Crusher by Niall Leonard

Crusher
by Niall Leonard
Publisher: Random House
Publication date: September 13, 2012
Genre: YA Mystery
Purchase*: Barnes and Noble/Amazon/Book Depository

To catch a killer,Finn Maguire may have to become one....
Everything changed the day Finn found his father in a pool of blood, bludgeoned to death. His dull, dreary life is turned upside downas he become's the prime suspect. How can he clear his name and find out who hated his dad enough to kill him?
Facing danger at every turn, uncovering dark family secrets and braving the seedy London underworld,Finn is about to discover that only the people you trust can really hurt you...

In the mood for a good mystery thriller I accepted a finished copy of Crusher by Niall Leonard from the publisher. At the time I did not know this author is EL James’ husband or that this tale was written during NaNoWriMo. The tale was action packed and the list of suspects kept me guessing.

The tale begins when we meet Finn a seventeen year old drop out who lives with his step-father a drunk and has been actor who spends his days trying to write the perfect script. Finn goes off to his full-time job at a chicken joint and when he returns home he finds his Dad shot dead and immediately calls the police. He is immediately labeled suspect number one, but as Finn realizes his Dad’s computer and notes are missing he remembers a conversation about his Dad’s current project. The tale that unfolds is suspenseful and action packed as Finn’s search for truth. If he isn't careful he may just end of up dead.

Finn is a drop out boxer and supposedly has dyslexia. As a mother of a child who suffers from this I was particularly annoyed at comments made regarding this disorder. Finn was really devoid of emotions and I never truly connecting with him. He wasn't unlikable we just never really get to know him. In fact none of the characters are really developed. We get a taste of them but the plot really drives this tale.

The world building was interesting and the twists in the plot kept me reading till the end despite major problems. The novel pushes the edge of YA with foul language, brutality, drinking, drugs and sex. While there are some climatic scenes Finn’s lack of emotion made the events fall flat and the lines of reality never blurred for me. The tale is told in Finn’s voice and sadly it wasn't believable especially since the author depicts him as lacking intelligence one minute and has him using metaphors the next. Sadly the twists and conclusion read more like a made for television script and I had a hard time buying it.

I had no problem finishing Crusher and read it in a few hours. Despite holes in the plot, unrealistic scenes and made for TV coincidences and paper characters I enjoyed it.  

I want to thank Random House for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I gave this novel 2 cups of coffee out of 5