4 out of 4 stars
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This gripping crime thriller is set in New Zealand, a new locale for me and one that opens doors to some enlightening and unusual plot twists.
Our detective team is Pollo, part Samoan, part Maori, a massively-built crime veteran with extensive experience and a homespun philosophy, and young Bobby Ress, who tells the story with crisp and engaging brevity.
It’s quite a story. Somewhere in the streets of Dunedin, a city built in an old volcano with the steepest slopes in the world, is a serial killer who targets Catholic priests, killing them slowly and gruesomely in ways inspired by the torture of the saints. Be warned, these are not images anyone sane would want to dwell upon.
Who would do such a thing? What could be the motive – power, sex, money? When the third priest is found murdered, the full power of the law swings into action, but Pollo and Bobby, who were first on the scene, are too close and angry to let go.
There are questions to answer. Why does the Church maintain a hideout for paedophile priests? What is the involvement of the ruthless Maori gangs? What led to the suicide of a 12-year-old boy?
Pollo has his own history and his own way of knowing before he knows why. Bobby relies on his mentor in forensic psychology, but both point in the same direction. What happens when a human being is subjected to too much pain? The psychological exposition is clear and understandable, flowing seamlessly with the action.
The plot of this thriller has its twists and turns, with plenty of action as the team face speeding cars and bullets. However, it is the style of the writing that caught me up. Bobby’s voice is clear and often humorous. While we learn little about his history, he becomes very real as he grapples with the deep questions of life and death, buoyed up by his love for his wife and unusual daughter. Pollo, too, we discover through his sayings and his stories. Their close friendship is conveyed in their low-key repartee.
I particularly enjoyed the insights into a different culture; the role and place of the Maoris in society, the power of the ganglords who have their own vendetta to pursue.
Bobby, the diminutive, is a boy’s name. One feels by the end of the book that Bobby deserves to be Bob. The character changes and develops through his experiences, always the mark of a good writer.
The book is well produced. I noticed only three very minor slips, nothing to detract from the pleasure of reading – and it was a pleasure. It will be enjoyed by anyone who likes a fast-paced crime thriller, with the special bonus of an unusual motive that makes one think.
I give this 4 out of 4 stars.
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Pancake Money
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