Only one of these was on my #20booksofsummer list, the other one snuck in because it’s a friend’s book. Now guess which one of them disappointed me?
First, the friend. I’ve previously read and reviewed Rebecca Bradley’s debut novel Shallow Waters and was curious to read the second in the series. Although I enjoyed the first novel, I have to admit the writing is slicker, stronger, much more confident in this book. DI Hannah Robbins and her team are still struggling to come to terms with the fall-out from their previous major case (described in Shallow Waters). Hannah is not only worried about regaining her professional credibility and enabling her team to work together efficiently once more, but on a personal level, she is not at all sure she can trust her former boyfriend, journalist Ethan.
A spate of severe food poisoning seems to be going around Nottingham – or could it be suicide, even murder? The team is unable to find any connections between the victims: could it really be a case of random poisoning of strangers? And to what purpose?
This is a puzzling and painful case for the team, but slightly more comprehensible for the reader, as there are chapters written from another POV. The author turns the serial killer trope completely and very successfully on its head, allowing us to feel much sympathy for an individual, while not condoning his behaviour in the least. Nor showing that sickly fascination with the convoluted advance planning and almost superhuman cleverness of serial killers which have spoilt the whole subgenre for me.
As before, Bradley is not afraid to tackle difficult subjects, with no easy answers, subjects which may make some readers feel uncomfortable. I admire that bravery. Another thing I really like about this series is that, although it is narrated predominantly by Hannah herself in first person, she is not the star of the show. Instead, both Hannah and her author make it very clear that investigative work is all about teamwork and patience. It’s this attention to detail (without getting bogged down in formalities or over-long explanations) which makes you settle down comfortably in Bradley’s experienced (policing) hands.
One minor point of disgruntlement: that the final denouement comes a bit too quickly after Hannah realises a crucial point from a throwaway remark. Perhaps this was done for the purposes of keeping the book at a manageable length, but I for one wouldn’t have minded a few more pages of investigation and misdirection before we got there.
Made to Be Broken will be released tomorrow and is available for preorder on Amazon UK, Amazon US and all other Amazon stores. There will also be a Facebook party for the launch tomorrow, if you’d like to join in for a bit of fun and support for Rebecca.
The second book was the one I abandoned. I received it as a freebie when I signed up for Quais du Polar in Lyon. It’s by a French author and screenwriter I’d never heard of before, but she’s been receiving very positive reviews. Ingrid Desjours’ Les Fauves (The Beasts – talk about a controversial title, although it ostensibly refers to the two main characters) is about a young woman, Haiko, who’s heading a charity aimed at preventing young people from becoming jihadists. When her friend and fellow worker is gunned down on the street, she reluctantly hires a bodyguard, ex-military man Lars, whose experiences in Afghanistan may both help and hinder him to do his job properly.
The premise sounds interesting and it’s high time this subject was explored. But this is not the way to do it (for me). It felt like the author jumped upon a bandwagon of topical subjects and produced a sensationalist thriller which could have been about anything else, really, rather than the more thoughtful and in-depth exploration in Jihadi: A Love Story by Yusuf Toropov. At some point I decided I could not read anymore about how Haiko is attracted to the unwashed, hairy masculinity of Lars…
I did not finish it, although this was supposed to be my 5th book of the #20booksofsummer challenge.
findingtimetowrite 
I can understand you abandoning Les Fauves – that kind of cliched love interest aspect would have lost me too….
Perhaps it redeems itself later on, but I don’t have the time or luggage space right now for books which annoy me within the first 50-80 pages.
I do have a problem with ‘abandoning a book’. I have two at the moment who are set ‘on hold’. A crime thriller and a “science fiction novel”. Boring characters in the thriller and something that’s going over my sense of ‘logic’ in the science fiction novel. They are on hold… perhaps eternally
I can’t tell you how long it took me (years and years) before I decided it was acceptable to abandon a book. I still feel guilty about it. But I feel even guiltier towards the other books on my shelves which are not getting read because I am wasting time with this one.
I abandoned many books I had to read in school. 😉 Only liked some of them afterwards. Which is , I guess, the problem. There are times that work for a book. And other ‘circumstances’ that just don’t
So very glad you enjoyed Made to be Broken, Marina Sofia. I think Rebecca is talented, and that shows in her work. And I know all about being so disappointed in a book that you end up abandoning it. I’ve done the same thing. To be honest, I probably wouldn’t have carried on with Les Fauves, either…
Both of these are new books for me. I am glad you enjoyed the first. And totally understand about abandoning a book. If it doesnt capture your attention, why go forth with it
I got to “hairy, unwashed masculinity” and I have to say “ew” and pass on this one. I’m getting better and better at abandoning books.
Good to hear your views on the second in the Hannah Robbins series, another one that I need to keep up with and this sounds like it has a very good premise. As you say in your comments, life really is too short (and books too heavy) to waste time on those that annoy you so soon!