13) A Thousand Cuts by Thomas Mogford
This is the fourth (or possibly fifth) Spike Sanguinetti mystery by Thomas Mogford, and I think this is one of the best. What raises them above the average or the norm for me is the setting on Gibraltar, which is a place I don’t know at all (apart from backward-looking Tory leaders suggesting that it could be the next Falklands War). It doesn’t come across well generally, as a home of tax avoidance and online gaming, but this thriller mines its history to good effect – with Spanish, German and Gibraltan history being woven into an interesting tale.
Sanguinetti is a lawyer and an engaging character: troubled, flawed, can’t-ignore-a-cause etc but he’s becoming more complex and layered with each episode in the series, and I enjoyed the depth to his characterisation this time. He seemed a bit two dimensional before, but a stable-ish relationship and a child, as well as his quirky father, have brought new facets to light, and I think this is where Mogford is beginning to shine. That, and a fast-paced, multi-layered plot which ratchets up as time goes on.
Recommended for a quick, good read – and do check out the earlier books in the series.
Score: 7/10
BUY IT HERE: A Thousand Cuts (A Spike Sanguinetti Mystery)
Dog-eared Man: a book a week 