The Raging Storm #Ann Cleeves #TheRagingStorm

By Ann Cleeves https://anncleeves.com/ @AnnCleeves

Narrated by Jack Holden @1JackHolden

Published by Pan MacMillan https://www.panmacmillan.com/ @panmacmillan, MacMillan UK Audio https://us.macmillan.com/audio/ @MacmillanAudio

400 pages (10 hours 7 minutes) ISBN 9781529077728

Publication date 31 August 2023

The Raging Storm is the third novel in the Two Rivers series featuring Matthew Venn.

I was allowed access to an audio review copy on Net Galley https://www.netgalley.com/ @NetGalley.  Thanks to the Author and Publisher for organising this and Anne at Random Things Tours @RandomTTours for the invitation to participate in the Blog Tour.

The Cover

A raging sea and a RNLI lifeboat at work. Lifeboats and their crew have an important part to play in the story. The author is a big supporter of the service and is currently participating in a series fund raising events whilst promoting this novel – see her X/Twitter feed for more information.

From the blurb

When Jem Rosco – sailor, adventurer and local legend – blows into town in the middle of an autumn gale, the residents of Greystone, Devon, are delighted to have a celebrity in their midst. The residents think nothing of it when Rosco disappears again; that’s the sort of man he is.

Until the lifeboat is launched to a hoax call-out during a raging storm and his body is found in a dinghy, anchored off Scully Cove, a place with legends of its own.

This is an uncomfortable case for DI Matthew Venn. He came to the remote village as a child, its community populated by the Barum Brethren that he parted ways with, so when superstition and rumour mix and another body is found in the cove, Matthew soon finds his judgement clouded.

As the stormy winds howl and the village is cut off, Venn and his team start their investigation, little realizing their own lives might be in danger. . .

The narration

A nicely judged narration with the placid nature of Matthew Venn nicely captured and I enoyed Jen’s slightly passive aggressive Scouse accent. It’s good that he doesn’t try to make the female voices too ‘girlie’ or make the accents too strong, but just enough to give the listener a sense of location.

My thoughts

After Shetland and Vera, the Two Rivers series (which somehow passed me by until last year) is the third set in a rural location. Yes, Vera does have a Newcastle base, but the stories are largely based in the Northumbrian countryside. So more of the same but in a different location? An emphatic no from this reader, the central characters are very different, the landscapes are too, with unique social and environmental issues. The author’s keen eye for nature gives her the ability to bring landscapes to life, which along with her perception of the human psyche are great strengths that she brings to her writing. After all there are more than enough big city crime novels.

Religion in the form of the Plymouth Brethren casts a long shadow over the series. It is a strict branch of Christianity which closely follows the teaching of the bible and has a stronghold in the Southwest of England. Venn was brought up under the faith by his devout family, following its restrictions, one of which appears to be not having fun which might be a problem for a child. His split came when he fell in love with Jonathan, who is now is husband. Homosexuality not being approved of, he was given an ultimatum and he chose Jonathan over the brethren, thereby severing all ties with his family.

Venn is an unusual central character, not through his sexuality, that is nothing new in crime fiction, but because he is so calm and level-headed, seemingly without any of the usual troubles or vices that we are used to. Most fictional detectives have so much excessive baggage to deal with that they would fill Michael O’Leary’s (of Ryanair) eyes with pound signs. Venn is so remarkable because he is ordinary, nice and a little plain, this is no flamboyant gay man. He is the counter point for the moody and troubled now single mum Jen and the social player Ross. A combination that works perfectly.

The setting is Greystone a small village on the North Devon coast which is vividly brought to life. It’s a place that is firmly rooted in the past and due to its lack of sandy beach, has missed the tourist and second home boom that has benefitted a few but blighted the lives of many. Its housing is still affordable, and it remains very much a working village of agriculture, fishing and until its closure quarrying. So far, it hasn’t been turned into a ghost village, with tea rooms and craft shops. In some respects, its isolation is what is insulating it from the outside world, but this same isolation is so crippling when the big storm closes the roads and brings down power lines. At this point we see the village rallying around to help and support each other, just as it does to raise funds for one of the children to go to USA for treatment for a rare condition. It is a place where family comes first, here one looks after one’s own. A tight knit community, but also one where secrets and grudges are buried but never forgotten.

The victim, Jem Roscoe, is brash, extrovert man who has had great success on the television with his adventure series. An outgoing man who seems to be very friendly and able to quickly turn on the charm, he’s someone who everyone wants to befriend, or so it appears. His return to his roots was unexpected but he quickly worms his way back into village life down at the local pub The Maiden’s Head. He says he’s in Greystone because he is expecting someone, but nobody seems to come. Then late at night when the weather is particularly foul a mysterious woman is sighted walking in the street but no one appears to know where she came from or where she went.

With no motive or suspects it is Roscoe’s life that is examined in minute detail to solve the murder. Venn, Jen and Ross peel away at his life like an onion and with each successive layer a murky past is revealed. A complex man who is not as well liked as may first appear.

The rural setting means a gradual build-up of intrigue and tension before it is masterfully released, and the secrets revealed. The North Devon countryside is no place for rip roaring car chases, but don’t be fooled amongst the stunning natural beauty there is violence and danger on the rugged coastline.

The Raging Storm mixes the idyllic North Devon countryside with secrets and dangers both natural and man-made in a gripping police procedural.

The Ranging Storm can be purchased direct from the publisher here

The author

ANN CLEEVES is the author of more than thirty-five critically acclaimed novels, and in 2017 was awarded the highest accolade in crime writing, the CWA Diamond Dagger. She is the creator of popular detectives Vera Stanhope, Jimmy Perez and Matthew Venn, who can be found on television in ITV’s Vera, BBC One’s Shetland and ITV’s The Long Call respectively. The TV series and the books they are based on have become international sensations, capturing the minds of millions worldwide. Ann worked as a probation officer, bird observatory cook and auxiliary coastguard before she started writing. She is a member of ‘Murder Squad’, working with other British northern writers to promote crime fiction. Ann also spends her time advocating for reading to improve health and wellbeing and supporting access to books. In 2021 her Reading for Wellbeing project launched with local authorities across the North East, and in 2022 she was awarded an OBE for her services to reading and libraries. She lives in Northumberland where the Vera books are set.

Don’t forget to check out the other reviews on this Blog Tour:

Tennison #TEAMTENNISON #LyndaLaPlante #Tennison

By Lynda Le Plante https://lyndalaplante.com/ @LaPlanteLynda

Narrated by Julie Teal @JulietealJulie

Published by Bolinda Audio https://www.bolinda.com/ @Bolindaaudio, Simon & Schuster https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/ @simonschusterUK

611 pages (17 hours 20 minutes) ISBN 9781489089809

Publication date 24 September 2015

Tennison is the first novel the Jane Tennison Thriller Series.

I reviewed an audiobook using the BorrowBox library app https://www.borrowbox.com/ @BorrowBox. I would like to thank Tracy Fenton from Compulsive Readers http://www.compulsivereaders.com/ for the opportunity to take part in the #TEAMTENNISON review project. My review of Hidden Killers the second novel in the series will be posted on this blog in early October.

