Ian Patrick (5)

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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I love remote working. It means I can be where I need to be, doing what I need to do, when I need to do it. After that there’s whatever time’s left for police work. I don’t regard myself as a criminal. I’m just a disgruntled public servant supplementing my meagre living. Most criminals I despise but there are a few who break the mould.

I’m one of them, after all.

WHAT'S FOOLS GOLD ABOUT?
After recovering from Stoned Love, Batford's thrown back into the field. This time, he's answering directly to Klara Winter and she's got two things on her mind—shutting down an armed robbery team and exposing Batford.

Batford has three missions—stopping the robbery team; finishing cleaning up after his former boss/mentor—including getting what cash he can; and staying clean in front of Winter. Note the qualifier there, clean "in front of" Winter, not clean.

Typical police procedural stuff, right?

The UC work is great—and Batford ends up finding more criminal activity than the police were aware of when the operation started. I don't want to get into it, because it's better for you to read it. But like so many of the police actions in Patrick's works, it screams authenticity.

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT FOOLD GOLD?

There was a time the police were viewed as protectors and defenders. In a way that still applies: Terrorists denied their spoils, criminal networks disrupted, drugs and guns seized. I’m part of all that but no longer feel like crew on the good ship, Justice.

I'm pretty sure I've said something like this before, but it's worth repeating. It takes a special skill to make readers get behind a crooked cop—a reader will accept a Bosch or a Rebus bending the rules a bit to get the murderer to confess or get convicted. But that's not Batford. Well, okay, it is. But that's not all that Batford does—while he gets results/arrests/stops whatever crime he's been sent to investigate, he also makes sure he profits off it. And somehow Patrick gets his readers to hope Batford gets away with it. At least a little bit.

It drives me crazy—I want him to succeed and I hope he spends the rest of his life behind bars. You figure that out, I can't.

Patrick's prose here is as lean as ever—and once the momentum builds up, it doesn't stop. There's a ticking clock on Batford's investigation, and it carries over to the novel. The action propels you from one scene to the next.

There's real growth in Patrick's plotting—with no disrespect intended to his previous work—but this feels so much tighter, he doesn't waste a moment.

And that ending? I don't have words for it. It's both a great launching pad in the (seemingly unlikely) case that there's a fourth Batford novel, and a great way to conclude the trilogy.

Get them all—this would work okay as a stand-alone, but as the end of a run? It's great. It's a trilogy that goes from strength to strength, and you'd be smart to pick it up.… (altro)

★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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In my world you’re always looking over your shoulder. Evade and escape is the game. To remain still makes you a target. A sitting or standing one doesn’t matter. Always be on the move until you’re sure it’s safe to stop. The training I’ve had was for a reason: survival.

London is a war zone. My battleground is the street. My unit is on a hearts and minds campaign to keep control and maintain law and order through gathering intelligence.

There are two point-of-view protagonists in this book, the first is DS Ed Hunter. He recruits and handles informants—excuse me, Covert Human Intelligence Sources. He's been at it quite some time now—it's in his blood, he'd have a hard time leaving for another assignment at this point. He has a number of sources, but we only see and track his involvement with one in this novel. Ed's a solid detective, dedicated (would be the polite way to say it, Mrs. Hunter might have other words), but isn't opposed to coloring just a bit outside the lines.

I started dealin’ young. I was nine years old when I got into this game. I’d move anythin’ they asked me. They knew that because of my age I wouldn’t get charged. Apparently at nine you don’t know nothin’ so can’t know what you’re doin’ is against the law. Screw that! I knew everythin’ I was doin’ were wrong. That’s why I did it!

The source the book focuses on is the other POV protagonist, Ben. Ben's recently out of a short stint in prison and is looking to get back to the things that landed him in prison in the first place. Primarily robbery and miscellaneous tasks for a local gang leader, Troy*.

* As far as notorious, or would-be notorious, criminals go, Troy seems like an unlikely name. It really doesn't command respect or fear. It's mundane enough that it comes across as verisimilitude

With Ben freshly out of prison and re-establishing his criminal contacts and career, this is the prime time for Ed to use him. So he leans hard on Ben, looking for intelligence that he can use immediately as well as information on larger, future activities. Troy has a special combination of ambition and ruthlessness that makes this an advantageous time for both Ed and Ben.

