Following on from the success of his debut, Frozen published in 2003, Richard
Burke has delivered a second novel filled with compelling intrigue that is guaranteed
to satisfy even the most ardent of critics.
When Charlotte Daniels, the pregnant wife of Prison Governor, Matthew, is
abducted and held for ransom, she immediately fears for the well being of her unborn
child who she has secretly named Eyelash. Charlotte has become desperate to have a
baby of her own having already previously miscarried and is under constant medical
monitoring as a result.
Matthew, for his part, is desperate to find who has taken her, why and where she
is being kept. His first wife committed suicide after suffering long - term post-natal
depression following the birth of his daughter, Em, and he reluctantly enlists the help
of the mysterious Monk, a former inmate, who has plenty of issues of his own to deal
with. What follows is a gripping drama that twists and turns away from the obvious at
every juncture and leaves the reader wanting more.
The pace is relentless and the description almost filmic, without ever being
overstated or gruesome. All of which adds to, rather than takes away from, the impact
of the story, thanks to the author's ingenuity.
Writing in a unique and often sinister style, Richard Burke's second outing can be
said to be a masterly demonstration of how good, tight crime fiction should be done.
Richard Burke will be appearing at The Left Coast Crime Festival in Bristol
from March 16th – 19th. For more information:
http://interbridge.com/leftcoastcrime2006/index.html
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Redemption by
Richard Burke
