“They were pictures from a long time ago, infused with an innocence and morality that didn’t fit into the world he knew now.”
Back in December 2023, we reviewed Adrian McKinty’s The Chain, and we found it to be a rip-roaring page-turner that more than delivered in the thrills department. The combination of high-stakes scenarios, impossible decisions and Mckinty’s sharp wit made The Chain genuinely one of the most breathless rides we’ve had. And this formula was something we were hoping would be replicated in David Jackson’s The Rule. Jackson’s tenth published novel, this crime thriller promised to be horrific, hilarious and heartbreaking, but how did it stack up against some of the other adrenaline-pumping stories we’ve read? Join us at What We Reading for our The Rule book review to find out!
Date Published: 2021
Author: David Jackson
Genre: Thriller, Crime
Pages: 336
Goodreads Rating: 3.98/5
Premise
Daniel Timpson loves his comic books, with his favourite being Adam-9, so much so he even has a briefcase just like his. Daniel is living with his parents, Scott and Gemma, in a grimy apartment complex, but is nevertheless looking forward to his upcoming birthday where he’s been promised his favourite dinner and a Colin the Caterpillar cake. But, Daniel has one rule that he must abide by. When a stranger forces him to break this rule, his parents are forced into a series of escalating and impossible decisions just to keep their boy safe.
What Worked
The Rule is one of those breathless thrillers where fast pacing and a scarily plausible premise make for one seriously addictive read. It is a page-turner in every sense of the word. We made complete mince meat of it.
David Jackson makes use of four different perspectives to deliver the story. For the avoidance of spoilers, we won’t go into the specifics of who they belong to and how they fit into the narrative, but they do a stellar job of giving us readers an effective multi-layered picture of the story.
Another one of the best parts of The Rule is Jackson’s dark humour. It’s an incredibly British-feeling book, filled with witty quips, retorts and sarcasm that you can’t help but laugh out, even if the circumstances are positively hellish at times.
The characters are also all incredibly likeable. As we mentioned, all four perspectives work to bring something new to the story, and the characters themselves all carry their portions. A special shout-out has to go to Scott, whose devotion to Daniel and his family made for one of the most rootable protagonists we’ve read in some time.
Every great thriller lives and dies on its ability to produce great twists and keep readers guessing until the end. And, in that department, The Rule more than delivers. Whilst the majority of the story is largely linear in how it progresses, there were a number of good twists that caught us off guard.
What Didn’t
In short, not a lot. At least for us. Whilst we enjoyed the different perspectives in the story, it’s noticeable how little Daniel himself actually features, especially when the wheels really begin to start turning in the story. Given how central he is as a player, and how interesting a character he could have been to explore, we can’t help but feel this is a bit of a missed opportunity. Characters like Daniel are sorely underrepresented in the literary world, so having some portions of the narrative dedicated more to the gravity of the situation from his perspective and the depth of his response to it would have added a lot more to The Rule.
Verdict
Overall, The Rule is an adrenaline-pumping thriller that undoubtedly keeps you hooked from the opening page until the last. It is an absolutely breathless read that most readers will be able to devour within a couple of snappy sessions, keeping them guessing how things will play out the entire time.
The characters are all able to stack up against one another exceptionally well, and David Jackson’s dark humour more than shines through to deliver a story that is almost as funny as it is heartbreaking.
A little bit more focus on Daniel would have probably elevated this to top marks. Nevertheless, this was one of the books we’ve had the most fun with this year. The Chain is undoubtedly the book we would compare this closest to. It’s tough for us to say which of those we prefer. The Chain arguably has the more gut-wrenching tension, whereas The Rule feels more consistent with its pacing and overall delivery.
Ultimately, if you’re looking for your next frantic thriller read, David Jackson’s novel is one we would definitely recommend adding to your TBR list!
Our Rating: 4.5/5
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
