Review of Pancake Money
Posted: 05 Jun 2025, 19:15
[Following is a volunteer review of "Pancake Money" by Finn Bell.]
Pancake Money by Finn Bell is a mysterious thriller with a storyline that nearly leaps off the pages. Detective Bobby Ress and his partner Pollo are part of the police force in New Zealand. They are called out to investigate the strange death of the local Catholic priest. The priest was brutally murdered by being beaten to a literal mush. While they are grasping for any clues and coming up nearly empty-handed, another priest is just as brutally murdered. In another day, yet another priest is discovered after he had been slowly burned to death. Bobby and Pollo discover that these priests know each other. These three dead priests plus a fourth priest once worked together closely. They even adopted a boy with a tragic backstory and gave him a loving home. What do tribal gangs and a young boy’s suicide have to do with this? Why is there a hidden Catholic campus housing sex offender clergy far out in the unpopulated bush? Why is Bobby’s forensic science teacher also murdered in her home? Will Bobby and Pollo find the murderer before more people die?
This book has earned a 5 out of 5 stars. Here’s why I think this book is worth the read. My favorite thing about this book is the amount of thought-provoking conversations and psychology discussions included throughout the story. It gives the characters so much depth and relatability. The author deals thoughtfully with the subjects of revenge, trauma, wrongdoing, and family loyalty in bite-sized bits throughout the story without detracting from the plot. I think any fans of thrillers and mystery stories will find this book interesting and exciting. I have no critiques about the writing or the editing of this work.
From beginning to end, the realistic characters and the heart-pounding story caught and held my interest, and I gulped this book down in a few readings. Chances are that you will find this book as riveting as I did.
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Pancake Money
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Pancake Money by Finn Bell is a mysterious thriller with a storyline that nearly leaps off the pages. Detective Bobby Ress and his partner Pollo are part of the police force in New Zealand. They are called out to investigate the strange death of the local Catholic priest. The priest was brutally murdered by being beaten to a literal mush. While they are grasping for any clues and coming up nearly empty-handed, another priest is just as brutally murdered. In another day, yet another priest is discovered after he had been slowly burned to death. Bobby and Pollo discover that these priests know each other. These three dead priests plus a fourth priest once worked together closely. They even adopted a boy with a tragic backstory and gave him a loving home. What do tribal gangs and a young boy’s suicide have to do with this? Why is there a hidden Catholic campus housing sex offender clergy far out in the unpopulated bush? Why is Bobby’s forensic science teacher also murdered in her home? Will Bobby and Pollo find the murderer before more people die?
This book has earned a 5 out of 5 stars. Here’s why I think this book is worth the read. My favorite thing about this book is the amount of thought-provoking conversations and psychology discussions included throughout the story. It gives the characters so much depth and relatability. The author deals thoughtfully with the subjects of revenge, trauma, wrongdoing, and family loyalty in bite-sized bits throughout the story without detracting from the plot. I think any fans of thrillers and mystery stories will find this book interesting and exciting. I have no critiques about the writing or the editing of this work.
From beginning to end, the realistic characters and the heart-pounding story caught and held my interest, and I gulped this book down in a few readings. Chances are that you will find this book as riveting as I did.
******
Pancake Money
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon