King's Theatre, Edinburgh
Three stars
Property developers take note. Be careful who you cut deals with, both in business and pleasure, or else you might end up like the hapless pair at the centre of Peter James' best-selling thriller, adapted here by Shaun McKenna and directed by Ian Talbot for a stage version co-produced by James himself. One minute Michael and Mark are making a cool five million, which they've carefully lodged in a Caymans Island account while shooting the breeze concerning Michael's impending nuptials to Tina Hobley's drop-dead gorgeous Ashley. The next, Michael finds himself six feet under in the local forest after an elaborate stag night prank goes tragically awry.
Enter James' regular copper in chief Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, who just made the headlines after putting faith in a doting but underwritten Medium rather than foraging for clues the old-fashioned way. With his sidekick DS Branson in tow, Gray O'Brien's Grace somehow navigates his way calmly through a plot that also features a socially anxious young man who's seen too much CSI, as well as Ashley's American
uncle before spotting who the real bad guys are. And yes, his discovery is again in part down to Sarah Baxendale's devoted Medium.
All of which is tailor-made for the sort of prime time sedative TV most of the cast have either escaped from or are en route to as they signal every plot twist with a one-dimensional roll of the eyes that just stops short of a wink. While there are enough double bluffs and cheap thrills to keep the uninitiated guessing, including one carefully placed shock-moment, this harmlessly ridiculous affair is probably for James fans only.
The Herald, February 5th 2014
ends
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