Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Someone is murdering former residents of a children's home called Longacre. There is one obvious suspect but he has disappeared off the face of the earth. As new Detective Sergeant Flick Crowley tries to settle in to the job, the killer strikes right on Inspector Drake's patch. However, he seems to be closing down areas of the investigation that she thinks should remain open and a battle of wills unfolds as his behaviour becomes ever more erratic and inexplicable.
Mark Hill is a screenwriter as well as a novelist and this book in many ways takes the best of his visual art and suffuses it with the written word. It is very easy to see this book as a series of scenes together with end of episode cliffhangers. The pace at which I sped through the story said everything about its readability and the strength of the story. The twists when they came were a surprise, but also made perfect sense in the context of what came before. There were a couple of times that you had to suspend disbelief, particularly with some of the actions of Inspector Ray Drake, the central character, but I was prepared to do that every time. In terms of characterisation I found that the main protagonists were well sketched out, although I hope that Flick gets more character development in the sequel.
This is a superb debut and I can't wait to pick up It Was Her. Anyone who has a Wexford shaped hole in their life could do no better than pick this up. I was gripped throughout and would recommend it to any fan of crime fiction.
Mark Hill is a screenwriter as well as a novelist and this book in many ways takes the best of his visual art and suffuses it with the written word. It is very easy to see this book as a series of scenes together with end of episode cliffhangers. The pace at which I sped through the story said everything about its readability and the strength of the story. The twists when they came were a surprise, but also made perfect sense in the context of what came before. There were a couple of times that you had to suspend disbelief, particularly with some of the actions of Inspector Ray Drake, the central character, but I was prepared to do that every time. In terms of characterisation I found that the main protagonists were well sketched out, although I hope that Flick gets more character development in the sequel.
This is a superb debut and I can't wait to pick up It Was Her. Anyone who has a Wexford shaped hole in their life could do no better than pick this up. I was gripped throughout and would recommend it to any fan of crime fiction.
Casting aside his nom de plume of Crime Thriller Fella, former blogger, Mark Hill marches stridently onto the crime fiction scene with a debut that is compelling and intriguing, and perhaps more importantly a damn good read. With one of the most ominous and chilling openings that I have encountered this year, as the story draws you in, you would be forgiven for thinking that this would then appear to be a pretty standard London set police procedural. But you’d be wrong. Oh yes, and here’s why…
There is a pernicious killer at work in old London town with the self-styled monicker of The Two O’Clock Boy, the reasons for which are gradually unfurled in a real smoke and mirrors tale of childhood abuse, combined with slick police procedural. With its intertwining timelines, depicting the less than savoury goings on at a children’s home some years previously, and the spotlight on DI Ray Drake and his team to solve the current murders, the links between the past and Drake’s own personal history are neatly threaded together. With some degree of frustration, this is one of those books that thwarts the reviewer at every turn, without stepping in a big pile of spoilers, but suffice to say Drake proves an interesting and damaged conduit between past and present, and his character is never less than intriguing and utterly instrumental to this reader’s enjoyment of the book. The plotting is consistently superb, tinged with a real darkness that unsettles and disturbs throughout, and the pacing and balance between the two gradually revealed interconnected time periods is beautifully weighted.
Likewise, the characterisation of both the police protagonists, and the characters connected to the children’s home, both in the past and present is assuredly done. Hill captures not only the naivety, false bravery, and emotional fragility of the children’s personalities, but how this shapes and moulds them and their experiences on reaching adulthood. It’s sensitively and realistically handled, despite the darkness of his central plot, and I guarantee that when certain truths are revealed about this period in some of the protagonist’s lives, your sense of empathy will be roundly manipulated. As I have alluded to, the character of Drake is of tantamount importance to the whole plot, as is the multi-faceted nature of his personality that he presents to the world. I also liked his sidekick, DS Flick Crowley, whose exasperation with Drake, and some personal issues of her own, provide a bit more colour to the whole affair, and provide a strong partnership for future investigations.
