The Search for Family

It won’t be long before Bart Northcote takes over the turf of detective novels as a compelling character that readers will love. Fans of The Ishtar Cup can be certain they are in for a delightful treat. In this new Bart Northcote novel, the suave and savvy detective signs up for a client whose years of glory as a Western Star are long gone and all he wants is to reunite with his long lost family. And what happens when a detective falls for the daughter of his client and much more when the client who has been like a hero, dropping his old vices starts acting like an eccentric villain?

“Well, you put the fear of God in him with something,”

One could imagine such a story to be clear-cut out, even imagine the ending, but in the masterful hands of Murray Eiland, A Search for Family becomes a riveting tale of love, of crime, and redemption, littered with unexpected surprises, skeletons in the closets of seemingly innocent characters and plot twists that will delightfully put readers on the edge of their seats as they seek to find out what happens next.

As a master storyteller, Eiland has used the first person narrative point of view without sacrificing the other elements in the storyline. The dialogue is solid and flows almost naturally, plus the author has the knack for creating visuals that are highly absorbing and that makes the reader feel as though they were participating in the action. The characters are compelling, each sculpted with unique traits that contribute to the conflict and development of the story. Eiland’s unique trademark for plotting is one of the elements that readers will enjoy, but what will shock them is the way he allows his characters to reveal themselves. The prose reflects the elegance of the key protagonist in the story, a delightful read, hugely entertaining, and tantalizingly absorbing. This one is every bit as interesting as The Ishtar Cup.

Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo

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