Wednesday 22 January 2014

Safe House by Chris Ewan


Reviewer : Gillian Hamer, author of The Charter

What we thought : Lots to like here. An absorbing start with a motorcycle crash and unexplained missing passenger. An interesting and unusual location on the Isle of Man that added to the narrative and characters. And a gritty, sometimes intense, story of espionage, money and blackmail. The end was well thought out and kept me on the edge of my seat.

As I writer, I’ll get on my podium and have a bit of a whinge. At times the narrative was over-loaded with detail, when all we really wanted as readers was to get on with the story. One example, two people, badly injured (another point of contention in terms of believability for me and the amount of action they are involved with) are trapped in a garage, plotting an attack on their kidnapper. High drama, tight with tension, we then have almost three pages of explanation of cupboards, door positions, and details we had no need of knowing. I must admit this was one of a few areas I skimmed over. We just wanted them to get on and wallop the man when he opened the door!

But, overall, an enjoyable read by a competent writer. I shall look out for Chris Ewan in the future as I enjoy discovering new authors in crime fiction – and it’s the first book I’ve read set on the Isle of Man (and perhaps the last!)
You’ll enjoy this if you like : Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, Ann Cleeves.

Avoid if you don’t like : The Isle of Man.

Ideal accompaniments : A nice cup of tea and a packet of chocolate digestives.

Genre : Crime

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