Reviewed by Craig Sisterson
Having the wrong client can be murder... The voice was smooth, cultured, almost tender as it oozed from the phone into Connor Fraser's ear. "I've heard about you, Mr Fraser, and I'm very impressed by your work. So I've decided to employ you. I am going to kill Father John Donnelly sometime in the next seven days. And you are going to stop me - or die trying. "
The thought it's a sick joke lasts for as long as it takes Connor to find that £70,000 has been deposited into his PayPal account, and for him to receive an email with a picture of his grandmother. With no choice but to make a deal with the devil, Connor races to unmask a killer before he strikes and uncovers a mystery that stretches back decades, threatening the people closest to him.
Just like Australian crime writing runs far deeper than modern royalty like Jane Harper, Candice Fox, and Chris Hammer, there’s a lot more to Tartan Noir than the award-winning series and standalones of international bestsellers like Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, and Denise Mina.
Dig a little and you’ll find gems like the terrific Connor Fraser series by Neil Broadfoot.
In this fifth outing, Fraser - a former Belfast policeman who now works close protection from the heart of Scotland, the student city of Stirling where monuments to Rob Roy and William Wallace stand and Robert the Bruce’s castle looms over landscapes made famous by ancient battles and Braveheart – faces a puzzling job. An unknown, cultured voice on the phone says he’s deposited £70,000 in Fraser’s account, that he’s hiring Fraser to protect village priest Father John Donnelly.
The hitch? The voice on the phone is the one who’s going to try to kill Donnelly. Fraser must stop him, or die trying. Let the games begin. But why would someone want to a Catholic priest? Or this one in particular, at least. On the face of it there are few whiffs of scandal in Donnelly’s past. As Fraser digs into things while trying to keep the priest alive, he juggles professional and personal relationships with local police, dogged journalists, long-time friends, and loved ones now in danger.
Broadfoot, a former journalist for national newspapers in the UK, conjures a cracking tale that rolls along smoothly, drawing us in with action and character both. This particular instalment in what is an excellent series overall delves into both Scottish policing and firefighting (the latter an organisation Broadfoot understands well as a former advisor to the Strathclyde Fire & Rescue Service), along with the priesthood and the state of modern journalism. From drone attacks to feisty press conferences and political power plays, Broadfoot keeps readers engaged with a gritty and twisting, page-whirring tale. Fascinating characters and a strong evocation of the Scottish setting and underlying issues facing the nation-within-a-nation add further layers. A very good read.
Craig Sisterson is a lawyer turned writer, editor, podcast host, awards judge, and event chair. He's the founder of the Ngaio Marsh Awards, co-founder of Rotorua Noir, author of Macavity and HRF Keating Award-shortlisted non-fiction work SOUTHERN CROSS CRIME, editor of the DARK DEEDS DOWN UNDER anthology series, and writes about books for magazines and newspapers in several countries.
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