Review: A New Kind of Hero
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 10, 2013
In Jack Lockwood, Geoffrey West has created a character who is engaging, warm and normal. He is almost the antithesis of the expected hero, who is tough, macho and in control but he is a hero none the less. With a background as a psychologist working with the police, Jack has been through something of a rough patch which has seen him losing his job and spending a spell in a mental hospital. The novel opens, however, with things seemingly picking up for him as he is given a contract to write a book about rock stars who met early deaths. His research brings him into contact with the world of Maggie O'Kane and this is where his problems start. The beauty of the novel is that nobody is who they seem to be and Jack's naivety and lack of confidence in his own sanity mean that he's no help as a reference point for the reader. Instead, we are taken on a rollercoaster of a journey where anything can and does happen. We fear and despair for Jack in equal measures as he gets himself into scrape after scrape. If you like a fun, action packed mystery then you'll love this one.