4 out of 4 stars
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I loved this book. Thrillers are not my first choice in reading materials, but I liked Pancake Money particularly well.
Bobby Ress is a good detective and a good man, devoted to his family and his work. Together with his partner Pollo, he has to investigate the brutal murders of three clergymen and the escape of a convicted criminal.
The investigations are leading to nothing and the horrifying way in which the murders are perpetrated shakes the world of the two detectives. Bobby and Pollo have only their instinct to go by and they fear there will be more violence if they don’t solve the case soon.
Pancake Money is not only a suspenseful crime story but also shows the human part of the detectives involved, confronting them with their understanding of human behaviour and the brutality of the murders. The story gives also an insight into the psychological world of serial killers and the methods used for the police investigations.
Another interesting point is that the story shows what it means to be part of a gang in New Zealand (where the story takes place) and the disagreement between the natives and the settlers.
I enjoyed a lot Mrs Bowlby’s Forensic Psychology lectures: how she explains in a simple but precise way how pain motivates behaviour and the “more” you get out of it.
I liked the fact that through the book every police specific term was followed by an elucidation of what it means, but it was done in such a way that it was an integral part of the narrative and didn’t slow at all the pace of the book.
The characters feel real and are very well developed.
The book gives us a peek into the Maori culture, which was rather interesting for me. I am a great fan of New Zealand and enjoyed so much the descriptions of the people and the places as well.
At the end of the book, the author gifts us one last chapter “Slightly biased mostly true things…” where he writes about the sites, the characters and a bit of history and culture touched upon in the story. I think it is the most interesting part of the book inasmuch that the author writes about his point of view as well.
The disappointing part is that I could not find anything about Finn Bell background, a bit of his biography or more about his ideas. It made me so curious I’m going to read his other books just to know more about himself.
I give this book 4 out of 4 stars because it is well written, bereft of errors, has a good plot and I think it makes for an interesting read even for people that usually don’t read thrillers. This book gives you some different topics to think about and this is something I appreciate in a good book.
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Pancake Money
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