Publication Date: April 6th from Faber
Source: Review Copy
In New Orleans, Texas Ranger John Q is out of his jurisdiction, and possibly out of his depth. It seems everyone in Louisiana wants to send him home, and every time he asks questions there’s trouble: from the pharmacist to the detective running scared to the pimp who turned to him as a last resort. Before John Q knows it, he looks the only link between a series of murders.
So who could be trying to set him up, and why, and who can he turn to in a city where Southern tradition and family ties rule?
I was really looking forward to The Contract, having loved the first book in this series The Long Count and it did not disappoint – loved it.
I’m a fan of John Q as a main protagonist, the scene is set in most excellent fashion by J M Gulvin, authentic and brilliantly immersive, this is a noir thriller with some terrific descriptive prose that brings the vagaries of that time to vivid life. Immediately addictive, you could easily lose a day to this one. In fact that’s exactly what happened.
When I reviewed The Long Count I said this could easily become one of my favourite protagonists and favourite series and with The Contract I haven’t been disabused of that notion – if anything it has just confirmed it. I liked this one even more and already I’m bang in my comfort zone, I love the historical setting, the plotting once again is extraordinarily clever and there are enough twists and turns to keep the most ardent of crime fans happy.
As John Q chases down leads in New Orleans, seemingly becomes the one link in a series of murders, yet somehow keeps his cool, quirky attitude, this is a purely wonderful read, realistically drawn with some insightful characterisation and a real sense of time and place.
You could easily read this as a standalone but I’d recommend reading in order if only because then you’ll get more bang for your buck – both books are brilliant and I have absolutely no problem highly recommending them.
Cool beans! That is all.
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