The Opposite of Lonely

By Doug Johnstone https://dougjohnstone.com/ @doug_johnstone

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

300 pages ISBN 9781914585807

Publication date 14 September 2023

The Opposite of Lonely is the fifth novel in the Skelfs series. Click on the links to see my reviews of the first book in the series A Dark Matter and the fourth one Black Hearts.

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

A bold and foreboding picture of the path causeway from the mainland to Cramond Island. Together with the strap line “even death needs company…” it’s a very arresting cover.

From the blurb

The Skelf women are recovering from the cataclysmic events that nearly claimed their lives. Their funeral-director and private investigation businesses are back on track, and their cases are as perplexing as ever.

Matriarch Dorothy looks into a suspicious fire at a travellers’ site, and takes a grieving, homeless man under her wing. Daughter Jenny is searching for her missing sister-in-law, who disappeared in tragic circumstances, while grand-daughter Hannah is asked to investigate increasingly dangerous conspiracy theorists, who are targeting a retired female astronaut … putting her own life at risk.

With a body lost at sea, funerals for those with no one to mourn them, reports of strange happenings in outer space, a funeral crasher with a painful secret, and a violent attack on one of the family, The Skelfs face their most personal – and perilous – cases yet. Doing things their way may cost them everything…

My thoughts

If you haven’t read one the Skelf series but have been told how brilliant it is, you might be wondering what the fuss is about. How can a novel featuring three generations of women from the same family who run a funeral director business with a side line in private investigations be so good. Well firstly there is the seemingly incongruence of the two jobs, then there is the wonderfully imagined central characters, but most of all there is a certain vibe about it all. I don’t expect it will appeal to everyone but those who are attune to it love it.

The story starts with a delicious slice of black humour, which I would imagine typical of funeral directors, as a new-age funeral goes wrong as the tide moves in rapidly as the procession passes over the Cramond Island causeway. Not only does everyone get wet but the shroud wrapped corpse is washed out to sea and needs to be recovered by the coastguard.

The humour throughout may be black, but the stories never dwell on the dark or morbid side even when they are rooted in something bad. In fact, they are quite the opposite, seeming to find something positive from the bleakest of situations. Death comes to us all, fearing it or obsessing over it will not delay the tall man in the black hooded cloak carrying a scythe. So why not face him with a smile, as they say life is for living and there are more than enough worries in the modern world without the fear of death. The overall effect is rather life affirming, telling us to go out and live our best lives possible, to try and turn bad situations positive and where you can help your fellow man.

Dorothy is the matriarch of the family; she’s aged 73 but looks and acts many years younger. She’s fit and active, playing the drums in an eclectic band, that she formed, which perform with a choir formed from refugees. She’s the one that shows with age comes wisdom and teaches, love, compassion and forgiveness. She also thinks about the future, hopefully a greener one, by investing in a water cremation machine and a green burial site. Dorothy is also a collector of lost souls, which explains how Archie and Indy come to work for her (as described earlier in the series). When she becomes aware of a ‘funeral crasher’ she takes an interest. There are old people who go to funerals for something to do, the ham sandwiches and the sherry can be a draw, but this one is a young chap. His story when told is both sad and touching, and he has resorted to sleeping in his car. Dorothy is moved enough to suggest a route out of the abyss, that will recognise the lives of others.

Daughter Jenny is the family ‘mess’, whose marriage and life blew up in spectacular style resulting in a deep affair with the bottle. Jenny is the one who has had to learn how to recover her life from its lowest point with the love and help of her family. Only now taking full responsibility for herself and her actions she realises she must now live life in the moment, thereby turning herself into a woman reborn. When asked by her ex-mother-in-law, Violet, to find her daughter, Stella, who absconded with the body of her bother Craig (Jenny’s ex-husband) she is dumbfounded. Not least because Stella set fire to the Skelf’s home trapping and nearly killing Hannah and Indy. Violet has discovered she has MND (Motor Neurone Disease) and only a short time left. Can Jenny refuse a dying wish, perhaps she must learn to forgive and forget.

Granddaughter Hannah is the sensible one, at university trying to finish her PhD on Astrophysics, who is the future of the Skelfs. At times a little naïve, it is she who will bring fresh ideas and impetus. It is Hannah who reminds to stop and look at the world in all its wonder, to take everything in and never stop questioning or looking for answers. Hannah is a lesbian and is married to Indy, with their relationship bringing solidity to the storylines. When Scotland’s only female astronaut is being stalked by conspiracy theorists, Hannah is only too happy to investigate even though it ends up putting her life in danger and her marriage at risk.

