The Big Finish: A Thorn Novel

James W. Hall

Dec 2014 · Thorn Mysteries Book 11 · Minotaur Books

About this ebook

A year ago Thorn's son, Flynn Moss, disappeared into the eco-underground, his only contact with Thorn a series of postcards chronicling his exploits. But a postcard arrives unlike the others, a call for help, Thorn jumps into action, setting off for North Carolina. But before Thorn arrives, he's intercepted by a federal agent who informs him he's too late—Flynn had been acting as an informant for the FBI, and when his traitorous acts were discovered, he was summarily executed.

The agent proposes a scheme to catch Flynn's killer using Thorn as bait. Thorn, full of rage, accepts the job if only to get his hands on his son's killer. The mission takes him to a small town where the gang is holed up, planning an attack on a hog farming operation that has been polluting local rivers and spreading illness through the area.

Little by little Thorn discovers that nothing he's been told is true, and the trap they're setting isn't for Flynn's killer, but for his partner, a woman who proves more daring and dangerous than any Thorn's ever met. She's on her own crusade of vengeance, and she and Thorn make an uneasy alliance. With her help Thorn uncovers a conspiracy that stretches far beyond this small Carolina town.

Ratings and reviews

This was the first Thorn novel I have read, so I had no background knowledge or character expectations going in. This was easily readable as a stand alone novel. Just enough material is provided to bring the reader up to speed. I enjoyed many elements in this book. The settings and plot lines where well laid out and structured. There are also some excellent characters in this story. These characters have their own, sometimes extraordinary, features that really set them apart. While I mentioned the plot was well structured, it also wasn't especially complicated and that made for a fairly direct while at times uninteresting read. The larger issue I had with this story lies with the characters themselves. They are very well fleshed out, but at times they react in odd or unpredictable ways. Mostly this is found in a certain character X-88. At times, this character is portrayed as thuggish and slow, and at others he is spouting latin names for flowers and body parts. Other characters physical abilities seem to wax and wane in this same fashion.

About the author

JAMES W. HALL is an Edgar and Shamus Award-winning "master of suspense" (The New York Times) whose books have been translated into a dozen languages. His novels include the Thorn Mysteries (which begin with Under Cover of Daylight and include Blackwater Sound, Hell's Bay, and The Big Finish) . He divides his time between South Florida and North Carolina.