I really enjoyed Pat McTaggart’s fiction debut. The central figure of the book is DCI Ben Fitzpatrick, a middle-aged detective with years of experience. He is not your tortured Rebus (although he is Scottish): he has a stable family life and an outlook to match. He’s not without his demons though, as there are always cases and the people involved in them, that come back to haunt at times, and one such case acts as a subplot in McTaggart’s book.
The main investigation of the book however centres on the death of James Anderson, director of an IT company, who is found in his hotel room, seemingly having tripped and hit his head in just the right spot to permanently knock him out. Never to take things at face value, with a bit more digging, Ben discovers that there are reasons that getting Anderson out of the way might work in the favour of others, from other company directors to irritated colleagues to organised crime bosses.
But that is not the only mystery that is proposed as from the outset we are presented with a confronting scenario where a young girl is pushed down the stairs. What does this have to do with the death of James Anderson? Is it linked and why?
Ben and his team doggedly interview suspects and surmise and theorise their way through the twists and turns of an investigation with the usual pressures from above with superiors needing to get a result without blowing the budget and justice necessary for those who have lost their loved ones.
Set in the world of tech, McTaggart provides insight into the growing world of AI and how it can be used for nefarious purposes, which is timely. He also takes his narrative a different way with another challenge that Ben has to face, that of the prospect of diminishing health and the way that this could impact not only his job but his whole life.
It’s well-paced with realistic dialogue between characters and the threats and action are balanced with lighter, humorous moments, grounded in everyday life.
A good debut with more to come, I hope.
Rachel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
This review was first published on Reedsy Discovery where I was privileged to read it as an ARC.
Scuffed Granny 