Sporting endeavor collides with old-fashioned homicide in this stunning graphic novel
The
Murder Mile
by Paul Collicutt
Sporting endeavor collides with old-fashioned homicide in this stunning graphic novel
Following the success of the Robot City series local boy Paul Collicutt ’ s latest creation is The Murder Mile , a post-war detective thriller interweaved with the race to break the four-minute mile .
Told through beautiful watercolour illustrations this perfect example of nostalgic storytelling may be just the thing to convert graphic novel skeptics .
I was more than satisfied with the ending and felt compelled to immediately read the whole thing again , as the speed of the tale left me missing some of the quality of the illustrations . Unlike chapter books , as my daughter calls them , I found having two elements to absorb added to the feeling of being immersed in the story .
The action opens as the international contest to break the legendary running milestone starts to gather pace . The drama feels very real and brings out all the courage and rivalry of a fight that went beyond sporting glory to push the limits of human endurance .
As the athletes reach Arizona , local contender Todd “ The Phoenix Flyer ” Naylor is found dead . It is up to Daniel Stone to investigate . The detective soon finds himself involved in much more than a straightforward murder investigation as he explores the victim ’ s life .
The story flicks between the 1950s and the Second World War . The Normandy landings give Collicutt all the opportunity he needs to lets loose with some wonderfully atmospheric technicolour illustrations . Led by the fearless , trilbysporting private eye these flashback passages produce some great additional storylines .
36
With the race still on to smash the fourminute barrier and Naylor ’ s former rivals leaping in and out of the frame the tale moves to a dramatic conclusion at a pace Roger Bannister would have been proud of .