Life or Death

 

Life or Death – Michael Robotham

This is one of those books that I bet the author had a lot of fun writing.  Michael Robotham has proved numerous times that he has what it takes to be a good author, but I can only imagine the thought process that went into this thing to make it as compelling as possible.  This is a book that bounces around through various timelines and characters and takes a while to figure out exactly who is who and what everyone’s motivations are.  If I were to be completely truthful, I would concede that the main draw of this novel wasn’t necessarily the story, but how the story was told.

The story starts with a prison break.  Audie Palmer is a convicted killer, but what makes this breakout odd is that Palmer is scheduled to be released from prison the day after he escapes.  What gives?  That’s quite a unique premise, and as Palmer succeeds with his escape, the manhunt is on. The author then takes us through a labyrinth of characters and motivations that are all interesting, but it’s hard to initially connect the dots.  The fact that the story is so well told means that we never get bored, and we don’t mind being in the dark, because the light peers in ever so slowly, but obviously.  So we enjoy the ride even though we might be slightly confused.

If I had to describe Robotham’s writing (I’ve read about four books by him), a word I would use is “intense”.  These are books that, regardless of the subject or story, the reader is forced to sit on the edge of his seat.  There are a lot of thrills within the pages. A very good thing, and not as common as one might think.

There are a couple of weak points about this book that if I had the author’s ear, I would make gentle suggestions.  The main issue is that the author is a native of the UK, but this book takes place in Texas. Not a bad thing, but the author feels highly obligated to tell his readers that he’s done is research about Texas, and it’s a bit much.  We can’t go more than one page without him referencing a big city, a small town, a highway, a political figure, or some place of interest that resides in Texas.  He hammers the point a tad too hard, and one wants to loudly explain to him “We get it already!”. Such constant geographical references and descriptions aren’t necessary to tell a good story.

Then, one of the characters who is a female private investigator is short.  I only mention this because the author does.  Over and over and over and over again.  As I recall she’s not quite 5 feet tall (with heels) and we have to be constantly exposed to her insecurities and snide remarks from others who never take her seriously due to her limitations.   It seems a bit silly and pointless.  Sure, such elements might be important when describing obstacles that a character might have to overcome, but it’s done with too heavy of a hand here.

Michael Robotham is one of the better authors that I have discovered as of late, and this book is par for the course with many of his efforts.  I should also point out that this one is (currently) a “Kindle Unlimited”, so those with a subscription can borrow and read for free.  Even if one has to pay for it, though, it would still be worth it.