2001; 403 pages. This is the author's debut novel. New author for me?: yes. Genre : Murder-mystery. Overall Rating : 7*/10.
.
Three women are dead by the hands of a serial killer. But Detective Inspector Tom Thorne finally catches a break - the fourth and latest victim, Alison Willetts, is still alive, albeit in a vegetative state at the hospital. Then the killer sends Thorne a chilling message - the first three victims were mistakes, and he only got his technique right with Alison. And no, he doesn't intend to make her his one and only masterpiece.
.
What's To Like...
"Vegetative state" isn't quite correct; it's actually something called locked-in syndrome. You can read Wiki's article on it here. Basically, all the voluntary muscles of the body are paralyzed, except the eyes. Your brain is functioning perfectly, and you can see. But there's nothing you can do about your condition. Some of the story is told from inside Alison's head, which is a new angle.
.
Physically, Thorne is not your stereotypical detective hero. He's short (5'5" or so), with a low center-of-gravity, and quite um... broad around the mid-section. His fellow detectives call him "Weeble" behind his back, because he'd wobble if you pushed him.
.
Yet for the most part, Sleepy Head is your standard serial killer tale. The UE is a psychopath who thinks he's brilliant (and is for most of the book), who taunts police, and who eventually comes after our hero (don't they ever learn?). Outside of his physical build, Thorne is pretty stereotypical too. He's divorced, burnt out, drinks too much, and fights with his superiors. And some of Thorne's moves - interacting with, then tailing and harassing the prime suspect - just don't ring true of a veteran cop.
.
Excerpts...
Frank Keable was only a year or two older than Thorne, but looked fifty. This was more due to some genetic glitch than any kind of stress. The lads reckoned he must have started receding at about the same time he hit puberty. Whatever hormones he had left that stimulated hair growth had somehow mistakenly rerouted to his eyebrows, which hovered above his bright blue eyes like great gray caterpillars. The eyebrows were highly expressive and gave him an air of wisdom that was, to put it kindly, fortunate. Nobody begrudged him this bit of luck - it was the least you could hope for when you looked like an overfed owl with alopecia. (pg 30-31. is that a kewl description or what?!)
.
He carried his newspaper to the counter and fished around for change. A woman stood next to him. A puzzle magazine, a lottery ticket and a fistful of chocolate. She smiled at him and he remembered how important his work still was. Yes, killing her would be simple and she would be far better off, no question. But nothing worth having was ever achieved easily. (pg. 265)
.
Kewl New Words...
Billingham is British, which always means new words. Quiff : a tuft of hair; a forelock. Alopecia : the loss of hair. Sussed : figured out. Frisson : a shiver; a shudder. Poncy Tea : a cup of cha served at a greasy spoon (I think). Chicken vindaloo : a spicy-hot dish that includes chilis, ginger, curry, mustard, and a bunch of other spices. Wittering : babbling on at undue length. Poxy : insignificant, small and bad. (Here : 'one poxy fag')
.
Wake up, Sleepyhead...
The technical flaws notwithstanding, this was a fun read. The pacing was good, there were some twists towards the end, and Thorne sometimes guesses wrong. Sleepy Head is a very good first effort, and if Billingham's writing skills get better with time, this will be a fun series to read. That is, if you can find his books. He doesn't seem to have crossed the pond much yet. Seven stars.
No comments:
Post a Comment