Torch

This is Anderson's second novel, and the second to feature forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod following her debut in Driftnet. Its tersely titled sequel is just as spare as the first, with short chapters and brief descriptions a perfect reason to keep turning the pages. An arsonist is on the loose on the streets of Edinburgh, and it's up to MacLeod and her unreconstructed partner Severino Macrea (think Gene Hunt from Life on Mars) to track down whoever it is before they hijack the city's fireworks-laden hogmanay festivities.

This all moves at a terrific pace, although Anderson's exposition-free narrative at first made me confused as to exactly where things were happening - Edinburgh or Glasgow? Both cities, in fact; although MacLeod's normal stamping ground of Glasgow makes her a fish out of water when she's called on to investigate a firestarter in Scotland's posher neighbour. The characterisation is generally sufficient, although sometimes the author's lightning sketches are little more than a collection of clichés. This especially applies to Severino, whose character arc could be guessed from the first page. But there's no doubting that Anderson knows how to tell a story, and a few clumsy info-dumps aside, this is eminently readable.

Mark Campbell

Posted at 9:58PM Saturday 27 Oct 2007