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gjj274's review
3.0
I was asked by the wonderful people over at The Dome Press if I would be interested in reviewing any of their titles and to me this one sounded interesting, especially as I am a fan of crime fiction. I'll be honest I was a little bit hesitant going into it knowing that it's book 5 in a series but I needn't of worried. This book can definitely be read as a standalone and an enjoyable one at that. I wasn't lost in the back story at any point and I was able to follow everything that was happening. In this book we follow Inspector Lucas Rocco who is a member of the Police in a small rural town in France. In this installment he is assigned the task of watching over a Gabonese government minister whilst at the same time discovering their is a contract on his head. Things don't go as smoothly as planned for Rocco and when the minister is kidnapped he seeks to find who is involved and begins to realise things may be more connected than he thinks.
I thought this was quite an enjoyable read. There were several twists and turns along the way, especially near the end, and this kept the story moving. It wasn't overly fast paced but the story was steady and kept me engaged whilst I was reading. I enjoyed the rural setting of the story and I thought this coupled with the 1960s time period made it feel quite atmospheric and I enjoyed this. I thought it really added something to the story. I enjoyed Rocco as a character. I thought he had a genuine personality and he always seemed quite down to earth. It was also nice to see the inclusion and support of female members of the police in this book as this is something you might not have seen so much of in this time period. Also you can often find in detective novels that the male detectives can be quite sexist and misogynistic towards female detectives but there was very little of that in this book which was nice.
Overall I found this to be quite enjoyable. It didn't necessarily blow me away initially but once I got into it and the story got going I found myself to be enjoying the read. If crime fiction is your thing I would recommend this one and if you haven't read any others in this series don't worry, as I said before it can be read as a standalone. I am interested in looking into the other books in this series.
This review can also be found on my blog at https://gemmasbooknook.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/review-rocco-and-nightingale-by-adrian.html
I thought this was quite an enjoyable read. There were several twists and turns along the way, especially near the end, and this kept the story moving. It wasn't overly fast paced but the story was steady and kept me engaged whilst I was reading. I enjoyed the rural setting of the story and I thought this coupled with the 1960s time period made it feel quite atmospheric and I enjoyed this. I thought it really added something to the story. I enjoyed Rocco as a character. I thought he had a genuine personality and he always seemed quite down to earth. It was also nice to see the inclusion and support of female members of the police in this book as this is something you might not have seen so much of in this time period. Also you can often find in detective novels that the male detectives can be quite sexist and misogynistic towards female detectives but there was very little of that in this book which was nice.
Overall I found this to be quite enjoyable. It didn't necessarily blow me away initially but once I got into it and the story got going I found myself to be enjoying the read. If crime fiction is your thing I would recommend this one and if you haven't read any others in this series don't worry, as I said before it can be read as a standalone. I am interested in looking into the other books in this series.
This review can also be found on my blog at https://gemmasbooknook.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/review-rocco-and-nightingale-by-adrian.html
karlou's review
5.0
I have a new favourite detective and his name is Lucas Rocco. This is the first Rocco book I've read but as the fifth in the series I've plenty to be catching up on. Rocco's history is referred to during this book but nevertheless it still works well as a standalone novel.
The book opens with a murder of small time villain, JoJo Viera, which means the reader knows more than Inspector Rocco - don't be fooled into thinking you know everything though, there is plenty to still be revealed as the story progresses. Rocco is called in after a body is discovered in a ditch. With nothing to identify the victim and little evidence to go on, this looks like a tricky case for the Inspector. As the book is set in 1964, Rocco doesn't have the scientific advancements available to modern police officers, his investigations are old style. Before he discovers very much at all however, he is pulled from the case and assigned to a role he is not pleased about. Bouanga Antoine is a displaced Government minister from Gabon, a former French territory which achieved independence in 1960. Bouanga will be living in a safe house in Picardie and it has fallen to Rocco to ensure he isn't harmed. He is even less impressed to discover that the man from the Interior Ministry who is controlling the finances for the mission won't release extra funds that would allow for a visible police presence around the safe house. Then his Commissaire, Francois Massin informs him that he has no officers he can spare as they will all be required to keep order as the Tour de France passes through the area. Rocco is allowed one man, his good friend and local rural cop, Claude Lamotte. Bouanga's safe house seems anything but, set in open countryside with plenty of places for would be assassins to hide, it seems like Rocco and Lamotte will have their work cut out to prevent any attacks on their man.
As a diligent officer, Rocco can't help but check up on the case he recently working on. He discovers what could be some vital evidence at the crime scene then finds out the likely cause of death from the pathologist and realises he doesn't want to leave his puzzle to be solved by somebody else. If protecting a foreign dignitary whilst trying to solve a murder isn't enough for one police inspector to be dealing with, Rocco is told there's a marker out on him - in other words somebody wants him dead and has taken out a contract on his life.
