“I think it’s important to point out that this is not a sequel, but part two. It quite literally picks up where it left off at the end of book one. Imagine a two-part TV drama with an ad break in between.
However, I soon fell into step with Artemis Bookbinder, erstwhile member of the NYPD turned FBI advisor. Book One was very prescient, as we were still in the grip of COVID and its harsh restrictions: Artemis’s character is a germophobe, so he didn’t fair too well in that climate. He’s still assisting in the hunt for a murderer, and the resurgence of evidence relating to an unsolved thirty-year-old priceless-art theft; but he’s learning to cope better in the less constrictive post-COVID world.
I was reminded how much I enjoyed the first part and, importantly, of the author’s writing talent. The conclusion was one I never saw coming, one which makes you utter ‘wow, I’d never have guessed that!’, which I always think confirms a story well written.
This was a cracking read, and I hope Artemis has many more challenging cases to solve.”