I'm a huge fan of police procedurals with complex, twisty plots. Lately, I've devoured the entire series by Tess Gerritsen, and before that, I was obsessed with Jo Nesbo and his Harry Hole novels. The thing is, I just can't get enough of detective fiction, and I read them with a special enthusiasm. I've got almost all of Frank Tallis's books, and I'm really enjoying the series about Dr. Max Liebermann and Detective Inspector Eibert.
Publisher: Azbooka Series: Stars of world detective fiction
Number of pages: 416
Price: from 150 rubles in a soft cover
The book is available in both paperback and hardcover formats. The hardcover is a bit harder to find, I guess they're selling off the remaining stock, not sure if there will be a new print run.
I have the soft cover, and for detective novels, this format is more to my liking. They're usually one-offs, read quickly, and there's no point in overpaying for the same text.
The pages are glued at the base, thin, newspaper-style, and grey in color. They hold up okay, as long as you don't open the book too wide.
On the back, instead of the usual blurb, you'll find information about the author and their writing credentials.
I prefer when the back of the book has a summary of the plot. This one has an 18+ age restriction, so it's sold in a wrapper, and you can't flip through it before buying.
This shows all the books by Frank Tallis that were out at the time of publication. 'The Phantom's Apprentice' is the fourth in the series about Dr. Max Liebermann and Detective Inspector Eibert. In it, Lucy is once again leading the investigation.
Plot
Everything in this book is strange: a woman with a jumbled mind, a strange math-mad killer nicknamed 'M' and Lucy, a police lieutenant who has to decipher a disjointed 5-minute ramble from a stranger, track down the killer, and figure out how he's connected to her new acquaintance.
I was hooked on the story of a young woman running through a storm, struggling to breathe. On her hand was carved 'Pr returned.' She had no idea what day of the week or month it was. She thought her mom was alive, but her mom had been gone for years. Lucy Enebel, a police lieutenant, was trying to understand who this woman was, what the words carved into her skin meant, and where the rope burns on her wrists came from. The key to unlocking the mystery lay in the heroine's memories, but they vanished faster than footprints in the sand after a wave crashed over them... Four minutes – that's all any memory was given. After that, it was erased.
My Takeaways
I connected more with Charco than Lucy, who still feels like a mysterious and illogical character to me. She's obsessed with advancing in her career, solving high-profile and gruesome crimes, and she sees that as the meaning of life. But she constantly uses her kids as an excuse, saying work comes first, yet she's always beating herself up over it.
Leaving her kids with a neighbor and rushing off to a crime scene at night, without clearing it with her superiors? Easy for her. And then she's all upset about being a bad mom. When I started reading the book, I wanted to put it down, I didn't like the main character as a person, but she's skilled at piecing together clues and moving quickly in the investigation.
But in this book, her character finally starts to open up to the reader from a different side, we get more of her past, personal stuff, and honesty.
The enigmatic woman with short-term memory is called Manon. She's a more vibrant and central character, her words and memories hold a lot of weight. It seems like she knows more than she's able to tell because of her condition. Maybe she's the most valuable witness or an experiment by Professor. With each new chapter, the tension and excitement build.
The author's style is very recognizable, he loves exploring the possibilities of the human brain, psychiatry, and dreams. The topic isn't overdone, and I haven't read anything like Frank Tallis before. The book delves into human memory, which parts are involved, and how easily you can forget certain things, but remember tiny details from 20 years ago. There are some unique experiments in the book that add to the overall story. And, it ends with some math, after reading the book, you'll definitely see numbers in a different light. I never thought I'd be so immersed in numbers and be able to relate them to everyday life.
The book is engaging, easy to read, and full of suspense. You want to get to the end quickly, uncover all the secrets, including Lucy's mystery, which the author has been hinting at throughout the book, but only gives you small clues.
So, what did I like about this book? Well, for starters, the price is ridiculously affordable, especially considering you get all the bells and whistles. I mean, I've seen similar products on the market for double the price, and they don't even come close to delivering the same level of quality.One thing that really stood out to me was the customer support. They're super responsive, and their team is knowledgeable and helpful. I had a question about the return policy, and they got back to me within the hour. That's what I call excellent service!
And let's not forget about the shipping. It was fast, reliable, and the packaging was top-notch. I was a bit skeptical at first, but they really know how to get the job done.
Overall, I'd highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good detective novel. It's engaging, suspenseful, and full of twists and turns. And, as a bonus, it's a great value for the price.