A Matter Of Blood: The Dog-Faced Gods Trilogy [Hardcover]

 

 

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The world is in the grip of a terrible recession that has wrought havoc on society. Cuts in public services have been ruthless, unemployment is at record levels; crime endemic, and the remaining economy is in thrall to a secretive company known as The Bank. Despite the soaring crime stats even the police have not been spared a cut in their resources, and officers have improvised new ways to manage the crime lords.

D.I. Cass Jones is one such officer, and regardless of the difficult times he's a good copper - that is, he's good at his job. His moral character is far more questionable: he's a drug user, an adulterer, and he's carrying a huge burden of guilt from a past incident that went wrong whilst working deep undercover. If all this wasn't bad enough, he's currently investigating the murder of two school kids gunned down in an apparent gang related mishap, and a serial killer dubbed the Man of Flies is leaving a trail of dead women across London. Then to top it all off Cass learns that his brother is dead along with his brother's wife and child, and Cass himself is somehow implicated in their murder. All of these events are seemingly related, and they all point to the mysterious Bank.

This is a gritty thriller, that is part crime novel and part supernatural thriller, mixed with a dash of conspiracy. When I first started reading this book I had difficulties with it. It took me a while to care about what was happening, and I didn't immediately warm to D.I. Cass Jones. As an ex Met Police Officer and born Londoner, I found the depiction of London and the police at times clichéd and unconvincing. There were slight errors in the terminology that niggled as well. SO10? The unit has been called SCD10 for several years, Medical Examiner visiting a crime scene? What happened to The Coroner's Officer? Then there's unconvincing dialogue such as a criminal profiler calling the D.I. a "fed" - really?

Just when was I ready to give this up as the work of someone who'd watched too many episodes of The Bill, Cass is informed about the death of his brother, and the story springs to life. At this point (around page 80) Pinborough seems to find her feet, and her evident storytelling ability kicks in. In fact from this point until the conclusion, the book is a great read. I read all of the remaining book, a little over 300 pages, straight through in one sitting. I then enjoyed the deepening intrigue, and the sense of mystery that pervades the story. In many ways this is a really well plotted book, and the pacing is perfect for the last two-thirds.

There are several threads in this story, which is the first of a trilogy. As these threads began to unravel, I found them captivating and I really wanted to know what linked them together. The supernatural elements in the story, although sometimes creepy, are mostly understated. This first book of The Dog Faced Gods is definitely more crime than horror. Despite this, I really enjoyed the supernatural elements that were present, and for me Pinborough's prose appears to show more confidence in these elements than in some of the crime aspects.

After a slow start and aside from a few quibbles, which I mostly forgot when the story got going, I found this be a really good read. I don't recall ever changing my opinion on a book quite so decisively in recent times as I did with this. Perhaps it's because I'm someone intimately familiar with many of the settings in this book, that my initial reaction was to be somewhat unconvinced. As the story progressed I not only reversed my opinion, I was hooked. I also warmed to D.I. Cass Jones despite his flaws. The book really is enjoyable, and the conclusion is both satisfying and a great teaser for the next volume in the trilogy. With some excellent ideas running through it, A Matter of Blood is definitely worth checking out for fans of both horror and crime fiction, and those who just enjoy a great story.

In a Matter of Blood debut author Sarah Pinborough has written a very good police procedural with some urban fantasy overtones. It is a shame she spoils it with some ill-judged science fiction.

Our anti-hero is Cass Jones, murder squad detective, drug user, adulterer (with his brother's wife, no less) and with a HIDDEN DARK SECRET relating to a undercover job early in his career. So far, so cliched. But actually the cases he is involved in, the accidental murder of two children in a gangland shooting, a serial killer leaving fly eggs in the eyes of his victims and a familial murder-suicide, are all gripping and well thought out. Peripheral characters are also generally well judged and rounded. As the novel progresses, and things go from bad to worse for Cass, the cases appear connected, and come to satisfying conclusion.

This could have a been a straight up crime novel, but Pinborough includes allusions to Paradise Lost in the text, a Man of Flies and characters implicated in the killings appear to be far more than they appear. And Cass keeps on seeing a dead relative, and a funny glow coming from people's eyes....

