L ead Tin Yellow looks like the kind of book you’d probably ignore in favour of, say, a James Hadley Chase when you’re at the airport or looking to pass the time. The cover is innocuous: a pair of eyes and what appears to be a yellow-coloured road divider; the name of the author does not ring any bells; and the blurb ‘A dead man’s secret life; a son’s hunt for his killers’ is yawn-inducing. However, once you start reading it, you pat yourself on the back for picking up this seemingly run-of-the-mill American thriller, as it is a lot more entertaining.
Robin Miller’s father is shot to death just after he tosses a box full of old newspapers off a bridge, prompting Miller to hunt for the killers. While on the chase, he discovers his father’s double life, becomes closer to his dysfunctional family and, of course, comes upon the titular process of mixing lead and tin by 16th century artists to create the colour yellow. The protagonist, unlike most of his Byronic predecessors in the detective fiction/thriller genre, is a happy-go-lucky small-town journalist; described by his half-brother as incapable of thinking — most refreshing. Yet he manages to stay ahead of his adversaries.
While the premise is not new, the way the plot has been handled is interesting, the narration engaging, the language good, the pace brisk, the dialogues amusing in parts and contrived in others. So, pick it up. You’ll spend a very enjoyable few hours.
Lead Tin Yellow;Doug Gunnery.
