Not sure whether this one can really be classed as a thriller as the investigation, such as it is, into the whereabouts of a car accident victim’s movements in the hours before the fatal crash moves at a glacial pace and involves an awful lot of stopping off for sherry, beer and whiskey on the part of the troubled detective. The victim’s son also imbibes a fair amount of liquor in his wanderings, despite the fact he is still a school student. Good god, do people really drink this much, or is it only in Europe? Like Macrae Burnet’s previous work, His Bloody Project, this one includes a foreword and afterword suggesting factual content is included – whether that is true or not is less interesting than the story contained within. It borders on being incredibly dull but is somehow mesmerising, like watching rain falling in slow motion. Every piece of food imbibed by the characters is given due credit – not just a description of the food but a comment on how much enjoyment was gained by eating it. And by the end of the novel, each character has somehow become real, if not particularly likeable. It is not to be recommended as a riveting read but has its own quiet charms. I like His Bloody Project better. This one is slow but solid.
