The Night Ferry

M.R. A REFRESHING NEW TALENT WHO KNOWS HOW TO GRIP YOUR ATTENTION. THE LEVEL OF EXCITEMENT IS WAY UP ON YOUR AVERAGE THRILLER - THE NIGHTFERRY PROVES A MAN OF EXTRAORDINARY IMAGINATION AND DEPT.

First Sentence: It was Graham Greene who said a story has no beginning or end. DS Alisha Barba is going to her school reunion to see her former best friend Cate Beaumount, from whom she has been estranged for eight years. Cate appears to be eight months pregnant but when a car runs her down, Ali finds Cate is wearing padding to appear pregnant yet tells Ali that someone is trying to take her baby away. Among Cate's possessions, Ali finds a sonogram of twins. In trying to find out what is going on, Ali is plunged into a world of prostitution, human-smuggling, and forced pregnancies. There are so many layers to this book. Ali is a woman police officer dealing with all the prejudices that women face working in a testosterone environment. Ali is a Sikh so she has that prejudice to deal with, as well as a very traditional mother always trying to arrange a marriage for her. Robotham has done a masterful job of creating this character and giving her a voice. She has a past, a sense of humor and a drive to uncover the truth and find justice that make her a strong, interesting and, occasionally, a reckless character. There were times I wanted to yell at her for being stupid and was amazed at her ability to take a severe beating and keep going. It is a painful book to read, at times. We may complain about immigration problems in our country--we have nothing about which to complain--and the issue of orphaned children and the treatment of women in other parts of the world is something about which most of us are exceedingly naïve. However, those elements never overwhelmed the story. The suspense grew as the story progressed and I found myself staying up way to late because I wasn't going to bed without finishing it. I haven't read Robotham's previous books but I'm sure going to look for them as well as new books up and coming.

Editors always say that they want a book that transcends genre. Here is exhibit A. The book is even more successful than its predecessor, Lost, and that is saying a great deal. The characters are both interesting and absorbing, the themes both contemporary and eternal, the plot stunning in its twists, turns and inevitabilities. Its effects accumulate gradually until the book's final third--which reaches a pile-driving crescendo of suspense, tragic realism, and satisfying resolution, all punctuated with very-carefully measured ladles of exquisite, appropriate violence. I would say that the book is a perfect model for the aspiring crime novelist--tried and true but refreshingly new, faithful to genre in every way, but stretching it at every point, and demonstrating the transcendent powers of the form in the hands of a skilled practitioner. The only problem with using it as a model is that it is so intimidating in its reach, its knowledge, and in its ultimate success. By every measure, Robotham is one of the most important new voices in crime fiction. Don't miss him.

The narrative voice of Alisha Barba, Olympic-class runner and collector of elephants, is original, both in tone and content. I know virtually nothing about Sikh culture, so I can't judge accuracy, but Ali's casual monologue on the life and loves of a "Sikh girl" is very engaging. Her sentences are choppy and terse, as though she speaks while on one of her runs. At first it's hard to follow a line of thought, but the reader quickly gets used to it. Robotham stays consistent to DC Barba's voice as the story develops. Big picture, well things occasionally do seem random, jagged, lacking smooth transitions. But life is like that, isn't it? Stuff keeps happening. The events arise logically from the immediate action, even if Alisha's actions are often ill-considered and unwise. She's a bit preachy, but that fits in with her character, and at least she's funny about it. The supporting characters - boyfriend, old boss, Dutch policeman, father of dead best friend, deaf girl, bad boys and evil men - are vivid and individual, each with ticks that allow us to remember them sans a ton of narrative each time they pop up. We come to care about these people, even the bad ones. Robotham has my favorite formula: vivid settings, new stuff to learn, and engaging characters, all in a plot that rarely drags. Unlike many thriller writers, Robotham isn't afraid of women. Both Ali and Samira are strong and brave and accomplished, but neither topples into that favorite mold of thriller-mills, the multi-tasking, ultra-hot Super-Chick, the action-Barbie who is merely the flip-side of vacuous. These women make mistakes, misunderstand circumstances, misread people. And yet they are still strong enough to rise above their own errors and carry the action with them. I'm going to go back to read the author's earlier books, even though Alisha isn't a main character. I just hope that we see more of Ms Barba in the future.

The Night Ferry is Australian author Michael Robotham's third thriller. The first two titles are Suspect and Lost. Alisha Barba is a Sikh and a London police detective. She's recovering from a serious back injury (occurred in Lost) that has sidelined her for almost a year, nearly preventing her from returning to work. When she finally is able to report for duty, she learns she's going to be `tucked' away in a nothing job-and she's not willing to do that. Alisha receives a cryptic note from her estranged childhood best friend, Cate, imploring her to meet her at the women's high school reunion. Wanting to put right their relationship, Alisha goes to the reunion. The women have little chance to talk before a speeding car darts out of nowhere and runs down Cate and her husband. Before a very pregnant Cate dies, she manages to whisper to Alisha that someone is trying to take her baby and she begs her old friend to stop them. Motivated by Cate's death request and a startling revelation about Cate's pregnancy, Alisha, with the help of retired Inspector Vincent Ruiz, follow the clues about Cate's baby to Amsterdam. They find human embryos, forced prostitution, human trafficking, and dangerous people who will stop at nothing to accomplish their evil goals. Robotham's thriller is chilling. It's fast paced, the plot sizzles and the characters are well-drawn. You love the good guys and root for them and you despise the bad guys and hope they go down hard. The Night Ferry forces the reader to take a long, hard look at the evil that walks among us-and it allows us to hope for better. He gives us two strong and determined people in Alisha and Vincent-two people that represent a willingness to fight for what is right. But it is the depths of depravity that Robotham presents that will haunt you for a long, long time because we know that the situation he presents occurs. And that makes us all less human. Armchair Interviews says: A must read. And pick up Suspect and Lost for a triple good read.