There are many crime thrillers out there and some are of a
very high standard, so does this book hold its own and does it bring something
new to the genre? I say a resounding yes to both. The story moves at a fast
pace and has a good plot, that I found believable and held my attention. It is
well written and contains a good mixture of action, dialogue and humour.
So what’s different? It is set in Toronto, Canada and makes
a nice change from the mean streets of LA or New York. Then there is Bill
Roberts himself, he’s not the hard drinking world weary type we read too much
of. Bill is a dedicated detective who lost his wife two years earlier. He
regrets not spending more time with her before she died, but his work has
always been his life. He has a good relationship with his colleagues, Bill
Roberts wit and the banter between them provides much of the comedy. I liked
that Bill is not perfect. In one instance he falls of a treadmill as he needs
to get back into shape. There is also a French speaking biker gang involved,
and here is maybe an opportunity missed; the dual language must make things
complicated for the police in Canada as I know not everyone is bilingual. This
might be a snippet for the follow up, which I certainly look forwards too. I
recommend this breath of fresh Canadian air.
