Curtain Call

Ooo, I blooming loved this book, written by one of my favourite authors. It's billed as a stand alone but I personally think you'll get so much more from it if you have already read the author's Faraday and Winter series as there is more than just a passing nod to some of the main characters from this series contained herein. The other reason I loved it so much is that I have lived in Portsmouth for pretty much all my life and, for me anyway, it's always lovely to read about places I am familiar with. Especially given that this book delves into some Portsmouth's not so glamorous history, specifically around the football club. He really did get across the symbiosis between the city and the place known as Fortress Fratton. I was gutted when the author ended his Faraday and Winter series so this book was a bit of a blast from the past for me.
Not that the rest of the book wasn't good, what I have just mentioned was just the icing on, what for me, was a very well baked cake.
So, successful actress Enora Andresson has just been diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumour. Not really the news she needs being as she is already trying to come to terms with a pending divorce which has already claimed her son from her; he having chosen to side with his father. But she is trying her best and has a good agent who is still getting her acting work. What she didn't factor into her life is meeting and investigative journalist who asks her to help him with a book he is writing about Hayden Prentice, her one time (and I do mean one) lover back in the dim and distant past. Needing a friend and him appearing to be just that, she agrees. Never believing that this will put the cat very much amongst the pigeons as it literally turns both her life and that of her son upside down and inside out and into the realms of the very dangerous.
I have already mentioned several things I loved about this book so I won't repeat myself. Added to those was a whole new level of intrigue, the author delivering punch after punch throughout the book to keep me wondering for its majority and then, as we raced to the end, leaving me wholly satisfied at the book's conclusion. There's definitely a lot going on in what is a relatively short book that there really are no wasted words as the author really gets on with the story at a fair pace.
Characterisation is spot on - you're never sure when you are dealing with theatrical people how much is real and how much is acting, add to that a really rather shady character and you get yourself a bit of an explosive mix.
Ok, so there was also a lot about Brexit in this book. Not something you can ignore living in the UK at the moment but, what was included was well handled and fitted into the narrative very well. Some may think it's a bit too political but, for me anyway, the balance was just about maintained.
All in all this was a cracking read for me which also took me down memory lane through some very familiar places. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I need to start by admitting that Graham Hurley is one of my favourite authors. I discovered the Joe Faraday series a few years ago and inhaled them almost in one and I also enjoyed his recent WW2 series.

This book is a departure and I won't spoil it for other by describing the action but all I will say that it is well up to standard.

The writing is sharp and concise and the characters well drawn. There are passages that remind me of the Faraday series in terms of time and place but the plot is clever, credible and highly relevant to the main issues of today.

All in all an excellent book which deserves a wider readership.