Andy Secombe

The plot, about a detective trying to piece together two cases (the disappearance of a fast-food magnate, and the murders of a string of political figures) is well structured, and the author is clearly aiming for a sort of postmodern Jasper Fforde / Malcolm Pryce style, but the actual quality of the writing lets him down. The prose style is quite cheap, and the characters are one-dimensional (especially the women, largely described in terms of their breasts). The alternative near-future backdrop (in which a war has shattered the British economy, and global warming has rendered fossil fuels too scarce – and therefore expensive – for everyday use) is potentially interesting, but under-exploited.… (altro)