Well, if you’re looking for a crime thriller with a difference, The Cracked Mirror is definitely it! I’m a fan of Scottish author Chris Brookmyre and his unique and humorous approach the crime novels. The Cracked Mirror absolutely ticks those boxes while throwing an extra surprise into the mix.
Opening sentence: There was a body in the chapel of Saint Bride’s.
I’ll start off by saying that you need to pay attention! As well as there being three very separate storylines (that merge together eventually) in play, there are a lot of characters in the mix and when some of them are not who they seem / who you first think they are, things can get confusing!
So, our main characters are… Ms Penelope (Penny) Coyne from Perthshire, Scotland and Johnny Hawke from LA, America. They are representations of the two distinct types of detectives that pop up in fiction and seeing the way their relationship develops is a truly lovely part of this read.
Johnny is starting to suss that if Penny does have a superpower, it’s kindness.
Twists and turns
The Cracked Mirror is a perfect title for this book as the plot does splinter in many directions. For starters, The Cracked Mirror is a novel by a character in the book, and that level of reference sets the scene well.
It was an intriguing but confounding novel in which each chapter seemed to belong to a completely different book.
I can’t go into the many plot details here but things are kicked off when Johnny notices a pattern of apparent suicides that he thinks are, in fact, murders. His path crosses with Penny’s at a society wedding at Crathie Hall, in Scotland and from there, things ramp up.
From the unexpected suicide of a bride, to a mysterious screenwriter no-one can track down to a tech whizz-kid with a secret, there is a lot happening but its all so cleverly done and weaves together in a brilliant way you will not see coming. Which is the very best feeling.
The blending of the two (opposite) detective types is done so well, I loved all the nods to both sides of detective fiction – the gritty and the classic. The Cracked Mirror is a truly clever, funny, engrossing read – definitely a breath of fresh air in the crime genre.
- Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC;
- Get your copy of The Cracked Mirror here;
- Published by Abacus 18th July 2024;
- 400 pages;
- Book review rating:
Books on the 7:47 
One thought