The Cost by Morgan Cry

I would like to thank Severn House and Random Things Tours for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review

Publisher - Severn House

Published - out now

Price - £21.99 hardback £12.99 ebook

Disgraced, demoralised and recently retired Glasgow police constable Blake Glover returns to his childhood home of Fraserburgh on the north-east shoulder of Scotland. While driving a taxi to occupy himself and contemplate his future, he is asked to discreetly investigate the disappearance of a young woman.

Blake reluctantly agrees to help and stumbles upon a mysterious stately home which appears to be involved in smuggling people from around the world for a highly addictive and deadly narcotic.

The more Blake investigates, the more he uncovers a massive plot involving money, blackmail, drugs and murder. With the fear that the narcotic will make it onto the streets of his hometown, Blake must track down the drugs before time runs out or watch people he cares about meet a gruesome end.

The crime novel often tends to have a detective and their city of many many crimes. Where would Holmes be without London or Philip Marlow without the darker side of Los Angeles? But does the crime novel always need a big city? In Morgan Cry’s engrossing thriller The Cost we have a detective novel taking a few chances and in the process creates a very engaging tale.

Blake Glover has taken retirement after a thirty year career as a police constable he has left Glasgow to return to his childhood town of Fraserburgh a small declining fishing town. Now taxi driver he considers finally home exploring the events of his younger years. Before he can start though he is approached by Terry who works at Broch House a new exclusive hotel nearby. Terry wants Blake to find her missing friend Kristina who has vanished and their mutual employee Broch House is not helping her with any answers. Blake finds his old skills as an investigator who can sniff out lies are once more needed but his old and new life are on a collision course.

This is a really good thriller in many ways down to the way Cry has deliberately positioned the story away from many other crime novels. At heart this is Blake’s story and from the off he is an interesting character. Not a hot shot investigator but more a regular ex-police constable no corking out being a taxi driver. He’s a msn not sure where he is going. He’s bright, good with people and skilled in interrogations but also here a man out of his depth. A temper that is easily triggered once annoyed, very much stating to now not being able to put his uniform to get his way and yet we Aldo see a man haunted by the tragic death of his mother. While not one to introspection as he tells the story I felt that single horrible event forced many of his choices. We also see Blake wasn’t a rule follower and that slightly shocks us and makes us wonder how he will play his new situation.

The small town of Fraserburgh is just as much a character. Forget all the big cities here is a community everyone knows everyone and many secrets hide about. Blake finds his past and present collide as he meets people he knew and left behind thirty plus years ago. The death of his mother is a key plotline as is Broch House and here we have a town that like Blake has lost its way and made people a little desperate for escape. An intriguing character is Blake’s old friend Charlie now a respectable pub owner and rich which compares to Blake’s humble retirement income supported by taxi driver. It’s a place that can be funny one moment and then shock you how people have hidden sides to their personalities.

This leads neatly to the central mystery. It feels off from the start and Blake’s previous experiences shape what happens. I liked that he gets things wrong and had to improvise. Yet all the time he is putting pieces together. Not being a police officer is a benefit here he must work alone and he’s his own people skills to suss out clues. We see an grimy underbelly of crime here that sucks people in and the final Half of the book is very well paced with revelations and danger that pulls you along and makes the set up of the town and Blake really pay off.

The Cost is a fascinating start to new series of thrillers and I’m very pleased another book is on the way. Funny, dramatic and dark it’s not your average thriller at all and Morgan Cry is a name to watch out for. Highly recommended!