Review: The Binding

The Binding by E.Z. Rinsky
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Although The Binding is the second Lamb and Lavagnino story, I haven’t actually read the first. I feel as though reading Palindrome, the first book, would have allowed me to understand certain elements of this story better, but even without having read the prior book I found this to be a truly wonderful read. In fact, I plan to go on and read the first book as I’m desperate to read more of this amazing story.

In all honesty, there were quite a few moments in this one where I contemplated giving a five star rating. I came extremely close, but in the end I did my usual thing and allowed the little things to prevent me from doing such a thing. Many will have no qualms about handing off a five star rating, yet I’m just going to let you know this is an extremely high four-point-five rating. Without a doubt E.Z. Rinsky is an author I’ll be watching – it’s hard to believe this is only the second book by the author, it feels as though the author has been in the business for years and has near perfected the craft over decades.

The Binding is a wonderfully complex story, made up of so many beautifully interwoven elements. Everything in this story serves a purpose, every detail leaving me wanting more. I was addicted – there is no other way to put it. Once I started this story, I could not put it down. I need to know how each detail came together, I needed to see how each detail was relevant, and I needed more of the characters.

Taking place over a rather short time period, this story is made up of so many different aspects. We have the necessary mystery, the needed thriller, the important suspense, and the desired action. Everything you want from a hard-hitting story is supplied in this one. It gives it all, pulling you in and refusing to let go. These elements are of vital importance, yes, but they would be nothing without characters you enjoy.

I’ll be honest and say I was a little tentative at first, not quite sure if I would connect with the characters, but once the story got going I came to really enjoy them both. I think, in part, this slight delay in enjoyment was caused by my lack of knowledge regarding what had happened in the prior book. I was caught up in the whys of the matter, instead of simply enjoying the current situation. Hence, my belief that you’ll enjoy this one even more if you read the prior book. Alone, this one is enjoyable; in combination with the prior book, I can only imagine how wonderful it is.

What I particularly loved about this one was the complexity of the story. As I’ve already stated, so many elements are interwoven. This happens quite often in these kinds of novels, yet it is rare to see such a large quantity of aspects come together so seamlessly. It really was wonderfully done, one of the best I’ve seen in quite some time. New elements were regularly added, the story flowing so well. Most things came as a surprise to be, which is also wonderful. I’ll admit to working out the ending in advance (part of the reason why this is a strong four-point-five rating rather than a five), but for the most part things caught me off guard. It’s exactly what you hope for in this kind of story.

Honestly, I could rant and rave for a long time about how wonderful this one is, but it comes down to one thing: if you’re looking for a wonderful noir mystery, you will find it with The Binding.

E.Z. Rinsky, I shall be reading more of your work!

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