Giles Blunt ~ By Time You Read This

By The Time You Read This
Giles Blunt
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
ISBN: 0805080619












Book Description:

"Detective John Cardinal is on the hunt for an ingenious killer even as he mourns his own wife’s tragic death in this thriller of heart-stopping suspense

Autumn has arrived in Algonquin Bay, and with it an unusual spate of suicides. The most shocking victim yet is Detective John Cardinal’s wife, who has finally succumbed to her battle with manic depression. As Cardinal takes time to grieve, his partner, Lise Delorme, handles an unsavory assignment: a young girl appears in a series of unspeakable photos being traded online, and background elements indicate she lives in Algonquin Bay. Delorme is desperate to find the girl before she suffers more abuse.

When Cardinal receives a string of hateful anonymous notes about his wife’s death, he begins to suspect homicide. His colleagues believe he is too distraught to think clearly, and he’s forced to investigate alone. In doing so, he comes up against a brand of killer neither he—nor the reader—has ever seen before.
In his most masterful and thrilling novel yet, Giles Blunt confirms his reputation as a rising international star in crime fiction, and positions Detective John Cardinal among the finest characters in the genre."

Reviewed by Gina Holmes:

By The Time you Read this was difficult to read, yet impossible not to. Blunt is a superb story-teller and master of the craft. Every character is fleshed out with detailed histories, fallibilities and redemptive qualities. The story-line itself is far from cliche, as Giles interwove seemingly unrelated threads into one satisfying and believable tapestry.

I was pleased that this writer relied on skill, not gratuitous swearing, sex or other lazy means to keep readers turning pages.

By The Time You Read This is a fantastic novel, but be forewarned that it is dark. Most of these characters are either depressed or suicidal. This story deals with child-abuse and pornography, and though the sexual abuse is "off stage", much detail is given and this was difficult to read.

All in all, this was an excellent novel and I offer a strong recommendation.