Judith’s review of Risky Business by W. Soliman
Former British police detective Charlie Hunter knows how cold cases can claw at your gut. His mother’s unsolved murder was why he joined the force. Now he’s reluctantly taking on cases as a P.I.–though what he really wants is to be left alone.
When a young woman asks for his help, he can’t say no. Cleo Kendall is convinced that her father, who’s serving a life sentence for murder, isn’t guilty. Everyone thinks the case is closed, but Charlie doesn’t agree. Especially when his investigation leads him to his difficult stepbrother, who may be involved with his mother’s murder and Cleo’s family.
With the deputy chief inspector watching his every move, Charlie delves deeper and deeper into dangerous territory. But someone doesn’t want Charlie getting to the bottom of this case–ever.
Charlie Hunter is a consummate “kick in the pants.” He is the classical example of the British detective who has become disenchanted with the system but still struggles with his “law and order” impulses when he is faced with stuff that just doesn’t sound, look, or feel right. He’s living with the personal fall-out of being more dedicated to his career than to his family, loving his son but wanting his solitude, but down deep he is lonely and not really sure what to do about it. He’s not looking for a long-term relationship but he appreciates feminine pulchritude like any other hetero guy and in this novel he encounters a young woman whose focus is finding out the truth about her father’s conviction and a woman who isn’t necessarily “on the make” but not unwilling to sahre some personal time with Charlie.
Like in the first book in this series, the reader is caught up in Charlie’s low-key way of living, his awareness of his vulnerabilities, a sense that he’s a very skilled observer of human nature and behavior, and a man who is not loathe to use his contacts –in and out of the force–to gain the answers he needs. It’s not a flashy, high-tech book and certainly not one that “roars” down the literary road toward the inevitable conclusion. It is a story that weaves in a out of the reader’s imagination, slowly but relentlessly building the characters in the reader’s mind, interweaving the actions of each one until the reader is wondering how all this is going to play out, all the time keeping an eye on Charlie’s personal relationships and wondering if this quiet and almost mysterious many will find a source of personal peace.
I like these books a lot!! The first book in the series captured my interest and I was delighted when this second book was on the publishing horizon. I am something of an Anglophile anyway, so enjoy visiting some of my favorite places with these characters, envisioning their experiences and trying to figure out some of the mysteries that continue to plague Charlie apart from the primary issue that he is investigating. Good solid writing with a story that moves forward smoothly and a feeling of the relentless. It’s the kind of gritty and down-to-earth mystery/romance conglomerate that I love to wade into for the sheer joy of experiencing a story that never turns my mind and imagination loose. Do you get the impression I really liked this book? You’re right! And I hope that those who, like me, love a very good mystery marinated in romance will get this book and find in it the deeply satisfying reading experience waiting for them there.
I give this novel a rating of 4.25 out of 5
This book is available from Carina Press. You can buy it here or here in e-format.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a Reply