Joseph Knox's debut crime thriller Sirens tells the story of an undercover detective Aidan Watts and his efforts to bring down a ruthless drug lord Zain Carver. Watts is a broken man. He was booted from the police force for being a dirty cop - stealing money and drugs from dealers. One day, Watts is approached by a politician David Rossiter. Rossiter is worried that his daughter Isabelle is a "Siren" In Zain Carver's world, Sirens are young girls who retrieve money from various dead drops around Manchester and bring it to Car
ver. As the book goes on, Isabelle disappears. Later, she is found dead from a drug overdose. This incident propels Carver and Watts to unite and go on the trail of a rival drug lord who is leaving bodies around Manchester.
The book has a fast-paced and intricate plot. The writing is intense and compels the reader to commiserate with the protagonist. The characters are likewise quite developed and multifaceted with each of them having their own skeletons in their closet.
All in all, I enjoyed Sirens. For a debut, Knox proves himself to be a very capable author, and thus sets the bar high for any future novels he might write.