Never Never

 

By James Patterson and Candice Fox

Crime | Thriller

My Review

When Detective Harriet Blue's brother is arrested for a string of murders in Sydney, a media frenzy ensues. To keep her away from the press, Harriet's chief assigns her a new case in the middle of nowhere with new partner Detective Edward Whittacker from Perth. An employee at a remote uranium mine has been killed in suspicious circumstances and the duo are sent to investigate.  

Hmm, what can I say about this book except it's rather silly. In my view it seems most implausible that a detective from Sydney would be teamed with a detective from Perth as the two locations are at opposite ends of a vast country! 

Whilst I liked Harriet Blue and her no-nonsense approach, her actions were somewhat fanciful and unconvincing. Whittacker, on the other hand, was a nice guy but a bit of a limp lettuce. With a cast of few main players, it wasn't difficult to figure out the killer's identity. That, for me, weakened the entire story.

Of far greater interest was Harriet's brother's arrest, yet it hardly featured (although I suspect it's an ongoing storyline). Will I stick with the series? The jury's out on that one! I just wasn't convinced by this first instalment.            

Book Source: Purchased copy

My Rating ⭐⭐

Paperback: 400 pages

Publisher: Arrow (9th March 2017)

ISBN-13: ‎978-1784754143

The Blurb

Detective Harriet Blue needs to get out of town, fast.

With her brother under arrest for a series of brutal murders in Sydney, Harry's chief wants the hot-headed detective kept far from the press. So he assigns her a deadly new case - in the middle of the outback.

Deep in the Western Australian desert, three young people have disappeared from the Bandya Mine. And it's Harry's job to track them down.

But still reeling from events back home, and with a secretive new partner at her side, Harry's not sure who she can trust anymore.

And, in this unforgiving land, she has no idea how close she is to a whole new kind of danger...