The Noahs Ark

by Adam Giblin

Runcorn, 1906. When a dead Chinaman turns up in the Bridgwater Canal, Inspector Holl is summoned. It is not uncommon for bodies to be pulled from the water but when his cause of death was to a severed throat Holl has a murder investigation on his hands. As he begins to unravel the case Holl uncovers a smuggling operation fuelling an opium den. Yet with police corruption around him Holl begins to question who he can trust.

When another Chinaman is found dead clues point to one of their own yet Holl knows the man is being set up. The pressure mounts as Holl fights to reveal the truth and discover who is pulling all the strings in this twisted game.

235 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 20, 2017

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Noah’s Ark is set at the beginning of the twentieth century and introduces us to one of Runcorn’s finest detectives – Inspector Holl. Times are changing and so is the life of crime. Runcorn was once a little quiet riverside town on the banks of the River Mersey. A popular tourist spot for a little getaway. But as the Victorian era progressed so did the industries, the factories and workhouses springing up and changing it. So we visit Runcorn and its inhabitants falling on hard times. We meet Inspector Holl, who has his demons from the past to contend with when a body is fished out of the canal. Nothing unusual there for people are always being pulled from the canal. But a Chinese man with his throat slashed open sets off a chain of events that leads to police corruption and coverups. The Chinese man lived and worked on a narrowboat – The Noah’s Ark.
The narrowboat plays host to those in the town who like to chase the dragon. Like its owners, the Noah’s Ark meets its own watery grave.
We are introduced to other characters in the early chapters, each with their own story to tell until their little story arcs merge into one. Sarah, who had ambitions of being a teacher when she was younger but for a cruel twist of fate now finds herself one of the local prostitutes who look for trade on the streets of Runcorn. Margaret and Tommy who fear for their lives every time their husband/father comes home, and cannot escape the torment. Lastly the ‘puppet master’. Each of their parts has been left open if you like so that they can be revisited in future. I hope that this is the case. Will Sarah end up meeting the same fate as the others for piecing together what she hears one night leaving her gentleman callers home? Could it be pure coincidence? Will Margaret and Tommy start a new life free from the shadow cast by William? Will the puppet master ever get his comeuppance?
As Holl investigates the corruption goes much deeper through the ranks than he originally thought. The only ones who he seems able to trust are Police Constable Daniels, new to the force and eager to learn but often shunted to the side, and Mortimer the pathologist. Can the three of them crack the case and finally cut the puppet masters strings?

I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to finding out if Holl can unravel the mystery of the puppet master in future stories.

[Maria Rivas-mc · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the short trip in Adam Giblin’s Noah’s Ark and, while the story is complete in itself, it sets the stage for the further adventures of characters on both sides of the law.

We are plunged into a time when things are changing; as the author says: “The birth of the twentieth century had spawned a new life of crime. Gone were the days where crime was nothing more than petty theft or drunken men beating their wives. There seemed to be crime with no logic, crime without motive. Killing for the sake of killing.”

The characters are an interesting lot - the tragically widowed police inspector, the prostitute who has fallen very far from where her life began, the abused wife and child, and - of course - the ‘Puppet Master’.

There was a somewhat distracting need for an objective editor - missing commas, etc, popped up as the author’s flow of thought ran ahead of him. When you’re too close to your writing, you easily miss the little things. The narrator also appeared to impinge his perspective on the reader a time or two.

The book was a good read and I’m looking forward to the author’s next voyage. Thank you, Booktasters, for this opportunity to review!

[Aurora · Rating 3 out of 5]

The characters were pretty well done, but my biggest problems were that they were introduced too early and too quickly. I was losing track of who was who way too easily by the second chapter. This also read more like a Crime Drama than a Mystery, which really isn't my thing, and this book proved to me why it still isn't my thing. A mystery is supposed to take us along as the detective looks for clues and tries to piece together puzzles to get to the bottom of it, this pretty much gave us everything at the beginning along with introducing us to the culprit. Again, the characters were done pretty well, but having an omnipresence for the reader doesn't work for a mystery. Mysteries work way better when we only see what the detective sees. I mean, that is what it sounded like would happen based on the summary, but that definitely isn't what we got. My advice to the author is to read more mysteries, you'll pick up on what works and what doesn't pretty quickly.
I was given a copy for my honest review.

[Cheryl McDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mystery, Intrigue, Crime, Corruption

This book has it all! From the very first page, introducing each character as they fit into the scenario, then the plot thickens and the characters merge to become one story. Two people emerge, Chief Inspector Holl and his sidekick Detective Daniels. Together they sort through all the evidence, putting the pieces together and getting as close as possible to find the person responsible for it all, the Puppet Master. Will they find him, or her, will the truth come out? Be prepared for twists and turns that are totally unexpected! Enjoy!

[Chandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this book made me think "Never judge a book by its cover, and an odd start". To be honest I had high hopes when I got the book. And then the too detailed starting made me think whether I chose the right one. But once you go ahead to the main story, it just becomes clear and I myself thought okay may be that detail was needed after all. Except a few too much detailing and dialects, Inspector Holl's journey, along with the characters you thought were not important at all..(no spoiler sorry :) )is worth reading!

[Pramit Deb Burman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adam Giblin mesmerizes the author with his fluent storytelling style keeping the suspense intact in this crime thriller set up in a British port city in its early period of growth. Shady businesses taking part under the shadows of law through import-exports is depicted nicely. Detective Holl is intelligent and true to his duty to the law and wants to eliminate the narcotic smuggling, prostitution, and other sort of crimes are controlled by the mob bosses. It is the first part of his adventures and keeps the readers waiting for the next installment.

[Yolisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the early 1900's,with Inspector Holl as one of Runcorn's finest officers.Not one to be intimidated by anything,let alone corrupt officials like his boss.A man of thorough investigation and thought provoking questions.He is respectful to all,not one to regard class.A few murders have kept him busy but he cannot seem to get to the truth,though he feels it in his coppers intuition that there's more than meets the eye.Watch out for Book 2.

[Saima]

The Noah’s Ark is a mix of murder mystery, suspense smuggling, different types of crimes where Detective Holl connects crime dots with one another in order to get rid of the master minds of the smugglers who used people for their own personal benefits causing deaths.

[Hafsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first time of reading any of Adam Giblin's book. I choose it with an open mind and like all crime stories Noah's Ark did not disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is an interesting read that is well written with solid characters and amazing dialogues.
Well done Adam.

[Chantelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great interpretation of storytelling. Moments of silence I felt gravitated to the scenes it kept me reading until the last page. Very much recommend.

[Kritika Tanvi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading the book. Inspector Holl, a character with moral values eagerly working on the case unlike his senior who played his best as a cop under the influence of a mafia. Amazing storyline where involvement of Sarah, the prostitute, which hopefully will be included in the next book, is interesting.
Read, to know it better. 🙂