A Twist of Fortune tells the story of drug smuggling gangs and multiple homicides, but the book isn't fixated on murder mystery and instead weaves the criminal investigation narrative around those of the decline of the local fishing industry and Windflower's personal life, relationships and his love of the local food and not so local scotch whisky. The story of the decline of a once thriving local industry is universal, one could draw parallels between Newfoundland fishing and UK mining towns, so a lack of local knowledge won't effect your enjoyment of this book. Indeed the bleak, snowy, daylight limited setting will be familiar to viewers of Sky Atlantic's recent flagship TV series Fortitude.
The action moves at a steady pace throughout and with relatively short chapters it's easy to get stuck in. My only criticism is the balance of criminal investigation with character development and sub-plots. It can feel a little mundane at times, as I'm sure police often work is, but a little less coffee and doughnuts and a little more drama and tension-building certainly wouldn't go amiss. A solid and absorbing read nonetheless.
7/10
