Sunday 3 March 2013

VIXEN by Ken Bruen

Ken Bruen is one of those names that appears in blogs and often recommended by various authors.

Vixen is one of those rare novels that hauls the reader into the narrative and pins them into the chair until that reader reaches the end.

The plot is simple - Angie James with the help of Ray and Jimmy Cross has an explosive plan to extort a modest six figure sum from the local cops. The first that Sergeant Doyle hears about it is when a man rings the police station and advises the copper that a bomb is likely to go off at the local cinema - which it does during the conversation that creates an 'oops' moment. Still, if the cops don't want more of the same they had better pay up.

And so the fun begins as D.I. Roberts and Brant get on with the detecting while Porter Nash has a heart attack; WPC Falls tries to mentor a new WPC; and the Superintendent goes down in a blaze of not so glory as, in a wave of publicity, arrests the wrong man.

The strongest member of the cast is Angie James - devious and manipultive she plays both her partners and the police. Clever enough to get one police officer in the frame as her alibi.

Something did niggle as I struggled with the Nash, Brant and Falls characters - then it clicked - the movie 'Blitz' with Jason Statham is a previous story in the series. Also another Ken Bruen book turned into a movie is 'London Boulevard'.

Vixen was a great read - and I loved it even better for the political incorrectness.

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