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Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Life and Times of William Boule in Books

Nov 19, 2019

The Life and Times of William Boule

Max China | 2014 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Thriller

9.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

It took me a long time to get around to reading a Max China book and I had heard a lot of good things about his work. I was not disappointed.

This novel forms a sequel to The Sister but I didn't feel I needed to read that to enjoy this as the characters are introduced and explained well. Carla Black is a journalist who wants to flush out the titular serial killer from his hideaway in Morocco. Meanwhile Miller, a missing persons investigator and former lover of Carla, suspects she may run into trouble and follows on to help her. When Boule runs into Carla unexpectedly, she and Miller end up in a race to safety with the serial killer in determined pursuit.

There are so many things that make this book stand out. China's descriptions of the dusty streets of Morocco, full of colours and smells are extremely immersive. His characters are all very solid and well-drawn. I particularly liked the local police chief who turns out to be a very shrewd and resourceful operator in his own right at working out what is going on. Boule is suitably amoral and nasty, a real sociopath but when the narrative is from his point of view the reader finds out his self-justification for his actions.

China keeps the reader guessing with the direction the plot is going to take next and the pace is frantic, the chase scenes desperate and nerve wracking and the pauses in action claustrophobic with menace. Everything gathers pace and momentum neatly until the final showdown which is perfectly pitched in terms of drama.

I really was impressed by this book and China is an outstanding writer.

(Contains violence and sexual scenes and references)