Book #33: The Controller by Matt Brolly
The Controller by Matt Brolly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
At the start of this novel, ex-F.B.I. Agent Samuel Lynch's son has been missing for several years. A man who has been arrested for murdering a family decides to make a deal with Lynch. In return for imminuity from prosecution, he will tell Lynch the identity of the "controller", the leader of the shadowy "railroad" organisation who kidnapped Lynch's son.
The book turns into a revenge mission for Lynch, who starts a vigilante spree, until the controller contacts him and says they should meet.
According to Goodreads, this is the first in a series of novels, and it feels promising. Samuel Lynch is given a detailed background; as well as having a missing son, he has an ex-wife, who is in a relationship with another man. There also seems to be a hint that he and the other central character, Sandra Rose will end up as a couple. Rose herself is given a family background, with a sister and a mother who is dying in hospital. The only flaw really is that Lynch and Rose end up apparently having sex quite early on in the book; another example of characters getting together in a way that seems to quick, it feels unrealistic.
Other than that, I really enjoyed this book; gritty, and action-packed, I found it to be an easy read, and I was excited to find what would happen next. It felt like a chilling portrayal of how a criminal organisation can have such a large hold over innocent people. When he finally showed up, the controller also felt like a well-written villain, and one with secrets yet to be revealed (I'd certainly like to know how he developed into the criminal mastermind he has ended up as). The ending felt like it opened up lots of possibilities for sequels, and I would most likely be interested in reading more about the characters Lynch and Rose.
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