Death on Pont Noir
Well done, Adrian Magson. He knows what readers like, enjoys writing detective novels, and knows how to construct a fast-paced, twisty plot. This is the third in the inspector Lucas Rocco series, and I shall definitely download the other two. Magson has persuaded his publisher to both print and e-publish, which makes good sense as mysteries are popular downloads.
It’s a pleasure to read a detective novel set in 1963. No mind-boggling forensics to help out the police, just observation, questions and brain work. This is a novel without pages of brutality and blood but with plenty of action, clues and constructive thinking. Magson takes us to the France of General de Gaulle with deft touches, little details which evoke the Sixties. He keeps things nicely international with English and French villains, a wicked French plot, and political shenanigans on both sides of the channel.
Inspector Rocco, the suave bilingual policeman, is a likeable character, and readers can cheer him on through all the nasty problems thrown into his path. We want him to get his man and yet are never sure right until the end. Excellent tight writing by Magson; this novel is bound to add to his fan base.