The Cover

The audiobook cover is decidedly dull. The book cover (as shown) is much more atmospheric, being a lone woman at night with a sense of danger.

From the blurb

In 1973 Jane Tennison, aged 22, leaves the Metropolitan Police Training Academy to be placed on probationary exercise in Hackney where criminality thrives. We witness her struggle to cope in a male-dominated, chauvinistic environment, learning fast to deal with shocking situations with no help or sympathy from her superiors. Then comes her involvement in her first murder case.

The narration

Good all-round narration, I thought she gave a sense of personality to Jane, and I especially enjoyed the more working-class voices (albeit some of this work being of a criminal nature.)

My thoughts

I am of an age that I can remember when Jane Tennison crashed on our screens in 1991 in Prime Suspect. It was one of those periodic ‘game changers’ that happen on TV which sweeps a new style into the medium. Here was a female police office, a detective of high rank, who was forceful, determined and a risk taker, not willing to take nonsense from the men around her, even taking them on at their own game. A genuine alpha female.

Starting the Prime Suspect series of novels so far through Jane Tennison’s career leaves so many open questions, most notably how did she get there. The career ladder is difficult to climb in the 2020s, it must have been nigh on impossible in the 1970s and 1980s for a woman to smash through the glass ceiling. What sacrifices did she make to get there, what major cases was she involved in and how did the male officers treat her, immediately spring to mind. I’m not usually a fan of prequels, but there is so much background to fill in and so many questions to answer that the need is clear and compelling.

The story begins with Jane fresh out of Hendon College and working as a probationary constable at a station in Hackney, so not the gentlest of starts for a newbie. We quickly realise that she is very keen to impress and to be a success, so much so that this over eagerness backfires at times and she quickly feels sergeant Harris’ ire. She gets a lucky break early as she gets drafted into CDI to help cover for the indexer who is on maternity leave. Jane also gets the chance to go on a forensics course where she is keen to not only absorb what she can but also apply it to the cases she is helping on. Admittedly a little bit of a ‘teacher’s pet’ but the personal attributes that will help her later in her career are becoming evident, her determination, sharp intellect and ability to make connections.   

Her settling in, making new friends and moving into the stationhouse provides great opportunities to lighten up the story. Pranks are played, nicknames discovered with a lot of banter and camaraderie as Jane learns important lessons, many the hard way.

Jane’s family could be regarded as genteel and middleclass, her mother worries about her joining the force and would rather her be a hairdresser or something similar. Now that the die is cast, they are supportive of her despite their fears. A nice caring family, something we all deserve. Her sister’s wedding causes some angst even though Jane tries to avoid the subject, though no one can ignore the description of her bridesmaid’s dress.

The plot originally centres on the murder of a young woman whose body is found on Hackney Marshes. This case gives Jane a crash course in the worst of humanity and the cold hard reality for some of those on the fringes of society. She gets exposure to those whose life is blighted by drugs, criminality and prostitution as well as her first visit to a post-mortem. Running parallel to this is a second case, which is discovered by accident, thanks to Jane paying attention and being able to ‘join the dots.’ Senior officers are sceptical at first but her confidence and certainty wins them over. It will be a major collar and doubles all round if she is right, but reputations are at stake in a high-risk game.

Some may find the book a little slow, which it is at times, as it builds up quite a detailed back story. There are sections when it does speed up, these coinciding with the action scenes, but it is a long novel at over 600 pages so few readers will blast through it in one sitting. The action scenes when they do come are vivid and quite shocking.

Some say that if you can remember the 1960s you probably weren’t there, well if you can remember the 1970s, they were bloody awful, something our author captures so well about the period. An honest snapshot of the time rather than one looking through rose-tinted spectacles. There are enough popular culture references to fix the period in time without going over the top and there is so much scope for old-fashioned policing. So, card indexes, notebooks, and typewriters rather than computers; landlines and payphones rather than mobiles and of course no DNA testing to help. On the ‘plus side’ a certain amount of roughing up of suspects is condoned and a blind eye is turned to the occasional perk and fiddle. The drug squad and the Sweeney get cameo roles within the investigations, their chippy, cocky personas being captured to perfection.

The attitudes of the time are well portrayed too, with the sexism, chauvinism and casual racism. Consequently, attitudes displayed to female officers are shocking by modern standards, it’s as if testosterone sloshing around by the bucketful. Jane quickly learns that she needs to prick male egos and stand up to them if she is going to thrive in this environment.     

As the genesis of one of crime fiction’s best loved female detectives Tennison is exactly what the reader has come to expect.

Tennison can be purchased via the publisher’s website here

The author

Lynda La Plante’s many novels, including the Prime Suspect series, have all been international bestsellers.  She is an honorary fellow of the British Film Institute and a member of the UK Crime Writers Awards Hall of Fame.  She was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in 2008.  She runs her own television production company and lives in London and Easthampton, New York.

Source: Publisher’s website

Dark Angel #DKHood #DarkAngel

By D K Hood http://www.dkhood.com/ @DKHood_Author

Narrated by Lauryn Allman

Published by Bookouture Audio https://bookouture.com/ @bookouture (a division of Hachett UK) https://www.hachette.co.uk/ @HachetteUK

361 pages (10 hours 3 minutes) ISBN 9781837906086

Publication date 12 September 2023

Dark Angel is the first novel in the Detective Beth Katz series.

I was allowed access to an audio review copy on Net Galley https://www.netgalley.com/ @NetGalley.  Thanks to the Author and Bookouture Audio for organising this.

The Cover

Nice and moody with hints of isolated Montana, it does the job.

From the blurb

It was Beth Katz’s serial killer father who made her like she is: a successful FBI agent and an unstoppable vigilante dedicated to hunting down murderers who have evaded capture. Beth will push herself to the limits to deliver justice. Even if it means killing those who deserve to die.

When the body of missing schoolgirl Brooklyn Daniels is discovered in a secluded patch of woodland on the outskirts of town, Beth and her partner Dax Styles race to the scene. Brooklyn and her best friend left home to pick wildflowers a week ago and vanished without trace.

Taking in Brooklyn’s body carefully laid on a blanket and the dress neatly folded next to her, Beth suddenly freezes. She’s seen this before: in the files of a cold case. The perpetrator takes two girls—one vanishes, the other is killed and left with her clothes beside her. Now Beth knows she has a twisted serial killer on her hands, she’ll stop at nothing to catch him. Even if it means going against Dax’s orders…

The narration

I enjoyed the narration; it was easy on the ear and demonstrated a decent range. The only small criticism would be the lack of menace in the killer’s voice.

My thoughts

Serial killer thrillers, the crime fiction fan’s guilty secret. Come on own up, most of us enjoy a nice gory or disturbing mass killer read. Why stop at one victim when its only fiction, as Harry Lime (Orsen Wells) remarks to Holly Martins (Joseph Cotton) in famous Ferris wheel scene in the film version of The Third Man if one of those dots stops moving who would care, so let the bodies pile up. The Silence of the Lambs brough serial killers into the acceptable mainstream, so providing it doesn’t become an unhealth obsession dig in and enjoy.

