Many thanks to @ReadingAgency and Riverrun Books for providing the library with free copies to read and review. The characters made this novel for me – I liked the chalk and cheese relationship between the two Wilkinses who are investigating the crime and how they are friends of a kind” Historic Oxford, on a sunny warm afternoon, a day when the lives of Poppy Clarke's parents will never be the same again, because their sweet, loveable little Poppy, dressed up as a pirate with ribbons in her hair, waiting for her mother, suddenly disappears. Overall, I really enjoy this book though perhaps not quite as much as Book One but I’m raring to go with Book 3! This book opens soon in time after the conclusion of the first book in this crime thriller series, the brilliant A Killing in November. Set in Oxford, England, we are re-introduced to the main characters, DI Ryan Wilkins and DI Ray Wilkins! Much of the appeal of the first book centred on the ambivalent relationship between the two detectives, shaped to some extent by the class difference between them, their contrasting attitudes to rules and procedures, and in particular Ryan’s struggles with authority and his own capacity for self-control. So The Broken Afternoon is potentially the difficult second novel in the series, as readers are already familiar with these contrasting and compelling characters, written with considerable nuance and complexity by Mason. But here the characters are mostly working separately, so we get less humour due to less interaction and dialogue. The narrative works best when they are together, helping and annoying each other, driven by the same compulsion to find the killer. This book perhaps emphasises the personal life of middle-class Ray Wilkins a little more than the other Wilkins, a reversal of the first book, and his story is not as gripping as the difficult path that Ryan has followed. Both men have interactions with their fathers, but it is the depiction of Ryan’s relationship with his father that again heightens the emotions for the reader.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Quercus Books for an advance copy of The Broken Afternoon, the second novel to feature DI Ray Wilkins and former DI Ryan Wilkins of Thames Valley Police. Screen Shot 2022-12-27 at 19.53.09I am sorry, but that is not how I see this book. Yes, it is set in and around Oxford, but apart from The Broken Afternoon being every bit as good a read as, say, The Silence of Nicholas Quinn or The Remorseful Day, that’s where the resemblance ends. Mason’s book, while perhaps not being Noir in a Derek Raymond or Ted Lewis way, is full of dark undertones, bleak litter strewn public spaces, and the very real capacity for the police to get things badly, badly wrong. Simon Mason (right) has created coppers who certainly don’t spend melancholy evenings gazing into pints of real ale and then sit home alone listening to Mozart while sipping a decent single malt. This story is maybe a bit more thoughtful than Book 1 and concerns child abduction, a hit-and-run killing and police mistakes. It also offers more insight into the lives of the two protagonists, especially DI Raymond Wilkins as he struggles with problems at home and work. Ryan, of course, is struggling with a low-paid, undemanding job that’s slowly killing him with boredom, so when he inadvertently finds himself on the periphery of a police investigation, he just can’t resist helping things along. A manhunt soon ensues, and when Poppy is finally found, the anger and the outrage in the country and the media is felt everywhere.Move over Morse. Simon Mason Oxford crime novel breathes fresh life into the police procedural' Val McDermid Move over Morse. Simon Mason Oxford crime novel breathes fresh life into the police procedural’ Val McDermid A four-year-old girl goes missing in plain sight outside her nursery in Oxford, a middle-class, affluent area, I have two daughters, and became part of the parents' despair. And the terrible thing is, that feeling never goes away, even now that they are grown up, the worries remain, always. That’s not to say it’s all style and no substance. The plot is satisfyingly complex too – you may well have guessed the ending by about three-quarters of the way through but you still want to keep reading to find out exactly how things resolve.

I absolutely loved the first book in this detective series which is set in Oxford, featuring two detectives, Ray and Ryan who both have the surname Wilkins. Rising star on the Thames Valley force, DI Ray Wilkins has the unenviable task of directing the search for Poppy. The press conference he handles exudes confidence in the ability of the police to locate Poppy safely, but in reality there is very little to go on. There is good pacing, and suspense, and Mason paints the interior lives of several characters as they reflect on their histories, fates and foibles. While Ray's investigation grinds to a halt, Ray is busy behind the scenes putting the pieces of more than one puzzle together, despite the risk this poses to his second chance... and trouble is brewing.This is the sort of book you just don’t want to put down. It goes into very dark areas at times when looking into the disappearance of the little girl, snatched by a paedophile. It shows a different side to Oxford, not the pretty tourist university’s town which most readers imagine.

The author hits the nail on the head with his statement: 'we are thoughtless about what is the most precious to us...' [red] A very descriptive, gripping writing style, full of anger and emotion. without ever getting boring anywhere, with great attention to detail, and well-developed, likable two main characters. The story is pacy and exciting and I seemed to finish the book in no time! I was glued to my seat and stayed up late to finish it! I particularly liked the drip-feeding of clues before the race to find the culprit reaches its conclusion. I didn’t like that the two main characters have the same name though, I found this confusing and unnecessary”The killer of Poppy Clark is eventually ‘unmasked’, but perhaps that cliche is inappropriate, as he has been hiding in plain sight all along. The more squeamish male readers may want to skip the section towards the end set in the hospital maternity unit. It is superbly written, but graphic: I went through that experience with three of my four sons, but on the fourth occasion the ‘phone call came too late – or perhaps I drove to the hospital too slowly. The contrast between the two protagonists could easily fall prey to rampant cliché, but Simon mason manages the story adroitly, and avoids that pitfall. The plots are well constructed, and cohere effectively, and the two contrasting characters are very deftly drawn. While the stories are set in oxford (which always appeals to me, anyway), any similarity with the slightly rarefied air of the Chief inspector Morse stories ends there. Ray begins to delve deeper, unearthing an underground network of criminal forces in the local area. But while Ray’s investigation stalls Ryan brings his unique talents to unofficial and quite illegal inquiries which will bring him into a confrontation with the very officials who have thrown him out of the force. When an old friend of his appears in an agitated state whilst he is on guard duty, Ryan decides to investigate.