Ritual – Mo Hayder
I like to read everything. I will sit down and read Dostoyevsky as soon as I will read James Patterson. Ritual was at the James Patterson end of the spectrum and that doesn’t mean its a bad thing. It was an easy read, with a page turning plot, characters that weren’t too complicated or deep and an ending that kept you guessing most of the time, although the false clue was a little obvious.
Two severed hands were discovered beneath a waterside restaurant in Bristol by the police diving time. What starts out as a routine investigation soon delves into the world of African muti, witchcraft, superstition and belief which touches upon all levels of society – from middle class restaurant owners and academics through to the underworld of heroin addicts and council tenants. Jack Caffrey, Mo Hayder’s regular character, solves the case along with Flea Marley – a police diver with a tragic secret. The characters come together to solve the crime and in the process, start to deal with some of their own issues.
I do like books which you can fly through, like this one. I can forgive the shallowness and lack of character dimension because I understand these have to be sacrificed to produce a quick on-the-train read. As such, I try not to be too dismissive of these ‘factory’ produced novels which are churned out on schedule and sold in Tescos for £3.99. I don’t see this as saying the author isn’t talented or doesn’t have skill – she produces what the publishers ask her to produce and provides us with CSI or Law and Order in book form which we can use for a bit of escapism when the rest of the world seems a bit too tough to take.
Rating: 6/10
ISBN: 0553820435
Publisher: Bantam Books
Year: 2008
Date Finished: 19 December 2009
Pages: 560 (but it was pretty much large print!)
