Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be hosting one of today's stops on the The Mayfly Blog Tour
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| Charlie Priest #1 Bonnier Zaffre 15 June 2017 |
What's it all about...
A mutilated body discovered in
the woods.
A murderous plan conceived in the
past.
A reckoning seventy years in the
making . . .
When lawyer Charlie Priest is
attacked in his own home by a man searching for information he claims Priest
has, he is drawn into a web of corruption that has its roots in the last
desperate days of WWII.
When his attacker is found
murdered the next day, Priest becomes a suspect and the only way to clear his
name is to find out about the mysterious House of Mayfly - a secret society
that people will kill for.
As Priest races to uncover the
truth, can he prevent history from repeating itself?
What did I think about it...
Oh, what a tangled web we weave springs to mind during this novel, which introduces us to the enigmatic, Charlie Priest an ex-detective inspector now turned London lawyer. When Priest finds himself embroiled in an mysterious investigation which stretches back to the despicable days of the Second World War, and to the ghastly business taking place at the Buchenwald concentration camp, he realises that in searching for modern day clues he is set to reveal macabre secrets from the past.
Oh, what a tangled web we weave springs to mind during this novel, which introduces us to the enigmatic, Charlie Priest an ex-detective inspector now turned London lawyer. When Priest finds himself embroiled in an mysterious investigation which stretches back to the despicable days of the Second World War, and to the ghastly business taking place at the Buchenwald concentration camp, he realises that in searching for modern day clues he is set to reveal macabre secrets from the past.
The story starts off with real
impact which thus sets the scene for the rest of the novel which is fast paced
and furious. There is much to take in, not just in terms of plot and menace, but
also in character analysis as we try to understand more about Charlie Priest
and about what makes him act in the way he does. That Priest is supremely flawed
comes as no surprise, all great investigators usually are, but what makes him all the more fascinating is in trying
to piece together the way he operates in the midst of all the hidden shades of his dissociative personality.
The mystery at the heart of the
novel is well thought out and appears to have been meticulously researched so that
everything that happened in the novel felt authentic. However, as with any new
series and particularly when there are interlapping time frames, it can take a while for
the story to sit comfortably, and I had to do a little bit of flipping back and
forth until I had all the different characters firmly in my head.
The author writes well and with
conviction, and for a debut novel, The Mayfly is decidedly polished. There are more than enough twists and turns in the plot to keep you guessing right until the end when all the pieces of this complex puzzle finally slot into place.
I am sure that this new series featuring
Charlie Priest will continue to go from strength to strength, as, undoubtedly in
The Mayfly, it has got off to a rollicking good start.
Best Read With...a couple of lemon sole , well cooked and several mugs of Earl Grey tea...
Before turning his hand to
writing, James Hazel was a lawyer in private practice specialising in corporate
and commercial litigation and employment law. He was an equity partner in a
regional law firm until he quit legal practice to pursue his dream of becoming
an author. He has a keen interest in criminology and a passion for crime
thrillers, indie music and all things retro.
Follow on Twitter @JamesHazelBooks #TheMayfly
My thanks to the author and to Emily at Bonnier Zaffre for the opportunity to read this book and the kind invitation to be part of The Mayfly Blog Tour
~***~
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