Flesh Wounds (Jasmine Sharp Book 3)

This novel features the characters of young private investigator Jasmine Sharp, ex-bad guy Greg Fallan and detective superintendent Catherine MacLeod, whose lives were brought together in two previous Brookmyre novels ('where the bodies are buried' and 'when the devil drives'). This book picks up shortly after the last left off.As always, Brookmyre has an excellent turn of phrase which accurately reflects Scottish 'patter', which for me is my favourite thing about his writing. This novel does answer some questions about these characters which fans will have been agonising over after the last couple of novels. The plot does seem a little repetitive when compared to the two other books - more bent coppers? More shady gangsters? - but then that is Brookmyre's oeuvre and the world which these particular characters inhabit, so what do you expect? If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Personally I prefer that kind of plot to Brookmyre's more experimental, theological stuff such as 'Pandaemonium' anyway.The novel is written in third person but we see events from the eyes of multiple characters. The plot also moves back and forward in time. I understand that for some readers this structure and style is confusing and annoying, however I thought that it definitely improved the novel. In my opinion it added extra tension as we wonder how the different events all fit together. It could potentially mean that you have to concentrate a bit more initially, to keep all the characters straight in your head, but if you have read the previous two novels this will not be a problem as so many of the characters are carried on.I would also like to add that in my opinion you do not need to have read the previous two novels for this one to make sense. It would read well as a crime thriller by itself. If you enjoy this, I think that you would also enjoy Brookmyre's series of crime thrillers featuring the investigative journalist Jack Parlabane.

Like a few others reviewing this novel, I've read all of Chris's other work (with the exception of Bedlam, which I found tedious and couldn't finish - sorry, Chris). The first two Sharp/Fallan/McLeod novels written using Chris's new serious "crime fiction boy" nom de plume of "Chris (not Christopher) Brookmyre established these three characters, and this satisfying novel develops them considerably and gets you liking them like old Parlabane-esque friends. The place names, nominally set in Glasgow, are in fact made up as compounds of districts in Paisley (Chris's favourite stamping ground and home of the " Theatre of Suffering" aka St Mirren Park). For example, there is no such place as "Gallowhaugh" in Glasgow or anywhere else, but there are two districts in Paisley called respectively "Gallowhill" and "Whitehaugh".First, a word on the plotting. I found this ingenious. I can only wonder at the work, and the talent, it must take to put together such a satisfying, multi-stranded, and gripping plot as this one. The case (or cases) here, suffice to say, are some that touch quite viscerally on all three characters' past lives, most notably that of Catherine McLeod, are intricately and at times bafflingly intertwined, and that encompass corruption and back-handers at the higher levels of the police and of government (in this way paying homage to the Jack Parlabane strand. We also we find out in a quite shocking way precisely why Glen Fallan insisted on Jasmine doing all those strange things with pumpkins and latex surgical gloves.I hugely enjoyed this book, and the final hint, from a character I think I may be growing to love as much as Jack Parlabane (note to Chris, though, we do need to be told if big "Single" is a St Mirren supporter - as I strongly suspect him to be) that Glen Fallan and Jasmine Sharp will be back for more thrilling shenanigans soon is most welcome.Best Brookmyre phrase? "with all the warmth of a dying penguin's last fart" .Nice one, Chris.

Pros - brilliantly written characters with sharp and wittty dialogue, fantastic narrative with great twists, super addictive.Cons - none except maybe not as good as his previous novels.Another great thriller from Brookmyre. Like many Brookmyre fans, I am still on the fence about how the Jasmine Sharp novels compare to his previous books, and because of this I think it is important to step away from them and use other thriller novelists as a benchmark. As such, this novel is eminently addictive, with short multi-perspective chapters forcing you to read on in a way that is reminiscent of some of James Patterson's early Cross novels. The story itself is incredibly detailed and the twists come thick and fast; just as you think you know the score, Brookmyre peals back another layer to completely change the game. The characters have developed into much more rounded personalities, particularly McLeod, and are far more interesting than the previous two books in the series. Brookmyre's ability to write believable dialogue is second to none and helps bring the characters to life (ironic as he also kills so many of them). The only downside for me is that I worry a lot of the pop culture references will become dated and may also be lost on some of the traditional Patterson/Rankin/Child fans, that said, they no way detract from the novel.Overall, is this better than his earlier more comic and wacky novels? For me, no. Is this better than a lot of the other best selling thrillers out there? I think it certainly holds its own, and certainly has more character.