Jack is a 53-year-old copper working the Newcastle beat. He’s not exactly an old school dinosaur, but no one would ever accuse of him of being woke. When Jack is involved in a serious car crash, he’s sent for a routine head scan and the doctor breaks the news to him that he’s got Early Onset Dementia. It’s a condition that Jack’s father had before him, and Jack shudders at the memory – especially how his father became violent the more confused he became. Jack hides news of his diagnosis from everyone, even his wife and teenage son. In fact, he engineers a break-up with his wife, just so she’s not cast as his carer in the future. That premise alone would’ve been a brilliant hook for a novel, but as Jack tries to come to terms with his situation he’s also got two meaty cases to solve. One sees him working off the books as he tries to find out who was driving the car that crashed into him. That driver – who ploughed into Jack’s car and then ran off – killed one of his colleagues. The second case begins when a dead man is discovered in the toilet block of a school, his head down one of the toilets. Cause of death: drowning. Trevor Wood has been responsible for a whole bunch of cracking thrillers, and his cut-to-the-chase style is perfect for this twisty police procedural. But, here, he also demonstrates sensitivity in regards to Jack’s condition, and I can’t wait to read further books in the series. RM

Published by Quercus