One of the reasons why I regard Martin Russell as an interesting crime writer, a cut above many of the prolific authors who were his stable-mates in the Collins Crime Club for many years, is that he came up with a considerable number of unusual ideas for his storylines, never seeming to be content with the same-old, same-old. Couple with that his facility for writing readable prose, and you have someone who, I think, never quite received as much acclaim as he deserved.
In his early days, he wrote four books about Jim Larkin, who was (like Russell) a journalist. My guess is that eventually he found that a series character cramped his style and his imagination, and so Jim was consigned to history, or at least domestic bliss. Crime Wave (1974) was the third novel to feature him and it showcases both Russell's strengths and limitations.
The setting is Eden Village, a suburb in the green belt, to which Jim and his wife Bunty have moved. However, as you might guess, serpents have invaded Eden. A series of muggings, possibly connected with young people who are members of a local youth club, disrupts the tranquility of the place, and soon the seriousness of the crime wave begins to escalate. After a low-key start, the tension mounts. And then murder is done.
I figured out quite early one key element of what was going on, but the other major ingredient of the plot eluded me. This is, I have to say, partly due to the fact that a crucial piece of information is concealed from the reader, and I don't think Martin Russell worked quite hard enough to foreshadow his startling final twist. Had he done so, I'd have rated the book as excellent. As it is, this is a highly readable novel which supplies solid entertainment.
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