The storyline cycles through these stands, never becoming confusing or boring. The prose is a delight with uplifting moments scattered throughout. There is action too and a little jeopardy amongst all the strange happenings. The reader will quickly discover that the world of the Skelfs has a slightly skewed sense of reality. It’s like stepping into a friend’s living room and noticing a beautiful picture is not quite straight but we wouldn’t want it any different.

The Opposite of Lonely is another perfect, uplifting instalment in the strange world of the Skelfs. May there be more to come.

The Opposite of Lonely can be purchased direct from the publisher here

The author

Doug Johnstone is the author of sixteen novels, many of which have been bestsellers. The
Space Between Us was chosen for BBC Two’s Between the Covers, while Black Hearts and The Big Chill were longlisted for the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year. Three of his books – A Dark Matter, Breakers and The Jump – have been shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize. Doug has taught creative writing or been writer in residence at universities, schools, writing retreats, festivals, prisons and a funeral home. He’s also been an arts journalist for 25 years. He is a songwriter and musician with six albums and three EPs released, and he plays drums for the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers, a band of crime writers. He’s also co-founder of the Scotland Writers Football Club and lives in Edinburgh with his family.

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

Settled Blood #TEAMDANIELS #MariHannah #SettledBlood

By Mari Hannah https://www.marihannah.com/ @mariwriter

Published by Pan Macmillan https://www.panmacmillan.com/ @panmacmillan

432 pages ISBN 9781529091694

Publication date 1 April 2013

Settled Blood is the second book in the Kate Daniel’s @DCIKateDaniels Mysteries series. Click on the link to see my review The Murder Wall the first novel in the series.

I reviewed an electronic copy via Net Galley https://www.netgalley.com/ @NetGalley. I would like to thank Tracy from Compulsive Readers @Tr4cyF3nt0n #CompulsiveReaders for the opportunity to take part in the #TEAMDANIELS review project. My review of Deadly Deceit the third novel in the series will be posted on this blog in October.

The Cover

Once again, a cover that is more functional than is immediately attention grabbing. The setting near Hadrian’s Wall is notable as is the blue and white police tape. Good rather than great.

From the blurb

When a young girl is found dead at the base of Hadrian’s Wall, it’s not long before Detective Chief Inspector Kate Daniels realizes that her death was no ordinary homicide. She was thrown from a great height – and was probably alive before she hit the ground.

When a local businessman reports his daughter missing, has Daniels found the identity of the victim, or is a killer playing a sickening game?

As the murder investigation team delves deeper into the case, half-truths are told and secrets exposed. And while Daniels makes her way through a mountain of obstacles, time is running out for one terrified girl . . .

My thoughts

After a prologue with a woman chained up in the dark, what begins as a routine crime novel, a young woman’s body found near a Roman at Hadrian’s Wall, quickly develops into something a little more unusual. This is no ordinary deposition site; the woman has literally been dumped from above. The postmortem reveals that nearly every bone in her body is broken and she was likely alive at the time. So, Kate and her team have little by way of forensics at the site to follow up on, all they know is that the killer must have access to a light aircraft or a helicopter.

The difficult job of identification appears to be solved when local businessman Adam Finch, calls in to report his daughter Jessica is missing and the body fits her description even down to what she was wearing. When he arrives for the identification, a shock is in store for all who attend as it becomes apparent that things are not quite as they seem.

There are two strands to the storyline, the central one being the search for missing Jessica, the ancillary one is the report of a prostitute ring preying on students at Durham University. The investigation into one leads to an intersection with the other.

 DCI Kate Daniels is at work but very much still recovering from both the physical and psychological effects of apprehending the serial killer in The Murder Wall. She feels she must pitch in though because her immediate superior and mentor, Detective Chief Superintendent Phillip Bright, has been promoted and is covering for two jobs until his replacement is appointed. At least she has reliable Hank as her right-hand man for support and to hopefully prevent her going off the rails.  Kate still misses ex-lover Jo Soulsby and hopes for a future reconciliation, but Jo has a new friend one who loves the great outdoors. Kate is not the only one looking for reconciliation as Hank’s wife is back to try and give their marriage another go. So, there is plenty of the sort of character development that a series needs to keep it fresh.

The principal motivation is that of revenge, to strike back at someone cold and heartless, but a deeper examination reveals that this due to a deep-seated obsession. It then become clearer what can happen when mental health issues are not recognised and treated. Greed also plays a part and as they say ‘follow the money.’

