Synopsis
To a corrupt chief of police intent on maintaining his power at all costs, part-time PI Declan “Mac” MacManus is a problem that must finally be addressed. Cursed with an unwavering sense of right and wrong, and a fierce loyalty to his few friends, Mac has become known as someone the working class of Southampton can turn to in times of desperate need. On a rain-swept night in October, Mac witnesses to a brutal homicide, but he has learned that nothing on the East End is ever what it seems. Determined to hunt down an elusive hired killer before he can strike again, Mac is reunited with what is left of a prominent family he once knew well. But something more—something darker than Mac could have possibly foreseen—is at play here, and as a long-hidden secret threatens to emerge, Mac once again becomes the only hope for justice in a town that all too clearly belongs to the rich and powerful.
ReviewThere comes a point in a man’s life when he has to take control of things. Otherwise, things will just keep controlling him.
Firstly, I must make reference to the fact that the synopsis doesn’t quite match the story itself, yes there is a corrupt police chief but he’s only a small part of a very entwined plot.
The lead protagonist, Mac, is an extremely flawed character who is regularly referred to throughout the story as a good guy who feels compelled to help people out of difficult situations although the reason for this is never fully explained.
There is a lot of violence, some quite graphic, and the overall mood of the book is quite dark and gloomy, but the writing is extremely descriptive and very well put together, even if some of the plot lines are a little unbelievable at times.
One thing I did like about the story is that most of the time I’ve come across the The Hamptons in books or on TV, they are portrayed as full of mega rich people who own summer homes, whereas this portrayal was more like film noir/gangster movie and showed a completely different side to the area.
At times I struggled to keep up with all the players but overall I enjoyed the story enough to add the remaining books in the Gin Palace Trilogy to my TBR list.
DetailsTitle: The Poisoned Rose (The Gin Palace Trilogy #1)
Author: Daniel Judson
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Page Count: 320
Publication Date: 1st October 2002
Format: Kindle
Add it: Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
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