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Jump to navigationJump to searchSo Say the Fallen (DCI Serena Flanagan) by Stuart Neville (view source)
Revision as of 11:19, 12 August 2020
, 11:19, 12 August 2020no edit summary
I'm glad that I didn't realise that ''So Say The Fallen'' is the second book in the DCI Serena Flanagan series or I might not have picked it up: even when I'd finished the book I'd no idea of where in a series it might sit: Flanagan obviously has quite a backstory with a previous diagnosis of cancer, a vicious attack on her husband as he lay in bed, two children who seemed increasingly distant and a marriage which might not be on the rocks, but was sailing awfully close. Husband Alistair would like her to stop frontline policing (he'd like to stop having nightmares too) but Flanagan knows that the job she's doing is important to her, important to the community too. It's who she is: she can't give that up.
There's another reason why I might not have read the book: it isn't a straight police procedural as we're not really that far into the book before we know who has done what to whom and why and we're reading to find out if the police will be able to prove it. It's not a genre that I usually favour, but I was completely pulled into the story, partly by Flanagan's bloody -mindedness in the face of every opinion to the contrary and - most importantly - Stuart Neville's great writing. The fine crafting of the plot isn't obvious, but when you look closely, when you go back for another look at some chapters you realise just how much skill has been written into this book.
Serena Flanagan is someone you root for. She's far from perfect: cavalier about her relationships with her husband and children and somewhat wayward when it comes to doing what she's told to do, but you can't help but want things to turn out rightwell. I was impressed by Peter McKay too: initially , I thought that he was going to be the stereotypical pernickety clergyman, to be called Reverend Peter, or Reverend Mr McKay but never Reverend McKay, but he's still struggling to come to terms with the sudden death of his wife, he's lost his faith and he's very easily manipulated. You can't admire some of the things he's done, but you can feel for the man - and Neville brings out the man.
I read the book far too quickly: short chapters mean that it's all too easy to fall into the 'just another few pages' syndrome and I'll be going back to read the first book in the series. I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
If this book appeals then I think you might also enjoy reading about [[Silent Scream by Angela Marsons|D I Kim Stone]].
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