These two men are really two sides of the same coin. Ed works Ben and the system to his benefit (and occasionally Ben's), Ben works Ed, Troy, Ghost, and others for his benefit (and occasionally Ed's). Both Ed and Ben seem trapped by circumstances, trapped by their association, but only one of them really has a shot at getting out, if he wanted it.

Theirs is not a partnership, a friendship, or anything really. Ed is using Ben to satisfy his superiors, to get some information that can lead to bigger arrests, or to prevent something major from happening (a large concern as London prepares for the Olympics). He may show flashes of concern for Ben or his soon-to-be-born child. But those flashes are quickly gone. Ben isn't in this out of some ethical consideration, either. He's not trying to go straight—he's using Ed to get a little extra money, to take out a rival, and to keep at least some of the police off his back.

The cycle of Ed pressuring Ben for some intelligence, Ben giving him something largely true, the police using that information, Ben having to scramble to prove he didn't inform and to take advantage of whatever the police have done for his own benefit. Ben knows (and is angered by) Ed using him like this. Ed knows he's not getting the whole truth (but isn't sure how much he is getting), and is angered when he can prove the lie, and is aware Ben's at least trying to use him, too. This is the core of the book, and probably the majority of what does on in the book—and I could easily have easily read at least another 50-70 pages of this without growing impatient.

We get a little time with Ed's superior and some detectives in other offices, using and supplementing what he's gathered, and we get a little insight into Ed's home life and wife. But largely, it's his partner, DC Sienna Myles ("Smiles") that we see Ed interacting with. She's not as invested in Ben, Ed's problems, or Troy as Ed is. She might actually care more for Ben's welfare, but she's also clear about Ben's place in the world, and his priorities. Of all the secondary characters, she's the one I wanted more of—I think she could carry a novel by herself (and would like to see something like this with her and her new source)

On the flip side, we see a few other people in Troy's circle of influence, but we primarily see Ben interacting with Troy or his friend, Ghost. Ghost is the only person in the world that Ben truly trusts (and even then, that falters), they're friends that go way back. I'm honestly not sure how to describe Troy—because Ben keeps vacillating in his estimation of him. He's either an up-and-coming criminal near-genius, or he's just some guy with enough lucky breaks and inherent meanness to take advantage of those breaks. It is clear that the streets and many, many lives would benefit from his being ousted from power and put somewhere he can't inflict his poison or presence on more of the public more than he has.

One more similarity between the two that I want to focus on—impending fatherhood. One of the first things that Ben learns upon his release is that he's going to be a father, he'd impregnated someone just before going away. Meanwhile, Ed and his wife can't conceive—they've gone through fertility treatments but they don't seem to be doing anything. Ed bewails the injustice in how easily someone who doesn't want to be a father can become, while he and his wife want it so much. Both men's reactions to future fatherhood, as well as the way they think of their own fathers (or lack thereof), says a lot about the two characters—and the office of Father in general.

Ed's an interesting character, and I definitely felt invested in his story. But outside of a job that you don't often see in Crime Fiction, I'm not sure there was much to make him stand out. Ben, on the other hand? I've seen similar characters before and were either annoyed or indifferent to them. But Patrick shaped him and used him in such a way that not only did I want to see him succeed (if he went straight or otherwise), but I cared about what happened to him. He reminded me of Dewey Crowe from Justified (or Leonard's Raylan or any number of similar characters penned by Leonard), not that bright, overly impressed with their own criminal aptitudes, but you can't help pity, like and wish the best for him (although Dewey was generally comic relief, and Ben's not at all). He got under my skin, and will likely stay there for a while.

Most of this book isn't that fast-paced—it's well-paced, but there's a lot of time spent establishing the characters and setting up the endgame. But there's an energy to the narration—particularly Ben's chapters—that makes you feel like you're reading something at a breakneck pace. Ben's character shines through so much, I could practically hear him as I read (in my mind he sounds suspiciously like a Kobna Holdbrook-Smith character). I should probably add that once, the plot starts moving—it matches the feel that you'd gotten from earlier when less was happening.

That ending? Perfection. That's all I can safely say.

The difference in characters, voice, and the way the story plays out demonstrates Patrick's skill and underlines the fact that he's not a one-trick pony (not that many should've suspected that). It'd be easy for him to coast on the Sam Batford train for a while, but Patrick doesn't do that, instead, he gives us this fascinating glimpse into another area of policing.

