Review by vik_the_reviewer -- Pancake Money by Finn Bell
Posted: 10 Jul 2018, 07:08
[Following is a volunteer review of "Pancake Money" by Finn Bell.]
4 out of 4 stars
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Gritty crime drama, detective story, slice of life, philosophical treatise, ending with a twist. If you're looking for any of these in a book to read, Pancake Money by Dunedin, New Zealand author Finn Bell ticks all the boxes.
Set in the author's home city, this story follows young detective Bobby Ress and his veteran partner Pollo as they are plunged into the investigation of a string of high profile killings.
The blurb for this short novel is one of the reasons I chose to read this book, and I hope this review encourages you to do the same. Pancake Money is an immersive, fluid read from the beginning. It engaged me and never let go, keeping up the pace and escalating to the finale without ever feeling like it was dragging. There is little padding in the novel, making it an example of a short story told well.
The main characters, Bobby our hero, and the gruff but gentle Pollo, are immediately likeable. The narrative follows their days on the beat and sees them chasing leads for their case, in a slice of life style which makes their routine as partners endearing and relatable. A cop story set in a small city, it starts with Bobby and Pollo's call out to the first crime scene, where they are faced with the brutal initial facts of the case.
This is a hard boiled detective story and will test those unprepared for darker crime tales and visceral crime scenes. The violence and gore is necessary in this genre and drives the seriousness of the task faced by our pair of detectives. There is also a philosophical question posed by the author which is one of the themes of the story, and the depravity of the crimes is intended to highlight the question.
I like the way all of the characters are treated without judgement by the author. The initial introductions and descriptions of characters are kept neutral, with any inflection on characters' morality clearly being expressed as Bobby's view, since the narrative is through his eyes. This is another deliberate technique since the question of morality and what makes a person evil are other main themes treated by the book.
We have the aging forensic psychology professor who is introduced as Bobby's lecturer and ends up as a person involved in the case.
There is the charismatic gang leader who Bobby believes is pure evil, yet who shows a human, vulnerable side and makes Bobby ask the same question that the book is asking the reader.
There are Bobby's wife and his daughter, providing a softer edge to the grimness of the case and an insight into Bobby's life as a husband and father.
There is the escaped gang member, another case on Bobby's plate.
And there are priests, young and old, good and bad. Gangsters and policemen. A classic cast of characters, likeable and sympathetic, and all necessary to the story.
The case itself, interspersed with Bobby's home life and his lighter moments with Pollo, is a puzzle with which the author teases the reader. There are suspects and motives aplenty. The ending was a surprise to me, but as in any well constructed murder mystery, the final explanation makes sense and the clues have been there from the beginning.
The book is easy to read with no spelling errors, and I didn't find anything wrong with the grammar. The first person narrative segues into chain of thought and back at the right moments to put us in Bobby's shoes, whether it's in the midst of a bust or tender family moments wiith his wife and daughter.
The overall story picks up pace throughout the novel and accelerates faster towards the end, making it a page turner.
The setting is not overused, but well described and contributes to the scenes.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars, because it delivers what it promises, and provides some bonus food for thought alongside a cracking detective yarn.
******
Pancake Money
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Gritty crime drama, detective story, slice of life, philosophical treatise, ending with a twist. If you're looking for any of these in a book to read, Pancake Money by Dunedin, New Zealand author Finn Bell ticks all the boxes.
Set in the author's home city, this story follows young detective Bobby Ress and his veteran partner Pollo as they are plunged into the investigation of a string of high profile killings.
The blurb for this short novel is one of the reasons I chose to read this book, and I hope this review encourages you to do the same. Pancake Money is an immersive, fluid read from the beginning. It engaged me and never let go, keeping up the pace and escalating to the finale without ever feeling like it was dragging. There is little padding in the novel, making it an example of a short story told well.
The main characters, Bobby our hero, and the gruff but gentle Pollo, are immediately likeable. The narrative follows their days on the beat and sees them chasing leads for their case, in a slice of life style which makes their routine as partners endearing and relatable. A cop story set in a small city, it starts with Bobby and Pollo's call out to the first crime scene, where they are faced with the brutal initial facts of the case.
This is a hard boiled detective story and will test those unprepared for darker crime tales and visceral crime scenes. The violence and gore is necessary in this genre and drives the seriousness of the task faced by our pair of detectives. There is also a philosophical question posed by the author which is one of the themes of the story, and the depravity of the crimes is intended to highlight the question.
I like the way all of the characters are treated without judgement by the author. The initial introductions and descriptions of characters are kept neutral, with any inflection on characters' morality clearly being expressed as Bobby's view, since the narrative is through his eyes. This is another deliberate technique since the question of morality and what makes a person evil are other main themes treated by the book.
We have the aging forensic psychology professor who is introduced as Bobby's lecturer and ends up as a person involved in the case.
There is the charismatic gang leader who Bobby believes is pure evil, yet who shows a human, vulnerable side and makes Bobby ask the same question that the book is asking the reader.
There are Bobby's wife and his daughter, providing a softer edge to the grimness of the case and an insight into Bobby's life as a husband and father.
There is the escaped gang member, another case on Bobby's plate.
And there are priests, young and old, good and bad. Gangsters and policemen. A classic cast of characters, likeable and sympathetic, and all necessary to the story.
The case itself, interspersed with Bobby's home life and his lighter moments with Pollo, is a puzzle with which the author teases the reader. There are suspects and motives aplenty. The ending was a surprise to me, but as in any well constructed murder mystery, the final explanation makes sense and the clues have been there from the beginning.
The book is easy to read with no spelling errors, and I didn't find anything wrong with the grammar. The first person narrative segues into chain of thought and back at the right moments to put us in Bobby's shoes, whether it's in the midst of a bust or tender family moments wiith his wife and daughter.
The overall story picks up pace throughout the novel and accelerates faster towards the end, making it a page turner.
The setting is not overused, but well described and contributes to the scenes.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars, because it delivers what it promises, and provides some bonus food for thought alongside a cracking detective yarn.
******
Pancake Money
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like vik_the_reviewer's review? Post a comment saying so!