*Copied
from sections in the editorial review of, The Factor
‘You write in a very sophisticated and polished way
but a way that is also highly readable and there is nothing in it that I found
particularly irksome or that would cause any type of reader to reject it out of
hand. You have quite exceptional ability as a writer; the style has a
distinctiveness and vigor about it, and an authoritative narrative technique
which fits this genre perfectly. It is notoriously difficult to create a
thriller that is both plausible and unpredictable, but you achieve this with
proficiency, and this alone places the book head and shoulders above others of
the same type.
The opening section of any novel must do several
things and the opening of your book (and by this I mean the first ten percent
or so) fulfils all of the requirements perfectly. It really is superb. It has
drama, mystery, the hint of a very sophisticated plot and what we assume to be
the protagonist, all introduced in a wonderfully evocative way. When
reading it I intended first of all reading only as far as the first five
chapters or so in order to get a ‘feel’ for the book, but found myself so
absorbed with the powerful narrative that I continued reading far beyond
that.
As a lesson on how to begin a work of thriller fiction
it is exemplary...
...But the book as a whole has a great deal to
recommend it, not least the carefully conceived and generally well executed
plot which I found to be very suitable for the target demographic. Overall,
this is undoubtedly one of the best books of its type that I have read for some
time.
Interestingly, for a book of this kind the settings
are handled extremely competently. The locations, background and context as
well as the more abstract psychological elements represent very specialised
environments so it is important that the setting ring true. This is a world
occupied by the dark criminal fraternity, child and drug traffickers, FAWA
rebels, the landed gentry, smokescreen charities and businesses. It
spans thousands of miles from the gritty British cities to the
poverty-stricken, terrorized depths of The Gambia, and to maintain authenticity
is not easy. I suspect that you have either carried out a great deal of
thorough research or were familiar with some of the context to an extent
already. Given the importance of the settings as a backdrop to much of the
action, had it not been so the whole book would have been seriously flawed.
There is a danger, of course, in an author having such
specialised knowledge of the background that he becomes too absorbed in the
setting, allowing the narrative to suffer. So it is to your great credit that
the balance between narrative and background or setting is well nigh perfect.
To look now at certain specifics, the plot of this
work is very good indeed and you have done well to fashion such a credible plot
which has such depth and intrigue. In all works of fiction, a good
plot should progress steadily upwards with a series of twists, turns and
setbacks as the protagonist tries to achieve his or her goals, leading to the
denouement. This is basically the case with this book. The
protagonist, Detective Lamont, finds himself faced with a number of problems
which manifest themselves as plot points. He has much to handle –
from his wife’s illnesses and medical setbacks, to his complicated relationship
with Tortolano – the up-and-coming, young detective – and dealing with the
underbelly of society. Furthermore, as he begins to unravel the
story of McFarlane and the mystery behind his violent murder, the cold hard
facts about the Gambian connection begin to emerge and the smokescreens used by
the disturbing ‘successful businessmen’ are expertly unveiled. The way these
threads are all interlinked is a touch of genius and does a first-rate job of
leading the reader onwards and upwards as the book progresses, towards a
satisfying and unanticipated denouement...
...In summary, therefore, this is as good a book of its type as I have read
for some time and far better than the majority of hopefuls one encounters. It
will be particularly strong in the marketplace simply because it is difficult
to find fault with it. It seems to possess everything required to be successful
and one cannot praise more highly than that.’
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1518892248/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_sY8Gwb0HW6BFD … & http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B018YNIY66/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_udp_awd_oUVGwb23K88VH … …via @amazon
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1518892248/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_sY8Gwb0HW6BFD … & http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B018YNIY66/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_udp_awd_oUVGwb23K88VH … …via @amazon
