I have been waiting for nearly three years for this third book in the Andrew Hunter series and although the author has given me plenty of stand alones and Jessica Daniel books in the mean time, as soon as I heard there was a new "Andrew", I've been chomping at the bit to get my mitts on it.
So... the long awaited book - the verdict... Blooming brilliant! Having pined for Andrew for so long, I tried to slow down and savour it but I'm afraid I failed. Once I got started there was no prising this book from my hands until I had devoured every single word. I even forgive the author for the horrid series arc he left unresolved at the end of the book - unless that is I have to wait another three years to find out!
Ok so in this book PI Andrew Hunter is visited by Anna Applegate, a bereaved mother, whose daughter Michelle died during a night out. The death - by drowning, exacerbated by alcohol consumption - having been ruled an accident. But Anna is convinced it was foul play and that her footballer (see what I did there?) boyfriend, Jack, had something to do with it. Andrew agrees to look into the case before committing to it but he soon uncovers dark secrets in Jack's past and potential holes in his alibi.
Meanwhile. Andrew is also visited by a face from the past which stirs up memories and emotions. Oh, and there's that favour he owes someone you really don't want to be owing favours to. And, if that's not enough balls for the author to successfully juggle, these's something Andrew's assistant Jenny is hiding.
So, why do I love this series so much. Well, even after nearly three years without Andrew I was able to slip back into his word easily and comfortable pretty much from the first page. It was like we'd never been apart! Oh, the small cameo in a Jessica book did ease my pain along the way and probably helped the re-connection process a tad.
The rest of the reasons why I loved this book are the usual things that I know and love about all this author's books. His setting of Manchester, again like a character in its own right, so important it is to the story. The no nonsense way he tells the story with pretty much no superfluous padding. The matter of fact speech and banter which enhance his character interaction is, as always, sublime. Not forgetting all the humour he injects into the narrative.
But all these things wouldn't matter if the story was weak. Which, I hasten to add, it wasn't. Plotting was tight and well executed and the main story kept me fooled right until the end. As I learned more and more about the characters, the confusion evaporated, the bigger picture started to emerge, and it all came together perfectly at the end. I especially liked the "side jobs" Andrew did along the way, especially the violin one!
All in all, it was worth the extended wait to read this book. Hopefully the next Andrew will not be as long in coming.