The Cracked Mirror

Author: Chris Brookmyre
Genre: Crime Thriller
480 pages
Publisher: Abacus, 2024

Synopsis
FORGET WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW
THIS IS NOT THAT CRIME NOVEL

You know Johnny Hawke. Hard-bitten LAPD homicide detective. Always in trouble with his captain, always losing partners, but always battling for the truth, whatever it takes.

You know Penny Coyne. The little old lady who has solved multiple murders in her otherwise sleepy village, despite bumbling local police. A razor-sharp mind in a Sunday best hat.

Against all the odds, against the usual story, their worlds are about to collide. It starts with a dead writer and a mysterious wedding invitation. It will end with a rabbit hole that goes so deep, Johnny and Penny might just come to question not just whodunnit, but whether they want to know the answer.

A cross-genre hybrid of Agatha Christie and Michael Connelly, The Cracked Mirror is the most imaginative and entertaining crime novel of the year, a genre-splicing rollercoaster with a poignantly emotional heart.

My review
The Cracked Mirror by Chris Brookmyre is a delightful blend of cozy mystery and action thriller, and I absolutely loved it! Brookmyre’s sharp wit and clever storytelling were completely addictive, and I breezed through this hefty novel in just two days. In the hands of a less capable writer, this multi-layered narrative could have been overwhelming, but Brookmyre skillfully delivered a lively, complex, and fast-paced thriller with an large cast of interesting and fleshed out characters. Packed with plot twists, red herrings, and a constant sense of intrigue, this is the kind of book that kept me hooked until the very end. Did I piece together the clues along the way? Not a chance!

The story introduces us to Penny Coyne, an 80-something with a razor-sharp mind, living in the charming, storybook Scottish village of Glen Cluthar. She’s the modern-day Miss Marple and is drawn into the mystery of Brendan Gault’s death in a chapel and the arrival of a mysterious wedding invitation. Enter Johnny Hawke, an LAPD detective straight out of an action thriller novel. With a penchant for breaking rules, Hawke is navigating his own chaotic case in LA when a trail of coincidences leads him to Scotland and into Coyne’s orbit.

The narrative alternates seamlessly between Coyne’s quaint village investigations and Hawke’s gritty LA crime scenes, complete with clever chapter headings. Brookmyre has skillfully combined two beloved tropes: the intuitive, elderly sleuth and the brash, hard-boiled detective. The contrast between Coyne and Hawke is striking. They’re complete opposites, and yet their unlikely partnership becomes the heart of the story. Watching them grow to respect each other’s unique skills is deeply satisfying, and their dynamic is enhanced by sharp, witty dialogue.

Brookmyre’s short, punchy chapters kept the pace moving and the character development was fantastic. The story occasionally lingered on interpersonal dynamics, which, while adding depth, sometimes detracted from the overall intensity. Nevertheless, the vivid settings, laugh-out-loud humor, and creative premise more than made up for it.

The Cracked Mirror is a standout for me this year. It’s clever, original, and refreshingly different from the thrillers I usually read. I wholeheartedly recommend it to fans of the genre looking for something a little out of the ordinary. Brookmyre has crafted a truly terrific and unforgettable story.

My recommendation: a standout thriller and definitely worth reading!