Review by Shrabastee -- Pancake Money by Finn Bell

[Shrabastee Chakraborty]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Pancake Money" by Finn Bell.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Do you know that I can make you do anything I wish, anything at all? Your opinions will not matter; you will do exactly what I ask of you. All I have to do is to hurt you bad enough for long enough until the pain breaks you. But it will also have changed you in unimaginable ways, and I will get more than I bargained for.

This is the theme of Pancake Money by Finn Bell, a crime/forensic/psychological thriller set in New Zealand. Three saintly priests are brutally murdered on three consecutive days and the cops have no idea why, let alone any lead on who did it. Detective Bobby Ress and his mentor-cum-friend Pollo Latu try desperately to find clues and if possible, to prevent the next crime. But as they approach the probable crime scene, all hell breaks out. Will they be able to sort things out on their own?

What sets Pancake Money as different from the other books of this genre is that the read is comparatively short but extremely fast-paced and intense. The entire story takes place within a span of one week. There is news of a grisly murder every day, and the reader suddenly finds himself caught in a whirlwind of actions. This pace suits the story very well and makes it captivating to the point of being ‘unputdownable’.

Short sentences are used throughout the book with a matter-of-fact tone about them. This strategy fits the storyline perfectly because it reflects the precise nature of the forensic investigation and in some cases, a complete lack of emotions resulting from recurrent exposures to horrible murder scenes on the part of the detectives. It reminds the reader that this is no flowery tale but the stark reality.

Pancake Money is unique because it provides the reader with deep insights into criminal psychology. As part of the ‘Forensic Psychology 702’ lecture Bobby attends, we learn how intense pain can affect our psyche in unpredictable ways. Throughout the story, this theory is demonstrated again and again. There were times I wanted to scream ‘It is not fair’! But we were dealing with a devious mind, a mind twisted by agony and trauma. No one is above the effects of pain, not even a cop, as Bobby eventually comes to realize.

Bell also masterfully shows how tension and mental strain is a constant part of the daily life in a street cop’s family, and how the family members try to support their spouse/father despite their own fear and uncertainty.

There were a few weak points about the book. First of all, twice I found almost identical paragraphs to be repeated within a span of a few pages. Secondly, as the deductions went pretty fast, sometimes it was difficult for me to follow the detectives’ train of thoughts and I had to go back and re-read a couple of paragraphs. Also, the story was a little predictable. I guessed the ‘who’ much earlier, and even a possible ‘why’ later on. However, when Booby Ress finally realizes the truth, his explanation helps to tie all the loose ends together.

In spite of those, I would still rate the book a perfect 4 out of 4 stars. From a technical standpoint, I noticed only a few minor errors. Anyone who loves psychological thrillers will enjoy the book. However, the novel calls for a mature audience as it deals with issues such as sexual abuse and has a lot of blood and gore to boot.

In the end, Bell puts a section explaining the premise, the various tribes and groups of New Zealand mentioned in the book, as well as his primary motivations behind writing the novel. This context makes the story more real. Finally, he ends the novel with a profound question that leaves a sense of immense sadness in its wake.

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Pancake Money
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Like Shrabastee's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Sunnyroyish]

Nicely written review. I enjoyed the beginning of your review. I would like you to post this review on our Facebook group for more exposure as I see there are no comments on this review. Best of luck.

[Shrabastee Chakraborty]

Nicely written review. I enjoyed the beginning of your review. I would like you to post this review on our Facebook group for more exposure as I see there are no comments on this review. Best of luck.

Ha ha... About time someone commented on this review. Thank you for your suggestion! I will be sure to do that. And thanks so much for your comment!

[Connie Otwani]

It's ironic that despite the book being short, extremely fast-paced and intense, the author repeats paragraphs, in a span of a few pages! I'm glad you enjoyed the book. Great review!

[Sahani Nimandra]

I know what you mean, I too have enjoyed this read to my heart's content. Besides, it provided a brainstorming session to me in regards to Forensic psychology. Thank you for your review!

