Backlash (Anna Travis, #8) By Lynda La Plante

This was my first Lynda La Plante book. There was a lot to like in this book. So it was mostly 3 stars, but there were some 2 star spots as well. I have another one of her books in my possession. I'll read it eventually.

I liked a couple of different things in this book. The story was in constant motion. There were always clues being revealed without wild speculation and the characters were moving forward. I also appreciated some of the twists and turns. This all kept it from being boring.

My dislikes aren't anything major. Just a bunch of little things, some a little more irritating than others. There was obvious backstory I wasn't privy to, so some of the characters weren't quite understood. I wish more info was given about them. I appreciated that the antagonist was despicable enough, but I also felt I wanted more info about him.

Lastly, I did the audio and I didn't care much for the way the reader did male voices. It was hard to keep track of who was talking. 484 Anna Travis is involved in another murder, which at least in this case isn't a mystery. Caught red handed with the body of a woman in the back of a stolen truck, the culprit is swiftly taken for questioning. Feeling like a bit of a brag, he lets out that a number of unsolved murders were also to his name, including a high profile case of a young girl going missing years ago. Langton couldn't solve it and Travis realises he's been haunted by it ever since.

The symbiotic relationship between Langton and Travis continues, and we see Langton in a more demure state than previously exhibited these novels. Less cantankerous due to his situation, Travis has the upper hand and is strong in her retorts!

Still very much a procedural based novel, Backlash was far more interesting than some of the previous La Plante books that came before it. 484 Here's why I think I can't get into la Plante's novels. So far, the ones I've read, she tells you who the killer is somewhere around the second chapter. Like the good raised on agatha Christie reader that I am, I am constantly waiting for the shocker, the surprise or the fact that the killer is a red herring. It never happens. Instead, the book is dedicated to how the killer is caught, trapped, etc and that's not very interesting to me. I also don't think the characters are very well developed and I find myself confusing them. I'm not sure how she is labeled as a thriller writer as this book did not thrill me but made me yawn instead. 2.5 stars 484 The writing was so below par that I couldn't be bothered to read beyond page 25 or so to find out whether the plot was any good. Almost as bad as Dan Brown! 484 I heard Ms La Plante talk at the Melbourne writer’s festival last year and was impressed. She is a wonderful speaker, perhaps courtesy of her actress background. She’s had a colourful life and her early experiences in acting has enabled her to grasp personality from her research and transfer it to the screen – and to her books. I have read most if not all and found them enjoyable, as well as gritty, with tight plots and excellent characters. Think Helen Mirren in Prime Suspect.
As writers get older and start churning out serials there is a tendency to rely on their established characters (not such a bad thing) and stick to formulas. The latter is less of a success and the former variable depending on how well they were set up in the first place. I’ve stopped buying James Patterson, stopped buying Ludlum’s before he died and got franchised for these problems as well as them perhaps being a bit lazy. Or burnt out. It must be hard to keep feeling inspired and come up with fresh or new ideas. Also I wonder if when you become famous and guaranteed of sales you either ignore editors or they get lazy. I haven’t read JKRowlings latest but just from weight I wonder about this!
So to Lynda La Plante’s. Mmm. Some if not all of the above problems. There are two good characters well developed in previous books- Anna Travis and James Langton. Trouble is, apart from the latter being grumpy and in pain as usual (okay a knee op but just more of the same), and Anna grieving over her murdered fiancée, there is no further development in their lives or relationship. Then there’s the plot. It reads like following a police operation. A high level case maybe but otherwise business as usual. No real twists (you can barely say the end is even a surprise). Writing is competent but from someone this successful I expect more.
484

SUMMARY Backlash (Anna Travis, #8)

It is late at night on a notorious council estate in London. A van - painted with a grinning clown's face on the side - is being driven erratically. When the police pull over the driver to question him, they discover, inside the van, the body of a young woman. A murder suspect, an arrest, a confession. A case done and dusted? Backlash (Anna Travis, #8)

This is the 8th book in the Anna Travis series by author Lynda La Plante.
After a slightly disappointing book 7 it was good to get back into the very consistent groove made by this author. This novel picks up the high standards again and moves the series forward with not just a very good plot but also updates all the little sub plots that make this series so enjoyable.
In this novel the chance arrest of an erratic driver leads to the discovery of a dead body and a potential lead to a cold case that has haunted DCI James Langton for five years. While Langton is recovering from an operation, Anna Travis leads his case with a race against time to prove the link.
This is another very good novel that is a cut above others mostly due to the high standard of inter-action between the main characters. The characters in this series are so well written and I can't wait for the next instalment. 484 Not the sort of book I would typically pick up and read, but my better half and me have a habbit of swapping books on holiday and talking about them.

