Broken Promises by Joe Perrone Jr.

AMAZON UK
AMAZON US

I do love crime thrillers…in any form, whether they’re books, movies, or TV shows. I especially like crime thrillers with a recurring main character, e.g. the crime-busting detective/private eye. S/he may be a bad-tempered maverick (à la House), or s/he may be shabbily lovable (à la Colombo): either way, if s/he captivates me, I’ll be sure to read/watch subsequent adventures.

Matt Davies is one such character: he’s dedicated, gets the job done, but he’s compassionate and…well, just an all-round jolly good chap. If ever I was to have to be arrested, I think I’d want it to be by him!

In this novel, Matt has to get to the bottom of the tragic murder of a much-loved and well-respected elderly lady. A slightly confused elderly lady, who finds herself in the wrong place at the very wrong time. It’s a murder that shocks the Roscoe community. It’s senselessness motivates Matt even more to find out who her killer is, but he desperately short of clues and evidence.

Perrone once again pulls off not only combining first and third povs, but present and past tenses. It works brilliantly. The chapters are clearly titled, so you are never in any doubt where you are or who you are ‘with’. Matt’s private life is subtly intertwined with the task at hand (finding out who would murder such a harmless old lady and why) and is what enriches his character: he’s a thoroughly nice bloke.

There’s an interesting little diversion with Roscoe’s community matters: in this instance the opposition to wind farms. As with Twice Bitten by this author, all loose ends are neatly tied up. A thoroughly enjoyable book, and I'm a devoted Matt Davis fan.