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Peter James
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Book
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Publisher | Pan | ||
ISBN | 978-033050785 | ||
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Reviewer
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Gareth
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Synopsis
Victor Smiley and his wife Joan have been married for nearly twenty years, but each barely recognises the person they wake up with every morning. Victor is so fed up with his job at the local egg-box factory -as well as distracted by his visits to his favourite prostitute, Kamila- that he hardly notices his wife's constant ridicule. Joan has resigned herself to the fact that Victor will never see beyond her double-chin to a new hair cut or outfit. She even puts up with his constant snoring which keeps her up night after night. Just. For unbeknownst to Victor, Joan is taking her sweet revenge: spending large amounts of money on his credit card, kitting herself out in a sexy new wardrobe, to impress her secret lover, Don. But then, as the bills mount, Victor loses his job. Soon he realises that the only way he can achieve his dream of setting up home with Kamila is to get Joan out of the picture. But Victor is about to get a nasty surprise. For he's not the only one with murder on his mind.
Review
The Perfect Murder? Not quite, but a perfect read nonetheless - a really nice way to while away half-an-hour. This is a light-hearted, almost Ealing-esque murder mystery which combines the supernatural elements that infused Peters early novels.
Both Victor and Kamila are well rounded and realised with their quirks and idiosyncrasies, and the break up of their marriage is nicely handled highlighting the way they both fall in and out of love. In the beginning their mutual attraction is quite touching before the irony seeps in and those idiosyncrasies end up damning them both.
This is more quirky than Peters Roy Grace series, and I can see that he's had fun writing this one. I love the fact that both parties are planning to murder each other, and the last minute change in Kamila's well thought out plan is priceless.
I enjoyed this quick read immensely, and it shows that Peter could possibly move into writing with a more comedic / ironic slant if the crime fiction dries up (which I sincerely hope it won't).
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