Review of The Complicated Trane

[Sou Hi]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Complicated Trane" by Charlie Girard.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The Complicated Trane by Charlie Girard starts when an English man comes to Jack Trane, a middle-aged private investigator. This person claims to be the representative of an insurance company, and he has an urgent favor to ask of Jack. The Henry Graves Supercomplication, his anonymous client's precious timepiece, has been stolen. If the insurance company can't return it, they will have to pay 20 million dollars to compensate for the loss. The item itself is a piece of art, and as a watch lover, the deal fascinates Jack. Will this case be interesting enough for him? If not, how about the $200,000 fee for whoever can find the object? Not to mention, the watch is worth 24 million bucks, meaning who has it can have a luxurious life for decades. Can Jack resist the temptation and give the timepiece back to its rightful owner?

Unlike other detective novels, this book doesn't mention the protagonist's love life. In fact, even though Jack loves to flirt with women, he is not in a romantic relationship with anyone. The entire plot is about the case. Still, that doesn't mean there are only males in this story. While she is not among the main cast, Trudy is my favorite female character. As Jack's secretary, she helps him investigate and extract many useful pieces of information. She gives him the tools he requires. She even saves her boss several times, especially when he is in a pinch. In addition, I like the detective's generosity towards the working class. Though Jack doesn't earn a lot of money, he always makes sure to lavishly tip the servers, the street vendors, and the taxi drivers.

Interestingly, some modern techniques are employed in the story, such as 3D printing, radar detectors, or tracking apps and devices. In my opinion, this is how investigations should be conducted when we are living in the robotic era.

On the downside, I feel that the author is trying a bit too hard to describe every movement of the characters, making the narrative long-winded. There are also several repeated details, like how Jack chooses his daily attires, the way he dresses, or the way he moves his car around. Personally, I find these scenes unnecessary, as the plot becomes more tedious with them. Besides, the copy I received has so many grammar errors that I would strongly suggest another round of proofreading.

Because of the mentioned negative points, I would rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. It should be appealing to those who want a detective novel where the protagonist can make use of modern scientific knowledge. The copy is void of profanities and erotic details, so it's suitable for both adults and teenagers.

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The Complicated Trane
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[Kingsley Emodi]

Detective novels aren't my favourite but your review draws me to this one. Great review you have here. Well done.

[viczboy16]

I don’t know what I’ll do if I get a watch costing 24 million bucks. I wonder what jack does. Now I’m eager to read this book. Such a wonderful review.

[Kirsi Cultrera]

Judged by the cover, I thought this might be a good old-fashioned detective novel. I guess I shouldn’t judge by the covers! This character is obviously a modern detective with modern tools. I like that the author left out all sidetracks and only concentrated on the case. It sounds like a fresh approach, as detective stories always tend to include some sort of relationships.

Thanks for the interesting review!

[Fareed Regal]

With so much money involved, I just have to know what happens next. I think your review will attract many readers who love this genre. Great job!

[Mbrooks2518]

The case in this book sounds really interesting, and I like that there isn't any romance involved in the story. Thanks for the great review!

[lightsammy]

Thanks for the review! this seems more of an investigative series especially with the huge amount of money involved.

[Amy Luman]

I don’t really enjoy detective novels, but no romance? That’s different. You don’t find that much in any genre.

[Ekezie1998]

Quite an intriguing plot we have here. Would definitely love to have this book on my shelf. Great review here.

[NetMassimo]

Despite being heavy on details, this novel seems like an intriguing mystery using cutting-edge detective techniques. Thank you for your great review!

[viczboy16]

There’s a lot of twists and suspense in this book. If I have that wristwatch, I really do not know if I’ll return it for a $200000 reward. I look forward to finding out the turn of events in this book.