During the worst blizzard in memory, an FBI agent in a moving SUV in New York City is killed by a nearly impossible sniper shot. Unable to pinpoint where the shot came from, as the storm rapidly wipes out evidence, the agent-in-charge Brett Kehoe turns to the one man who might be able to help them–former FBI agent Lucas Page.
Page, a university professor and bestselling author, left the FBI years ago after a tragic event robbed him of a leg, an arm, an eye, and the willingness to continue. But he has an amazing ability to read a crime scene, figure out angles and trajectories in his head, and he might be the only one to be able to find the sniper’s nest. With a new wife and family, Lucas Page has no interest in helping the FBI–except for the fact that the victim was his former partner.
Agreeing to help for his partner’s sake, Page finds himself hunting a killer with an unknown agenda and amazing sniper skills in the worst of conditions. And his partner’s murder is only the first in a series of meticulously planned murders carried out with all-but-impossible sniper shots. The only thing connecting the deaths is that the victims are all with law enforcement–that is until Page’s own family becomes a target.
To identify and hunt down this ruthless, seemingly unstoppable killer, Page must discover what hidden past connects the victims before he himself loses all that is dear to him.
At first meeting, Dr Lucas Page is not the most affable soul. The traumatic events in his past have left their mark and he is keen not to get drawn back into the life of an FBI investigator. The physical and psychological scars run deep, and Page wants little more to be left alone. Veering somewhere between gruff, surly and downright unapproachable, all he wants is a quiet family life.
The problem is that Page is extremely good at his job. Seeking solutions to problems is his Kryptonite. Page is compelled to try and unravel the truth behind mysteries. That compulsion, the search for answers, makes him an incredibly good detective. There is a tenacity that forces Page onwards, almost irrespective of any personal cost. This is one of the things I liked most about the story. The main events don’t occur in isolation. The author takes the time to explore each choice Page makes. He has already given so much to his career he could easily walk away, no-one would think any worse of him, but Page can’t. Giving in is not part of the good doctor’s DNA. The consequences of this sometimes gung-ho attitude is just as riveting as uncovering the killer’s identity.
The plot also offers some details regarding Dr Page’s history, but leaves plenty unsaid. I like this approach. You’re left with a sense that there is still more to learn about the doctor’s past. It certainly leaves plenty of room to further flesh out the man and his motivations in future novels. It would be great to learn more about some of the other characters as well. There is a fella called Dingo who, though he only appears in a handful of pages, leaves a distinct impression.
Setting the majority of the plot in New York during the midst of a particularly cruel winter seems like the ideal backdrop for a tense game of cat and mouse. The killer is helped, and the authorities hindered, by the increasingly poor conditions. The grey streets, near empty due to public panic, have a wonderfully evocative feel.
Pobi also spends time examining the motivations of the sniper. Is this violence driven by racial or religious hatred, or something more personal? How are the seemingly random set of victims connected? In light of recent events in the United States and the renewed calls for gun-control, City of Windows also finds itself in the unenviable position of being incredibly topical.
The only thing I’m not sure about is the book title. City of Windows just doesn’t seem terribly enticing. Put it this way, if I was in a bookshop and I saw a book with that name then chances are I would pass over it and look at something else. That’s a shame as I think what lies within is first rate story well worth any reader’s time.
Though it is entirely serviceable as a complete story in its own right, I think City of Windows can best be viewed as an introduction. When I had finished reading, I was left wondering what will happen next? If you’re a thriller fan and you’re looking for a novel that should, and probably will, develop into something far larger, then this is a good place to start. This is the first Robert Pobi novel I’ve read. Based on this experience I look forward to reading more.
City of Windows is published by Mulholland Books and is available now.
My musical recommendation to accompany this novel is the soundtrack to The Girl in the Spider’s Web by Roque Baños. It has a nice sense of urgency and increasing tension that leads itself well to the book’s narrative.
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