The three strands of Rocco's storyline turn out to be more closely woven than he first realises, as international politics, street gangs and family honour collide, Rocco's life could be in real danger. And just who is the Nightingale? Rocco and the Nightingale has an intricate plot where the reader is allowed little glimpses of the truth before Rocco discovers them, including scenes with Viera's killers. This is a book where everything comes together beautifully; the intelligent and often tense storyline that reveals just enough then adds in little twists to keep you on your toes, the atmospheric rural setting brought so vividly, sometimes chillingly to life you can almost smell the marshes of Poissons-les-Marais and, perhaps most impressively, the cast of characters, headed of course, by Lucas Rocco. I said at the start of this review that he has become a new favourite, I loved everything about this man from his old fashioned sensibilities - he considered his ancient Citreon Traction brutalised when a technician installed the police radio - to his bluff dealings with his superiors, to the respect he has for his friends and his kindness towards his next-door neighbour. Rocco is a decent man of morals who relies on his intuition and the relationships he has cultivated with his colleagues to solve his cases. This is Rocco's book then but the supporting cast are all fully realised individuals, whether they are Rocco's friends and workmates or those more inclined to wish harm towards our hero. At the ending it seems that things could be changing for Rocco, I don't know where life will take him next but I intend to follow. In the meantime I have his previous adventures to discover. Vive Rocco!
The book opens with a murder of small time villain, JoJo Viera, which means the reader knows more than Inspector Rocco - don't be fooled into thinking you know everything though, there is plenty to still be revealed as the story progresses. Rocco is called in after a body is discovered in a ditch. With nothing to identify the victim and little evidence to go on, this looks like a tricky case for the Inspector. As the book is set in 1964, Rocco doesn't have the scientific advancements available to modern police officers, his investigations are old style. Before he discovers very much at all however, he is pulled from the case and assigned to a role he is not pleased about. Bouanga Antoine is a displaced Government minister from Gabon, a former French territory which achieved independence in 1960. Bouanga will be living in a safe house in Picardie and it has fallen to Rocco to ensure he isn't harmed. He is even less impressed to discover that the man from the Interior Ministry who is controlling the finances for the mission won't release extra funds that would allow for a visible police presence around the safe house. Then his Commissaire, Francois Massin informs him that he has no officers he can spare as they will all be required to keep order as the Tour de France passes through the area. Rocco is allowed one man, his good friend and local rural cop, Claude Lamotte. Bouanga's safe house seems anything but, set in open countryside with plenty of places for would be assassins to hide, it seems like Rocco and Lamotte will have their work cut out to prevent any attacks on their man.
As a diligent officer, Rocco can't help but check up on the case he recently working on. He discovers what could be some vital evidence at the crime scene then finds out the likely cause of death from the pathologist and realises he doesn't want to leave his puzzle to be solved by somebody else. If protecting a foreign dignitary whilst trying to solve a murder isn't enough for one police inspector to be dealing with, Rocco is told there's a marker out on him - in other words somebody wants him dead and has taken out a contract on his life.
The three strands of Rocco's storyline turn out to be more closely woven than he first realises, as international politics, street gangs and family honour collide, Rocco's life could be in real danger. And just who is the Nightingale? Rocco and the Nightingale has an intricate plot where the reader is allowed little glimpses of the truth before Rocco discovers them, including scenes with Viera's killers. This is a book where everything comes together beautifully; the intelligent and often tense storyline that reveals just enough then adds in little twists to keep you on your toes, the atmospheric rural setting brought so vividly, sometimes chillingly to life you can almost smell the marshes of Poissons-les-Marais and, perhaps most impressively, the cast of characters, headed of course, by Lucas Rocco. I said at the start of this review that he has become a new favourite, I loved everything about this man from his old fashioned sensibilities - he considered his ancient Citreon Traction brutalised when a technician installed the police radio - to his bluff dealings with his superiors, to the respect he has for his friends and his kindness towards his next-door neighbour. Rocco is a decent man of morals who relies on his intuition and the relationships he has cultivated with his colleagues to solve his cases. This is Rocco's book then but the supporting cast are all fully realised individuals, whether they are Rocco's friends and workmates or those more inclined to wish harm towards our hero. At the ending it seems that things could be changing for Rocco, I don't know where life will take him next but I intend to follow. In the meantime I have his previous adventures to discover. Vive Rocco!
bibliophilebookclub's review
3.0
I was looking forward to reading Rocco and The Nightingale as Adrian Magson is a new-to-me author and I do love a series. It is safe to say I wasn’t disappointed with it, as I couldn’t put it down once I started.
Rocco is a really genuine character, and I didn’t feel like I was missing any back story by not having read the previous books. In “The Nightingale”, Rocco assumes he will be investigating the death of a criminal from Paris, but instead he is tasked with watching a Gabonese government minister who is hiding out in France. This leads the reader, and Rocco, to question why exactly he was taken of the first case in lieu of babysitting a minister.