[Debjani Ghosh]

Great review! I too read and reviewed this book. I absolutely loved it. I agree with you that the matter-of-fact tome constantly reminds the reader that the events unfolding in the book are a stark reality.

[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

Goody! This book is right up my alley! I love a good, fast-paced, engaging thriller. I’m not a fan of reading about sexual abuse, but I think I’ll overlook that because I really want to read it.

Pancake Money is unique because it provides the reader with deep insights into criminal psychology. As part of the ‘Forensic Psychology 702’ lecture Bobby attends, we learn how intense pain can affect our psyche in unpredictable ways. Throughout the story, this theory is demonstrated again and again. There were times I wanted to scream ‘It is not fair’! But we were dealing with a devious mind, a mind twisted by agony and trauma. No one is above the effects of pain, not even a cop, as Bobby eventually comes to realize.

This is so interesting! I’ve watched too many documentaries about criminal psychology and it’s a subject I find fascinating. I know that’s a bit dark and morbid, but I agree, that fact might give this story a special something because, in many thrillers, the detectives just jump out to conclusions without explaining how.

The enthusiasm of your review is very contagious and I’ll definitely read this one. Thank you!

[LaurenHaupt]

I loved this book. I was glad I found it. I'm glad you enjoyed it also.

[HollandBlue]

This fast-paced, unputdownable book sounds good to me! Thanks for the review.

[Shrabastee Chakraborty]

This fast-paced, unputdownable book sounds good to me! Thanks for the review.

Thanks for the comment. This was indeed a gripping tale.

[Shrabastee Chakraborty]

I loved this book. I was glad I found it. I'm glad you enjoyed it also.

Thanks for stopping by. Yes, it was a great book!

[Shrabastee Chakraborty]

Goody! This book is right up my alley! I love a good, fast-paced, engaging thriller. I’m not a fan of reading about sexual abuse, but I think I’ll overlook that because I really want to read it.

Pancake Money is unique because it provides the reader with deep insights into criminal psychology. As part of the ‘Forensic Psychology 702’ lecture Bobby attends, we learn how intense pain can affect our psyche in unpredictable ways. Throughout the story, this theory is demonstrated again and again. There were times I wanted to scream ‘It is not fair’! But we were dealing with a devious mind, a mind twisted by agony and trauma. No one is above the effects of pain, not even a cop, as Bobby eventually comes to realize.

This is so interesting! I’ve watched too many documentaries about criminal psychology and it’s a subject I find fascinating. I know that’s a bit dark and morbid, but I agree, that fact might give this story a special something because, in many thrillers, the detectives just jump out to conclusions without explaining how.

The enthusiasm of your review is very contagious and I’ll definitely read this one. Thank you!

If you are fascinated by criminal psychology, then this is just the book for you. I know what you mean when the detectives suddenly present the solution and the readers are like 'hey, I certainly did NOT get that!' It happens to me often. But in this book the step-by-step deduction was really satisfying! They even analyzed the basic reasons for crime and how to identify the perpetrators based on the modus operandi! Loved it!
Thanks for commenting.

[Shrabastee Chakraborty]

Great review! I too read and reviewed this book. I absolutely loved it. I agree with you that the matter-of-fact tome constantly reminds the reader that the events unfolding in the book are a stark reality.

Thanks for stopping by! Yes, a stark reality and a very dark one to boot, but I liked it all the same. Glad that I came across this.

[Shrabastee Chakraborty]

I know what you mean, I too have enjoyed this read to my heart's content. Besides, it provided a brainstorming session to me in regards to Forensic psychology. Thank you for your review!

Thanks Sahani for your comment. Yes, not many thrillers give us such an opportunity to peek into the criminal's mindset. I love the books those do!

[Shrabastee Chakraborty]

It's ironic that despite the book being short, extremely fast-paced and intense, the author repeats paragraphs, in a span of a few pages! I'm glad you enjoyed the book. Great review!

Thanks Cotwani for commenting. Actually, the contents of the paragraphs in question could have been inserted into any of the two places, it was never out of context. I think the author initially could not decide where to insert it, and the editors somehow overlooked it. However, that did not inhibit the flow of reading.