In the Country of the Blind by Matthew Arkin

I won’t go into detail about the story line; it is well covered in the book description and by other authors. It is part legal thriller and part murder mystery, with the main character, Zach Brandis becoming the story’s amateur sleuth without really wanting to except to help his latest lady friend.

Slowly he gets drawn in more and more even though the lady n question leaves town.

A former lawyer turned building superintendent, Zach is a very likeable, easy going character with a sense of humour. His is a character that grows with the story.

Arkin has an easy reading style that is well paced and flows well; gradually unravelling his story. His expressive prose includes his extended descriptions that include not only the sights and sounds of the scene but the little gestures of the characters bringing it all to life for the reader.

The author obviously knows New York well and his descriptions are a testament to that as he takes streets of the city and sights, sounds and smells.

However, having said that, because I do not live in the US I found frequent use of local jargon, brand names, food and street names didn’t help me understand parts of the story.

With such a likeable character with interesting sub characters I can see this story and follow ups as a TV series.

I received an electronic copy of this book by the author for an honest review

This review is also available from my website www.pam.id.au

Although I had difficulty understanding the New York expressions and descriptions I still believe this is an excellent red and give it 4*