The Easy Sin, by Jon Cleary

A moderately interesting set-up: a guy returns to his apartment and dresses up in his girlfriend's clothes, and is then kidnapped by people who were intending to get the girl. The resultant confusion on the part of criminals and police (who have to work out the sense of a ransom note claiming that the someone has been kidnapped, when the note itself has been discovered by the kidnappee in question).

But after this, the book was a bit of a muddle really. It was not sure what kind of story it should be. There were elements of farce: as well as the cross-dressing confusion, the criminal gang consisted of a family, including the mother, who don't really know what they're doing. But there was also some nasty violence, partly committed by Yazuka gangs, and some police procedural. The "funny" bits sat uneasily with the "serious" bits.

It was OK but nothing special. Wouldn't bother with any more by this author.

Completed : 06-Feb-2011 (audiobook)

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