Review by lesler -- Pancake Money by Finn Bell

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lesler
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Review by lesler -- Pancake Money by Finn Bell

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[Following is a volunteer review of "Pancake Money" by Finn Bell.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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The book Pancake Money by Fill Bell is a suspenseful thrill of a novel that includes the investigation of the human spirit and explores why people do what they do. Bobby Ress is a homicide detective in a moderate size town in New Zealand; we first catch up with him as he investigates the killings of multiple Catholic Priests at a religious commune. As the case unfolds and leads are followed, we watch as Bobby and his partner Pollo slowly discover that this case is bigger than they ever could have imagined.

I enjoyed this novel very much, as it is insightful, and the pacing is perfect. Once I read the first half of the book, the suspense kicked in so much that I had trouble putting the book down. The author did a wonderful job personalizing Bobby and Pollo, while slowly introducing new characters in a masterful way. Bobby was given an interesting back-story, and I would definitely read any other novels that include him as the main character. A police detective in his late twenties, Bobby is at the crossroads of staying in law enforcement and doing something else, while his young daughter and wife plead at every bad occurrence to find a safer career.

I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable the author made police procedural work. It is well written and edited. The author also wrote about true places and people of the area. For example, a big focus of conflict was between the community and the Maori, a Pacific Island race of people. It is true that a large population of Maori exist in New Zealand, as well as a specific gang of Maori called the Manga Kahu. Being a true crime fan, this made this novel very plausible, and it encouraged me to keep reading.

In the beginning, the novel plays out like a cheesy cable network police show, with predictable banter, a typical opening conflict, and walkthrough of a normal work shift of the primary and secondary character. There is a delightful twist in the middle of the novel and makes the rest of the reading a true delight of suspense. I am not ashamed to say I cried in the middle of the novel, due to the connectivity I felt to the characters. I envision this as a great movie in the future.

I give Pancake Money 4 out of 4 stars, for its' pacing, development of characters, and suspenseful plot twist. The end of the novel is a heart-palpitating surprise. I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of eighteen (due to graphic violence and sex) looking for a suspenseful mystery novel, from the perspective of a police detective.

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Pancake Money
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