Phillip Larkin was right about mums and dads in This Be the Verse (you know the one with the F word) and that is never truer than for Beth Katz, whose father was a serial killer who fills her up with his major fault. Call it PTSD if you like, seeing her father killing her mother has a profound and disturbing effect upon Katz, she takes on his urge to kill. The major difference between them is their victims.

Katz is highly intelligent and thrives at the FBI, first in cybercrime investigations and then working undercover. She is focussed, fiercely determined and deadly, a woman who can certainly handle herself. Like a highly functioning alcoholic, she can pass through the day unnoticed, but at night instead of reaching for the bottle she gets her relief by reaching for a knife, to despatch some vermin-like criminal. She only kills those who deserve to die, in her opinion of course, becoming judge and executioner like Judge Dredd. Thereby paradoxically becoming the very thing she is looking to eliminate. Here it draws on the primal instincts of the reader, of course such actions are abhorrent, but we seem to have deep seated desire for revenge and tough justice for some crimes. One such killing she carries out is flawed and that sees her moved from DC to the backwoods (literally) of Montana, where another maverick Dak Styles can keep an eye on her.

The developing relationship between Beth and Dak is the core of the novel. They are two flawed, damaged agents who have developed different ways of coping with their issues. As this is to be a series with male and female leads it is natural that, ‘will they, or won’t they’, will surely come into play. The classic sexual chemistry element which can make or break a series, particularly on TV, which is currently at the poles apart stage with neither in the right frame of mind, but we shall see how things progress.

Rattlesnake Creek is very much small-town old west, a world away from DC and with entirely different problems. Here Dak deals with the likes of drunken miners and bullies for the sheriff and is not averse to taking four or five men on and dishing out a beating. He also tells Katz if someone draws a weapon then shoot to kill. So not lilywhite himself but very much at the other end of the scale to Beth. Of course, she needs to hide the most extreme elements of her behaviour and he sees her as being reckless, but there is an overriding sense of them coming to a rapprochement at some point. It’s just a case of how deep she will drag him down or will he end up discovering the truth and bring her crashing down. This gives a nice edgy feel to proceedings.

It’s very much a thriller and so has all the ingredients one might expect, chases, crashes, fights, jeopardy and danger, along with a distinctly unpleasant paedophile killer. There is a glimpse behind the motivation and history of the killer but let’s just say there’s not a lot of hand wringing over him, it’s not that kind of book or sub-genre. Instead, it rattles along at pace with gung-ho all-out action, which is slickly delivered with style, panache and a little wit at times. The violence is not graphic and is essential to the plot. There are British serial killer novels but America just feels like the natural territory and so they feel more convincing.

Dark Angel is a stylish serial killer thriller to introduce a new series, it’s going to be interesting following Beth Katz’s progress.

Dark Angel can be purchased via the publisher’s website here

The author

D.K. Hood is The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of the Detective Kane and Alton Series. Her spine chilling, fast-paced serial killer thrillers revolve around Sheriff Jenna Alton and her ex-special forces Deputy, Dave Kane. As the main characters fight crime, their secret pasts are never far away. Set in and around the fictional backwoods town of Black Rock Falls, Montana, known locally as Serial Killer Central, D.K.’s imagery takes the reader into the scenes with her. Given the title “Queen of Suspense” by her reviewers, D.K.’s writing style offers her readers a movie style, sizzling fast thrill ride.

Source: Publisher’s website

The narrator

Originally from Calgary,Alberta, Lauryn traveled to Montreal to study at the prestigious National Theatre School of Canada. Ms.Allman lived and worked in Montreal and Toronto for eight years prior to moving to the UK. Her last three productions are award winning, most notably If we were birds for best production at the 2014 META awards and iShow for the Buddies in Bad Times vanguard award for risk and innovation at the 2013 Summerworks Festival.

Source: Mandy.com

Someone Like Her #AwaisKhan #SomeoneLikeHer

By Awais Khan @AwaisKhanAuthor

Published by Orenda Books https://orendabooks.co.uk/ @OrendaBooks

326 pages ISBN 9781914585784

Publication date 17 August 2023

I was sent an electronic copy to enable me to take part in this Blog Tour. I would like to thank Anne at Random Things Tours @RandomTTours for the invitation to participate and of course the Author and the Publisher.

The Cover

First impression, a stunning cover, then the closer you look the more you pick out until you notice the sinister.

From the blurb

Multan, Pakistan. A conservative city where an unmarried woman over the age of twenty-five is considered a curse by her family.

Ayesha is twenty-seven. Independent and happily single, she has evaded an arranged marriage because of her family’s reduced circumstances. When she catches the eye of powerful, wealthy Raza, it seems like the answer to her parents’ prayers. But Ayesha is in love with someone else, and when she refuses to give up on him, Raza resorts to unthinkable revenge…

Ayesha travels to London to rebuild her life and there she meets Kamil, an emotionally damaged man who has demons of his own. They embark on a friendship that could mean salvation for both of them, but danger stalks Ayesha in London, too. With her life thrown into turmoil, she is forced to make a decision that could change her and everyone she loves forever.

My thoughts

It takes a brave and bold author to write about his nation’s customs and practices in less than glowing terms, especially when doing so from within, rather than looking back at it from another country. In this thoughtful and compassionate novel, the author does just that, airing some of its dirty linen for all to so see in the hope of fomenting change. That alone would be enough to garner praise, but it’s also a beautifully written, evocative novel, set mainly in Pakistan but also including the juxtaposition of life in London. So, another country ticked off on my around the world read.

In London Ayesha would be the epitome of a modern, twenty-first century young woman, career minded, carefree, forthright and in no rush to settle down to marriage and babies. However, Aeysha lives in Pakistan and there are more restrictions placed on her by a society that is conservative and very patriarchal. At twenty-seven she is under pressure from her parents to settle down; to be unmarried at thirty would be considered as old maid territory. Ayesha is in love with Saqib, a young man who is trying to save and provide for their future as he is currently considered as a poor match by Ayesha’s family which was once wealthy and powerful.

Ayesha works as an accountant at a women’s charity and her life changes when she is asked to meet Raza Sahab, a man from a prominent, rich and powerful family, who is promising a major donation cheque. He quickly falls for Ayesha and so now she faces a dilemma, follow her heart and reject him for Saqib or to go along with a loveless marriage, one of luxury which will get her family out of financial problems.

I am giving nothing away when I say that ill treatment of women is the core of the story, a subject that people in the UK can ill afford to ignore considering that women are murdered at a rate of 2-3 a week in this supposedly safe country. Thankfully acid attacks are rare here and hopefully will reduce in Pakistan, but even so the threat can still terrify. If you have read Brighton Rock, you will remember Pinkie and the bottle of vitriol in his coat pocket, used to scare Rose, intended for ‘bad actors’ but ultimately his downfall. In that case it was Greene’ symbolism for Pinkie’s volcanic temper, here it becomes the instrument of punishment and control. Just saying the word acid can induce fear and it’s impossible to imagine the terror a victim faces in the moment of realisation. Acid or a razor can destroy a life in seconds, but some do find the strength to recover, like Ayesha.

