Driftnet
by Lin Anderson
Hodder & Stoughton, HK$105
The fast pace of crime novels often adds to the tension and serves to keep readers rapt from start to end. So much so that consuming a book in a single sitting can feel like a gluttonous affair. That's why Lin Anderson's Driftnet might leave you sated, but also exhausted and a bit guilty about your predilection for vice. Her story concerns not only murder but also paedophilia, which adds to the general feeling of discomfort. Rhona MacLeod, a forensic scientist working in Glasgow, is called to collect evidence in the murder of a rent boy whose body has been shockingly abused. But more unnerving is his resemblance to her and a birthmark that reminds her of her own child: a boy she gave up for adoption 17 years ago. Trying to determine whether the victim is related and, more importantly, the identity of his killer affords her a fast track into a depraved world that feeds off internet child-sex connections. Although forensic details are written with precision and the story well plotted, the characters lack dimension.