|
[ Home ]
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
It seems that few crime novels are complete these days without a liberal smattering of Eastern European gangs, a hefty side-order of human trafficking and a garnish of misery, and in this respect STOLEN SOULS is no exception. But Stuart Neville also serves up a fast-paced story of crime and corruption, bringing back Detective Inspector Jack Lennon, a decent bloke who just wants to spend some time with the daughter he barely knows. Unfortunately a policeman's life is rarely that simple. Galya Petrova came to Northern Ireland in search of a better life, a good job and money to send home to her family, instead she is forced into prostitution, but when she kills one of her captors and manages to escape, that isn't the end of her troubles, it's only the start. The dead man's brother vows revenge but he is the least of Galya's troubles. In the dark underbelly of Belfast, no one is entirely what they seem, but Galya doesn't discover that until she has placed her life in the hands of a man who seemed to offer hope and safety. Neville makes good use of short chapters from multiple different viewpoints to create an intricate tale of vice and vengeance. His characters are rarely black and white and I found myself rooting for Lithuanian gangland heavy, Herkus, on quite a few occasions. Even his boss, cocaine-snorting Arturas Strazdas, came over as more than just a stock villain. It's always a tricky call for an author to know when to reveal the identity of the killer or whether to try – often by increasingly artificial means – to keep readers in the dark, and Neville strikes a decent balance in that respect. He also manages to pull off a reasonably clear ending without resorting to the over-used and invariably tedious 'let's all sit down and discuss the plot' moment that still seems to bog down the vast majority of crime and thriller writers. However, I'm left wondering, once again, why the name Jack is so popular among crime writers! § Linda Wilson is a writer, and retired solicitor, with an interest in archaeology and cave art, who now divides her time between England and France.
Reviewed by Linda Wilson, January 2012
[ Top ]
QUICK SEARCH:
Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
[ Home ]
|