There are parts of this novel that are harrowing to read. At times it’s very raw and emotional, both sad and joyous, such that even this old cynic will confess to occasionally having ‘dust in his eye’. Ultimately though, the story is uplifting; as we see Ayesha’s battle against adversity, her accepting that the past has gone, that today is the start of the rest of her life and most of all the courage to live her life, to embrace it, to love it and in doing to love herself.

It asks some tough questions, but it also shows the importance of the family within the Pakistani way of life. One where it seems every woman who knows your mother is an Aunty and where hospitality dictates that a friend of a family will provide accommodation for a sojourn in London. It is in London where we can see the younger generation casting away some of the shackles of the ‘old ways’ to embrace some of those of the west. The task facing the generations born in the UK is how to balance the two demands and make everyone happy.

Ayesha is a wonderful character, and the novel really captures the spirit and determination that she possesses in abundance, such that you feel that she may be based upon a real person. Raza is just how you might imagine him, abusive, vindictive, and heartless, a man the reader wants to get his comeuppance. Kamil is another beautifully judged character, demonstrating that by hiding your suffering you may ultimately be damaging yourself. He bares the scars of a failed marriage, psychological abuse and a whole lot of regret. It is easy to forget that not all scars are visible.

The prose style is succinct and open, so much so that the story almost tells itself, with the narrative flow judged to perfection. There’s some great dialogue, I loved the interactions between Kamil, his sister Shar and their mother. Their bickering was great fun, and their wind ups and joke produced some levity when it is needed. I guess deep down all mothers are the same and want to (over) protect and have grandchildren.

Someone Like Her is an unflinching, heartbreaking story of abuse that becomes an uplifting story of hope for survivors. An incredible novel that needs to be widely read.

Someone Like Her can be purchased direct from the publisher here

The author

Pakistani author Awais Khan is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario in Canada and Durham University in the UK, and he is an alumni of the Faber Academy. His debut novel, In the Company of Strangers, was published to great critical acclaim, as was his next novel, No Honour – which convincingly and emotively explored honour killings – was published in 2021. When he’s not writing, Awais teaches a popular online creative writing course to aspiring writers around the world, and regularly appears on TV and Radio in his native Lahore.

Don’t forget to check out the other reviews on this Blog Tour:

Deadly Autumn Harvest #TonyMott #DeadlyAutumnHarvest

By Tony Mott @tonymott_

Translated by Marina Sofian https://findingtimetowrite.wordpress.com/ @MarinaSofia8

Published by Corylus Books https://corylusbooks.com/ @CorylusB

257 pages ISBN 9781739298913

Publication date 30 July 2023

I was sent an electronic copy to enable me to take part in this Blog Tour. I would like to thank Ewa Sherman https://nordiclighthouse.blog/ @sh_ewa for the invitation to participate and of course the Author and the Publisher.

The Cover

Moody rain-soaked streets, rather appropriate considering the story. It also has a feel of familiarity, of European streets but at the same time different and not British.

From the blurb

A series of bizarre murders rocks the beautiful Carpathian town of Braşov. At first there’s nothing obvious that links what look like random killings.

With the police still smarting from the scandal of having failed to act in a previous case of a serial kidnapper and killer, they bring in forensic pathologist Gigi Alexa to figure out if several murderers are at work – or if they have another serial killer on their hands.

Ambitious, tough, and not one to suffer fools gladly, Gigi fights to be taken seriously in a society that maintains old-fashioned attitudes to the roles of women.

She and the police team struggle to establish a pattern, especially when resources are diverted to investigating a possible terrorist plot. With the clock ticking, Gigi stumbles across what looks to be a far-fetched theory – just as she realises that she could be on the murderer’s to-kill list.

My thoughts

Strolling around London last Saturday after Hull Kingston Rovers’ defeat in the Rugby League Challenge Cup (by 1 point!!!) my nephew asked me why I didn’t get bored reading, listening to and then blogging so many crime novels. To be fair that’s not a bad question. I explained that whilst there were many novels which were quite similar, just a little digging around can unearth so many different styles and varied locations. There was always new writers to find, some of them absolute diamonds in the rough, often from small independent presses ignored by the mainstream and critics alike. Celebrity (supposedly) written cosy crime may be flavour of the month, but I like to read off the beaten track. In doing so I have been lucky to read this little gem set in Romania, which also ticks off another country in my round the world read.

Set in the town of Braşov, this succinct novel incorporates many mainstream ideas but presents them in a style which is refreshingly different. It’s serial killer story but without the gory embellishments one would see in the US equivalent. It eschews much of the mundane aspects of the police procedural, which keeps it brief and punchy whilst allowing room for the characters to express themselves.

Our central character Dr Regina Alexa (Gigi from now on) works at the local University’s Behavioural Sciences department and has helped the local police as a consultant. Externally she is the epitome of the modern European woman, confident, determined and sassy, with what can be thought of a male attitude to sex and relationships. She has shared pasts with police colleagues which really add to the emotional complexity. (So much like another female favourite of mine who regular readers of this blog will recognise.) There are some dark experiences in her past that still haunt her, and when feeling hurt she has the trait of dressing totally in black. Otherwise, she dresses with all the colours and flamboyance of a budgerigar’s cocktail party (wearing black, blue, yellow, pink and magenta together one day), which with her mop of blond curls mean nobody is going to miss her.

Braşov is a city in Transylvania, and we even have a character named Vlad, but there are no silly vampire references, this is a modern European city, much like many others. The Iron Curtain fell over thirty years ago and membership of the EU has changed the place immensely, though plum brandy and tripe soup are still popular. There is still a different feel to the place though, the use of cafes and late-night dining puts it more on a par with Spain or Italy, as does the smoking. Here it’s almost like a throwback of forty years, so many characters smoke and any indoor bans seem to be ignored. To this could be added homophobic and sexist attitudes but compared to recent revelations at the Met that’s probably a little unfair.

The plot centres on the realisation that murders are linked and there is a serial killer at large, then the subsequent search for him. The pattern and motivation at play is interesting and entertaining, creative without being too far-fetched and allows Gigi’s’ brilliance shine. The storyline flows remarkably well considering the relationship tensions between Gigi and her boyfriend, colleagues and a new admirer slotted around the murders. Another author might be tempted to add much more detail to the investigation, but I feel that she has been ruthless but only taken out the unnecessary bits. For me it worked remarkably well and produced a style I loved, one that I think would suit a TV mini-series.

The translation is on point and allows the story to flow smoothly along, and in combination with a cracking storyline, this is a novel that deserves a wide audience. Crime fiction might not be a ‘big thing’ in the literary canon of the region, but I for one would be happy to explore more. Perhaps we have a new sub-genre Sinti-Noir, perhaps I should trademark that phrase just in case…

Deadly Autumn Harvest breaks the shackles of the serial killer thriller trope and presents it with a stylish, fast moving Eastern European slant.

