• click here to return to the homepage •
| YOU ARE HERE : Home > Categories > Books > Fiction > The Burn Card | |
| ProdID: 9326 - The Burn CardWritten bySimon Lendrum | Product Score: 9.0 |
|
O'Malley makes his living at the poker table, but he also has a reputation for solving problems the police won't touch. When an acquaintance asks him to look into his nephew's unexplained death, O'Malley figures there is little harm in helping out. But in Auckland's underworld, no favour stays simple for long. Now he is investigating a young man, the cause of whose death nobody powerful enough cared to investigate, and a rigged card game that has drawn the attention of people who collect debts with extreme prejudice. As the heat rises from every direction, only Claire - O'Malley's smartest and most reluctant accomplice - can keep him from getting burned. |
|||||||
|
There is nothing like the prospect of a good whodunnit to entice a reader into checking out a new crime novel. The Burn Card does not disappoint. It offers two strong protagonists (O'Malley and Claire) who spark off each other as they join forces to solve a murder, each contributing different skills to the investigation. Claire is actually the better amateur sleuth, something which O'Malley is forced to admit despite his reluctance to do so. The title - The Burn Card - is a direct reference to the practice of removing a card from a pack to minimise opportunities for cheating. Poker is the way O'Malley makes his living, and the events that unfold in the course of the story are the result of his involvement in gambling, whether directly or indirectly. I was impressed that author Simon Lendrum addresses the multiracial aspects of Auckland's population. As one of the Pacific's most cosmopolitan cities, it is often cited abroad as an example of how a city with multiple ethnic groups should function. While it is true that Aotearoa New Zealand has its share of racism and crime, this story presents a generally positive image in terms of racial and ethnic cooperation without descending into tokenism. As for the criminal underworld, this is a fact of life in most countries today. Lendrum's use of wry humour adds an extra layer of enjoyment to the book. Some of his original observations are quite memorable. For example. he has no time for mercenary religious organisations, explaining that all are welcome in Wells' church as long as they have perfect teeth (courtesy of a dentist!). He further explains that promotional videos issued by the church do not actively entice new members because, in the secular world, cat videos rule supreme! There are references to many issues, both local and worldwide, which shape society today and form a backdrop to the story. The rise of charismatic organisations that challenge traditional forms of worship, with their EFTPOS terminals in entrance foyers to enable "effortless political donations to God" and the emphasis on wealth, is presented as a negative influence on impressionable young people. Drug smuggling and arms misuse are both seen as contributing to a growing culture of crime. Recent events in Aotearoa New Zealand such as the Christchurch mosque attacks help to position the narrative in contemporary Aotearoa. Issues in the wider world like the role of internet chat groups in spreading misinformation are also referenced to add to the contemporary feel of the story, making the narrative more relevant to a modern reader. I found once I had started reading that I could not put the book down. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I read it a second time just in case I had missed something. O'Malley is a rogue but a likeable one, and Claire's character is a perfect foil to his. I now look forward to a sequel featuring the same protagonists, and am also inspired to track down the earlier book (The Slow Roll) which introduces O'Malley and Claire. |
|
It is always interesting to read a book set in a place that I know really well. The Auckland Simon Lendrum describes is a familiar setting; I have spent many years in and around the places he describes. It is interesting how little has changed over the years. Scratch the surface and, despite new developments, the familiar streets and neighbourhoods are still there. More crime, perhaps, and more societal changes, but not as much as I would have expected. This is an ambitious book insofar as it attempts to present a number of secondary characters in support of the main character, O'Malley. At times I found this technique confusing and had to reread a chapter to be sure I had the right person. I would like to have seen more character development to make the distinctions clearer. I also found the character of Claire to be rather too competent as she proved many times to be a better amateur sleuth than O'Malley himself. However, despite those reservations, I found the book to be an entertaining read. I appreciated the way the author draws from the multiracial aspects of Auckland. As one of the Pacific's most cosmopolitan cities, it is often presented abroad as an example of how a city with multiple ethnicities should function. While it is true that Aotearoa New Zealand has its share of racism and crime, this story presents a generally positive viewpoint in terms of racial and ethnic cooperation. I found several specific references, some of which made me smile. They certainly positioned the narrative in the North Island; had I not already known that the story was set in Auckland, I would have picked it up from these expressions. Tweeters, durries, K Road, Wynyard Quarter, Ponsonby - all giveaways for anyone familiar with the city. There is also a number of descriptions of physical violence, perhaps more than would be usual in a typical Auckland day. There are original observations scattered throughout the book as Lendrum explains that anyone can join Wells' church as long as their teeth are perfect (seeking the assistance of a dentist if necessary), and the lack of buy-in from those perusing the church's Facebook promotional videos (because in the secular world, cat videos rule supreme!) One especially effective description was that of the woman who is "full-on school-bake-sale friendly". There are indirect references to events, both local and worldwide, which most people will pick up if they follow the news. Charismatic churches that have more in common with cults than with mainstream religion, even offering terminals in the entrance foyers to enable "effortless political donations to God"; disasters in the wider world, often attributed to corrupt and/or incompetent leadership; drug smuggling and its social implications: all contribute to the story development. |
| User Comments |
| Printed at 10:17:59am on Friday 25th September 2026 |
