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Crimson Lake by Candice Fox
Feb. 22nd, 2017 09:56 amThe Blurb On The Back:
12.46:
13-year-old Claire Bingley stands alone at a bus stop.
12.47:
Ted Conkaffey parks his car beside her.
12.52:
The girl is missing …
Six minutes is all it takes to ruin detective Ted Conkaffey’s life. Now he’s living in the croc-infested wetlands of Crimson Lake, and a high-profile author has just gone missing …
Accused but not convicted of Claire’s abduction, Detective Ted Conkaffey escapes north, to the steamy, croc-infested wetlands of Crimson lake.
Amanda Pharrell knows what it’s like to be public enemy no. 1. Maybe it’s her murderous past that makes her so good as a private investigator, tracking lost souls in the wilderness. Her latest target, missing author Jake Scully, has a life more shrouded in secrets than her own – so she enlists help from the one person in town more hated than she is: Ted Conkaffey.
But the residents of Crimson lake are watching the pair’s every move. And for Ted, a man already at breaking point, this town is offering no place to hide …
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )
The Verdict:
Candice Fox’s crime thriller (the first in a series) is a slickly written affair whose main character convinces as a man broken by his experience but the set-up is a bit of a silly gimmick, Pharrell verges on caricature with her mannerisms and I disliked the way she needed Ted to save her from her own past. I found Ted believable as he seeks to recover from his experience and deal with the fact that he’ll always be viewed with suspicion. I wished that Amanda had been given the same nuance and depth – instead she’s a mess of quirks and mannerisms with a murder conviction that she refuses to discuss (plus the idea of two PIs with criminal pasts seems needlessly gimmicky). I did like their chemistry and the mystery itself unveils at a cracking pace with some interesting twists that kept me guessing. I also enjoyed the way Fox makes use of the geographical setting, especially the salt water crocodiles who play a key role, while the small town atmosphere and the way everyone knows everyone else’s business helps to build tension. If you can get past the gimmick, then I think it’s worth a read and I’ll definitely check out the sequel.
CRIMSON LAKE will be released in the United Kingdom on 6th April 2017. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.
13-year-old Claire Bingley stands alone at a bus stop.
12.47:
Ted Conkaffey parks his car beside her.
12.52:
The girl is missing …
Six minutes is all it takes to ruin detective Ted Conkaffey’s life. Now he’s living in the croc-infested wetlands of Crimson Lake, and a high-profile author has just gone missing …
Accused but not convicted of Claire’s abduction, Detective Ted Conkaffey escapes north, to the steamy, croc-infested wetlands of Crimson lake.
Amanda Pharrell knows what it’s like to be public enemy no. 1. Maybe it’s her murderous past that makes her so good as a private investigator, tracking lost souls in the wilderness. Her latest target, missing author Jake Scully, has a life more shrouded in secrets than her own – so she enlists help from the one person in town more hated than she is: Ted Conkaffey.
But the residents of Crimson lake are watching the pair’s every move. And for Ted, a man already at breaking point, this town is offering no place to hide …
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )
The Verdict:
Candice Fox’s crime thriller (the first in a series) is a slickly written affair whose main character convinces as a man broken by his experience but the set-up is a bit of a silly gimmick, Pharrell verges on caricature with her mannerisms and I disliked the way she needed Ted to save her from her own past. I found Ted believable as he seeks to recover from his experience and deal with the fact that he’ll always be viewed with suspicion. I wished that Amanda had been given the same nuance and depth – instead she’s a mess of quirks and mannerisms with a murder conviction that she refuses to discuss (plus the idea of two PIs with criminal pasts seems needlessly gimmicky). I did like their chemistry and the mystery itself unveils at a cracking pace with some interesting twists that kept me guessing. I also enjoyed the way Fox makes use of the geographical setting, especially the salt water crocodiles who play a key role, while the small town atmosphere and the way everyone knows everyone else’s business helps to build tension. If you can get past the gimmick, then I think it’s worth a read and I’ll definitely check out the sequel.
CRIMSON LAKE will be released in the United Kingdom on 6th April 2017. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.