I'm tempted to keep going, but I've probably said too much. This is different, more intimate, more powerful, than Patrick's DS Sam Batford books. If you've read those, you should enjoy seeing this other side of the author. If you haven't, you should go grab them after this one. Patrick captured something special here in How the Wired Weep and I strongly encourage you to go grab it.… (altro)

Filled to the brim with tension and gangland-style danger, I read Rubicon far too quickly; it is so fast-paced that I found it virtually impossible to put down but wished I'd read a bit slower to savour every perfectly written detail.

I really liked Sam Batford; he reminded me of Harry Bosch, doing whatever is necessary to bring the criminal to justice. Batford is ex-army and has a much darker side than Bosch, so much so that I often questioned his motivation; I wondered whether he had gone so far undercover that he didn't know which side he was on. Batford is such a wonderful character in this way as he is so unpredictable and even though his character is very well developed in Rubicon, I don't think we've even scratched the surface of him yet.

DCI Klara Winter has the delight of trying to control Sam Batford. Her frustration and exasperation was evident in the log she is keeping of her thought processes and decision making. It is clear from the start that she doesn't want to work with Batford so her log entries are a brilliant insight into how her working relationship with Batford is panning out. I laughed out loud at her candid thoughts on first meeting Batford and found myself growing to like her for her honesty.

I was going to say that this would make an excellent TV adaptation, as I could easily visualise somebody like Tom Hardy as Sam Batford and Rosamund Pike playing Klara Winter, but when I popped over to Amazon for the buy link I noticed that it has already been optioned by the BBC. I will definitely be watching the series and recommending it to all my friends and family. I think it'll be like mixing Bosch with the Sopranos, adding a dash of British flavour and seeing it all play out in London. I can't wait to see it so I think I will read the book again while I'm waiting.

Rubicon is a highly entertaining, full-throttle gangland thriller. With such an unpredictable protagonist, Ian Patrick tied my brain in knots and had me on the edge of my seat; I needed to stop and catch my breath when I finished it. An outstanding debut and hopefully there are plenty more Sam Batford stories to follow.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.… (altro)

Even before I finished, I knew I’d be recommending this book to all my lovely crime reading peeps. So to help you derive maximum enjoyment & avoid possible jail time (see #1) I’ve put together a list of items you may want to gather before cracking the cover. You’re welcome.

1. “Go away I’m reading” sign: The book opens with a prologue that you may end up reading twice. It’s clear someone is going to die. The narrator even tells you so as they calmly identify their prey & the reason behind his impending demise. By the time you finish this part, there’s no way you’ll be putting it down. If someone were to interrupt you at this point, it’s only fair they be pre-warned you may become violent. Hence the sign.

2. a thinking cap: We go back in time before the events in the prologue & meet DS Sam Batford. He has a military background that serves him well as an undercover agent with one of those murky agencies you hear rumours about. Now he’s been seconded to the National Crime Agency in a joint effort to bring down crime boss Vincent Guardino.

The NCA is led by DCI Klara Winter, an ambitious & by-the-book cop who’s not happy about being saddled with Sam. As far as she’s concerned he’s a loose canon with little regard for the rules. Or the fact she’s in charge. We get to know her mostly through daily log entries, written with a blunt sardonic voice I really enjoyed.

I couldn’t reduce the plot of this book if I tried. Strap on that thinking cap & pay attention. What follows is a pacy & intricately plotted tale with compelling characters. Hidden agendas, secrets & shifting alliances…at times even Sam isn’t sure who to trust. As things spiral out of control he begins to wonder about his role. It’s not lost on the reader that at least he knows where he stands with the bad guys. As for the good guys….well, that’s a little more complicated.

3. neck brace: This will protect you through myriad plot twists, double crosses & jaw dropping reveals. I love reading a book that keeps me on shaky ground & this provides that feeling in spades. I genuinely had no idea how this would play out, only that not everyone was going to make it to the after-party.

4. seatbelt: Please remain seated with it fastened for the duration. After the initial set-up there is a rising tension that becomes palpable as you reach for the finish. Clever twists & thrills are all well & good but for a reader to really feel the story there have to be characters you become invested in. Sam & Klara are both sharp, experienced cops. They want the same result (sort of) but have different ideas on how to get there. As the book progresses we get to know them better & understand how they’ve both been shaped by their pasts.

This is a smart, fast paced crime thriller that will keep you on your toes. Cozy fans, beware. This is gritty noir with everything that entails. Can’t wait to read book #2.

4.5/5 stars… (altro)