About Face

by Tony Thomson

In Tony Thomson's debut novel, a college student goes missing in the Annapolis Valley. The further the police and professor Ian Wallace look, the more things turn out not to be what they had seemed.

About Face is a mix of police procedural, thriller, and social commentary, with a bit of farce and romance thrown in.

224 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2022

Reviews

[Lyn Thomson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best of this book may be the socially conscious lead character, Ian Wallace, professor cum detective, who joins the local RCMP in trying to discover what happened to a missing student. He is wryly funny, unduly self-deprecating, and awkwardly romantic--overall an endearing character the reader will want to meet again. The author draws an under-the-surface picture of university life which touches on hiring and promotion practices, the art of the lecture, ways students and professors mutually evaluate each other, and (bless him) the importance and value of support staff. He shows knowledge and understanding of police procedure even when it bumbles, and the ways in which human foibles and failings lead both young and old to behave and act as they do. The realism of his characters shows people we have known or even have been. All these attributes are what makes the book a delight to read as we go through the story itself, learning about the life and background of a lost girl who was lost before she went missing, and encountering a various array of suspects. The book takes the reader from the everyday process of questioning witnesses to the excitement and frightening folly of facing a suspect, while passing through intriguing ideas and a spark of romance. A well-rounded tale, it keeps the reader stimulated and provoked to the end.

[Lana Kamennof-sine · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a first mystery Tony Thomson did a great job. Living in the general area in which this book's set it was fun trying to decide what was thinly veiled reality v pure fiction. There is no doubt about the author's skill in terms of both plot & character development. Extra points for the subtle humour too. There may have been a few strategic hints along the way but a definite surprise awaits the reader.

[Tim Covell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Socially conscious police procedural that starts with a rhetorical trick and ends with a clever twist or two. Well-structured and well-paced. A relative newcomer to Nova Scotia, I had fun playing "guess the inspiration" for fictional locations, and enjoyed the inside look at academia.