Review: Seat 97

Tony Bassett, Seat 97 (The Book Folks 2023)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/134172257-seat-97?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=1EujyJSDj8&rank=1

Journalist Nick Colton and his wife Greta sit next to a man at a Loretta Kay concert at the Royal Albert Hall. He tells them he has switched seats with someone to sit here, Row L Seat 97. Just then, shots ring out. David Barron, the man in Seat 97, a wealthy financial consultant, is dead.
I really like how, about three-fourths into the story, just when it’s getting almost too complicated to follow, we are given a summary of the suspects, clues and alibis through the mouths of the police in a team operational briefing.
It’s not all Colton’s point of view. There are numerous characters—as in real life, there are whole teams of journos, cops and suspects—but the only confusing ‘head-hopping’ (switching points of view mid-scene) is in chase scenes, which I think is appropriate and effective. The focus is on plot, and not so much characterisation. The main Protagonist is Colton, and his character is well developed.
I love books where the working lives of the characters are portrayed realistically. So often detective stories feature completely unrealistic policemen. Bassett’s novels are exemplary on this point. His policemen have realistically cop-like dialogue and avoid clichés (donuts, etc). I am not a cop, but the accounts of police procedure seem true-to-life.
As an ex-journalist, I can credit Bassett’s portrayal of the news desk of a daily newspaper with verisimilitude. One verisimilitude quibble: I have never heard of a hack asking for someone’s birth certificate. I can spot some nods to news events in London. The naughty minister’s story reminds me of the David Mellor scandal in 1992.
His plots develop very much in the way that (I imagine) police investigations do. First the cops learn this, leading them to that inquiry. Then they discover more. Thus, the pacing is comfortable, slowly developing, then a rush of drama. As in real life, some of the leads don’t pan out, which gives it a true-to-real-life feel.
There is sufficient scene-setting. The writing style is fluid; the dialogue is lively and believable. It was a genuine pleasure to read.