Author: Linwood Barclay
Published: September 2016 by Orion
Category: Crime, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Book Review
After the screen of a run-down drive-in movie theatre collapses and kills four people, the daughter of one of the victims asks private investigator Cal Weaver to look into a recent break-in at her father’s house. Cal discovers a hidden basement room where it’s clear that salacious activities have taken place—as well as evidence of missing DVDs. But his investigation soon becomes more complicated when he realizes it may not be discs the thief was actually interested in….
Far From True picks up the threads of the story where Broken Promise left off. It helped that I read this soon after the first book, there’s a fair number of characters to keep track of and several plot lines. Again the main part of the narrative is in the third person, this time with the first person perspective from Cal Weaver, ex Promise Falls detective who is now a private investigator.
An explosive opening sets the pace, as the huge screen of the local drive-in movie theatre comes crashing down on the cars in the front rows, killing four people and injuring several more. Initially thought to be a possible terrorist act, or a mistake by the firm contracted to take the screen down the following week, it transpires it was neither of those things.
The daughter of one of the victims asks Cal to investigate a burglary at her father’s house. What they actually find surprises them both and becomes the centre of the story. Detective Barry Duckworth is still investigating previous murders and strange incidents all seemingly connected to the number 23. Sleazy ex-mayor Randal Finley is set on running again in the mayoral election, with help from his unenthusiastic assistant, David Harwood, who only took the job as a last resort. David’s fledgling romance is also proving not to be without its difficulties.
David wasn’t sure he was cut out for this much drama. He’d had more than enough of it with his now late wife, Jan. The whole episode with Marla and her baby had left him shaken. And working with Finley was no bucket of joy, either. His reporting days hadn’t prepared him for this kind of unrelenting stress. He’d never been a war correspondent. He hadn’t been a Woodward or Bernstein. He’d always been a small-town reporter.
I accidentally skipped this one and only read the first and the third one. I’m so smart. 😳
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Missing this one might not have mattered as much as not reading the first one. You would be familiar with the characters, at least 😉
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There was that, yes. Luckily. I do remember being a bit confused but it never occurred to me I’d missed a book until someone pointed it out 😄
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I love these books, Cathy. I’ve just finished his last one (luckily I read them in the right order 😀 ) they are so gripping I couldn’t put it down
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I have the final one lined up 🙂
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You won’t be disappointed 😉 xx
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Good to know 🙂 xx
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I love his books, I read 7 of them and I just checked, I have one and two of this series on my want to read list! Happy to hear you enjoyed it so much too!
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I’ll definitely be getting more once I’ve read this series. I think I already have one on my bookshelf *checks* yes I have 🙂 Trust Your Eyes.
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Oh I really liked Trust Your Eyes! Happy reading!
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Thank you!
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I haven’t read Linwood Barclay for some time now! I really should again, I like his writing. Great review!
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Thanks 🙂 I’m enjoying his writing too.
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