Vicarious Thrills and Spills
I think I’m developing a taste for book reviewing from my sofa this winter.
Most-recently sent a new murder mystery The Chanteuse from Cape Town by John Constable (published by Ink!), to report on for an online book tour organised by Literally PR, I needed my wits about me to keep up with this fast-moving complex thriller – but it was worth it.
Set in modern South Africa, mixed-race private investigator Sol Nemo battles with his private demons while investigating who (and why) is behind the vengeful kidnap of a former nightclub singer, Mira. Murderous plot twists and turns, dubious business deals and the many evocative South African roads that Sol motors in pursuit of the truth, drive the action forward.
Some early developments and rapid changes of locale felt a bit confusing at first, but then I got my bearings, tuned in, buckled up and enjoyed the trip.
It’s often a bumpy ride for Sol, regularly patched-up after another challenging encounter before re-calibrating and scrambling back on track; but the author keeps Sol and readers thinking. If I reckoned I’d ‘spotted’ a plot twist ahead, things usually took a different turning – so that was fun. It might serialise well on screen.
Author John Constable plans more cases for Sol Nemo. I read this first one steadily on a rainy British winter weekend. It’s not rocket-science but if a twisty action-packed thriller with a flawed hero amid atmospheric locations is your thing, a copy of The Chanteuse from Cape Town in your back-pack this year could travel well.