Reckless

Reckless (2010) by Andrew Gross. Harper. ISBN: 9780007909834. Condition: Fair.

There are novels that invite you to settle into a comfortable armchair with a cup of tea and reflect upon the nature of existence. Reckless politely removes the armchair, spills the tea, sets the curtains on fire and suggests you start running immediately.

Andrew Gross has built a formidable reputation writing thrillers that move at approximately the same speed as a downhill shopping trolley with no brakes. Reckless is no exception. It is one of those books where perfectly ordinary lives have an alarming tendency to become extraordinarily complicated after about twenty pages, and from that point onwards the safest assumption is that nobody can be entirely trusted.

Except perhaps the dog.

Perhaps.

Gross understands one of the golden rules of thriller writing: readers should always feel they are one chapter behind the protagonist. Every answer generates two new questions, every apparent ally may harbour secrets, and every quiet moment exists mainly to give everyone a chance to catch their breath before the next crisis arrives with admirable punctuality.

One of the pleasures of reading a modern thriller is admiring the sheer logistical effort involved. The author must somehow juggle conspiracies, betrayals, investigations, dramatic revelations and enough cliff-hangers to keep readers muttering, "Just one more chapter..." until they suddenly realise it is half past two in the morning and tomorrow’s alarm clock is approaching with all the compassion of a tax inspector.

Thrillers also reveal something rather encouraging about human nature. Faced with impossible odds, relentless danger and people determined to make life unpleasant, fictional heroes almost invariably choose courage over common sense. Realistically, most of us would probably choose a cup of tea, a locked front door and the emergency services. This is why they get the novels and we get sensible insurance policies.

Published in 2010, Reckless belongs to a generation of crime fiction that embraces international intrigue, financial corruption and high-stakes suspense while never losing sight of the characters caught in the middle. Gross keeps the plot moving with admirable efficiency, yet still finds time to remind us that the greatest dangers often arise not from elaborate conspiracies but from very human greed, loyalty and desperation.

This copy is in fair condition, showing the honest signs of a book that has almost certainly done exactly what it was designed to do—been read quickly, enthusiastically and perhaps passed to someone else with the words, "Don’t start this unless you’ve got the evening free." Thrillers rarely remain pristine because readers have an unfortunate habit of gripping them rather tightly.

From Crappy Old Books—because the very best thrillers don’t simply turn pages, they accelerate them. By the time you’ve reached the final chapter you’ll probably have ignored several household chores, missed your bedtime and become mildly suspicious of perfectly respectable strangers. We’d apologise, but Andrew Gross got there first.

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