The Chase by Clive Custler

Hi all readers, firstly I should let you all know that I am a newby to the work of Clive Custler and this is the first novel I have read of his.

I got to say this is a truly fantastic novel; it captivated me from start to finish. I feel this may be partly down to my love of the olden days. Stories based on villains back in the good old days with limited technology and gadgets when you really had to use your initiative. That is not just the criminals but also the law enforcers.

Clive Custler has created a gripping novel which has twist and turns all the way through. I believe the unique selling point of this novel is that you follow the stories of two individuals the Butcher Bandit (main villain) and Isaac Bell (law enforcer). This unique take on the book brings you closer to both characters.

The Butcher Bandit is a vindictive, calculated, decisive, intelligent, wealthy, selfish man who has no care or remorse for anyone other than perhaps his sister. Which I believe Cluster did particularly well in letting his readers know about the Bandit and his relationship with his sister.

Isaac Bell on the overhand is very similar in some way to the Bandit he is also calculated, intelligent, wealthy and in a strange way without a care of others providing he gets his man.

The book takes through the life of both men as the Chase begins for Bell to catch the Bandit. The Chase takes you through many many different twists and turns all the way through.

But it is not the storyline that just makes this book a great read, it is the detail that Cluster has put in it. The detail in explaining everything really makes you picture what he is describing. Isaac's Bells car in particular the descriptive information given almost gives you that imagination of the engine noise; fantastic in my view.

The story was based in the early 1900's, the Butcher Bandit is a notorious bank robber who kills all witnesses. Mr Cluster take on this era is applaudable. To really take the context of the era and issue that where around back then and portray them in such a manor is brilliant.

The only critic regarding the storyline would be some of the robberies seemed a little too easy to pull of. Although this was done to show the Bandits brilliant criminal mind it sometimes came across to simple.

But other than that I really found the book very interesting and a lot of entertainment. Unfortunately I felt it lacked a little in humour I do like to find some laughter within a novel but the story was gripping.

I would strongly recommend that anyone has a read of this novel.

Amazon £3.50