Firstly I will start by saying that I've read A Quiet Belief in Angels which was a very well considered and challenging book that struck a strong chord with modern society despite seeming very far away from modern Britain. I was very happy that this book wasn't quite as heavy or intense.
The plot centres around one detective who is to all accounts both a bit of a loner and a prodigy, who is following up on the murder and beating of several women who are all linked. The plot thickens when all but one of the women are linked to government applications and fake social security numbers. And thickens again with John Robey and his personal story and questions over his involvement in these murders.
Spoilers under here:
John and Catherine were both operating as part of/in cooperation with the CIA in South America to kill important political figures - they were told that this was vital for security concerns. They are both very much alone in the world, desperate to matter and make their lives count (they are spun a lot of lines like "would you kill hitler if you knew what you know now, had a gun in your hand and saw him alone at a bar?") and their naivity to the real purpose of their involvement (to keep drugs running through into America to fund secret wars) proves to be an essential thread to the story.
The plotline itself is very hollywood spy thriller - Bourne Theory meets Lie to me etc. Now I like these kind of books, they're a bit like brain cheese - not as stupid and fillery as chick lit but equally not exactly challenging. What I did find interesting was the writing technique throughout the book and the tone of hopelessness at the end which R.J. Ellory seems to employ regularly in his novels. It was a page turner but was rarely upbeat. The characters weren't amazingly well developed in my opinion - I found it strange that Robey - who was so vastly intelligent and meticulous all the way through the book - failed to overlook the fact that any court would issue an injunction that stopped the national press from publishing his findings on the drugs war in Nicaragua - it seems like a massive oversight and a lot of bloodshed over the course of the book for an aim that would ultimately fail - and I can't believe that he was naive enough to think that the victory was in the attempt.
Basically I enjoyed the book as I enjoy all mystery and crime books but the themes are a bit old now and have been used in countless television series, books and movies - if you want a twisty, turny mystery crime novel then go for it - it's better than James Patterson - but don't bite into it expecting thought provoking prose - you'll be disappointed.
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