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Books

Main villain: the aftermath of war

A review of The Reckoning, by Rennie Airth, a thriller that leaves your nerves unshredded but thoughts haunted

26 July 2014

9:00 AM

26 July 2014

9:00 AM

The Reckoning Rennie Airth

Mantle, pp.372, £18.99, ISBN: 9781447261223

Most crime novels offer a curious kind of escape, to places that jag the nerves and worry the mind. Their rides of suspense give a good thrill, but it’s rarely a comfortable one. If it’s cosy detection we’re after, we usually look to the past, as Dylan Thomas clearly did: ‘Poetry is not the most important thing in life… I’d much rather lie in a hot bath reading Agatha Christie and sucking sweets.’ 

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