Review: A gift or a curse?
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 26, 2013
Simon Moralee is the man of the hour. The instant crime-solver extraordinaire with an exceptional talent or gift. He can see the face of crime, the face of the murderer and he can see who did what to whom.I believe the gift isn't seeing the face of the murderer though.I think the real gift Moralee has been given is giving the victims a sense of safety, respite even. Why? Because the last thing they see if Moralee connects with them, is his face and not that of the person who killed them. That is the true gift Simon Moralee imparts upon the victims.Nash has a very distinctive style and I would suggest reading52FFto get a better feel of it. His stories are always very complex and he tends to use the readers grey cells like a hockey puck. There is no slacking off you have to pay attention. I enjoy that about his work, although I do feel as if this time it might have been detrimental to the story he wanted to create, as opposed to the actual end product.However saying that this is probably exactly what he intended.Initially I thought the concept was crime and solving murders via the strange talents of Mr Moralee. The focus changed and it became more of a dark dialogue of moral right and wrong. The apathy of our society in general plays a huge role in it and I think Nash is trying to make some very important points. In the story the police force is minimized and Moralee is used as a crime solving tool. The easy fix instead of crime scene investigation. Media sensationalism instead of investigation. It is a suitable comparison to our era of less manpower and more social media. The 21st century automaton fix it strategy, which is slowly cutting out the humane aspect of our society.Overall I think Nash has tried to outsmart the reader with his literary hockey puck and intellectual field plays, which is why his work will appeal to some and not at all to others.With a Nash story you have to be prepared to look deeper. You have to read between the lines and look behind the corners he creates. Of you want reading material that will make your grey cells need a shot of Whiskey then Nash is your scribe.I received a copy of this book courtesy of the author.