David Jackson (15)

So, I got to the end of 'A Tapping At My Door', the first book in the DS Nathan Cody series and my gut reaction was: I don't want to continue with this series.

Then I argued with myself.

I reminded myself that this was a well-written book. The dialogue is spot-on for Liverpool. The characters were believable and easy to empathise with. There was a strong sense of place and of local culture. There were diverse attitudes towards the police that were conveyed with passion. Moments of high tension were balanced with moments of introspection. The ending was tense and spectacular. So waddaya mean you don't wanna read the rest of the series?

I responded with "Well, just because it's well-written and realistic and has a credible main character doesn't mean that I enjoyed it". DS Cody is a broken man - mentally unstable and lying to himself, his boss and his colleagues about it and thereby putting himself and his colleagues at risk. It makes for a strong story but it makes him a hard man to cheer for. The scene where I found out exactly how he was broken and by whom was one of vivid violence that was necessary in terms of understanding Cody and his problems but one that I'd rather not have had splashed across my imagination.

I also struggled with the motivation of the off-the-wall character who was killing police officers and leaving birds with their corpses. It felt far-fetched and over-elaborate. It's extremely rare for a Police Officer to be murdered in the UK. The idea of multiple murders accompanied by exotic clues felt exploitative to me, especially when the setting for the crimes was so realistic. Later, when I learned that the motivation of the murderer was linked to a single, at that point unrevealed, word I know what the word would be. Most people who grew up on Merseyside would be able to guess. I won't say why here because it would spoil the plot but I found the link distasteful. Even though the distress linked to the word was described with some dignity, the motivation for this crime left a bad taste in my mouth.

Which is why, even though I think 'A Tapping At My Door' was a four-star read, I don't want to read any more of this series.… (altro)

Izzy, who works in a bookshop, is very good at knowing when people are lying. So when girls go missing and the caretaker of the local school mentions to the police he saw one of the girls get in a car, Izzy can tell he’s being untruthful. As Izzy gets on the investigation trail, the question is is her gift or ability a virtue or a vice?

I really enjoyed this psychological thriller. It’s quite the game of cat and mouse, taking the reader on a rollercoaster of a ride with its twists and turns and red herrings. It’s fast paced, easy to read and very much a page turner. It had me on the edge of my seat a times and I was gripped to the last page. Izzy is a great character, I liked her, and she’s accompanied by a sterling cast. The only slight issue I had with it was that the ending seemed somewhat abrupt.

All in all, an excellent read. This is the first book I’ve read by David Jackson and it won’t be my last.… (altro)

I don't usually start with a book that isn't the first in a series, but this one was the daily deal the other day, and it sounded intriguing, so I bought it.
I'm glad I did. I never had a moment where I thought that having read/listened to the previous sequels would have improved my understanding of this one.
This book works perfectly fine as a stand-alone, but now I am so intrigued by the characters, and the author's writing, that I'll certainly check out his other books in this series.
I'm not somebody who bites her nails, but this story could certainly turn you into a person who does.
The suspense is immense, the solution unexpected (even though I expected some things to happen, which they duly did).

It's certainly not a story you'll want to read before bedtime.

Narrator Jonathan Keeble did a great job, especially since he refrained from turning the female and the children voices into high-pitched shrieks, as so many narrators do.

If you're looking for an utterly gripping thriller, you found it.… (altro)