Ciy of Windows by Robert Pobi

I picked this up in the library because:

The blurb:

My opinion: Straight up - I loved this. I really enjoyed it. And I had pre-judged this book by its cover and really didn't expect to. Finely and tightly plotted, the narrative whips along, taking you with it at a cracking pace. It's very well-written and - oh joy! - intelligently written. Undeniably American to this British reader but that was part of its appeal. Set against the city of New York, which winter has in a tight grip, Pobi has created a flawed detective: ex-FBI agent Lucas Page, retired from the agency after a cataclysmic Event that left him with two prosthetic limbs and a false eye, but leaving his ability to manipulate and view the world through the lense of mathematics unimpaired.

Pobi is a bit of a mystery to his readers. He has a website but doesn't give a huge amount about himself away on a personal level. This is his fourth published novel and the first in a new series. He doesn't do Twitter or Facebook. According to his website, he doesn't even really do mobile phones to the annoyance of his agent. You can't help wonder what his background is, though. Has he a police or FBI background? Is this why he is so reticent? His characters are flesh and blood (some quite literally so in the case of this crime thriller) and well-rounded. You are genuinely interested in them and therefore the outcome of the plot. And what a cracking narrative. As I raced through the book and the tension mounted my only concern was that its conclusion wouldn't live up to my growing high expectations. How pleased I was when my concerns proved to be fully unjustified. A thriller with a pay-off that is as good as what has gone before, featuring life-affirming characters and a terrific plot. What's not to love?

More Lucas Page, please, Pobi.

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