Thursday 15 June 2017

Blog Tour ~ The Mayfly by James Hazel


Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be hosting one of today's stops on the The Mayfly Blog Tour



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.

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







~***~ 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thanks for taking the time to comment - Jaffareadstoo appreciates your interest.