Paperback by Little Brown, £7.99
Fans of Chris Brookmyre will not be disappointed with his latest
fast-paced and fiercely contemporary new thriller. It features the
return of the jaded journalist Jack Parlabane, memorably described as
being able to walk into any situation and effortlessly make things
worse.
But in an up-to-date development for the character, Parlabane is
compromised post-Leveson Inquiry by his reliance on some tricks which
are certainly not found in the editors’ code of conduct. He is given
the chance to salvage some self-respect after being asked to
investigate the mysterious disappearance of rock
star Heike Gunn on her band’s European tour.
What follows is a rapid page-turner of a novel, with many unexpected
developments regularly taking the story off at right angles. The
novel also benefits from a dual narration, with Parlabane’s
investigation countered by the inside story of the events leading up
to the disappearance by Heike’s bandmate Monica Halcrow.
Parlabane’s unique set of skills sometimes stretch belief – it is
entirely plausible to imagine him hacking into laptops but abseiling
down buildings to escape heavily armed goons is a leap too far. The
input from Monica, which is told in the first person, gives a
fragility and a human side to the story, where Parlabane’s sections
are more straightforwardly thrilling.
But the story moves along at such a lick that these quibbles are set
to one side as you keep turning the pages to get to the bottom of the
mystery.
