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Thriller set in CHRISTCHURCH, NZ

18th November 2022

The Pain Tourist by Paul Cleave, thriller set in Christchurch, NZ

Thriller set in CHRISTCHURCH, NZ

“How can you catch a killer when the only evidence is a dream?”

The Pain Tourist is a fast-paced, complex, crime fiction novel. The term “Pain Tourist” is coined by one of the characters and is defined as meaning someone who derives satisfaction or pleasure from visiting places where tragedies have occurred, especially crime scenes where people have died.

The highly original premise of the book is that someone can wake from a coma with evidence that might put a murderer behind bars. It begins when a boy, James Garrett, is shot during a home invasion in Christchurch, New Zealand, during which his parents are killed. When, against all odds, he wakes from a coma nine years later, the crime is still unsolved. James’s sister, Hazel, reveals that he has an unusual ability – an eidetic memory – which gives him total recall of events. This means that James might have crucial evidence that would convict the killer. But will the perpetrator of the crime attempt to silence James before he can remember what happened to him and his family?

Meanwhile, a serial killer who the police have dubbed “Copy Joe” is evading capture while recreating the crimes of Joe Middleton, who’s known as “the Christchurch Carver”. Copy Joe has been choosing victims and staging the crime scenes in precisely the same way as Middleton had, in a grotesque attempt to achieve notoriety for himself.

Detective Inspector Rebecca Kent is tasked with James’s case, while she and her colleagues also pursue Copy Joe. Overwhelmed, Kent calls on the assistance of Theodore Tate, one of the original police officers in the Garrett case. Tate is a flawed individual who is working as a script advisor on the New Zealand Crime Busters TV show. His assistance is kept on the down-low from Kent’s boss. During the course of the book we learn of past experiences and tragedies that explain why Tate is the way he is.

The author uses various viewpoints to tell the story, including those of the victims and an unnamed killer, whose narcissistic obsession with getting the better of his ex, Jess, is driving his murder spree. It appears that we have a third killer on the loose. Each of the characters is carefully described, and their motivation, strengths and weaknesses explored, making for a satisfying read. It is quite a triumph to show the humorous and likeable side of a mass murderer. It is fascinating to explore the possibilities presented by James’s medical situation: what happens to the human brain when it is damaged; the neuroplasticity that enables it to repair itself, and the mystery of what occurs in the patient’s conscious and unconscious mind as a result of an enduring coma.

The city of Christchurch is not described in great detail and the obvious associations such as earthquakes and actual headline events are avoided. Most of the action takes place in unnamed suburbs of the city, with excursions to similarly anonymous places that are frequented by the fictional criminals. This is not a tourist guide!

The Pain Tourist is a book that describes obsession, betrayal and the desire for revenge. It is hugely enjoyable and genuinely hard to put down – and I recommend that you don’t, or at least that you take notes, because otherwise you might lose your way entirely! With such a complex plot, and so many things going on at once, it is quite a challenge to pit your wits against the author and discover whodunnit before reaching the end.

Sue for the TripFiction Team

Catch Paul on Twitter @PaulCleave – IG @paul.cleaveFB PaulCleave

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