REVIEW

MAELSTROM - Michael MacConnell

Reviewed By
Karen Chisholm

Michael MacConnell's debut book MAELSTROM is - paraphrasing his own words - a book designed to appeal to thriller and crime fiction devotees; not falling into the trap of being too similar to other authors in either genre.  So I read MAELSTROM with that aim in mind.  

It's definitely a thriller style book - there is lots of fast paced action combined with a sinister, lurking vigilante presence - metering out their version of justice to killers - people that the vigilante's think need to be removed from society.  The background of this vigilante group is slowly revealed and there's a wealthy man funding the group for what he believes are noble and true reasons.  There's a sense of menace and extreme violence in their acts, there's definitely a sense of forcing those killers to face their enemy on more equal ground - giving them some sort of perceived chance - more than they ever gave their victims.  

There's also elements of crime fiction in the book in that there is a serial killer with a standard modus operandi - killing violently, seemingly randomly - but there is a pattern that can be discerned and clues to his methods if the investigators dig.  There's a copycat killer - muddying the waters of the investigations, threatening the very lives of all the investigation team.  

There's also the beautiful, young FBI agent - Sarah - with her mane of red gold hair.  She has to live up to the reputation of her father, and to complicate her life even more, the reputation of her lover - a fellow agent - well known and well liked.

Maybe it is a "girl thing" but this constant idea that every female character has got to be physically attractive and that state has to be commented on is getting boring.  As is the idea of the menacing vigilante team - working outside, around and above the law by dint of the amount of money that the team "leader" has (can a vigilante team ever just be a bunch of average people who have just had enough - but that's digression.)

Not to say there's not some good things in this book - the quiet menace of the opening segment is truly sobering.  The first appearance of the vigilante group is shocking.  They seem to appear from nowhere - for a short while the reader is slightly wrong-footed.  There's romantic attachment, which, despite a deep feeling of foreboding, was actually handled well - with a slightly different twist which was refreshing.  But there are also some things that don't work - the use of Australian terminology by American characters jars, the appearance of the beautiful FBI agent; the motivation, structure and behaviour of a team of vigilantes that seem to be able to commit mass violence and then just disappear was just that bit too far of a credulity stretch.  

Whether or not MAELSTROM meets the authors aim is going to be very much to the individual reader's taste. 

BOOK DETAILS
BOOK INFORMATION
ISBN
0733621872
Year of Publication
Series
Book Number (in series)
1
BLURB

Sarah Riley is the daughter of FBI legend Harry Reilly. Her father made his reputation hunting down on of America’s worst serial killers. But Harry never met the violet-eyed man. Sarah has inherited her father’s impulsive intuition and is making a name for herself as a rookie FBI agent. Given the job of investigating a recent double murder, she uncovers some strange anomalies in the modus operandi of the killer … and a maelstrom of evil is unleashed as a killer finds himself hunted by more than one adversary. A chilling thriller that introduces a new heroine … someone who will give Clarice Starling a run for her money.

Review MAELSTROM - Michael MacConnell
Sunnie Gill
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Review MAELSTROM - Michael MacConnell
Karen Chisholm
Tuesday, October 30, 2007

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