Captured by Neil Cross (Simon & Schuster, £12.99) (From The Northern Echo)

Captured by Neil Cross (Simon & Schuster, £12.99)

11:31am Saturday 23rd January 2010 in

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REACHING into the darkest recesses of the human mind is something we are all guilty of sometimes. In Captured, Neil Cross takes us on that journey as the main character sets out to right all the perceived wrongs in his life before he dies.

But the consequences of every action, particularly when they are based on misconception or misunderstanding, are brought shatteringly home through several strings of the complex plot.

The gory detail and lifelike descriptions paint a stark picture of the life of portrait artist Kenny Drummond.

A testimony of the human spirit’s ability to bear pain and even the respect and love he can feel for his sworn enemy, Captured is gripping stuff. But as the main character spends most of the story attempting to fill a void in his life, I couldn’t help feeling there was something missing from this story which could have made it perfect.

Roddy Brooks