Fans of AA Abbott will be pleased to hear that her latest thriller delivers all of her trademark motifs: sex, violence, shady characters, corporate deals and city-hopping between Birmingham and London.
Abbott once again shows her detailed knowledge of both cities, with references to pubs, streets and regional vernacular all accurate and familiar. This authentic world-building helps the reader become fully-immersed in Abbott's gritty tale and locals will enjoy references to some of their familiar haunts.
As you would expect from Abbott, the past is fast and the narrative hops between the six characters at breakneck speed. Many of these characters are a lot more complex than the characters in her early novels, such as After The Interview, which means you may still be deciding who to root for until the last few chapters. This makes for exciting reading.
Abbott also breaks new ground in the plot, exploring new depths of London's criminal underbelly, such as illegal gambling, identity theft and false marriages, all of which are fascinating. The second half of the novel then focusses on the disappearance of beautiful croupier Kat and the competing friends and enemies who are racing to find her.
The highlight of the novel is the mismatched pairing of sensible Amy and arrogant actuary Ross, who join forces to search for Kat across Birmingham. Their love-hate relationship is very entertaining and turns several corners as the novel unfolds. Another highlight is the dramatic conclusion in the secret tunnels beneath Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter, which makes for an extremely tense and claustrophobic finale.
If you are looking for a UK thriller, equal parts corporate and criminal, then look no further. Here comes The Bride's Trail.
Abbott once again shows her detailed knowledge of both cities, with references to pubs, streets and regional vernacular all accurate and familiar. This authentic world-building helps the reader become fully-immersed in Abbott's gritty tale and locals will enjoy references to some of their familiar haunts.
As you would expect from Abbott, the past is fast and the narrative hops between the six characters at breakneck speed. Many of these characters are a lot more complex than the characters in her early novels, such as After The Interview, which means you may still be deciding who to root for until the last few chapters. This makes for exciting reading.
Abbott also breaks new ground in the plot, exploring new depths of London's criminal underbelly, such as illegal gambling, identity theft and false marriages, all of which are fascinating. The second half of the novel then focusses on the disappearance of beautiful croupier Kat and the competing friends and enemies who are racing to find her.
The highlight of the novel is the mismatched pairing of sensible Amy and arrogant actuary Ross, who join forces to search for Kat across Birmingham. Their love-hate relationship is very entertaining and turns several corners as the novel unfolds. Another highlight is the dramatic conclusion in the secret tunnels beneath Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter, which makes for an extremely tense and claustrophobic finale.
If you are looking for a UK thriller, equal parts corporate and criminal, then look no further. Here comes The Bride's Trail.