9Tail Fox by
Jon Courtenay Grimwood
pbk out August 06
(Gollancz)
at £6.99
Grimwood blends the genre of crime with that of science fiction to produce an
accessible futuristic thriller that is immensely entertaining. The central conceit is that
San Franciscan, police sergeant, Bobby Zha has been murdered and comes back to
life in another man's body, that of a long-term coma victim. This allows him to
investigate his own death as well as the crime he had been working on before he was
killed. He is able to meet his loved ones and enemies anew without them being aware
of his identity. A poignant and sometimes comic device. The appearance of the nine
tailed fox is a harbinger of death and Bobby knows his time is limited. Grimwood
draws on Chinese folklore and myth, delves back into events in 1942 Stalingrad, toys
with innovative medical experimentation and gives us a love story to boot. Bobby
Zha, with his failed marriage and maverick policing style is a character given a
second chance and one who easily engages our sympathies. A cracking story -
recommended.
(
Cath Staincliffe
author of the popular Sal Kilkenny mysteries and the series creator of TV Blue Murder)
New Books by Jon Courtenay Grimwood at Amazon.co.uk
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9Tail Fox by
Jon Courtenay Grimwood