The story is literally dark as the search for Jessica is isolated to a specific area and they realise she is being held in disused mine tunnels. Kate manages to raise a search team with the help of the local Fell Rescue Team, and it is they who search the dark and dangerous tunnels, many of which are flooding due to foul weather. The narrative is interspersed with regular updates from Jessica’s view as she slowly deteriorates both physically and mentally. This proves to be a brilliant way of introducing tension and urgency to the storyline as it develops into a race against time. There are nice injections of danger and of course Kate goes against Hank’s advice and ends up confronting some of her own fears.

Its not all dark and gloomy though as there is the regular police banter and joking along with some moments of wit. I loved the description likening a woman’s sexy voice to Mariella Frostrup with a sore throat, a creepy guy has an apt private registration plate of his car and then the summoning of the ghost of Gene Hunt ‘Fire up the Quattro!’ 

There are some great cameos for the minor characters. The author has the creepy guy down to a tee as well as the administration worker who forsakes professionalism and the requires of GDPR for an opportunity to ‘stick the boot in.’ Several of the male characters have a connection that proves important and provides a ‘band of brother’ spirit in the face of adversity. It’s quickly revealed that Adam Finch is a cold and highly focused individual, and the reader will ponder over how much he is complicit in the situation he finds himself. Can he change, can he find redemption?

Settled Blood is an inventively staged crime thriller that becomes a race against time to save a young woman.

Settled Blood can be purchased via the publisher’s website here

The author

Mari Hannah is a multi-award-winning author, whose authentic voice is no happy accident. A former probation officer, she lives in rural Northumberland with her partner, an ex-murder detective. Mari turned to script-writing when her career was cut short following an assault on duty. Her debut, The Murder Wall, (adapted from a script she developed with the BBC) won her the Polari First Book Prize. Its follow-up, Settled Blood, picked up a Northern Writers’ Award. Mari’s body of work won her the CWA Dagger in the Library 2017, an incredible honour to receive so early in her career. In 2019, she was voted DIVA Wordsmith of the Year. In 2020, she won Capital Crime International Crime Writing Festival’s Crime Book of the Year for Without a Trace. Her Kate Daniels series is in development with Stephen Fry’s production company, Sprout Pictures.

Source: Publisher’s website

The Housekeepers

By Alex Hay @AlexHayBooks

Narrated by Jasmine Blackborow @JazziBlackborow

Published by Headline Review (an imprint of Headline Publishing) https://www.headline.co.uk/ @headlinepg

416 pages (12 hours 14 minutes) ISBN 9781472299345

Publication date 6 July 2023

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.

The cover

A straightforward but very effective cover. The flock wallpaper, the bordering like a posh invitation set off by the bell only too familiar to the poor servants. Add to this the killer strap line “never underestimate the women downstairs” and you have an inviting cover.

From the blurb

When Mrs King, housekeeper to the most illustrious home in Mayfair, is suddenly dismissed after years of loyal service, she knows just who to recruit to help her take revenge.

A black-market queen out to settle her scores. An actress desperate for a magnificent part. A seamstress dreaming of a better life. And Mrs King’s predecessor, who has been keeping the dark secrets of Park Lane far too long.

Mrs King has an audacious plan in mind, one that will reunite her women in the depths of the house on the night of a magnificent ball – and play out right under the noses of her former employers…

The narration

An excellent choice of narrator. Jasmine Blackborow has a wide range of voices, nails the differences between upstairs and downstairs, and is great on historical works. She also brings a sense of joy, as if this isn’t just work but something that is fun and this rubs off on the listener.

My thoughts

During the last year, on this Blog, I have been fortunate to review some great historical crime fiction stories and The Housekeepers adds to this rich seam of enjoyment. I just hope that the readers of this Blog and the novels have had as much fun as I have. This one is a little bit difference being almost a police free crime caper. I think caper is the right verb in this case, as there is a robbery without violence, with an injection of humour and a sense of things getting carried away.

The story is set in Park Lane (London) in 1905, so during the Edwardian era, the last hurrah of the upper classes. Queen Victoria has passed and with it the austere, excessive period of morning for Albert, son Edward VII is on the throne and for the upper classes surrounded by their servants, life is rather jolly, with dinners, balls, promenades and picnics in the sun. In just a few short years for many this will change.

Dinah (Mrs King) is a strong minded and determined woman who doesn’t take dismissal from her position as housekeeper with good grace, why should she. Dinah has a plan though, one that will extract revenge. That is not her only driving force though, she has an important secret, one that forces her forward and adds to her determination.

Dinah cannot execute the plan on her own though, she needs a financial backer and to put together a large team to pull it off, well it is going to be the robbery of the century. Fortunately, she knows who can help with both, Mrs King a pawnbroking blackmarketeer and a bit of a local legend. Together they put together a crack and crackpot team to carry out the heist, supported by an army of muscle and helpers.

