Plot Twist by Eric Adams
Hodder and Stoughton (New English Library) £5.99
Plot Twist -
being a salutary lesson for all writers and journalists who don't mind crossing the bounds
of decent behaviour in their pursuit of a best-seller. Here a successful writer of true
crime books certainly gets his come-uppance and learns his lesson. The start sees Jordan
Stone, the writer in question, on the trail of Ling Wu, a young and beautiful Chinese
girl, victim of a nasty case of sexual abuse and kidnapping whose story has not made the
headlines and who therefore provides Stone with the promise of sensational material for
his next book. Having tracked her down the reader is provided with a clear picture of
Stone's lack of any inhibition in attempting to invade the privacy of the Chinese family
and expose the most intimate details of the girl's life. When his youngest son Timmy is kidnapped the list of suspects includes the perpetrator of this particular crime and also a large number of people who featured in his previous books and may be out for revenge. The bizarre condition for the release of Timmy is his father's amputated hands packaged and sent to the kidnapper.
The story takes place in the steamy heat of a New York summer with Stone asking for the help of the FBI Special Agent Waters with whom he has crossed swords before and is destined to cross swords again. His affair with Wanda , successful presenter of a TV Crime Programme, and her attitude towards him in this time of personal crisis provides him with a painful example of the feelings experienced when you are at the mercy of someone in the media who is ruthlessly only doing his job. The behaviour of the press, eventually camped outside Stone's house and holding the family under siege is well described and frightening. The plot is well constructed and kept my attention throughout. Though the irony could be said to be less than subtle the theme is certainly one for our times and Eric Adams does a good job of bringing out in his book the issues of media exploitation for the sake of sensationalism while providing a good story and an enjoyable read.(P.E.D)
