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Robertson, Craig - 'Snapshot'
Hardback: 400 pages (June 2011) Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd ISBN: 1847377289

If you enjoyed RANDOM, Craig Robertson's first thriller, then SNAPSHOT, his second, is equally likely to blow you away. With just the right amount of "ick-factor" for those of us that like our books gruesome, SNAPSHOT keeps you wincing and guessing right to the end. Truly scrumptious!

A leading Glaswegian drugs baron has been shot in the head by a sniper. The head of the rival gang is then taken out in a similar fashion shortly afterwards. Panic ensues as the identity of the killer - labeled the Dark Angel by the press - remains unknown and the dead start to pile up. Police are baffled and seemingly incapable of keeping up with the numbers of shootings. Then the sniper starts shooting police.

Enter Tony Winter: a police photographer who tends to obsess over taking pictures of dead bodies. He takes more photos at crime scenes than maybe he should, earning the dislike of his colleagues and superiors in the process, but it is this attention to detail that enables him to see something that forensics have missed. Armed with his vital clue he sets off to find the answers himself, knowing full well that he really should leave it to the "boys, and girls, in blue".

The connection between SNAPSHOT and RANDOM is the very lovely DS Rachel Narey. After her earlier inability to stop The Cutter, she is determined to be on her mettle this time around. Unfortunately, and to her utter exasperation, she is taken off the Dark Angel case and given the lead in a prostitute killing that has paled into insignificance beside the media frenzy surrounding the shooting spree known as Operation Nightjar. She and her colleague Julia Corrieri set out to solve the seemingly impossible and come up with some firm leads amidst the litter-bins and squalor of Glasgow's back alleys, where the "ladies of the night" ply their trade.

Narey's and Winter's findings are most definitely not what you expect and will have you squirming uncomfortably in your seat. SNAPSHOT is a completely captivating read and may well keep you up late, as you won't be able to separate yourself from it until you are done. Very highly recommended.

Amanda C M Gillies, Scotland
June 2011

Details of the author's other books with links to reviews can be found on the Books page.
More European crime fiction reviews can be found on the Reviews page.



last updated 11/06/2011 14:11