⭐4.5

Verdon injects more thrills and chills in his latest novel, sure to stir up the mind and leave the spine tingling for the foreseeable future. David Gurney, the ever retired-yet-not former NYPD detective is enjoying a quiet life, at least for a time. When asked to help with the investigation portion of a murder conviction appeal, Gurney's interest in definitely piqued. A woman is accused and convicted of shooting her husband while he attends his mother's funeral, all in an effort to secure his vast wealth. Fuelled by large loopholes in the evidence, Gurney begins his own series of investigative techniques and realises that injustice may have been served, but no clear answers can be found to help with the appeal. With a ragtag collection of justice-seekers, Gurney begins to posit possible scenarios. Finding a killer-for-hire plot that may blow the case wide open, Gurney also stumbles upon a corrupt cop hell-bent on sweeping the alternative theories under the rug. After getting some great tips on cases that may relate, Gurney determines that this elusive killer, named Peter Pan, accepts no guidance or rules, and shows up when he sees fit. Gurney struggles with this, as well as some of his own demons as he seeks to stay one step ahead of Mr. Pan, his most sinister killer to date. As the story progresses, the momentum keeps pace and the reader ends up in a wonderful state of being enveloped in the climax of the chase. Who hired this killer and what motive could there be? Verdon knows just how to make his books enticing and fast-paced, which makes them all the more alluring.

John Verdon is a master of his genre and cannot be discounted as following in the footsteps of others. His books are chalk-full of powerful narrative and a main character who lives in no shadow, but whose techniques are paced and thought provoking. Add to that, the way the attentive reader will want to swat Madeleine Gurney, David's sanctimonious wife, upside the head every time she natters on, and you have a book that pulls you in and will not let go. Tapping into the past and the elusive death of a child also forces Gurney, and the reader, to take a stroll through doors best left closed, which is the crux of a great psychological thriller. Verdon knows how to paint a story worth telling in such a way as to differentiate himself from the others who populate the thriller genre.

Kudos, Mr. Verdon for this excellent fourth book in the series. Do bring us more!

What can I say, I'm done with this series. The previous books in this series were somewhat entertaining, but this book is where I draw the line. The plot mostly focuses on finding the hit man Peter Pan, and not solving the murder, except the last 15 pages. This made the book feel all over the place.
Dave Gurney is also incredibly frustrating protagonist as he can see the faults in his behavior, but at no point does he actually make any improvements. The problems with his wife and son seem really glossed over, in this novel as well as the previous ones.
Overall, this series is by no means terrible, but I feel that I have so many other books I could rather be focusing on.

Aynı kurgu tarzı, farklı karakterler. Son sayfalara kadar sakin ilerleyip son yüz sayfayı bir çırpıda okuttu. Okunur mu, okunur ama ilk kısımlar biraz daha sürükleyici olsa fena olmazmış hani.

I love a good procedural, and I love it even more if it can keep me surprised and interested. In some ways, Verdon's book is standard: retired cop pulled into an investigation, investigation gets ridiculously complex, etc. But I give big points for keeping the plot twists unusual and interesting, making things feel like they couldn't be solved until suddenly they were. Gurney is a likable protagonist, a thoughtful guy, and he does enough self-analysis here to make him more than just your average investigative protagonist.