Ragged Alice, Gareth L. Powell
Received to review via Netgalley
I really enjoyed the setting of Ragged Alice: Powell captures certain Welsh phrases perfectly, and I couldn’t help but smile at the phrasing “Owen the meat” — and wonder how other readers will feel about that and whether they’ll “get it”. Maybe if you’re not raised knowing that the undertaker named Dafydd (David) should be known as “Dai the death” (pronounced “Die”), this world is a little too foreign, for all that it’s just Wales.
There’s a lot of familiarity, though. It’s basically a police procedural, really, except with a supernatural element: DCI Holly Craig can see people’s souls, and she knows when they’re carrying guilt around with them. She’s come home to Pontyrhudd through her work in the police, to investigate a simple-seeming hit and run accident. But one murder turns into two, and there’s some connection to the horrible death of Holly’s own mother…
It’s more or less predictable in plot, to my mind, and I’m not sure I really quite understand why the ritualistic deaths were required. The ending felt a little sudden/contrived, as well. It’s an enjoyable novella and I wouldn’t mind more in the same world, but apart from enjoying the setting a lot (more Welsh books, please!), it didn’t stick out for me especially.
There’s an old joke about “Jones the Spy.”
Have you read the Ack-Ack Macaque books? They are the only books of his I’ve read. Amusing enough.
I haven’t read those, though my sister has them because… Macaque!
Your sister is a fan of macaques?
More or less all apes, monkeys and related species.
Ah! Does she work in biology/zoology/ecology?
She did her first degree in medical sciences, but now she’s doing a degree in law. (Yep, just like me she’s slow to actually pick a career, ha.)
I like the sound of it on the basis of setting alone. I’m not a big crime reader, so I’m usually more sold by setting / character than plot anyway
I’m just so glad to see books set in Wales!