The plan is breathtaking and audacious, there are no half measures here, and it’s quite involved. Naturally not everything goes to plan, it never does in real life and where would the enjoyment in fiction be in that. The resulting improvisations prove to be entertaining. The author manages to pull off the trick of making the principal characters so engaging that you want them to get away with it. The reader knows that they shouldn’t be rooting for the criminals but can’t help themselves, the finale brings a sort of redemption so we can do so with impunity.

At the heart of the story there are secrets, so many of them, that are revealed along the way. People are not who they appear to be, there are unexpected connections and a dark sordid one at the heart. Much of this arises because of the abuse of power, power that great wealth brings.

The juxtaposition of life above and below stairs is vividly brought to life, with the finery of Miss DeVries who is organising an opulent ball set against the drudgery of the servants’ lives, servants who are locked in their rooms a night. Those above stairs cosseted by servants much like the modern Royal Family. Even within this there is power at play with the butler and cook ruling the roost downstairs, demanding the highest standards and making the rules. At times you wonder whose side they’re on, are they trustees or almost as bad as the jailers.

The writing is perfectly judged, bright with a cheeky edge, I did say it was a caper, but that adds relief to the dark aspect that has the power to surprise. Using a wholly female robbery ‘firm’ is not exactly original, Lynda La Plante did it forty years ago with Widows, but it is still unusual enough to feel fresh and the historical setting, a time when women were powerless adds to the surprise. It is the characters of these women and the interplay between them that makes the story. Here there is so much to enjoy; the maid who becomes the most flamboyant actress, the crime boss who has to act as scullery maid, the Tweedledum and Tweedledee like sisters who are brilliant acrobats and the kind-hearted woman who just wants to help. If it were men, the ill-gotten gains would be squandered, but these women are essentially looking to do good and put things right, and in a crazy way that is just what they do.

The Housekeepers is a wonderfully entertaining Edwardian crime caper.

The Housekeepers can be purchased via the publisher’s website here

The author

Alex Hay grew up in Cambridge and Cardiff and has been writing as long as he can remember. He studied History at the University of York, and wrote his dissertation on female power at royal courts, combing the archives for every scrap of drama and skulduggery he could find. He has worked in magazine publishing and the charity sector, and is a graduate of the Curtis Brown Write Your Novel course. The Housekeepers is his debut novel and won the Caledonia Novel Award 2022. Alex lives with his husband in South East London.

Source: Publishers website

The narrator

Jasmine is currently shooting as Charly in Guy Ritchie’s THE GENTLEMEN for Netflix opposite Theo James and Joely Richardson.

She plays the Princesse de Lamballe in MARIE ANTOINETTE penned by Deborah Davis for CAPA Drama, Banijay Studios France, the BBC and CANAL+.

Other recent credits include Marie in SHADOW & BONE for Netflix, independent feature films SCHOOL’S OUT FOREVER for Rebellion Productions, THE ART OF LOVE on Netflix and the BAFTA nominated short AAMIR.

Theatre credits include THE BREACH directed by Sarah Frankcom at Hampstead Theatre and most recently the lead role in SUPER HIGH RESOLUTION directed by Blanche McIntyre to rave reviews.

Source: Management company Accelerate Management

Cover the Bones

By Rachel Amphlett https://www.rachelamphlett.com/

Narrated by Ciaran Saward https://www.ciaransawardvo.com/ @sawardfish

Published by Saxon Publishing

271 pages (6 hours 56 minute) ISBN 9781915231574

Publication date 18 September 2023

Cover the Bones is the 5th book in the Detective Mark Turpin series.

I was sent an audiobook 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 Publisher.

The Cover

First impression was it’s rather dull, but on closer inspection of it enlarged it is a rather interesting photograph and certainly fits in with the story.

From the blurb

When archaeologists discover a skeleton in secluded woodland, the body is first thought to be related to an ancient Saxon settlement.

Then the torn and rotten remains of another woman’s bones are uncovered, her injuries bearing the markings of abuse and a violent death.

Detective Mark Turpin is tasked with finding their killer, except the forensic evidence is perplexing and the victims’ bodies are proving impossible to identify.

When a third victim is discovered only metres from the first, Mark and his team realise they’re running out of time to find out whoever is responsible.

Are the brutal murders the only evidence in a case gone cold, or does a serial killer lurk in the shadows, stalking their next victim?

The Narration

A nicely judged and balanced narration. Largely upbeat and easy to listen to with the occasional moment of drama, which fitted the storyline perfectly.

