Deep Cover

By Leigh Russell https://leighrussell.co.uk/

Published by No Exit Press (Oldcastle Books) https://noexit.co.uk/index1.php?imprint=1

320 pages ISBN 9780857304650

Publication date 24 August 2021

I was allowed access to a pdf review copy on Net Galley.  Thanks to the author and publisher for organising this.

From the blurb

When a sex worker dies in suspicious circumstances in York, Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel struggles to remain focused on the murder investigation: she is distracted by her worries about her colleague and life partner, Ian Peterson, who has disappeared. As Geraldine becomes close to her new DS, Matthew, she is unaware that Ian is working undercover in London, trying to identify a criminal gang who have been targeting her.

As a second victim is discovered in York, and Ian’s life is threatened by a psychopath the tension mounts. If he fails in his mission, both he and Geraldine may die…

Synopsis

DI Geraldine Steel is separated from her life-partner and colleague Ian.  On a personal level she feels let down by him because his actions mean she can no longer see her sister who is now living under a new identity, so she buries herself in work.  She is also upset because he has left without a word of goodbye or forwarding details.  Nobody is sure where he is, but rumour has it he is in London working undercover.

Ian has gone under cover, deep cover, to infiltrate one of the capital’s major criminal gangs.  He is after more than just ‘collars’ though.  He hopes to use the infiltration to his advantage to get word to the drug dealer who blighted Geraldine’s sister’s life and warn him off.  That way he believes that the sisters can contact each other again and his relationship with Geraldine reconciled and their love healed.

Meanwhile Geraldine is investigating the mysterious death of a sex worker who is found in woods near York.  Initial suspicions are that she has murdered but the forensics prove this was not in situ, so she had clearly been moved.  But why?  A second victim is then discovered on waste ground, but she is not a sex worker.  Geraldine wonders if they can be connected and the investigation is widened.

My thoughts

I have read the first few in the Geraldine Steel series but must confess that I haven’t picked one up for some time.  We are so lucky to have a seemingly endless choice of great books to read and we cannot read them all.  Looking at the author’s catalogue it is clear she is very prolific and I know she has a large following, so now seemed a good time to revisit the series to see how it has developed.

Geraldine has moved up North to York which is an interesting choice of location.  I’m sure there must be a crime author who bases their character in York, but I can’t immediately think of one and the city is not the obvious setting for a gritty procedural set in Yorkshire.  It would make a great setting though with the 2,000+ years of history and picturesque views, though they are not drawn out in this episode.

The plot is two distinct strands and investigations which don’t bisect.  The multi-strand approach is increasingly common and the skill of the author is put to test pulling all the loose ends together into a cogent story.  ‘Deep Cover’, is effectively two novellas running alongside each other like an episode of ‘The Bill’ but in which both are concluded by the epilogue.

Geraldine’s investigation into the death of a sex worker is a nicely put together story of unintended consequences.  I think we enjoy the schadenfreude aspect of someone making a bad choice and then by trying to make things better succeeding in digging themselves in deeper and things getting progressively worse for themselves.  Thomas is not a particularly likeable character so is fair game, perhaps if he had been a little more likeable then it may have been a little more challenging for the reader. It’s also a bold writer who lets the reader know who is responsible for the crime and as able to continue to engage their interest. 

Ian’s investigation was more unconventional.  The motivation for him to go undercover to contact the drug dealer to warn him off didn’t ring true to me.  The undercover aspects were fine, but it just felt as if it was a little bit rushed; Ian played his cards to the crime boss almost straightway which didn’t feel right.  Credit for trying this sub-genre though.

Both threads were good, but I was left feeling that they were both a little bit short changed and perhaps would have been better served as full stand-alone novels.  More could have been made of the pressure Thomas was under and ultimately his breakdown into temporary madness under all the pressure.  Similarly, more could have been made of the danger that Ian was in and the steps he needed to take to stay safe.  This would have made both themes darker, and it was noticeable that there was little by way of real violence.  I assume that this is a case of the author understanding their audience and me reading too many noirs and gritty Northern stories. 

The main characters, Geraldine and Ian, are already well developed and likeable enough.  The writing is unfussy and the plot certainly doesn’t dawdle.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I’m sure Leigh’s many fans will love it and after all it is giving readers what they want that translates into sales.  I will be following the progress of Geraldine Steel and I won’t wait quite so long next time.