Review: The One That Got Away by JD Kirk
Not content with his two rapidly-growing series (DCI Logan & the Robert Hoon novels), nor his multiple other books for children and adults under his real name Barry Hutchison, JD Kirk is now introducing us to his new protagonist: DI Heather Filson. In a previous review I noted how well he writes female characters (compared to many male authors!), and the phenomenon continues here. Filson has appeared briefly in the Kirkiverse, and now gets to be the star of her own show. For fans of the existing series, there are some cameos of well-known characters, which makes the setting feel that much more rounded and familiar.
Filson has recently been demoted from DCI to DI, and is still trying to readjust to the new normal. Living in Kilmarnock and working in Glasgow, she’s a west-coaster to the bone. When a local girl goes missing on her way home from school, the case seems at first like any other runaway. But the girl’s grandad is a wannabe mobster, even if he is getting on a bit now - and he and Heather have History. Heather is involved now, whether she likes it or not.
The One That Got Away
Zertex Crime, 2023
Complicating Heather’s life further is the involvement of a rival hard yin moving in and imposing some Russian flavour to the Glasgow turf wars. Then clues start appearing which point to a link between this missing girl and some Very Bad Things from Heather’s past. Coming up on the outside is the disappearance of her brother some years ago, and her own disastrous love-life. There’s a lot of strands, and they do a good job of keeping the reader guessing at the resolution until near the very end.
A good detective thriller needs to have a sense of threat, and The One That Got Away has it in spades. Kirk builds and pulls back on the threat throttle so effectively that you never quite know where you are, or who you can trust.
None of Kirk’s books I’ve read so far have been anything you’d pop into the “cosy crime” category. He writes gritty and grim, but he always stays within touching distance of what feels like real life. The characters’ relationships, careers, and pressures are recognisable to anyone. Perhaps that’s why the menace is so insidious.
As a coda, I loved the amateur true-crime podcaster. An effective plot device, and also a brilliant character in and of themselves. There’s no diagnosis named, but it’s brilliant to see neurodivergent representation without their ND being A Main Point. If society really is going to become more inclusive, we need to be able to read and see more ND people just living their lives - so I’m delighted to see this.
The One That Got Away is out on May 25, 2023.
I received a gifted copy of this book. No review was requested, nor is this a paid post.
This post contains affiliate links
