Grasshoppers

Thirty years ago, when Sean was just seven, his father just left, leaving him, his mother and his little sister Diane. He never came back. No one ever said why. Although he grew close to the uncle who helped raise him despite his mother's refusal to talk to him, Sean continued to nurse the hurt of his leaving, always wondered what it was he'd done to drive his father away. It was a year after his uncle Zed died that the family received the message: his father had been found. Dead. Murdered, and Sean reluctantly agreed to travel to Carolina to bring back his body. Seems his dad was a thief - he'd been found with a bag full of money - but no one had reported a robbery, no one had seen or heard anything.

This superbly structured novel follows Sean as events finally push him into investigating the death of the man he'd so often thought he'd like to have killed himself. In many ways, this is a thriller in slow motion, not because the action isn't fast paced -it is - but because the focus is on Sean himself, his feelings, his reactions, and not directly on a search for the killer or even for the reason for his father's death. Sean is a simple man in many ways, but thoughtful, quick to anger and not one who can be pushed around. And he doesn't like what he finds.

Steven Cooper is the perfect narrator for this book, his steady voiced reading capturing Sean's personality and enhancing the story. He paces it well, with good modulation, and maintains a slow burn throughout. He also gives individual voice to the other protagonists. A fine performance and partnership of author and reader.

My thanks to the rights holder of Broken Slate who, at my request, freely gifted me with a complimentary copy, via Audiobook Boom. Although third in the Sean Coleman Thriller series, this is a book which is completely stand alone. Perhaps not a book for someone who's idea of a thriller is non stop shoot outs and car chases, but for anyone who likes really good insightful characterisation with a mystery included, too, then this book is definitely recommended. I loved it.

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