The Child Before (Detective Finnegan Beck, #2)

by Michael Scanlon

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Child Before is the second book in the Detective Finn Beck mystery series by Michael Scanlon. Released 5th June 2019 from Hatchette on their Bookouture imprint, it's 357 pages and available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats.

I've enjoyed this series immensely. It opens with abruptly with the horrific (off page) murder of a young mother and her baby's disappearance. The author has a masterful control of dramatic tension throughout and I wound up reading it in one setting. Mr. Scanlon's technical expertise as a writer is impressive but it's the flawed and real characters which are the beating heart of this book. I don't think I'd really enjoy working with Beck, he's a loose cannon, alcoholic, flawed, with a tendency toward violence that's just barely under control. The secondary characters, his colleagues, especially Claire (a gay married coworker having a lot of personal issues in this book), are sensitively rendered with compassion and nuance. Although it's the second book in the series, the author is expert enough to impart the necessary back-story without spoon feeding; it works well as a standalone.

The sense of place is palpable. When reading, I could hear the accents and see the places in my mind so clearly. I love well written mysteries which are steeped in their settings. This one resonates.

This is a gritty procedural/thriller and as such has rough language and mature themes. There are potentially triggering themes of domestic violence, infertility, suicide, substance abuse, child abduction, and obviously violent death. All of them are appropriately represented in context, not glorified. The denouement includes several disparate subplots and has a satisfying climax and resolution.

This book would make a superlative choice for a mystery/crime bookclub, summer read, etc. I would recommend it to fans of Michael Connelly, Val McDermid, Deborah Crombie, and that crew.

Beautifully written, this series has made it onto my auto-follow list. Can't wait to see what comes next.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.