Review – Pilgrim Soul by Gordon Ferris

Reviewed by Jennifer Joyce

During the harsh winter of 1948, ex police detective turned reporter Douglas Brodie finds himself taking on the job of catching a thief who seems to be targeting the Jewish community. The police aren’t interested in the case and the pay is good so Brodie accepts their plea for help. But the simple case soon turns into a murder investigation and Brodie begins to unearth a plot involving escaped Nazis and their gold.

I’d never read a Brodie Douglas novel before but I soon warmed to the character. Once a police detective before fighting the war, Brodie now wants a less demanding life, working for the local Gazette before going home to his landlady and lover, Sam. But trouble seems to find Brodie and it draws him away from his simple life as he begins the arduous task of finding the Nazis hiding in Glasgow and bringing them to justice.

Brodie is quite a complex character, which I liked as he seemed more real. On the surface he is a tough, wise-cracking ex copper and soldier but underneath he is still tormented by the war, especially what he witnessed while building up evidence on the concentration camps for the trials afterwards. His new work brings all the memories and emotions to the surface once more and I couldn’t help feeling for him as he struggles to cope with them. Luckily, Brodie has some good friends who try to support him and then there is Sam. As they are unmarried, their relationship is kept as quiet as they can but Sam is a great help to Brodie and I loved how strong she is and willing to stand up for herself and those she cares about.