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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Edge of the seat stuff, 1 May 2009
Slick dialogue, vivid descriptions, knowledgeable insight and believable scenarios are Chris Simms' stock in trade and he does not disappoint with what is quite possibly his best Spicer novel yet. On the strength of the acclaimed Hell's Fire, DI Jon Spicer's return to feature in this his fifth case under the stewardship of author, Simms. The Edge has been keenly anticipated and not least for the fact that the writer knows what he's doing.
It's the phone call DI Jon Spicer has long feared - his wild younger brother has been found murdered and horribly mutilated. Aware Dave was involved in drugs, Jon had hoped to steer him away from his doomed and self-destructive fate and full of anger, he heads to the town where Dave's body has been discovered, bent on finding the killer.
Meanwhile, Dave's young girlfriend, Zoe, is trapped in an inner-city hell. Vulnerable, destitute and now alone, she is being hunted by the vicious criminal Dave owed money to. Arriving in the Peak District, Jon finds a community with plenty to hide. With time running out and his distraught family cracking under the strain, Jon realises the truth of his brother's death lies in two places: with a frightened girl trapped somewhere among Manchester's tower-blocks and out on the bleak heights overlooking the secretive rural town.
Taking Spicer out of the office and plunging him into intensely personal situations that go far beyond his career, Chris Simms seems to have invigorated his central character with a fresh energy that can be seen to be leaps and bounds ahead of those who proclaim to be better writers.
Spicer's relationships both inside and outside of his career see him set on a path of self-destruction which further adds to the man's charm, as each reader relates to moments in their own lives when the same can be said of the choices they too have made and regretted. In the hands of this author, however, these storylines are always eminently readable and go some way providing his stories with an extra dimension.
As lightening paced as it gets, Chris Simms' The Edge is a must read novel for all those who enjoy top quality crime fiction and like to think a little about the stories they are given, rather than simply put them down and forget about them when they're done.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wow what a surprise !, 6 May 2009
Wow what a surprise, this book had me eagerly turning the pages. The 'I-couldn't-put-it-down' description was made for a book like this. The reason for surprise was the 'important' first page was dull, I'd never heard of the author [Chris Simms] and the cover wouldn't inspire anyone to pick it off the shelf. Once I'd got past these obstacles, I was soon gulping down the pages. I felt as desperate as DI Jon Spicer in finding out who murdered his brother. The writing was fast, always carrying the story forward. The dialogue was detailed and realistic; the descriptions were sharp and the story believable. It makes a refreshing change to read a book of this genre and quality that's British. I'd love the opportunity to read his other books now...
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Powerful and Persuasive, 26 Jan 2010
This author's books just get better. The plot deepens and draws you in, you just have to keep reading.
Unlike so many main characters, Jon Spicer is very human. He is not the "squeeky-clean detective; and his personal life comes under the normal pressures as well as those from his career. Deep thinking with the little grey cells of Poirot, this rugby playing detective puts each case to bed as firmly as Jonny Wilkinson pops a conversion.Killing The BeastsThe EdgeHell's Fire
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