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A review by rowena_m_andrews
MONGKOK STATION (The Inspector Samuel Tay Novels Book 6) by Jake Needham
5.0
While this is the sixth instalment in the Inspector Tay series, I found that it worked very well as a standalone as I have yet to read the earlier books, although I will be doing so in the New Year because this was an enjoyable read and Tay made for a different protagonist that I want to read more of.
There are three main strands woven into Mongkok Station, the case of the missing girl – which on the surface seems almost simple because if you find the girl, you solve the case; however when that is combined with the other strands and the fact that others are missing it becomes something more. Hong Kong is a strand in and of itself, and Needham does a wonderful job of bringing the city to life and dealing with the events happening within the city. From those directly involved with the characters to the wider events of the time, and it not only served as a living, breathing backdrop to the narrative but was almost a character in and of itself. The third strand is Inspector Tay himself and the situations he finds himself in, and he makes for a fascinating character who is wonderfully, gloriously human, his skills and history as a detective, matched with ongoing struggles, and a somewhat bumbling personality blended with a certain humour makes him wonderfully well-rounded, and a character that it is impossible not to become invested in, especially with the situation and danger that he finds himself in.
Mongkok Station is a clever, well-written crime thriller with a wonderful balance of pacing, characterisation, twists and turns and setting. Needham has a very vivid storytelling style, and his obvious awareness and experience of the city shines through on the pages, and really brings it to life, until it feels as though we are there on the ground with the characters. The characterisation is excellent – not just with Tay, and while there is a relatively small cast of secondary characters, they each bring their own unique voice and viewpoint to the narrative and make for some interesting relationships, and I particularly enjoyed Tay’s unlikely friendship with a Triad boss. While the plot wove through so many twists and turns, that you’re left on the edge of your seat and kept guessing until the end.
This was an enjoyable read, with wit and humour, combined with the drama and tension of a thriller and one that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys crime fiction. It’s a wonderful standalone, and if you’re anything like me, it will also be a wonderful introduction to a series and a new detective that will leave you wanting to read more.
There are three main strands woven into Mongkok Station, the case of the missing girl – which on the surface seems almost simple because if you find the girl, you solve the case; however when that is combined with the other strands and the fact that others are missing it becomes something more. Hong Kong is a strand in and of itself, and Needham does a wonderful job of bringing the city to life and dealing with the events happening within the city. From those directly involved with the characters to the wider events of the time, and it not only served as a living, breathing backdrop to the narrative but was almost a character in and of itself. The third strand is Inspector Tay himself and the situations he finds himself in, and he makes for a fascinating character who is wonderfully, gloriously human, his skills and history as a detective, matched with ongoing struggles, and a somewhat bumbling personality blended with a certain humour makes him wonderfully well-rounded, and a character that it is impossible not to become invested in, especially with the situation and danger that he finds himself in.
Mongkok Station is a clever, well-written crime thriller with a wonderful balance of pacing, characterisation, twists and turns and setting. Needham has a very vivid storytelling style, and his obvious awareness and experience of the city shines through on the pages, and really brings it to life, until it feels as though we are there on the ground with the characters. The characterisation is excellent – not just with Tay, and while there is a relatively small cast of secondary characters, they each bring their own unique voice and viewpoint to the narrative and make for some interesting relationships, and I particularly enjoyed Tay’s unlikely friendship with a Triad boss. While the plot wove through so many twists and turns, that you’re left on the edge of your seat and kept guessing until the end.
This was an enjoyable read, with wit and humour, combined with the drama and tension of a thriller and one that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys crime fiction. It’s a wonderful standalone, and if you’re anything like me, it will also be a wonderful introduction to a series and a new detective that will leave you wanting to read more.