Monday, March 18, 2013

The Interrogator's Notebook by Martin Ott

The Interrogator's NotebookNorman Kross is a career interrogator who has worked covertly in some of the most dangerous places in the world. He returns to his LA home, contemplating retirement and coming to terms with his past. He may be a master at unlocking others’ secrets, but he is blind to the truth of his relationship with his wife, sons, father, and friends. Floundering as a teacher, Norman agrees to take on one last assignment, to interrogate a character actor who may be responsible for the death of a director’s daughter. The secrets he uncovers are far more terrifying than any battlefield, any windowless room, any passage in the notebook he feverishly writes in to make sense of what men are capable of behind their masks.

This is definitely one of those books that suck you in as soon as you start reading it. It is a smart thriller that keeps you guessing until the end.

Norman, the protagonist, is a flawed character. Now, this might feel like a cliché, the jaded detective, but it really doesn’t feel like it at all as you read. The author does such a nice job of shaping him into a fully-dimensional character that he is able to avoid Norman being forgotten amidst all the similar characters in this genre.

This book is more than just a thriller, though, since the writing lends itself for deeper analysis. There are some lovely images and thoughtful scenes that we don’t usually get in this genre. It really added to the ambience. The details and descriptions never get in the way of the plot, however, highlighting the important things instead of overwhelming them.

This is one thriller that I would recommend for all lovers if this genre or anyone looking for an edge-of-your-seat read.
 
 
 
 
 

No comments: