Stuart Harrison: Lost Summer

By JANE PHARE

Stuart Harrison's latest murder-mystery novel moves at the pace of a long, slow summer. But if you're prepared to settle down and keep going, it'll be a good holiday read.

Harrison set out with determination to write best-selling novels, giving up life in the marketing/sales zone. He eventually got it right in his first published book, Snow Falcon. Lost Summer is his fourth novel.

Set in England, it's the story of freelance journalist Adam Turner, who sets out to investigate a car accident which kills three young people. The cause is put down to drink driving, but the sister of the alleged driver insists her epileptic brother never drank or drove.

Turner, who has spent his career specialising in investigating missing children, reluctantly takes on the assignment. He is driven by the haunting memory of Meg, a young gypsy girl who mysteriously disappeared in his home town during his youth. Now the car accident investigation takes him back to his home town, a lost love, old friends and foes.

There are a couple of aspects which stretch credibility. It's unclear exactly how Turner is financing his prolonged investigation.

The second is the motive for the murders. Sure there's money involved, development of local land in a forested area, greenie protesters who get roughed up. Some of the motives threaten to defy credibility. There are loose ends, unanswered questions.

But Harrison keeps the reader guessing; there are plots, sub-plots and unexpected twists.

Harrison is shaping up to be a good murder-mystery novelist, but the dialogue is heavy and complicated and he relies too heavily on it to explain a convoluted plot. The pace picks up later and, a little like Turner's old Porsche, moves a little too quickly towards the end.

HarperCollins

$31.95

* Jane Phare is an Auckland journalist.