A deliciously readable crime drama…
With a grim picture of racism embodied in the theme, Brink’s latest introduces a racist and miserly alcoholic yet endearing hero, a criminal defense attorney who finds himself in the middle of violent conspiracies involving Klan members. The assault by white cops on the Trinidadian immigrant Alec Monceau gets Hiram Garbuncle, a hard-core racist and alcoholic and a veteran criminal defense attorney, drawn in the investigation and leads to the latter ending up representing Alec in the court albeit reluctantly. But soon the trial becomes an exercise in keeping himself and his client alive. Powered by expert plotting and topnotch characterization, the story pulls reader in, keeping them turning pages until the exhilarating, tension-filled ending. Imaginative prose and sharp dialogue are bonus points. Despite the issues of racism and corruption at its heart, the novel is a tension-filled, fast-paced crime drama that lovers of finely constructed crime thrillers won’t want to miss.
