Tom Vater’s latest novel is a slick globetrotting adventure, which combines the best aspects of a thriller with a traditional private eye adventure.
The third instalment in the Detective Maier series features the story of a missing photographer who dies in Thailand, only for his wife to discover he is alive and well. She hires Detective Maier to find out more about what’s going on and uncover the truth about her husband’s supposed death.
Quickly Detective Maier uncovers a huge conspiracy involving a plastic surgeon, hookers and the Moonstone Ghost image itself: the victim’s final photograph, which turns out to be incredibly dangerous. Detective Maier turns from the hunter to the prey as soon as he uncovers the photo and he is soon running around the world in search of the truth.
Working with his trusty sidekick Mikhail Detective Maier is in a race against time to find out what’s going on and beat a host of formidable foes including the CIA, a murderous doctor and a range of private international villains. Together the pair set out on a quest to find out the secrets behind the photo and whether or not the photographer who took it is dead or not.
Featuring an ensemble cast of characters from across the thriller spectrum, including an evil doctor, the CIA and of course the protagonist and his accomplice, the novel moves quickly so that readers are constantly enthralled by the ever-evolving plot. Vater keeps his reader hooked from the off, and Detective Maier is constantly on the move exploring new clues and checking out new leads, so there’s never any pause in the action for the reader to get bored in.
In all, The Monsoon Ghost Image is a tantalising thriller that really gets under your skin. With memorable characters, gritty dialogue and a fast-paced plot, this book really does have it all.
The Dorset Book Detective 