Deadly Autumn Harvest can be purchased via the publisher’s website here

The author

Tony Mott was born and bred in Braşov, which often forms the backdrop for her novels. She has worked internationally as a coach and HR professional, but her real passion remains writing. In 2022 she received the Romanian Mystery&Thriller Award. Deadly Autumn Harvest is the first novel in the Gigi Alexa series to be translated into English.

The translator

Source: Translator’s website

Marina Sofia is a translator, reviewer, writer and blogger, as well as a third culture kid who grew up trilingual in Romanian, German and English. Her previous translations for Corylus Books are Sword by Bogdan Teodorescu and Resilience by Bogdan Hrib. She has spent most of her winters in Braşov skiing, so is delighted to translate a book set in her favourite Romanian town.

Don’t forget to check out the other reviews on this blog tour:

Hell Bay #TEAMSCILLY

By Kate Rhodes @K_RhodesWriter

Published by Simon & Schuster UK https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/ @simonschusterUK

432 pages ISBN 9781471165399

Publication date 25 January 2018

Hell Bay is the first book in The Isles of Scilly Mysteries featuring Ben Kitto.

I reviewed an electronic copy purchased from Kobo. I would like to thank Tracy Fenton @Tr4cyF3nt0n from Compulsive Readers http://www.compulsivereaders.com/ for the opportunity to take part in the #TEAMSCILLY review project. My review of Ruin Beach the second novel in the series will be posted on this blog in September.

The Cover

A dramatic beach scene with rocks and crashing waves as befits the title. In the novel artist Dean Miller is captivated by such scenes, though his paintings are more abstract.

From the blurb

DI Ben Kitto needs a second chance. After ten years working for the murder squad in London, a traumatic event has left him grief-stricken. He’s tried to resign from his job, but his boss has persuaded him to take three months to reconsider.

Ben plans to work in his uncle Ray’s boatyard, on the tiny Scilly Island of Bryher where he was born, hoping to mend his shattered nerves. His plans go awry when the body of sixteen-year-old Laura Trescothick is found on the beach at Hell Bay. Her attacker must still be on the island because no ferries have sailed during a two-day storm.

My thoughts

Ben Kitto is a troubled cop, but his troubles come from what he didn’t do rather than what he did. Hamstrung by grief and remorse he retires to the place of his birth to heal his psyche before he can figure out his long-term future; return to his job or resign. The plan is to lose himself in physical work thereby quieting his obsessing mind. Shortly after his arrival a girl goes missing and naturally, he pitches in with the rest of the island during the search. When they discover her body and murder is confirmed he offers his help to the local force. His greater relevant experience from policing in London should prove invaluable and so he is made CIO. A busman’s holiday perhaps, but he knows that he will not settle on the outside of the investigation.

The Scilly Isles is a great location for a crime novel. It’s part of Britain but in decidedly different even from Cornwall, with a slower way of life and a more gentile tourist industry. Many say they would like to go, but the reality for most is it is not an easy place to get to. It’s rugged and wild islands with great natural beauty are a haven for birds and plant life catching the gulf stream. Sparsely populated and with restricted opportunities for the younger generations, like many such places the people with the verve and drive to forge a future leave to chase opportunities on the mainland. This old versus young proves to be an important dynamic within the story.

The setting is beautifully portrayed, its more than just a backdrop to the story. Here we get a sense of the isolation and remoteness of the islands and the way that people become part of the environment. There is Dean the artist, Rose the herbalist, Ray the boat builder all drawing from nature and then the shop, hotel, and pub which as much community assets as their intended function. The essential nature of the methods of transport to the mainland, the boats, ferries and Skybus and how life must be planned around these. Ben remarks that families are so interconnected here that relationships can feel almost incestuous, a delicate equilibrium needs to be maintained. A tight knit trusting community torn asunder by a murder. Mistrust, anxiety and paranoia prevail until the killer is found, and tensions rise as closely guarded secrets are revealed.

The central plot is the murder investigation, which Ben relentlessly pursues, but there is also an examination of his homecoming after so long and the need to belong somewhere. Ben quickly adapts to life back on the island and discovers that some people have hardly changed in his absence whereas others are completely different. I loved how easily the childhood memories were recreated with a sense of an idyllic childhood and adolescence on a safe island only to be replaced by the yearning for what the world has to offer. The poser throughout is what Ben’s future hold, will he return to London or remain on the island. Ben is an engaging and complex central character worthy of a series where he is given an opportunity to grow. Man cannot live by policing and calking the planks of boats alone, so Ben is given a captivating female interest one very much his match but also with troubles of her own.

Naturally proximity to Penzance introduces some smuggling to the storyline, though these criminals do not ‘vary piracy with a little burglary’ but something much worse. Modern problems encroach in an island living in an idyllic, crime-free existence, like some imagined sepia tinted past.

The setting calls out for strong characters, and we have an abundance of them. Naturally we learn of Ben’s past and problems, and through those see the relationships with his peers and how these have changed over time. Expect strong and silent men, a brash businessman, a mysterious old(ish) woman and a dog. All stories are improved by a dog and Shadow plays he part to the full, proving a hit with the ladies and raises some smiles.

The pacing is sedate, but very much in tune with the setting and way of life on the island. Moments of danger intersperse the procedural work, which helps to keep the reader guessing until the reveal. The author has skilfully managed to produce a story difficult to second guess. Overall, a beautifully constructed, well written novel that is a cracking start to a new series.

Hell Bay perfectly captures life on a remote island, thrown into disarray by a murder by one of their own. As the cover says, no one is safe.

Hell Bay can be purchased via the publisher’s website here

The author

Kate Rhodes is a bestselling British crime writer. Her latest books are the acclaimed ISLES OF SCILLY MYSTERIES, which have been optioned for TV. Kate has been passionate about the islands since holidaying there as a child, and still returns regularly to research her books. Kate’s books have been nominated for the Crime Novel of the Year award, and the Library Dagger award.

Kate was born in south London, but now lives in Cambridge with her husband. She did a wide range of jobs including working in bars, being a theatre usherette, and teaching at a liberal arts college in Florida, before focusing on her writing. She works part-time as a Creative Writing Fellow at Cambridge University.

Don’t forget to check out #TEAMSCILLY on social media to see other reviews of Hell Bay and the rest of the series.

Mirror Image

By Gunnar Staalesen

Translated by Don Bartlett

Published by Orenda Books https://orendabooks.co.uk/ @OrendaBooks

285 pages ISBN 9781914585944

Publication date 31 August 2023

Mirror Image is the eleventh novel in the Varg Veum thriller series.

I was sent an electronic copy to enable me to take part in this Blog Tour. I would like to thank Anne at Random Things Tours @RandomTTours for the invitation to participate and of course the Author and the Publisher.

The Cover

Love the cover, a little dark and certainly full of foreboding. What is the significance of a reflection of two people seemingly looking at ripples in the water?