So, pleased to report that The Two O’clock Boy delivers on so many levels, with emotional depth, strong characters, and an effective and suspense-building use of contrasting timelines, to carry the plot along at a pleasing pace. The Raven recommends. Highly.
There is a pernicious killer at work in old London town with the self-styled monicker of The Two O’Clock Boy, the reasons for which are gradually unfurled in a real smoke and mirrors tale of childhood abuse, combined with slick police procedural. With its intertwining timelines, depicting the less than savoury goings on at a children’s home some years previously, and the spotlight on DI Ray Drake and his team to solve the current murders, the links between the past and Drake’s own personal history are neatly threaded together. With some degree of frustration, this is one of those books that thwarts the reviewer at every turn, without stepping in a big pile of spoilers, but suffice to say Drake proves an interesting and damaged conduit between past and present, and his character is never less than intriguing and utterly instrumental to this reader’s enjoyment of the book. The plotting is consistently superb, tinged with a real darkness that unsettles and disturbs throughout, and the pacing and balance between the two gradually revealed interconnected time periods is beautifully weighted.
Likewise, the characterisation of both the police protagonists, and the characters connected to the children’s home, both in the past and present is assuredly done. Hill captures not only the naivety, false bravery, and emotional fragility of the children’s personalities, but how this shapes and moulds them and their experiences on reaching adulthood. It’s sensitively and realistically handled, despite the darkness of his central plot, and I guarantee that when certain truths are revealed about this period in some of the protagonist’s lives, your sense of empathy will be roundly manipulated. As I have alluded to, the character of Drake is of tantamount importance to the whole plot, as is the multi-faceted nature of his personality that he presents to the world. I also liked his sidekick, DS Flick Crowley, whose exasperation with Drake, and some personal issues of her own, provide a bit more colour to the whole affair, and provide a strong partnership for future investigations.
So, pleased to report that The Two O’clock Boy delivers on so many levels, with emotional depth, strong characters, and an effective and suspense-building use of contrasting timelines, to carry the plot along at a pleasing pace. The Raven recommends. Highly.
I received a copy of this book via Net Galley.
This is a fantastic crime thriller and police procedural, but it doesn't get too bogged down in procedure details like some books do. I did work out the identity of the two o'clock boy early on in the story but that did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the book, as there are plenty of other twists and revelations. The ending is a corker and I'm excited for the sequel.
This is a fantastic crime thriller and police procedural, but it doesn't get too bogged down in procedure details like some books do. I did work out the identity of the two o'clock boy early on in the story but that did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the book, as there are plenty of other twists and revelations. The ending is a corker and I'm excited for the sequel.
So it started off as a gripping murder story. It switched between the 1980s and the present day to give some context.
Newly promoted DI Ray Drake and DS Flick Crowley work the case together. Well to start with, until Flick discovers a link between the victims. A link that could provide her with the secrets of her superiors past.
There are secrets uncovered.
Ones I didn't see coming and that shocked me!
I love shocks. It makes me doubt myself, especially when it comes to crime novels.
The only reason I gave it four and not five stars is because I felt it was slow on some places. And sometimes it was slightly predictable. However it was a great book and I was hooked from page 1.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read this book. even if this review is late.....
Fab read. Highly recommend if you like a good crime novel.
Newly promoted DI Ray Drake and DS Flick Crowley work the case together. Well to start with, until Flick discovers a link between the victims. A link that could provide her with the secrets of her superiors past.
There are secrets uncovered.
Ones I didn't see coming and that shocked me!
I love shocks. It makes me doubt myself, especially when it comes to crime novels.
The only reason I gave it four and not five stars is because I felt it was slow on some places. And sometimes it was slightly predictable. However it was a great book and I was hooked from page 1.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read this book. even if this review is late.....
Fab read. Highly recommend if you like a good crime novel.
It's rare for me to find a thriller or murder mystery that I can't figure out fairly quickly. Mark Hill managed to keep me on my toes. Just when I thought I had it figured out, something popped up to show me I was wrong...or was I? Even after you think you understand it all, he throws a last minute twist at you. If you love a good mystery or thriller, I highly recommend His First Lie. It leaves you wanting more and I can't wait for the next installment.