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How do you catch a killer…
When the only evidence is a dream?
James Garrett was critically injured when he was shot following his parents’ execution, and no one expected him to waken from a deep, traumatic coma. When he does, nine years later, Detective Inspector Rebecca Kent is tasked with closing the case that her now retired colleague, Theodore Tate, failed to solve all those years ago.
But between that, and hunting for Copy Joe – a murderer on a spree, who’s imitating Christchurch’s most notorious serial killer – she’s going to need Tate’s help. Especially when they learn that James has lived out another life in his nine-year coma, and there are things he couldn’t possibly know, including the fact that Copy Joe isn’t the only serial killer in town…
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The Pain Tourist by Paul Cleave is published on 10 November 2022 in paperback by Orenda Books. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Blog Tour.
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Paul is an award-winning author who often divides his time between his home city of Christchurch, New Zealand, where his novels are set, and Europe, where none of his novels are set.
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In November last year I read and reviewed The Quiet People by Paul Cleave which turned out to be one of my top books of last year. I've been looking forward to The Pain Tourist ever since and am delighted to say that I've not been disappointed.
There's an intensity to this author's plotting that leaves me breathless and feeling very tense at times. He doesn't pull punches, he doesn't ease his readers gently into things, it's full-on, high throttle and often exhausting, but in a very very good way.
The premise for the plot is like nothing that I've read before. A young boy sees his parents murdered in front of him, in their own living room. He is then shot in the head and rushed to hospital. Whilst on the operating table, this boy, James Garrett dies three times. Whilst doctors do revive him, he falls into a coma. For nine years.
Meanwhile, his elder sister Hazel who managed to escape that night has tried to make a life for herself. Never giving up on James, visiting him regularly whilst working to pay her way through college and fixing up the house.
When James finally wakes, there's jubilation. From the medical team and from Hazel. However, there are people out there who are not happy that he is conscious, and will everything they can to prevent him from remembering the events of that night.
The premise for the plot is like nothing that I've read before. A young boy sees his parents murdered in front of him, in their own living room. He is then shot in the head and rushed to hospital. Whilst on the operating table, this boy, James Garrett dies three times. Whilst doctors do revive him, he falls into a coma. For nine years.
Meanwhile, his elder sister Hazel who managed to escape that night has tried to make a life for herself. Never giving up on James, visiting him regularly whilst working to pay her way through college and fixing up the house.
When James finally wakes, there's jubilation. From the medical team and from Hazel. However, there are people out there who are not happy that he is conscious, and will everything they can to prevent him from remembering the events of that night.
However, James has lived his one 'Coma Life' whilst in hospital. His memories were made whilst laying in a bed, out cold, but are very different to real life, but his outstanding memory means he can recall every single moment of those nine years.
DI Rebecca Kent has two major investigations under way. She's been tasked with the cold case relating to the Garrett family murders and she's also trying to hunt down a killer known as 'Copy Joe' - so called because he's carrying out killings that are a copy of one the area's most notorious murderers.
Theodore Tate was the detective in charge of the original Garett investigation, and Rebecca needs to enlist his help. And what an awesome team these two make! Brilliant characters, two larger than life people who work so well together and who the reader will back all of the way.
It's a complex tale that is utterly gripping, unique and incredibly clever. The use of James' Coma-World and the slight cross-overs into the real world are imaginatively done, delivering twist after twist and are quite astounding.
It's a complex tale that is utterly gripping, unique and incredibly clever. The use of James' Coma-World and the slight cross-overs into the real world are imaginatively done, delivering twist after twist and are quite astounding.
This is addictive stuff, makes you want to turn the pages faster and faster, the closer to the end that you get. Thrilling. Another stand out crime novel from such a talented author.
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His books have been translated into over twenty languages.
He’s won the won the Ngaio Marsh Award three times, the Saint-Maur Crime Novel of the Year Award, and Foreword Reviews Thriller of the Year, and has been shortlisted for the Ned Kelly, Edgar and Barry Awards.
He’s thrown his Frisbee in over forty countries, plays tennis badly, golf even worse, and has two cats – which is often two too many.
The Pain Tourist is his (lucky) thirteenth novel
Twitter @PaulCleave
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