From the blurb

Bergen Private Investigator Varg Veum is perplexed when two wildly different cases cross his desk at the same time. A lawyer, anxious to protect her privacy, asks Varg to find her sister, who has disappeared with her husband, seemingly without trace, while a ship carrying unknown cargo is heading towards the Norwegian coast, and the authorities need answers.

Varg immerses himself in the investigations, and it becomes clear that the two cases are linked, and have unsettling – and increasingly uncanny – similarities to events that took place thirty six years earlier, when a woman and her saxophonist lover drove their car into the sea, in an apparent double suicide.

My thoughts

Classic Nordic Noir from one of the masters of the genre, so get yourself comfy and prepare like me to become engrossed. Its dark at times but with some nuance, and is jam-packed with twists, misdirection and lies.

The great scientist Carl Sagan once said, “You have to know the past to understand the present.” A maxim that Varg Veum quickly learns the truth of in this investigation. He is trying to locate a married couple, Bodil and Fernando, who disappeared around Easter. The week after Easter he was engaged by the Bodil’s sister Berit, a successful lawyer, who appears reluctant to involve the police. She claims she is trying to avoid embarrassment if it turns out they have just gone on holiday, but Veum ends up pondering this more than once. Veum’s questioning of family and friends unearths leads to follow, but they appear to connect with the events of 1957 when Bodil and Berit’s mother died in tragic circumstances.

The novel is set in the then contemporary (1993) but regularly returns to the momentous events of 1957. To Veum it seems easier to solve that mystery as the secrets held for 36 years are now being more easily given up. The burden of carrying them for so long has been so heavy, it seems now is the time for the truth to be finally told. Will these disclosures help Veum in 1993?

Mirror Image is a perfect title and as the reader will quickly realise the story has much in common with literary tragedy, one where history is destined to repeat itself. Throughout the present there are so many echoes of the past, that it almost feels like a kind of parallel existence, one in which destiny is inevitable. Even the musical theme fits in, with a genre in which proponents are so often melancholic and tragic.

The plotting and structuring are wonderfully tight, centring on family and lovers, and their strained sometime internecine relationships. These complex relationships, which at times feel almost incestuous, that are protected by a bodyguard of lies. Veum is a PI of course and people are not obliged to tell him the truth and throughout he is told a mixture of part truths and lies. These are so cleverly constructed that the reader will struggle as much as Veum to pick out the truth, which will have you enthralled to the (bitter) end.

Veum refuses to do matrimonial cases (wise man) but these investigations take him dangerously close. At their core are love and relationships, with infatuation, obsession and lust, but these also lead to betrayal, control and revenge. A crime of passion if you must, but to Veum its all too premeditated, too preordained and still a crime. This he approaches with his sanguine, slightly jaded persona, the PI who has seen it all and heard all the excuses. He’s much more of a rounded human than the hard-boiled wise cracking PIs we are all familiar with, he is of course troubled but has a settled existence. Seemingly satisfied with a LAT (living apart together) relationship with Karin, he hasn’t lived with anyone since his wife Beata left him. Not exactly happy, but not wallowing in self-pity, simply getting on with life the best way he knows how. He also has good taste in music.

There is a side runner to the main plot which helps to build up the intrigue and the pool of suspects. Fernando works for a shipping company, a respected and long established one, but one in which some rogue elements are at work. This introduces the freelance investigative journalist Torunn Tafjord who adds depth and sense of freedom to the story. Bold and fearless, but very easy going, she quickly makes a big impression on Veum when they finally meet. Kindred spirits who could easily become soul mates, their blossoming friendship brings a ray of sunshine to a dark tale.

It is so easy to overlook the work of the translator. It’s one of those situations where, like defensive midfield footballers, if you haven’t noticed them, then they have been on top of their game. Once again Don Bartlett produces translated prose that could have been originally written in English and if ‘ship-shape and Bergen fashion’ isn’t in common usage in Norway, then it really should be.

Mirror Image is classic Nordic Noir; a dark and twisty look at love and the human condition, with disturbing echoes of the past.

Mirror Image can be purchased direct from the publisher here

The author

One of the fathers of Nordic Noir, Gunnar Staalesen was born in Bergen, Norway, in 1947. He made his debut at the age of twenty-two with Seasons of Innocence and in 1977 he
published the first book in the Varg Veum series. He is the author of over twenty titles, which have been published in twenty-four countries and sold over four million copies. Twelve film adaptations of his Varg Veum crime novels have appeared since 2007, starring the popular Norwegian actor Trond Espen Seim. Staalesen has won three Golden Pistols (including the Prize of Honour). Where Roses Never Die won the 2017 Petrona Award for Nordic Crime Fiction, and Big Sister was shortlisted for the award in 2019. He lives with his wife in Bergen.

The translator

Don Bartlett lives with his family in a village in Norfolk. He completed an MA in Literary Translation at the University of East Anglia in 2000 and has since worked with a wide variety of Danish and Norwegian authors, including Jo Nesbø and Karl Ove Knausgaard.

Don’t forget to check out the other reviews on this Blog Tour:

The Crossed Keys

By Phillip Jordan https://www.pwjordanauthor.com/ @pwjordanauthor

Published by Five Four Publishing

491 pages

Publication date 19 July 2023

The Crossed Keys Detective Inspector Taylor Crime Thriller, book 2 in the Belfast Crime series and follows on from Code of Silence.

I would like to thank Mr Jordan for sending me an eARC in exchange for a fair review.

The cover

A very sinister underpass just the thing to get you feeling on edge before page 1. I like it.

From the blurb

Detective Inspector Veronica Taylor is still reeling from the fallout following her last case. Although, her nemesis Gordon ‘Monster’ Beattie is now on the side-lines his influence remains with elected representatives calling on the police and other public bodies to take urgent action in the war against organised criminality.

Now tasked with finding the culprit behind a spate of vandalism targeting a prestigious developer and their client, a controversial evangelical group, Taylor resolves to move on from her pursuit of Beattie and the spectre of police collusion.

As her investigation uncovers some troubling historical allegations a tragic accident stalls her inquiries and the police ombudsman are engaged to examine the team’s actions.

With her case now at a standstill, Taylor receives assistance from an unlikely source, their information putting her on a collision course with an enemy who could not just end her career, but also her life.

My thoughts

Earlier this year I reviewed The Belfast Crime Case-Files Volume 1 which is a collection of three stories featuring DI Veronica Taylor and DS ‘Doc’ MacPherson which I enjoyed immensely. Those were relatively short, fast paced novellas whereas The Crossed Keys, like Code of Silence, is somewhat longer, even longer than many contemporary crime thrillers. This means that there is plenty to get one’s teeth into, and whilst naturally there are changes to the writing style, for me the quality remains just as high.

The chalk and cheese pairing of Taylor and MacPherson provides the scaffolding for the story and allows so many different emotions and attitudes to develop as it progresses. She is the more serious, career minded and at times a little dour, whereas he focuses on results, has a wicked sense of humour and being in the twilight career not afraid to ruffle feathers. What they have in common is that they are both are highly driven individuals.

