Death and the Running Patterer

by Robin Adair.

I have tried hard to like this book, really, really hard because it is a historic crime fiction novel and I really like historic crime fiction.

And I have tried really hard to like this book because it is set in Sydney, Australia in 1828, at a very interesting time in its past, when the social classes are full of former convicts who have served their time and a re now free, as it were, as well as those who have never served and are trying to lead a new life as immigrants, and those who have been posted there and didn't have a heck of a lot of choice in the matter.

And I have really tried to like this book because the author won the Penguin's Most Wanted competition, which means Robin Adair fended off hundreds of others who submitted manuscripts to get discovered.

And I've really tried to like this book because the characters are interesting, and I like most of them, except for a few who are a bit pretentious and pompous.

BUT, damn it, I just don't, and I feel bad that I don't. And if I was going to put my finger on the one thing that is stopping me liking this book...

...it is info-dumping.

Yes, the author has clearly done a lot of research and discovered some interesting little facts, but I have found it irritating that he felt the need to include them all. And not just include them, but signal their coming, so I know its going to happen, he's going to enlighten me and I'm thinking, don't, don't, I know what you're going to write next, but please don't do it, don't do it, ah, damn. He did it. Here endeth the lesson.

Sigh.

I tried.