Tony R Cox is an ex-provincial UK journalist. The Simon Jardine series is based on his memories of the early 70s - the time of sex, drugs and rock 'n roll - when reporters relied on word of mouth and there was no internet, no mobile phones, not even a fax machine.
There’s a killer, but he’s not on the loose. He’s a spring so tightly wound that an instant explosion is imminent. Torture and death are his only release, but his killing spree is not random. Every murder is part of a plan.
Her Last Moves requires an open mind and rejection of traditional preconceptions on how a crime thriller plot pans out. A series of seemingly unconnected twists tumble together in a graphic and shocking brutality, with a finale that starts early and grips the reader tenaciously. Prepare for a crocodile bite and an excruciating series of captivating, exciting and grim death rolls. And that’s even before the many disparate strands are neatly sewn together.
Our central character, and villain, is a driven man. He is cold and calculating and, like a stiletto sliding through the ribs, finds the best way to reach the heart of his evil plan for what he believes is justice. On his trail are police officers with a matching drive. Professionally, this is the biggest case they’ve tackled and for DS Becca Vincent it’s a do-or-die chance to make a name for herself as a detective and at least an equal to the coppers around her who’ve been fast-tracked up the career ladder.
Alongside her is Joe Russell, a sergeant with a very special talent for seeing, evaluating and recognising faces: a photographic memory trained to cut through disguises and help traditionally disciplined police officers find their man or woman. He too is has a personal life that is a tinder box of emotions. It is inevitable that the professionalism of these two key characters is transformed into a cascade of emotions, anxiety and the perennially screwed up life that being a law enforcement officer involves, but it is the speed and ferocity of the change that is stunning.
We know who did it, but we don’t know ‘who’ the villain is exactly or how their mind is working. Chasing a phantom who seemingly kills at random in the most horrific ways is always going to be a tough call, but police resources grow along with the brutality of the murders and it is plain that the net is tightening.
John Marr’s style displays a lifetime as a writer. He fashions words in clear, descriptive sentences drawing the reader along with the faintest of touches and allows them the freedom to savour the structure and progression of building characters just enough for the right amount of empathy – or disgust. Each chapter is a little like eating a great Indian meal: all the flavours are there, the texture is absorbing and then right at the end you bite into a terrifyingly hot chilli – quick, turn the page and keep those taste buds tingling.
Read John Marr's exclusive feature WOULD YOU RECONIZE A CRIMINAL?
