BeWrite Books (Trade Paperback), ISBN 1-904224-12-1.

Almost a decade ago, cop Martin Nicols, working in a small Ontario town some tens of miles outside Toronto, failed to solve the murder of young S&M rent-boy Billy. He gave in to pressure from his superiors to let the "obvious culprit," Billy's regular client Frank Taylor -- a self-confessed pedophile but a man Nicols believed innocent of killing the prostitute he loved -- plea-bargain manslaughter and take the rap. Now a string of similar murders bedevils Toronto, and Nicols realizes he might at last catch Billy's murderer.

But again people in high places obstruct him, trying once more to pin the crimes on Taylor, recently released. Nonetheless, Nicols presses on, uncovering once more the hideous details of a pedophile sexual-slavery network that spreads into all levels of Canadian society.

He also must cope with his own guilt. If only he persisted in the teeth of political pressure, he might have caught this sadistic killer ten years ago and thus saved the lives of several of society's most unfortunate. Now, based in a new police force with new superiors, Nicols doesn't intend to repeat his pusillanimity.

In The Knotted Cord we follow both of Nicols's investigations, with the "flashback" occupying about two-thirds of the text. But to label the earlier investigation a flashback may be an artificial distinction, since the "flashback" is really part of the current case.

This book functions pretty well as a sort of double police procedural, despite some clumsy writing. A further distraction arises from the fact that the text reads as if (although this may well not have been the case) the book was originally written as set in Britain, then revised to effect a relocation to Ontario. There's also an annoying frequency of typos, short pages (the typesetter's widows/orphans program needs adjustment), jumbled word-orders and errors of the "lead" for "led" variety.

All these criticisms seem oddly trivial -- as, indeed, do the book's "mystery" aspects -- when set beside the element that gives The Knotted Cord its explosive strength: its unflinching examination of the sexual exploitation of kids -- both for the profit of the slavers and the pleasure of the clients. The details of the criminal schemes and activities ring with all the authenticity of a documentary account. Hugh McCracken, whose nom de plume "Kinnon" is, has worked extensively with troubled teenagers in Canada, and this bolsters the sense that what we're reading here is factually based. In this sense The Knotted Cord is a crusading book, and I would say an important one.

A further point -- although the author is as tough as any on pedophilia, and especially on pedophilic exploitation, he is also tough enough to take an unpopular stance and present convicted pedophile Taylor as a redeemable character. Having served his sentence and now living in a stable gay relationship, Taylor actively contributes to the hunt for the exploiters and the killer -- in other words, has joined the forces of the good.

Despite the flaws noted, I very much recommend this powerful book.

John Grant

John Grant/Paul Barnett is author of over 60 books, Consultant Editor to AAPPL and US Reviews Editor of Infinity Plus. His most recent novels are The Far-Enough Window, from BeWrite, and The Dragons of Manhattan, currently being serialized in Argosy. His collaboration with artist Bob Eggleton, Dragonhenge, nominated for a 2003 Hugo Award, was followed in 2005 by The Stardragons. His most recent major nonfiction is The Chesley Awards: A Retrospective, with Elizabeth Humphrey and Pamela D. Scoville. His story collection Take No Prisoners was released by Willowgate Press in August 2004. He has won the Hugo (twice), World Fantasy Award, Locus Award, Chesley Award, Mythopoeic Society Award, J. Lloyd Eaton Award, and a rare British Science Fiction Association Special Award. He is married to Pamela D. Scoville, Director of the Animation Art Guild; they live in New Jersey with four cats and not enough bookshelves.

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