The Tangled Skein by Alistair Kinnon
A story dealing with a subject many would prefer not to know about, The Tangled Skein takes the reader into a world of lost boys and lost souls, a dark tale of murder and boys for sale. The question of how a child can simply disappear from the world and nobody know or care is one that drives Detective Sergeant Martin Nicols and Constable Al Boyde in their desperation to catch the villain.
Their investigation takes them from Toronto to another city where they pick up the trail of the man they seek and become involved in helping solve a series of heinous murders and kidnappings. It seems the closer they get, the less they have to work with.
Talented author, Alistair Kinnon, takes the reader by the hand and leads him into a world where evil exists under the facade of goodness, where the crimes against innocence seem to go unpunished and the reader will go willingly once that first page is read.
Highly recommended as an interesting and intriguing read, a tale with a cast of well-developed characters who are all too human.
A read that will hold your attention to the last page. Enjoy.
Review by: Anne K. Edwards
Reviewer, eBook Reviews Weekly; www.ebook-reviews.net
Author of "Journey Into Terror": www.MysteryFiction.net
Heads up for Harry by Hugh McCracken
This novel is in three sections: Harry’s childhood, his college-years, and a slice of his adult life. These are prefaced/interlaced with brief scenes of Harry ‘now’ – as an older man, in hospital, thinking back. It’s a pretty clever way of setting up the framework and flows quite nicely.
Harry’s childhood is in Glasgow during WWII, and he and his sister are forever being shuttled back and forth between their home city and ‘safe’ locations in the country due to the bombings (I was actually surprised to find out Scotland had been targeted as much as other parts of the British Isles). This part of the book I wanted to go on and on; Harry the Child is a charming little observer of his world and I grew quite fond of him.
Harry the Spy deals with Harry’s introduction to college life, required military service and a very odd, very intriguing summer job. The meat of the action takes place in Paris and brings in a mix of sympathetic and unsavoury characters. In particular, François and his brother Jean-Paul. These two boys will stay in my mind for a very long time.
The third section of the book is quite brief in contrast to the other two, and gives a slice of Harry’s ‘grown-up’ life as a teacher. In some ways it balances the opening section as the child has now become the adult and Harry sees himself in his young charges. Some funny bits here as well, but I would have liked it a little longer.
On the whole, a thoroughly enjoyable book; I read it in two sittings. For those of us whose knowledge of WWII and the Cold War following comes mainly from films and Social Studies class, this is a real eye-opener. Not shockingly so, although there are shocking moments, but more of a gentle education about a rough time. I guess that’s Harry the Teacher at work.
While I was reading the story, I was just swept up in it. Really terrific.
Kathy Thurber, Kanata Writers' Group