I don't make a habit of reviewing books that are not newly released, but I have to make an exception for The Night Ferry, Michael Robotham's third novel of a loose "series" featuring a cast of changing characters including psychologist Joe O'Loughlin and detectives Vincent Ruiz and Alisha Barba.
I make an exception because this is a truly excellent novel that I hope I can help a few more people to find. This is the first of Michael Robotham's book I have actually read, as the other three I have downloaded from Audible and listened to on iPod with the exceptional narration of Sean Barrett (more of which when I have listened to the last couple of hours of Rowbotham's most recent novel, Shatter).
The Night Ferry is a book I had heard whispers about. Whispers suggesting it belonged in the first class of crime fiction. The whispers were absolutely spot on. This is a near flawless novel.
What makes it special is the combination of a powerhouse plot with gravitas, urgency and depth and the development of fascinating, multi-layered characters. The cement that holds them together is Robotham's exceptional feel for a story and how it develops and an exquisite way with words. Often, when listening to Robotham's books, I find myself simply nodding at how "right" every passage is - the way a chapter ends or starts, how a new character or idea is introduced. Timing is not a quality that applies easily to writing, but Rowbotham has it in spades.
The plot, as is the case with all his books, is darker than night itself. Ali Barba is contacted by an old, long-lost friend desperate for help. They meet at a school reunion but before the friend can explain her problem, she is knocked down by a car and killed. At first it looks accidental but Barba, her detective instincts to the fore, refuses to accept the obvious explanation. Her investigation, aided by old friend Vincent Ruiz - perhaps the most singluar and interesting of all current fictional detectives - leads her to the black heart of the intercontinental trade in babies and the desperate lives of those caught in its merciless grip.
If it were not quite so dark, The NIght Ferry would be a one-sitting thriller. It is entrancing, in part because Rowbotham makes it impossible for the reader not to care about the characters. But even to a reader such as myself who is hardened to the viciousness of life as portayed by this type of fiction, there are moments in this book that require respite.
But it is exceptional, and if you haven't found it yet, get out there and grab a copy.
(further reading: excellent LA Times review. )
