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The Accidental Detective by Michael RN Jones

Guest review by Adrian Magson (originally featured in Shots Crime and Thriller Ezine)

Adrian Magson is the author of 22 crime and spy thrillers. His next book ‘Rocco and the Nightingale’ (The Dome Press) - the fifth in his French police series set in Picardie in the 1960s, is out now in hardback, paperback and ebook. More information www.adrianmagson.com

I stumbled on this book by chance (the first of a trilogy) and found it an amusing, light-hearted yet fast-paced and modern-day take on that other investigative duo from 22 Baker Street - Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson.

The main difference is that this book features Victor Locke, a convicted computer hacker, drinker, smart-Alec and belligerent ant-hero, and his reluctant court-appointed psychologist, Doyle, who serves as the main brake on Locke's wilder excesses and is the story's narrator and careful observer. Further, they're not residents of London's Baker Street, but a similar one up in Middlesbrough.

If that wasn't enough to get my attention (I'm not sure what would be) but I'm delighted that it did. Composed of a series of episodes in the lives of this seemingly ill-matched duo, it follows their scramble around Middlesbrough on the trail of various criminals, with Locke finding inspiration - and occasionally failure - wherever they go. Aiding the police and aided by them in a casual sort of way, the writing is funny, dry, exciting and fast paced. If that pace falters, it's only so that the two crime-solving heroes can find a decent pub to sink some beers and upset the locals.

If you enjoy some fun, tongue-in-cheek writing with a strong story behind it and a pair of believable characters, I urge you to try this book. It's light, but rather than a weakness, that’s its strength, because it proves that you don’t have to write heavy, overly-serious stuff to make a good, enjoyable story.

Recommended

Published by Fahrenheit Press

Click here to grab your copy of The Accidental Detective.

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