The Release

I don't usually read crime fiction books, but I really enjoyed reading this book. It's unique and different in many ways. - Felt like I was in a movie! Cleverly written to arouse the reader's interest and stir reader s curiosity. It's a page turner for sure. Highly recommended! I look forward to reading more of your books.

What would you do if someone killed your child? Would you let them be released and live a life of happiness while you mourn your last child for eternity? Would you want revenge? These questions and more are raised in Alistair Moore’s dark thriller, which captured me with its observations of human existence. Is rehabilitation possible? Are we doomed to live a bad life if we live in an area where crime and violence is considered normal? This novel was a complete page turner- I couldn’t stop until I knew how it would unravel, despite the unease I felt as I accompanied the main protagonist on a journey of darkness and redemption. Much of the sadness within the pages deals with issues within society such as violence, crime and drug addiction. I found the main protagonist strange yet likeable, and the novel’s less central characters, George, the local café entrepreneur and Toni who wants to leave the estate for a better life, offered hope as the novel progressed. The Release rather effectively highlights the blurry line between good and evil and has you wondering, is there even such a thing as ‘evil’? Excellent novel. I look forward to reading more from this author!

Ever wondered what happened to the infamous killers of poor James Bulgar? As a nation we’re provided with their latest misdemeanours and how the government (meaning the tax payer) has funded a new identify and location for them to live out their lives in peace. Alistair Moore explores this when his hapless loner Bennie stumbles across a new found career as a private detective – or professional stalker – with reasonable success. The plot follows Bennie’s journey into the world of the soon-to-be-released killer both physically and psychologically as he tries to obtain details of his new identity. Bennie finds beauty in the grey and neglected Broadlands which has been lost behind the poverty line. Moore leaves the reader with some interesting and contrasting ideas to challenge their thinking about council estates, their inhabitants and justice itself. Characters are well rounded; the introspection and isolation of Bennie is captured well while the voices provided by the characters also come across as authentic. The story moves at a fair pace and I was eager to reach the conclusion. To be hyper-critical, I felt more could’ve been made of Bennie’s past relationship and perhaps the sinister characters could’ve held the spotlight a little more than they did. That said, again, there are some interesting ideas to explore about nature versus nurture and the rationale behind making choices relating to violence. A good read and, if you’re stressed, it’ll be a nice release!

The Release provides the reader with an insight into the mind and life of the main character, Bennie. The fantastic writing takes you into the dark underground suburbs that Bennie explores as he takes on his task. Despite this being a genre I would not typically read, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am now looking into similar dark crime thrillers. I highly recommend this book to any reader, whether they are familiar with the genre or not.

I was simply hooked! There wasn't that 'detective knows all' vibe that you get in a lot of crime novels, this was darker and refreshingly different.