This is a fast-paced thriller about scientist Jack Bright's race to prevent the release of a cure to treat a fast-growing illness amongst users of a street drug. Fuelled by his suspicion that the cure is flawed after a clinical trial ends tragically, he has to act fast and furiously. Framed, arrested, pursued, threatened, he has more than a few obstacles to surmount.
This is a well-written debut page turner with some strong characters and a good mix of goodies and baddies. And gosh, a couple of baddies, are bad, bad, bad. It keeps you guessing…not quite to the end, as I had a fairly early inkling who Jack's nemesis was. However, the unfurling is exciting and nail-biting. I was slightly irritated by the thirty instances of dialogue being 'snarled'. Apart from the over-repetition, how does one snarl a sentence? You can say it and then snarl, but doing them both together is impossible…I tried.
Some reviewers have likened this story to our current Covid situation. But I couldn't disagree more. The illness ("the Itch") only affects users of a certain drug. All that said to me was that this was a story endorsing what we well know: taking recreational drugs usually ends badly.
There are a couple of little loose threads at the end. This isn't a criticism, however: it leaves the door very, very slightly ajar for us to enjoy Jack Bright in a new adventure. And there is a couple of characters who haven't quite finished with him. Satisfyingly tantalising!
This is an impressive debut, and I'm certainly keen to read more by this author.
AMAZON UK
AMAZON US
No comments:
Post a Comment