Veronica is very determined woman, but one struggling to have a normal fulfilling existence. Her obsession to pursue criminals, the very thing that makes her such a great police officer is slowly destroying her private life. To hide grief in your work is understandable for a short while, but at some point, there must be a balance in life. Veronica is waking up to this, but she still wants to nail Beattie, almost like the addict’s ‘just one more’ fix. Fearless almost to the point of being reckless she fights to do it her way, gaining a freedom which causes Doc a lot of worry and some regret.  

Doc is a magnificent example of the old school unreconstructed man; the antithesis of the modern metro-sexual man as is possible withing the bounds of good taste. The sort of man who considers a balanced diet to be a sausage sandwich in one hand and a bacon one in the other. His bluff direct style being the perfect counterbalance to that of Taylor, not so much a man stuck in the past but one who can see that sometimes the old ways were better. Doc worked alongside Veronica’s father who was murdered with a car bomb and since then he has kept an eye of her, mentoring her and becoming a replacement father figure. A spiky exterior hides a kind heart of solid 24 carat gold.

I’ve seen some repeated comments, supposedly from publishers, on social media that fiction set in Northern Ireland won’t interest the mainland book buying public. Well, I think that is nonsense, it’s a great setting. It’s like Britain but retains a sense of individuality. It shares many of the economic and social issues that blight much of the North of England and Scotland, but it also has problems of its own making. The years of ‘The Troubles’ blighted the landscape stymying development and investment as well as creating huge divisions with communities. This is a great backdrop for crime fiction, and one used to great effect by the author, even Doc MacPherson knows when to tread carefully. A healing community, one that may take several generations to reconcile the past only for a festering boil to erupt like in this novel.

The plot is one that keeps unearthing painful memories of the past. The advice might be to bury painful memories but when the effects are felt every day, and a building stands as a tangible testament to suffering, then closure can never be achieved. Justice and closure are the goal, but that will mean exposing rich and powerful people determined to keep the past buried and confident that they can do that. The theme is only too realistic, power and wealth can corrupt. In real life similar revelations have been made and will continue to be made for years to come, such has been the control exercised by and the trust placed in authority. Some of the revelations beggar belief, but when there is a whole class of person whose motives are never to be questioned like doctors, the clergy and the police amongst many, then there is fertile ground for the seeds of corruption and abuse.

Whilst not as fast moving as earlier stripped back works, it doesn’t hang around, as there is much ground to be covered. This is a procedural at its core but one with regular injections of action and some violence. There is a classic manhunt, albeit it with the twist of three sides in pursuit, at least until there is an unofficial joining of forces. The storyline might appear to meander at little in the middle but its only working to build up the pressure like a volcano filling with magma. The action scenes are excellent, he really has a great feel for writing these, pushing the scope without becoming unbelievable, these are not indestructible heroes. Doc provides some amusing diversions and there are moments of gallows humour to provide a bit of lift, but it is respectful of the victim’s plight, it may be fiction but there are similar cases in the real world.

The Crossed Keys is an intense and explosive crime thriller that examines the dark heart of abuse and conspiracy. I’m already looking forward to the next instalment in this gripping series.

The Crossed Keys can be purchased via the author’s website here

The author

The Jigsaw Murders

By Jeremy Craddock https://jeremycraddock.journoportfolio.com/ @JezCraddock

Narrated by Jonathan Keeble

Published by FW Howes Ltd (audio) https://www.wfhowes.co.uk/ @WFHowes The History Press (book and eBook) https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/ @TheHistoryPress

352 pages (10 hours 46 minutes) ISBN 9780750995207

Publication date 28 May 2021

The Jigsaw Murders was long listed for The ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction at the 2022 CWA Daggers awards.

I listened to the audiobook version from Audible https://www.audible.co.uk/ @audibleuk

The Cover

Not the most striking of covers, but then the subject matter is quite limiting.

From the blurb

In September 1935, Dr Buck Ruxton strangled his wife, Isabella, whom he suspected of having an affair, in their Lancashire home while their three children slept in their beds. When the nanny, Mary Rogerson, disturbed him in the act, he killed her, too. To hide his crimes, he dismembered and chopped up the bodies, removing any distinguishing features, before he disposed of them in a ravine on the Scottish borders.

It took the genius of professors Sydney Smith and John Glaister, and their groundbreaking forensic techniques, to piece together the identities of the bodies. And when the finger of suspicion finally pointed at Ruxton, he acquired the services of the most famous lawyer in the land, Norman Birkett QC, who, against all the odds, had successfully defended the man accused of the Brighton Trunk Murders the previous year. Would he succeed this time?

The Narrator

Not the easiest task to review a true crime novel where the narrator has no use for different voices or accents. Mr Keeble does an excellent job in managing to avoid being monotone but also giving gravitas and dignity to the story.

My thoughts

Reading true crime can feel a little ghoulish, especially if the crime is recent and key people are still alive, after all real crime is not entertainment. If the case is much older then it doesn’t feel quite so intrusive and if the story includes important discoveries, then there can be a fascination if it is told with a degree of tact and compassion. For me The Jigsaw Murders fits these criteria, the facts of the case produced groundbreaking discoveries and the story is written with some sensitivity whilst remaining a fascinating read.

To me giving a crime a sobriquet feels wrong, being crass and insensitive. Often (probably more so in the previous couple of centuries) this nickname is dreamt up by the press, as shocking headlines sell newspapers. Newspapers play an important part in opening lines of investigation in this case, with the chief crime correspondent of the News of the World at the head of the pack. Whilst a slightly tasteless nickname it is quite apt, as a jigsaw is what faced the academics at Edinburgh University, as they must piece together the incomplete and decomposing body parts of two victims. These remains were jumbled together to and scattered at the deposition site known locally as the Devil’s Beef Tub, a hollow in hills near Moffatt in Scotland. An incredible effort would be needed to identify the remains, and in doing so several new techniques were tried and developed.

Central to events is Indian doctor Bukhtyar Chompa Rustomji Ratanji Hakim, who became known as Buck Ruxton. Ruxton can be considered something of a very complex character even by modern standards. Coming from a wealthy Indian Parsee family in Bombay and with a French mother he had an exotic lineage. To which can be added dashing good looks, an ability to charm and a dapper dress sense. Attributes that made him stand out in 20s and 30s Edinburgh and Lancaster. It was not all surface veneer though; he was a Doctor of Medicine and of Surgery, so he was supremely talented as his patients would later attest. He earned a considerable income but also spent prodigiously loving the best things in life, clothing, furniture, art and fine food. He and his wife were also reckless gamblers. He was generous in spirit though, and there were numerous instances of his treating of the poor and disadvantaged for free, this being in the days before the NHS. Such was the esteem and affection he was held in that he still had local support through his trial and after, something that was to be echoed some sixty-five years later with Dr Harold Shipman until the full extent of his deeds were uncovered. Ruxton was prone to emotional outbursts though and his marriage to his common law wife Isabella was tempestuous. It seems Shakespeare is never far away and Ruxton cuts a bit of an Othello like character albeit one where Iago resides in his head.

