Whole Wide World (Paperback)

The setting this time is very near future Britain, where despite the growth of the information age the authorities (aided by the ‘Protect the Children’ act) clamp down on the internet with an almost puritanical zeal. This skewed background gives the novel an interesting grounding, while the lead character follows a more conventional investigation of a net-broadcast murder linked to the designer of the ever-present security camera’s constantly observing the populace.

The plot is suitably twisty, with plenty of complex leads to follow, though the story possibly over-extends itself with its Cuban finale dragging out the final confrontation. There’s little attempt to hide the identity of the bad guy throughout, this is a novel that prefers to concentrate on the whys and wherefores. The lead is sympathetic, but while he’s no Dirty Harry ultimately the ‘disgraced cop goes it alone against his superiors wishes’ is a little clichéd and predictable.

Not McAuley’s best, but a good solid near-future thriller with some thought-provoking angles on Big Brother technology.

The lead character is damaged by his past experiences as a policeman but has retained a clear view of right and wrong that seems to very blurred in this story (on both sides, criminal and business).

Personally, this book has a soundtrack because of the references to music from the period 76-82(ish) - the images conjured up the music of the Clash (sadly , no reference to 'I Fought the Law' and 'Police and Thieves', although that may have been a bit obvious..) of a society barely hanging together works very well indeed. The hero also has a mechanical owl which gives a link to Bladerunner and the same type of society

The plot is complicated, and you do wonder on occaision who the 'good guys' are but the story draws you in - I think it would make a very good film as well

The story is essentially a crime novel, with the ever-popular copper with a slightly dubious lifestyle, but the book also deals with the issue of constant observation from technology, in a Big Brother-esque manner. The internet is a major element in the crime, and it's good to see an author who has taken the contemporary on board and brought us a very-near future which incorporates something so popular and growing now; it makes the story a lot more believable and frightening in its potential accuracy.

McAuley's prose is for the most part smooth and well-paced; from the beginning this is a very well written book. Unfortunately, towards the end this tails off, and the impression is of the book rambling on too long after it should have finished. After a certain point, where the baddie is revealed, this book should have ended...but McAuley takes it on and on where it really doesn't need to go. The impact of the ending is essentially lost, and I put the book down with a somewhat diluted response to the highly positive one I'd had all the way through up till the closing chapters.

Nevertheless, this is a very entertaining book, and one I would definitely recommend to both crime and science-fiction readers alike. Clearly not McAuley's best work, this is a cut above many specific crime writers of today.