Ordinary Suicide follows the story of Jack Dillon, a former cop turned private detective. Opening at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York, things quickly turn sour for Dillon. As a result of a ‘fight or flight’ reaction, Dillon finds himself at the centre of a murder case involving two police officers.

After a rather explosive first few chapters, I was hooked. Dillon begins a remarkable journey in which the reader feels wholly immersed and along for the ride. This journey would lead him across the world, from Hawaii to Indochina in search of answers. Throw in a quest to track down the theft of a prized jade necklace, and you have a story-line reminiscent of an Ian Fleming novel.

Along the way, Dillon ends up arresting a woman for murder known as ‘Deja’. Somewhat predictably, the two fall in love before things turn sour yet again for our protagonist. Rice creates Dillon as a likeable character, and you can’t help rooting for him throughout.

Dillon’s journey is eventful, to say the least, and there are so many moments in this book where I felt that this guy just has the worst luck. Action-packed with murders, suicides and even a plane crash, I was particularly enthralled to read about the arm eating shark. This book really does have it all, and Rice has a wonderful ability to maintain the momentum throughout.

The standout chapter for me was the plane crash mentioned above. Somehow in just a few short pages, Rice manages to capture the complete devastation and feeling I could only hope never to experience. It’s not often that words from a page really get my adrenaline going, but this managed it fantastically.

Ordinary Suicide is very easy to read, and I found myself finishing it in just a few sittings. All killer, no filler in terms of content. Rice has an incredible ability to engage his audience and keep them on the edge of their seats.

I loved the crime and history angle and as the story features some real-life events, has an air of authenticity about it. For me, the most important thing is that I was hooked from the start. When it comes to reading, I can sometimes have little patience for novels that start off at a snail’s pace, and this certainly didn’t.

Pages: 236 | ASIN: B084DGQ7Z2