Michael Dane writes from experience in The Rutland Connection. In his former life Dane was an investigator for HM Customs & Excise before moving to a similar investigative role in the private sector. The reader is left in no doubt that this is how the National Investigation Service runs surveillance on a drugs target and this is the language they use. Likewise the locations, including the bizarre Belgian/Dutch town of Baarle Nassau, all ring true. As for the titular Rutland, that is where Dane now lives.
The story is both conspiracy thriller and character study. In many ways, the teamwork ethos - both Customs & Excise and the smugglers of illicit pharmaceuticals - reminded me of early Mick Herron. But at the narrative heart we have two old school operators, Frank McBride, the Senior Investigating Officer, and Brigadier Bernard Butcher (Ret) who rather fancies warming up his old skills. Both are in the process of handing over to the next generation, which I found both a neat touch and a subtle way of revealing character. Given that this is Book One in the Frank McBride series, and given the final twist at the end of the novel, I fancy we will see more of both.
The plot is twisty throughout, the writing style crisp and pacey. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Your review has caught my interest. The characters sound interesting and the story intriguing. It's definitely a book for me.
ReplyDelete