How the Wired Weep by Ian Patrick

Originally posted on Chicks, Rogues and Scandals on 25 September 2020

The Wire crosses the pond.

Ed is a detective who handles informants. He recruits Ben, a young man, who is treading a dangerous path into the criminal underworld.

Ben’s unsure of where his loyalties lie. They have to find a way to work together despite their differences.

Both men are drawn into the world of Troy, a ruthless and brutal leader of an Organised Criminal Network.

Ben is torn between two worlds as he tries to walk the impossible line between criminality and helping Ed combat crime.

He lives in fear of discovery.

When your life is thrown upside down who do you turn to in order to survive?

Set against the backdrop of the 2012 Olympic Games, How the Wired Weep is a fast paced urban thriller where time is against both men as they attempt to serve their own agendas.

Purchase Links: Amazon UK / Amazon US

Review

This is a stonking great read right from page one, it had me hooked like the fish on the line from start to finish. It’s a gritty, complex and deeply engrossing crime thriller with vividly striking and illuminating knowledge and detail, it’s raw and emotional with two of the most fascinating characters. I was completely gripped by the story, Ben and Ed are two engaging and incredibly realistic men who both are living on the edge of their worlds.

I’ve not read any of Ian Patrick’s books before, to be perfectly honest I don’t usually reach for Police Procedurals but there was something about ‘How the Wired Weep’ that instantly attracted me to it, not to mention the incredibly striking and eye-catching cover which is amazing! I am so pleased that I did join this blog tour, I loved the way this is written, the two first-person views of the world are really different and pull you into the drama surrounding the two men.

Set in 2012, as London is getting prepared for the Olympic Games, we follow the lives of two different men; DS Ed Hunter, who is a handler for a Police informant, he is currently looking after Ben who is newly released from prison and founds himself in a precarious position, as he is suddenly in the world of the dangerous Troy, a London gang leader who uses him for various little jobs all the time Ben is secretly handing over information to his ‘handler’ Ed, but Ben isn’t as heroic or courageous as I make him out to be, he is a street-smart young man who has many faults who only does what he does for money.

Ed has more on his plate than originally thought as he not only has to protect his informant from those who would want to harm him, but he also has to figure out if he can actually trust this man. Ed also has to face his personal issues at home as he and his wife Lucy are wanting to start a family, but as their first round of IVF failed and now they are facing another round something which he can’t afford which explains all the long hours and overtime, which only puts further strain on his marriage. Ed is genuinely a decent guy, he really cares for his informant he wants them to be able to leave the dark and perilous lives they have found themselves in, but he also knows that you can’t help a person if they don’t want to be helped.

Ben is a complicated and contradictory man, in some ways you can sympathise with him, but in other ways, he is the sort of man you cross the street to avoid – which sounds awful – he isn’t either good or bad he is just hovering in the middle never crossing over either side. He doesn’t really know any other sort of life them the criminal drug taking and gang culture he is stuck in, but as the story moves speedily toward to finale Ben becomes angrier and I think he is a little confused and frustrated and yet he sinks deeper and deeper into this way of life, but can he really be helped?

Let me just say the ending, oh my goodness I didn’t see that one coming, it crept up on me and then; boom! One of the best endings I’ve read for a while, brilliantly written and completely unexpected. It’s easy to see that the author has a real talent for creating high-octane, intelligent and illuminating drama with just a few words. I was glued and can’t wait to read more from Ian, I’m already seeking out more of his books. My bank account will never forgive me! 

How the Wired Weep is a fast-paced, intense, brutally raw and at times emotionally tragic story about how different lives intertwine and which is full of twists and turns and eye-opening drama. I cannot recommend this enough, if you love the likes of DCI Banks, Rebus and Above Suspicion then this one is a must-read and also it’s a prime candidate to be made into a TV series.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ian spent twenty-seven years in the Metropolitan police the majority as a Detective Sergeant within the Specialist Operations Command. He specialised in Child Protection and was part of a Major Investigation Team that targeted abusers and investigated the murder of children.

His last seven years were spent in the Covert Policing Command where he managed a specialist covert unit dedicated to the detection and disruption of organised criminal networks across London and the UK.

Rubicon, Stoned Love, and Fools Gold are published by Fahrenheit Press.

How the Wired Weep is a standalone novel.
Rubicon is in development with the BBC for a six part TV series.

He’s appeared at Bloody Scotland in 2018 as a spotlight author on the opening night with Val McDermid and Denise Mina.
Ian’s undertaken a mentorship with Write4Film Scotland and is developing a script for a short film. He’s also an ambassador for Muscular Dystrophy Scotland. He lives in Scotland where he divides his time between family, writing, reading and photography.

You can follow Ian on his website https://www.ianpatrick.co.uk where you can subscribe to his newsletter and get updates on blogs, events and books.

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