriptions are so well written that it is quite easy for an American reader to
immerse themselves in the story through out.
This book is part 2 in a series of 5. I read it first as it was given to me
and I didn't realize that it was part of a series featuring detective Goodhew.
It is well enough written though that I will go on to read the other books, if
for nothing else, it will be interesting to see how Goodhew evolves as a
character. He is hard to forget when you put the book down.
If you would like to read the series from the beginning, the first book is
entitled "Cambridge Blue". I think a reader will heartily enjoy meeting this
intuitive and character and his offbeat approach to life.
The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries. - Rene Descartes
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