The Long Close Call - Hardcover

Martin, J.wallis

3.34

53 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0708944612 ISBN 13: 9780708944615

Publisher: Ulverscroft, 2001

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A psychological thriller from the author of THE BIRD YARD and A LIKENESS IN STONE. Robbie McLaughlan must turn to the man he despises for help when his son is abducted by criminals bent on revenge.

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Review:

J Wallis Martin's first two books singled her out as a new mistress of the psychological thriller, and The Long Close Callis a worthy successor, with its tale of a man pushed to the edge by new stress and old demons. McLaughlan was not always the high-flier of London's Flying Squad; once he was a disturbed small boy whose brother had mysteriously disappeared and whose father was one of the most notorious armed robbers of the sixties. When he kills the son of one of today's brutal criminal dynasties, his life is on the line--his son is abducted and he knows that to give himself up will mean slow torture rather than mere death. It is time to appeal to both his fathers--the ageing cop who befriended the family and the violent old man who deserted them; but both old men have questions of their own to ask... Tricksy in its flashes back and forward, spectacular in its understanding of stress and what it does to people, this is a powerful thriller with a nasty sense of irony and a bitter command of internal police politics and paranoia. --Roz Kaveney

Review:

'The plot was intriguing enough to keep me wanting to read to the end' Independent on Sunday

Chilling first novel . . . absorbing and genuinely surprising (Guardian on A Likeness in Stone)

'With her third novel J Wallis Martin makes a serious bid to enter the definitive ranks of the psychological thriller' Times (Crime Supplement)

A compelling psychological thriller with echoes of Barbara Vine and Minette Walters. Well written, intelligent and chilling. (Val McDermid on A Likeness in Stone)

An intelligent, thoughtful story which leaves the reader on the edge of their seat. Well constructed, beautifully written. It will definitely rank among the best crime books of the year (Yorkshire Post on The Bird Yard)

'Classy thriller' The Oxford Times

Martin cleverly portrays the innocent obstinacy of vulnerable young boys, propelled towards a fate they can neither imagine nor believe (Sunday Telegraph on The Bird Yard)

The Long Close Call is J. Wallis Martin's third novel, and it places her firmly in the first division of the new crime writing generation. (The Times)

J Wallis Martin writes chillers with consumate skill. Cleverly plotted, with characters that feel all too authentic, the tension builds at just the right pace. If you like modern thrillers, this author is unmissable. (Choice)

A wonderfully tense and atmospheric story (Dartford Times)

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