Along with this, Rocco discovers that someone has put a hit out on him. With his life in danger, its safe to say he is in a bit of trouble. To make life harder for himself, he continues to investigate the murder, and he has to deal with the consequences and the fallout from that!
I don’t want to say much more about the plot, but it is definitely a gripping story. I really liked Rocco as a character and the various story arcs made for some great change of pace throughout the book. I will most certainly be adding more Rocco books to my TBR after reading this one!
Recommended!
Rocco is a really genuine character, and I didn’t feel like I was missing any back story by not having read the previous books. In “The Nightingale”, Rocco assumes he will be investigating the death of a criminal from Paris, but instead he is tasked with watching a Gabonese government minister who is hiding out in France. This leads the reader, and Rocco, to question why exactly he was taken of the first case in lieu of babysitting a minister.
Along with this, Rocco discovers that someone has put a hit out on him. With his life in danger, its safe to say he is in a bit of trouble. To make life harder for himself, he continues to investigate the murder, and he has to deal with the consequences and the fallout from that!
I don’t want to say much more about the plot, but it is definitely a gripping story. I really liked Rocco as a character and the various story arcs made for some great change of pace throughout the book. I will most certainly be adding more Rocco books to my TBR after reading this one!
Recommended!
jackielaw's review
4.0
Rocco and the Nightingale, by Adrian Magson, is the fifth novel in the author’s Inspector Lucas Rocco series of crime thrillers. It is the first to be published by The Dome Press. Set mainly in rural France in the 1960s, the protagonist is a competent and diligent police officer. It is refreshing to read a crime novel with a main character whose work is not affected by troubling personal issues.
The story opens with a murder on a lonely back road near Picardie in 1964. Rocco and his team are called to investigate but can find little evidence other than the body. Just as it looks as though the victim may be identified, Rocco is taken off the case and assigned to protect a senior government minister ousted from the Gabon Republic in central Africa. Unhappy with this new role Rocco can’t quite let the murder investigation go.
Using trusted contacts in Paris, links with a criminal gang and the recent murder of a former police officer come under Rocco’s scrutiny. It would appear that an assassin may have been hired for a series of vengeance killings and Rocco himself could be a target. Although willing to take additional precautions, Rocco does not let this potential threat affect his work. When fellow policemen are gunned down where he should have been the extent of the danger is brought home.
Rocco risks the wrath of his superiors by travelling to other jurisdictions to investigate further. With a far reaching case to solve involving a vicious gang leader out to prove himself and a killer who appears to believe he is fireproof, Rocco’s willingness to follow procedure will only stretch so far. He suspects his superiors of ulterior motives.
Having cut back on the number of crime and thriller books I am willing to read, as so many merged into each other, this story proved worth making an exception for. It is comfortably paced with a good mix of interesting characters. The plot concentrates on solving the crimes without veering into unnecessary subplots such as romance. It is deftly written with enough humour and warmth to balance the gruesome detail of much of the action. Despite being part of a series it reads well standalone.
An engaging police procedural set before many modern methods of crime detection and communication became available. Rocco may enjoy more than his fair share of luck in garnering relevent information and in survival, but this is a well put together, entertaining read.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the publisher, Dome Press.
The story opens with a murder on a lonely back road near Picardie in 1964. Rocco and his team are called to investigate but can find little evidence other than the body. Just as it looks as though the victim may be identified, Rocco is taken off the case and assigned to protect a senior government minister ousted from the Gabon Republic in central Africa. Unhappy with this new role Rocco can’t quite let the murder investigation go.
Using trusted contacts in Paris, links with a criminal gang and the recent murder of a former police officer come under Rocco’s scrutiny. It would appear that an assassin may have been hired for a series of vengeance killings and Rocco himself could be a target. Although willing to take additional precautions, Rocco does not let this potential threat affect his work. When fellow policemen are gunned down where he should have been the extent of the danger is brought home.
Rocco risks the wrath of his superiors by travelling to other jurisdictions to investigate further. With a far reaching case to solve involving a vicious gang leader out to prove himself and a killer who appears to believe he is fireproof, Rocco’s willingness to follow procedure will only stretch so far. He suspects his superiors of ulterior motives.
Having cut back on the number of crime and thriller books I am willing to read, as so many merged into each other, this story proved worth making an exception for. It is comfortably paced with a good mix of interesting characters. The plot concentrates on solving the crimes without veering into unnecessary subplots such as romance. It is deftly written with enough humour and warmth to balance the gruesome detail of much of the action. Despite being part of a series it reads well standalone.
An engaging police procedural set before many modern methods of crime detection and communication became available. Rocco may enjoy more than his fair share of luck in garnering relevent information and in survival, but this is a well put together, entertaining read.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the publisher, Dome Press.
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