Breaking Point

DCI Neil Paget #6

by Frank Smith

When DCI Neil Paget and DS Tregalles investigate an apparently standard missing person case, it soon emerges that Mark Newman, an aspiring journalist, was on the trail of a hot story, and now he's disappeared, along with every scrap of potential evidence. But as bodies start to pile up, Paget is struggling to keep his mind on the job, given the erratic behaviour and unexplained absences of his new live-in lover . . .

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 19, 2008

About the author

Frank Allan Smith was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, and went to England at the age of six. He was educated there and went to work at the age of 16 in Bletchley Park, the wartime station where enemy communications were being decoded with the aid of the famous Enigma machine (although he had no knowledge of that until many years later). Returning to Canada in 1948, Frank worked for Alberta Government Telephones (now Telus) in Calgary and Edmonton until retiring in 1983.

He began writing in the 1960s. The theme of the first five books, beginning with Corpse in Handcuffs, was espionage in the Cold War years, but when that came to an end he moved on to police procedurals featuring DCI Neil Paget and DS John Tregalles.

Reviews

[Allison Downey · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a decent book, with an excellent plot. However, it could have been executed better. There seemed to be little depth to the majority of the characters’ emotions. I do not discourage reading this book, as I have read it twice and have enjoyed the story both times. I am not sure if this error is just in my copy or not, but I also noticed several missing punctuation marks throughout the book. Clearly, this book was either not edited well enough. Overall, Breaking Point by Frank Smith had an enthralling plot and engaging ending but also had poor character development.

[Christie Saas · Rating 3 out of 5]

It isn’t that the book is poorly written it’s just that the protagonist become more and more of a sanctimonious prick as you read. If you enjoy black and white thinking in your fictional police protagonists then do read. If you like your protagonists to have a little more humility, then skip this book.

[Lela · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. Not as good as his earlier ones....the characters are great but not much of a plot.

[Janet Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

5stars for Neil!

Great job, as usual. I especially enjoy the way F.S. weaves Grace into the narrative. Nice mingling of recent current events & plot.