|
[ Home ]
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
I picked this book up because I recognised the cover image of the Suspension Bridge in Bristol, my home town, and was quickly sucked into a frenetic car chase through the streets of Clifton, all of which I recognised. Describing that sort of action without resorting to cliché and repetition is no easy task, but Bale pulled it off with style. I was definitely hooked from the start and the rest of the story didn't disappoint. Joe Clayton is an ex-undercover cop whose life and career has been ruined by his work, leaving him estranged from his family and on the run from the vengeful brother of a gang member who died as a consequence of Clayton's last job. Naturally, the brother has sworn revenge, but Clayton hopes that by working as a builder's mate in a big city he will have succeeded in going to ground. These hopes are quickly dashed and he narrowly escapes capture in the opening scenes, forced on the run with only the cash he has in his pocket, cash that starts to diminish alarmingly quickly as Clayton makes his way to the village of Trelannan in Cornwall, hoping that the widow of an old colleague will help him. It soon becomes apparent that there is more to Trelannan than meets the eye. The town seems almost totally devoid of crime, thanks to the efforts of Leon Race, the boss of a local security firm who is at pains to cultivate an image of respectability, even though Clayton soon suspects that is anything but a true picture of the man. Clayton's old friend doesn't seem particularly pleased to see him and he doesn't intend to stay long, but he soon gets drawn into yet more undercover work, infiltrating Race's ranks to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of a young woman. BLOOD FALLS follows the classic trope beloved of Western films where a stranger rides into town and is soon pitted against just about everybody but is determined to uncover the truth and clean up the place in the process, although in this case, the town – or rather the village – is all too suspiciously clean to start with. It's not the most original of stories, but it's fast-paced and entertaining, with a varied cast of characters and a hero who just can't seem to stay out of trouble. As the second book of what will clearly become a series, I suspect this will establish a pattern in which Joe Clayton moves around the country in an attempt to evade his past but if BLOOD FALLS is anything to go by, Bale writes well-enough that I will no doubt be drawn back into Clayton's next escapade by the promise of more decent action scenes and almost as many twists and turns as the initial car chase. § 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, November 2011
[ Top ]
QUICK SEARCH:
Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
[ Home ]
| 