And so we delve into urban fantasy (this is NOT horror). Darker than Dresden and more English than American Gods, the supernatural element here does look like it has a lot of milage, although one of the key mystery figures, "Mr Bright", does seem too obviously named. What spoiled the book for me was the unnecessary setting in the near future, making this a bizarre sci-fi hybrid. The world economy has collapsed, the welfare state has been dismantled, HIV has a new strain and the police are paid bonuses by gangsters not to catch them.

Oh,and the world finances are now run by The Bank, created by Bill Gates and Richard Branson.

Yes, that Richard Branson. It even has a branch called Virginity.

Why? The book did not need this. Even now, a few months after writing, it looks hopelessly out of date, and all the major plot elements function perfectly well without the near future described: policemen still take bribes, major banks still exert undue influence and people still get ill. For me, this spoilt an otherwise excellent book, and hence the 4 stars.

I would still recommend A Matter of Blood, and I'll certainly read the rest of the series, but hopefully Pinborough will be able to resist that kitchen sink impulse in the future...

I'm not a huge crime or thriller fan, so when I picked this out it was with some reservations... And unfortunately, I wasn't particularly pleasantly suprised.

The book is a little cliché-ridden - the main character is a cynical, hard-drinking, hard-working cop with a shady history and an affinity with the criminals he battles. There is a certain predictability about the narrative and I found the "mystery" a little too easy to solve.

That said, I enjoyed the sci-fi/supernatural element of the story which adds an interesting twist and kept me engaged, as did the fast pace of the narrative which moves swiftly, creating a desire to keep reading, flicking page after page in order to get to the end.

All in all, as someone who was already sceptical about the genre, this book hasn't changed my opinions of it. However, I did enjoy the book for what it was, and so I'm sure that for a fan of this style of book, there is plenty here to surprise and please.

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› See all 34 customer reviews on Amazon.co.uk

 

1.0 out of 5 stars After a promising start............what a let down:(((
I did quite enjoy this book up to page 100...a look a policing in our fair capital post 2012, and what a very bleak picture was painted. Read more

Published 12 days ago by RT Twinem

5.0 out of 5 stars A matter of blood
I found this book to be a real page turner, I could not put it down, and ended up spending a whole evening reading it from cover to cover. Read more

Published 7 months ago by Fiona Massey

5.0 out of 5 stars An Instant Favorite!
This review was published over at Elitist Book Reviews. Go give out site a visit for more reviews and interviews! Read more

Published 9 months ago by Steven Diamond

3.0 out of 5 stars Nasty, but ethically and imaginatively juvenile
This was a bit like a Dr Who script - something nasty and exceptional is out there, but actually it's all just vague and rubbishy without real ethical menace. Read more

Published 13 months ago by Taylor

4.0 out of 5 stars Dark, gripping, believable supernaturalism
This book takes some time to set the scene as we are introduced to Cass Jones, the main character, but then it really takes off. Read more

Published 15 months ago by A. I. McCulloch

5.0 out of 5 stars Super. Natural.
Genre-Crossing thriller that really delivers.

I took this book to work with me to finish, rather than wait until the evening to find out how it ended, which is surely... Read more

Published 15 months ago by Rotgut

4.0 out of 5 stars Good start to a promising series
For starters, I really liked this book, and will be looking out for the rest of the series. It's set in a very believable not too distant future, and looks like an efficient... Read more

Published 16 months ago by Dr. J. S. Bray

4.0 out of 5 stars I loved every minute!
On the surface this seems like your average sort of crime thriller. A troubled main character too busy for family, a serial killer on the loose, and a nice bit of grittiness. Read more

Published 17 months ago by Gemma

5.0 out of 5 stars good
i realy enjod this book i have read some of her horror novels and throught this was even better i look forward to the next book in the seoers

Published 17 months ago by Ms. B. E. Harris

4.0 out of 5 stars Dark and compelling
It's the near-future. When the financial crisis didn't end, the world's wealthiest men clubbed together to form The Bank in a bid to save the global economy. Read more

Published 17 months ago by quippe

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