Steven Dunne – The Reaper
With The Reaper I had the first book of Steven Dunne’s DI Brook series on my reading list. Damen Brook is quite a broken character as Detective Inspector. It was published in 2007, and although the idea of the character with personal issues is not new in the world of novel-investigators, the story itself is a very good and intelligent read.
This debut is about introducing the DI as well as his past and what drives him to hide out in a rather peaceful region of the country. Of course, hiding does not work, as the past always only is one step behind and eventually catches up. And, thus, Brook is confronted with the case of the serial killer, which made him flee London in the first place. So he finally takes up the fight against his past nemesis, a very interesting character himself, trying to find a way to identify the culprit and proof he did it.
While a big part of the novel is about discovering Brook’s life, his past, and his relation to Professor Victor Sorenson, the story has barely any longueurs and keeps the tension high. Except for the introductory chapter, which I found written strangely, the language of the novel is vital and paceful. You get a good picture of the people and sceneries. Overall, the story remotely reminds me of Thomas Harris’ Hannibal series regarding the relationship between Graham and Lecter. Surely not the last of this series for me.