17 December 2014

Review #104: Flesh Wounds by Chris Brookmyre



My rating: 5 of 5 stars


“Beware the fury of a patient man.”
----John Dryden, an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who became Poet Laureate in 1668.

Christopher Brookmyre, a Scottish best-selling novelist, spun an astounding tale portraying the deepest, darkest corners in the Glasgow crime world in his latest book, Flesh Wounds.

Synopsis:
Private investigator Jasmine Sharp's father was murdered before she was born, and her mother went to self-sacrificing lengths in order to shield her from the world in which he moved. Since her mother's death, all she has been able to learn is his first name - and that only through a strange bond she has forged with the man who killed him.

The biggest thug of Glasgow murdered in a car wash inside his own car and the CCTV footage reveals Glen Fallan as the killer. Soon Glen Fallan is behind the bars. So what is the mystery? Sounds like story ends over here. However, this is just the beginning. Jasmine Sharp, the PI of Glasgow, has a history with Glen Fallan and according to her Glen couldn't be the killer. Enter DC Catherine McLeod who investigates the mystery behind Fallan's motive, mostly the mysterious sign left on the dead man's head. So, as McLeod prepares to cover up her past, Jasmine soon plunges into the untold mysteries of her past, thereby venturing into the forbidden lands of Glasgow under world.

Well, this is the first time, I am reading any Brookmyre novel, so I had no idea that Flesh wounds is a part of a series based on Sharp/McLeod/Fallan. However, it was no trouble for me to read Flesh Wounds as a standalone. The author has skillfully bared the stories of Sharp and Fallan's past in flashes just at the right moments. The author tried to show us how past demons can claw us if they are not put to rest at the right times. Both Mc Leod and Sharp are the two strong characters of this book. As the story progressed, the more we get to know about Sharp and McLeod's characters with depth.

The narration is very strong, ultimately gripping! The moment I started reading, I found an inevitable attraction with the narrative style of the author. The author brought out the dark satire underlying in the plot quite brilliantly. The story unfolded in flashbacks. As the investigation progressed, we eventually see the underlying past behind each find. The author laid out the violence intricately and quite vividly.

Since the mystery is based on an untold past misdoings, so there was no mystery, the past itself being the mystery. Both McLeod and Sharp are flawed characters, trying to come to terms with their devastating past, thus unlocking the key behind this murder. Hence, Flesh Wounds is an engaging read that will arrest your mind and soul until its very end.

Verdict: Christopher Brookmyre is one of the best Scottish crime author, so do not give this book a miss.

Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Christopher Brookmyre, for giving me the opportunity to read and review his book. 
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Author Info:
Christopher Brookmyre is a Scottish novelist whose novels mix politics, social comment and action with a strong narrative. He has been referred to as a Tartan Noir author. His debut novel was Quite Ugly One Morning, and subsequent works have included One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night, which he said "was just the sort of book he needed to write before he turned 30", and All Fun and Games until Somebody Loses an Eye (2005).
Visit him here 

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