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Tension
and waters rise
The
effects of heavy floods caused by changing weather patterns are
only too well known to residents of some parts of Yorkshire. The
chaos and misery caused by floods even worse than those of the last
few years provide the backdrop to John BakerÂ’s latest crime
novel, The Meanest Flood.
York
is BakerÂ’s place of residence, it is also the home and place
of work for Sam Turner, the private detective and principal character
in this and five of BakerÂ’s previous novels.
Sam,
a recovering alcoholic, has suffered bad luck and hardship throughout
his life and has arrived at a point where he expects trouble and
very often finds it.
A small
band of friends and colleagues help him in his struggle to make
sense of the world. Among their number is Angeles, SamÂ’s latest
love, who just might provide him with a chance of happiness.
However,
her life and SamÂ’s are threatened by an adversary who is determined
to destroy SamÂ’s past and his future.
Sam
is implicated in the murders of two of his former lovers, and both
tension and water levels rise in York as he and his friends begin
the battle to clear his name and prevent the murderer from killing
again.
Appraisal
This
book is very far from being a cosy, ‘body in the library’
crime novel. Sam TurnerÂ’s surroundings, his lifestyle, even
his thoughts, are depressing.
Baker
succeeds in conveying horror, fear and a sense of awful inevitability
in his graphic and chilling description of the murders.
This
considered look at human weakness is saved from being thoroughly
depressing by the authorÂ’s deft insertions of humour and tiny
glimpses of hope.
The
author manipulates emotions through his clever changes of pace and
tight plot. But the novel is more than a plot-driven thriller. BakerÂ’s
strength lies in his characterisation.
His
use of humour and natural dialogue brings a sense of reality to
the relationships and he allows his main characters an inner-life,
giving the reader a chance to consider both motivation and mitigation.
Baker
includes a disclaimer, suggesting that the places named in the novel
"owe as much to the imagination as to the physical reality".
Still,
the description of York under flood is realistic enough to give
residents a sense of unease at the next heavy downpour.
Commendation
The
Meanest Flood may not be a comfortable bedtime read, but it is a
gripping addition to John BakerÂ’s Sam Turner series.
Reviewer:
Suzanne High
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