I really enjoyed Jo Bannister's Castlemere series but I had a few reservations about trying other books by her in case I didn't find them as interesting or gripping. I think I was wrong to be worried but I still didn't like this as much as I do the Castlemere series.This book is about what happens after Brodie Farrell, who runs a service called Looking for Something?, finds a conman for one of his victims but then discovers that the "conman" has been all but murdered afterwards. Missing persons aren't really Brodie's line of work, she spends more time finding matching glasses, lost ponies and first editions. As I expect from Bannister the characters were wonderful and the plot a bit over the top but basically sound. I enjoyed the seaside setting. I think the plot got lost a bit towards the end and wondered why things were getting dragged out for so long. There are a couple of decent twists near the end but they went on for longer than I felt that they should have done which made them seem less twist-like. Basically a pretty good book though not as good as the Castlemere books and it doesn't put me off trying more of the non-Castlemere books.
Brodie Farrell mysteries (1)An intricate puzzle with complex characters makes this an absorbing mystery. I gave the rating as Fantastic because I’m impressed with the level of writing and plotting. I’m not sure I actually *enjoyed* the book, but I found the characters engrossing, the mystery compelling, and most of the plot believable. I’m a fan of police procedureals (both written and televised), but in this book I *despised* the police Inspector responsible for investigating Daniel’s attack. As deftly as Bannister created her characters I believe she wanted that response. I wonder why?
