Monument Road

The pace of this novel is unrelenting.

Having served eight years of his life in prison for a crime he didn’t commit Franky Dast finds it difficult to adjust to his new found freedom.

It is impossible as he has unresolved issues regarding the injustice that was evident even at the time of his trial. He particularly hates the police officer who still hounds him upon his release. That cop and for many others familiar with the case he’ll always be guilty.

I really enjoyed the humanity depicted in Franky’s experiences in this mystery thriller. Often stories in this genre relate to the successes of the criminal justice system in solving crimes. But as Franky finds out there are still bars on your life even after leaving prison. Your mind and spirit can remain incarcerated denying you any sense of freedom.

Michael Wiley captures this beautifully in his main character. Dast would love to work for other prisoners where convictions can be challenged but he struggles to remain objective and balanced in his approach.
There is a sense that what he has endured has changed him; being among violent men has altered his character and driven him to be less tolerant and more aggressive in attitude.

You get a sense that within prison it is clearly us and them. Them being the system and guards all working towards a day of execution. Us being a group you need to belong to, to survive and remain sane. I was moved by the sense of love towards quite dangerous inmates and the survival techniques Franky had to adopt.

In short if he didn’t commit this dreadful crime then the perpetrator remains at liberty. Dast quickly understands to find the true killer is the best way to confirm his innocence. His trial and conviction bought a silence in those who knew more and meant lines of enquiry were no longer perused.
This thoughtful book shows that a quashed conviction can be like tossing a pebble into a pond, where the resulting ripples extend far and wide. But the author hasn’t thrown a stone so much as an hand grenade as the ramification go beyond just the one case and point to corruption and conspiracy across the whole legal system.

Explosive writing with deep insights into the judgements we make over guilt and integrity. Demonstrating that truth is often an illusive quality where fear and power are exercised.