Ben Maddox is a journalist who could be embroiled in the biggest case of his fledgling career, tracking down the truth behind a diplomat's planned eviction from Britain to his banana republic African homeland (where, he claims, he is certain to be killed). In the meantime a kidnapping is planned at a private girls' school where the Princess Royal is scheduled to view a play.
A combination of straight narrative and 'found sources' - memos, secret service run sheets, tape transcripts, TV reviewers' columns, official police forms and the like, which I found getting in the way of the story and with my connection with the protagonist.
I also found the target genre surprising - Ben's 24 and grappling with some fairly esoteric issues and big picture politics, as well as issues about employment and journalistic ethics. But according to the publisher recommendation the audience is aged 9+ which I'm thinking is a little young.
This is the first in what I believe is a trilogy but I just didn't connect with at all - the characters weren't particularly well developed, the conflicts lacked tension, and the plot didn't grip me in the slightest. I did finish Ten Days to Zero but mostly because I feel bad having so many unfinished books so early in the year. Eh, eh, and eh again - Alex
No comments:
Post a Comment