Less is said about the victims which was a bit of a shame, but that could be down to there being fewer corroborating facts. The author suggests that Buck and Isabella must have been a striking couple and it is easy to see his point. Isabella was quite an independent woman for the time, working as a restaurant manager and had rather an extrovert personality. She was taller than average with an athletic build and looks that could be described as a little mannish, certainly a woman one would notice when she entered a room. Both victims are sensitively portrayed though.

There are several sidebar anecdotes which some readers might consider padding but for me round out the recounting of the murder and highlight its significance. The number of historically important men (sadly women very restricted in the 1930s) who had a role in the case is staggering, so it does seem right to give some of the spotlight to them. On the forensics alone there were Professors John Glaister, James Couper Brash and Sydney Smith and entomologist Alexander Means who did significant groundbreaking work. At the trial the defence was conducted by Norman Burkitt KC and the prosecution by David Maxwell Fyfe KC and Hartley Shawcross, who ten years later would meet up in a ‘Trial of the Century’. Burkitt was a judge at the main Nuremberg tribunal with Maxwell Fyfe and Shawcross being Great Britain’s lead prosecutors. Finally, like the colloquialism invoking the fat lady (Brünnhilde) at the opera, a guilty verdict would likely lead to an appointment with a member of the Pierrepoint family.

The research is excellent with uncorroborated anecdotes and facts left out and the temptation to embellish appears to have been avoided. The writing style is accessible, about as entertaining as it is possible with such a subject matter. A little of the macabre is left in such as the bathtub from the Ruxton home being used as a horse trough for Lancaster police horses for many years before ending in a museum. The structure is well considered and cogent with all the pieces slotted together itself like a complex jigsaw. Any reader with an interest in the development of forensic techniques and the human condition will find this a fascinating book. 

The Jigsaw Murders is a compelling true crime story told with the tact and consideration it deserves.

The Deception

By Maureen Myant https://www.maureenmyant.co.uk/ @maureenmyant

Published by Hobeck Books https://www.hobeck.net @HobeckBooks

353 pages ISBN

Publication date 1 August 2023

The Deception is the second novel to feature DI Alex Scrimgeour. Click on the link to see my thoughts on the first novel in the series The Confession.

I was sent an electronic copy in exchange for a fair review.  I would like to thank Rebecca at Hobeck Books and the Author for the invitation to participate in the Blog Tour.

The Cover

A blue Silver Cross pram which proves to be vital within the plot.

From the blurb

When Kate’s mother dies, a man turns up at the funeral claiming to be her uncle. Kate is mystified; her mother was an only child. She agrees to meet him but when she tells him more about herself, he disappears. It’s best to forget him and get on with the business of grieving but when she finds her own death certificate, she realises she can’t let it drop. Besides, there are the threatening phone calls and messages to her mother to consider…

Four hundred miles away in Glasgow, DI Alex Scrimgeour is haunted by memories of past crimes. Is he responsible for a miscarriage of justice? He’s already worried when Kate contacts him with her story. If she is who she thinks she is, it could ruin his entire career. Despite their mutual antipathy, only by working together will they understand the past and finally put old ghosts to rest.

My thoughts

After reading The Confession I wanted to learn more about DI Alex Scrimgeour as a person. He may have had little more than a cameo role in the first novel, and even though he is somewhat dour and obnoxious character, there seemed to be little chinks of sunlight trying break through, like through the grey skies of Glasgow. Call it reader’s instinct, there is a story to be told and thanks to Maureen Myant it is quite a story.

Imagine what might happen and what you might do, if everything you understood about yourself was stripped away from you like a conjuror pulling away a tablecloth. Would you wobble a little but retain your composure or would smash to the floor in a thousand pieces? This is what befell Kate following the death of her mother (Mirren) when a man claiming to be her uncle arrives on her doorstep. A huge shock if true because her mother told her she had no living relatives. Later when going through her mother’s paperwork she discovers her whole life has been a lie. Shellshocked she is determined to get to the truth about her mother and her own existence, otherwise unanchored she will be destined to drift through life uncertain who she really is.

Alex had his life shattering experience many years ago and it has had a profound effect upon his life since then. He still carries the hurt, the mental scars of the events that shattered his family. Time is not always a healer. Even approaching the end of his career there is little respite has the family responsibility of caring for his mother has been left to him alone. She is suffering with Alzheimer’s and so he has invested a great deal of time, effort, and expense in finding a suitable care home for her to spend her final days. Now she is finally settled he has become concerned following an anonymous phone call highlighting suspicious deaths at the home. As if that was not enough to contend with, an old case is threatening to open old wounds.

As crime novels go this is a thoughtful and considered one, that examines emotions and motivations rather than providing action and thrills. The result is a story that even this jaded old cynic found rather touching. The core of the plot is a journey into the past, but also physical journey for Kate has she travels to Glasgow to discover her roots. Along the way Kate makes missteps that upset those around her, both at home in Buckinghamshire and in Glasgow, and even some danger. Most of all it is the hurt that trying to discover the truth causes others as old wounds are reopened and secrets revealed. The central theme is admittedly dark, one that will send shivers down the spine of parents but it is handled with confidence and a lightness of touch.

The plotting is excellent, tight and careful, with time slips and characters in denial to add confusion. That the one thing that Mirren loved and excelled at but was denied should prove the key is satisfyingly fitting.

Strong characters are essential for a novel like this one and the two main ones are great creations. Kate is the modern woman shielded for the worst of life by a protective mother (one who does so for her own reasons) who must come to terms with harsh realities. Wracked with insecurities and doubts her journey into the past becomes one of self-discovery as well searching for her true identity. The paradox of her hardening her heart to those of her who have used her whilst opening it to the new ‘family’ in her life is perfectly judged.

As for Alex, his story is much deeper than I could have ever imagined. Considering what he has gone through his obnoxiousness seems a mere bagatelle, so cut the man some slack, I know I wouldn’t have coped as well. Alex is such a wonderful creation I have my fingers and toes crossed for a few more stories featuring him.

The Deception is a thoughtful and touching examination of identity, family and the desire to know one’s ancestry.

The Deception can be purchased direct from the publisher here

The author

I always wanted to be a writer. Blame Enid Blyton. I picked up The Valley of Adventure when I was six years old, read it in a couple of hours and immediately read it again. I realised then that I wanted to tell stories or better still to write them down. I did write down a story the next day but left it outside when I went in to get my dinner. This was my first experience of losing the plot. 

​I loved English at school and occasionally wrote stories to entertain my fellow pupils. They were rude and full of profanities. If teachers had seen them it would have been immediate expulsion but fortunately they never did. In the end I destroyed them, in case they did fall into the wrong hands. 

​I studied psychology at university and often wonder why I left English behind. My family and career came first for many years and I only started writing seriously in my forties. I did an MLitt in Creative Writing at Glasgow University followed by a PhD. I have retired from my job as an educational psychologist and now write full time. 

Source: Author’s website

Don’t forget to check out the other reviews from this Blog Tour: