Peter Morfoot's Impure Blood was published by Titan Books in April 2016.
Information about Peter Morfoot:
Peter Morfoot has written a number of plays and sketch shows for BBC radio and TV and is the author of the acclaimed satirical novel, Burksey. He has lectured in film, holds a PhD in Art History, and has spent thirty years exploring the life, art and restaurant tables of the French Riviera, the setting for his series of crime novels featuring Captain Paul Darac of Nice's Brigade Criminelle. He lives in Cambridge.
Information about Impure Blood:
In the heat of a French summer, Captain Paul Darac of the Nice Brigade Criminelle is called to a highly sensitive crime scene. A man has been found murdered in the midst of a Muslim prayer group, but no one saw how it was done. Then the organisers of the Nice leg of the Tour de France receive an unlikely terrorist threat. In what becomes a frantic race against time, Darac must try and unpick a complex knot in which racial hatred, sex and revenge are tightly intertwined.
A REVIEW OF PETER MORFOOT'S IMPURE BLOOD
Peter Morfoot's Impure Blood is the first novel in the Captain Darac series of mystery novels.
It's great that Titan Books has published this novel, because it will equally impress dedicated fans of mystery fiction and those who don't normally read this kind of fiction, because the author has come up with a story that is simultaneously modern and old-fashioned.
I've often found it difficult to root for mystery and thriller fiction, because most authors lack the necessary literary skills to captivate me with their stories. Fortunately - every once in a while - I've come across talented authors who are capable of writing good stories and succeed in creating well-developed characters. I'm especially fond of authors who write Victorian mystery fiction, but I also have respect for authors who write modern fiction with a touch of old-fashioned charm.
Peter Morfoot is - along with such modern authors as David Sutton, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Anna Waterhouse etc - one of the best mystery authors, because he writes well-balanced mystery fiction that is a pleasure to read. His fiction differs nicely from what has become the norm for modern mystery fiction, because he pays attention to atmosphere, happenings and complexity.
In my opinion, Impure Blood is proof of the fact that British authors are masters of the mystery genre. When they write mystery fiction and thriller stories, they concentrate on tiny details and atmosphere, and what's best, they never lose sight of what's important and are not afraid of surprising readers with plot twists. They also create interesting and humane characters who have not been cut out of the cookie cutter mold.
Here's a bit of information about the story:
- In the prologue, a boy is swinging a scythe in the field. He senses some kind of a creature approaching him, but can't see it...
- An anonymoys female caller has informed the authorities that a man has been murdered at a Muslim prayer service. It's impossible for Captain Darac to identify and trace the caller, because the emergency number she'd dialled was a free call. He finds out that the victim, Emil Florian, is a teacher at Lycée Mossette in Riquier...
This is the beginning of an intriguing story that has subtle complexity, interesting characters and a location (Nice) that has seldom been used in mystery fiction.
The characterisation is good, because the author makes his characters come alive by writing vividly about their various deeds and traits. Readers get to read about who and what the characters are and how they deal with things. It was interesting for me to read about their differences and how they interacted with each other. The relationship between Captain Darac and the public prosecutor Jules Frènes is a good example of excellent character interaction.
Captain Darac is a well-created and fascinating protagonist. He has been living in Nice for ten years, and he plays jazz in his free time. Because he's a Frenchman, he offers excellent counterbalance for British and American detectives and police constables, which have been seen in many mystery novels.
I enjoyed reading about the investigations and police procedures, because Captain Darac and his team found out interesting things about the victim. As an example I can mention that traces of GHB sweetened with sugar was found on the victim. I won't go into more details about what the investigations reveal, but I can mention that many readers will enjoy finding out what happens.
It's nice that the events take place in France, because it brings freshness to the story. When you read this novel, you get a feeling that the author is genuinely fascinated by France and the French Riviera. He evokes a beautiful and evocative vision of Nice with his prose. His depictions of the city, its surroundings and its people vibrate with life and atmosphere.
I found it interesting that the author also wrote about Tour de France, because it added additional fascination to the story. I'm not an expert on mystery fiction, but I think that this is something that is not often seen on the pages of mystery novels.
It's great that Peter Morfoot has combined several different elements ranging from murder mystery to possible threat of terrorism into his debut novel, because it makes the story intriguing. This mystery novel has quite a lot of substance and subtle complexity, which sets it apart from other similar kind of novels.
Readers who enjoy reading Impure Blood will be pleased to know that two sequels (Babazouk Blues and Box of Bones) will soon be published by Titan Books. I look forward to reading them, because I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and its thrilling atmosphere. This novel effectively lays the foundation for the further novels.
I was genuinely impressed by Peter Morfoot's Impure Blood and its entertainment values. If you're in need of good and well written mystery fiction, please invest a bit of time into reading this novel, because the story is entertaining and the events take place in Nice.
My final words are:
This novel is intriguing mystery fiction for adult readers!