Another book by one of Great Britain's most respect writers, Martin Amis, as he dips his pen into a mystery/detective novel for the first time. I did not like it as much as Benjamin Black's ELEGY FOR APRIL; it's not as well written, and his style is somewhat confusing, abrupt, as if he leaves out words for effect or to match the dialect. It's set in an unknown metropolitan city in the US for some reason, though the characters seem to me to be British. The detective, Mike Hoolihan, is actually a large, butch looking women, from his description though she has had he share of men over the years. She's asked to investigate the startling suicide of Jennifer Rockwell, daughter of the police chief, who seems to have everything going for her: looks, a lover, a career, her health, everything. No one can believe it's a suicide, thus begins Mike's quest to find an answer. And like many of the previous novels I have read, we learn that people are not what they seem, that we can never really know anyone, that people are capable of the most heinous crimes, even the seemingly most innocent. The novel read more like a case study then a mystery though I did like the main character, Mike Hoolihan, Jennifer's lover, Trader, and other assorted misfits. Not the best read, but of some interest.
No comments:
Post a Comment