How does a new thriller writer carve out a name for himself in an overcrowded field? With Past Imperfect, Matthews shows that he is already a novelist of real accomplishment. Spanning three decades and moving between France, America and England with a slew of forensic, medical and psychiatric evidence to keep the reader irresistibly gripped, Matthews sets his narrative in motion with a car accident in California that has deadly consequences for two boys left fighting for their lives. French detective Dominic Fornier (a character owing not a little to Simenon) finds himself pulled out of the sluggish rural backwaters he is used to in order to unearth the clues that lie in a young boy's psyche. And the blackmail and political intrigue that Fornier encounters are no less intimidating than the ruthless killer determined to ensure that his identity is not disclosed. The exhilarating, picaresque sweep of Matthews' plot needs to be held together with a strong protagonist and with the laconic Fornier, Matthews has created just such a hero. If at times, one may feel the changing of gears between the legal and forensic aspects of the piece, this hardly matters. The delineation of each country is accomplished with dash and verve, and if (at 500 pages) this is a lengthy read, few will find their attention straying at any point. --Barry Forshaw