These kinds of books (for me at least) are defined by the originality of the plot and how this unfolds as you read the book, and whether I can guess what happens and who the culprits are. I care very little about the actual characters themselves, or rather, I care only what they bring to the story and plot.

The book itself is technically very well written, and it very easy to read. My problem with this book however comes from many perspectives.

1. The plot is dull - maybe perhaps we all expect twists and turns, but the story was predictable, boring and by half way through, guessed pretty accurately what was going to happen.

2. The characters whilst described in rich detail, are flat and unbelievable - they say the right things, but they come across as clichéd and hammy.

3. Sometimes the author just goes into the minutiae of detail around process and procedure - hardly makes for good reading.

4. Ending was awful and I felt let down and disappointed.


So I would not recommend this book unless you were a hardened LaPlante fan. 484 I rarely rate books 1 star as I try to only read books I'm interested in or know I will like but I was loaned this book by a friend so gave it a try. I'm not a writer so I hardly feel qualified to judge a professional writer on their writing skills but I have to wonder how this author has apparently won a number of awards. I found her writing to be wooden and lifeless and amateurish to the extreme. The characters (and this book is apparently part of a series) were flat and uninteresting. There was simply no life or excitement to the tale. It was as if I were reading the police report of the case. I won't be checking out any of her other books. 484

In this 8th book in the 'Anna Travis' series, the DCI investigates murders perpetrated by a serial killer. The book, essentially a police procedural, can be read as a standalone.

*****

A routine traffic stop of a party supplies truck in London leads to the discovery of a woman's body in the back and the arrest of the truck's driver, skeezy Henry Oates.



Upon interrogation at the police station Oates admits to killing the woman and talks abouts having killed a couple of other people in the past. One of Oate's supposed victims is a young girl of 13 who disappeared five years before, a cold case that was never resolved.



Detective Chief Inspector Anna Travis is on the team tasked with looking into Oates's claims.



The case takes on a very high profile because Anna's former boss/mentor - Detective Chief Superintendent James Langton - was in charge of the unsolved missing girl case and can't get it out of his mind. Though Langton is currently at home recuperating from an injury he insists on keeping up with the Oates investigation and - during a critical police action - shows up and starts giving orders. This has unfortunate consequences.



Anna and the rest of the team unearth a lot of informaton about Henry Oates, who may well have killed even more women than he's admitted to. Oates, with his smashed nose, dirty clothing, and appalling hygiene, seems stupid (and perhaps insane) at first. However, he turns out to be a very clever criminal who enjoys playing mind games with the police.



In essence the story is a very long police procedural. As the story proceeds the cops discover and follow various clues in an attempt to locate the bodies of Oates's victims and to find the evidence that will convict him. Some of this is too drawn out. For instance, a scene where the police search a quarry is excessively detailed and seems to go on forever. Also, the story has a large number of characters, some of whom tend to blend together.

All in all, an okay book that many suspense fans will probably enjoy.

You can follow my reviews at http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/ 484 I guess the title explains what the publishers expect fans will do once they finish the book, that is, throw it through the plate-glass window of the bookstore they were mugged sorry purchased it from. In the novel's acknowledgement, La Plante thanks all my team at La Plante Productions. I have 2 things to say about this, firstly, why does a novelist have a production team??? And after reading this book I know the answer, each member of La Plante Production wrote a different chapter of this novel and finally someone else threw them in the air and hence arranged the book. Secondly, with the current economic downturn, is this production team the BEST the industry has to offer??? Really......REALLY!!! Word of advice Lynda, sack those bums and go back to producing a novel the old fashion way.....like write it yourself.....I mean it worked back in the old days for The Governor, The Widows, Prime Suspect.

What made this book so bad? It was like a summary of a plot Harry was caught with a body. He was taken to the station and interviewed. The forensic team considered the evidence. They called Anna with the result. Layton was a pig to Anna.... and so it went on. [PS. Lynda if you are reading this review, please consider this as my application to join your Production Team]. The first piece of dialogue didn't occur until page 250. Also, just when you think the novel is over you realise you still have 100 pages left and then its like they ran with chapters that the intern wrote and the editor was like well he worked so hard on them, plus he's my wife's nephew, so like you know they are staying in.

Also, my final grip is that with each novel, the main characters of Anna, Layton and co seem to gain endless promotions with title that I don't think even exist in reality, its just a mix of the words senior detective constable inspector deputy.....I mean if they really are getting promoted then how come they still all working together doing exactly the same roles!!!!

Do yourself a favour and by-pass this book. 484