#50 Acts of Violence, by Ryan David Jahn (Macmillan)

I’ve made it to 50 – and you know you haven’t read the most riveting book when the landmark itself is probably more remarkable than the novel which made the achievement possible.

There’s something missing from Acts of Violence, by Ryan David Jahn. The premise, the murder of a woman while her neighbours are too self-absorbed or distracted to do anything about it, is interesting enough, and the reader gradually pieces the story together as the focus flits from one character to the next. But the disparate strands don’t fully come together to create a whole.

Clichés abound. One neighbour has been drafted but is worrying about leaving his sick mother, another couple are experiencing swinging for the first time, a woman has found out her husband has been having an affair, another man is having his first homosexual experience and yet another couple are in potential trouble with the law. Did Jahn miss anything?

It’s by no means terrible, and there are some good dark ideas but it’s not carried off with anything like enough élan to grab your attention.

So, rating time:

#50 Acts of Violence, by Ryan David Jahn (Macmillan) - 5/10

Next up: Starter For Ten, by David Nicholls (Hodder Paperbacks)

Click here for the full list of books so far, and their rating