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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Excellent as ever, he never gets it wrong. A Tom Thorne prequel but fits in nicely.
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I have not read any other Tom Thorne books but I enjoyed this one and I was kept in suspense
Tom Thorne is one of my favourite detectives. This did not disappoint.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
3.5 stars
This series has been running for years & with the latest instalment, we get a look at how it all began.
It’s 1996. “Portable phones” are beginning to appear, John Major is PM & you can still enjoy a smoke with your pint at the local pub. Tom Thorne is a young hotshot detective, newly separated & already haunted by what he’s seen.
He & his squad catch the kind of case they all dread. Two little boys were playing at a park & while the moms were distracted, one disappeared. The area is searched, witnesses tracked & endless interviews held…..not one sign of the child is found.
The format of this book is a bit different from those that follow. Chapters alternate between Tom & the parents of the 2 boys. We’re kept up to date on the investigation but it soon stalls & takes a backseat to more character driven story lines. We spend time with these MC’s (plus others) & gradually learn their histories, lives & problems. It’s less of a police procedural & more about how these very different people react to each other & the situation.
It feels like this was written for long time fans. Those familiar with returning characters will enjoy meeting their younger selves. My favourite bit was “When Tom Met Phil”. IMHO their relationship is a highlight of every book so I found Tom’s thoughts after their first conversation particularly entertaining.
“All being well, once the post-mortem was out of the way, he wouldn’t have to see the bloke again, because it was a long time since he had come across anybody he’d taken a dislike to quite so quickly”. Ah, little does he know…
This was an OK read for me. I enjoyed it more as a fan of the books in general than as an individual police procedural. There’s little suspense & overall it’s a slower, more reflective read that sets the stage for what’s to come.
This series has been running for years & with the latest instalment, we get a look at how it all began.
It’s 1996. “Portable phones” are beginning to appear, John Major is PM & you can still enjoy a smoke with your pint at the local pub. Tom Thorne is a young hotshot detective, newly separated & already haunted by what he’s seen.
He & his squad catch the kind of case they all dread. Two little boys were playing at a park & while the moms were distracted, one disappeared. The area is searched, witnesses tracked & endless interviews held…..not one sign of the child is found.
The format of this book is a bit different from those that follow. Chapters alternate between Tom & the parents of the 2 boys. We’re kept up to date on the investigation but it soon stalls & takes a backseat to more character driven story lines. We spend time with these MC’s (plus others) & gradually learn their histories, lives & problems. It’s less of a police procedural & more about how these very different people react to each other & the situation.
It feels like this was written for long time fans. Those familiar with returning characters will enjoy meeting their younger selves. My favourite bit was “When Tom Met Phil”. IMHO their relationship is a highlight of every book so I found Tom’s thoughts after their first conversation particularly entertaining.
“All being well, once the post-mortem was out of the way, he wouldn’t have to see the bloke again, because it was a long time since he had come across anybody he’d taken a dislike to quite so quickly”. Ah, little does he know…
This was an OK read for me. I enjoyed it more as a fan of the books in general than as an individual police procedural. There’s little suspense & overall it’s a slower, more reflective read that sets the stage for what’s to come.