My thoughts

Our story starts with an archaeologist carrying out a survey using ground penetrating radar. Now if this were a History Channel program there would be sixty minutes of huffing and puffing, optimism by the wheelbarrow load only to turn up a few old nails and a brass buckle. This is crime fiction though, so immediately the reader is thinking body number one coming up (quite literally) shortly. Indeed, we are not to be disappointed, and the author has made an excellent job here capturing the sights and sounds of the summers evening, the archaeologists working and the shock at what they discover. It quickly transpires that this is a deposition site when body number two is found, much to the annoyance of the cable laying contractors who cannot progress and complain of over running costs. No shocks for the reader but nice and tightly written start to the story.

This is very much a procedural written not to give the reader any clues at the start, there is no prologue to whet the appetite, we know only what Turpin and the team does, so nothing is given away. The obvious place to start is the missing persons database, then we get an idea of the huge volume of possibilities, not to mention those who for some reason have not been reported. Even with computers we can appreciate the mammoth task entailed and share their sheer frustration. The real-life statistics for missing persons is staggering. Whilst some do return, many do not and it’s easy to see without good initial leads to follow the police have almost an impossible job. Turpin and the team need to narrow down the search, to be able to focus on a specific group, they need expertise.

There are no shortage of experts, archaeologists, anthropologists and forensic pathologists all willing to voice an opinion. The bodies are little more than bones, so what clues can a detailed examination give? This is complicated by the deposition site; the soil is acidic which over time will demineralise the bones. There are high expectations from these specialists, but just like anyone else these educated people can be intransigent, arrogant and act stupidly. There may be no direct lives at stake, but precious police man-hours are. It takes a third body for ideas to finally coalesce, then we can see how the case is going to take shape.     

The search for the killer examines several themes, all impacting on life in modern Britain. There is the worrying lack of social care, an issue that is difficult and expensive to solve and so keeps getting kicked into the political ‘long grass’. With an aging population it is becoming critical and with a lack of support family members are putting their own health at risk trying to preserve the quality of life of loved ones. The author here writes with compassion rather than a preachy tone, but the message is quite clear.

Then there is the destruction of trust in society by the actions of relatively few. If you trust politicians, you are a fool and the actions of some have brought mistrust upon pillars of the establishment like the church and police, but the actions of Jimmy Savile and Dr Harold Shipman have had a profound impact on society. Now people who dedicate their lives to charity or doctors who go above and beyond for their patients are viewed through a lens of mistrust looking for ulterior motives.

The writing style is bright and breezy, the subject matter could have produced a much darker novel but not here, and most readers will zip through it quickly. There’s light-hearted moments and a bit of the usual cop banter to prevent it getting too dark, but the author is not afraid of posing serious, thought-provoking questions. Overall, it remains a procedural based investigation with little real danger or jeopardy, which is probably more realistic than some of the more action-based thrillers.

If you love tightly constructed police procedurals, then Cover the Bones fits the bill.

Cover the Bones can be purchased direct from the author’s website here.

The author

Photo credit: Chris Woodman

Before turning to writing, USA Today bestselling crime author Rachel Amphlett played guitar in bands, worked as a TV and film extra, dabbled in radio, and worked in publishing as an editorial assistant.

She now wields a pen instead of a plectrum and writes crime fiction with over 30 novels and short stories featuring spies, detectives, vigilantes, and assassins.

Rachel’s stories are available in eBook, print and audiobook formats from libraries and retailers as well as her own shop.

A keen traveller, Rachel has both Australian and British citizenship.

She loves hearing from readers and personally replies to every email.

Source: Amazon profile

The narrator

I’m a London-based voiceover artist who loves discovering new things.

From small businesses and indie video games, to big publishers like William Collins and big authors like Wilbur Smith, I’ve worked with a range of clients to get their stories heard.

If you need a flexible & enthusiastic voice to bring your project to life, you’ve come to the right place.

Please have a listen to my voicereels, read some testimonials and see how I could help you!

Source: Goodreads profile

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

Ruin Beach #TEAMSCILLY

By Kate Rhodes @K_RhodesWriter

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

416 pages ISBN 9781471165467

Publication date 14 June 2018

Ruin Beach is the second book in The Isles of Scilly Mysteries featuring Ben Kitto. Click on the link to read my review of book one in the series Hell Bay.

I reviewed an electronic copy purchased from Amazon. I would like to thank Tracy from Compulsive Readers for the opportunity to take part in the #TEAMSCILLY review project. My review of Burnt Island the third novel in the series will be posted on this blog early in October.

The Cover

Dark, moody and very atmospheric with a hint of danger, I like it.

From the blurb

Ben Kitto has become the Scilly Isles’ Deputy Chief of Police. As the island’s lazy summer takes hold, he finds himself missing the excitement of the murder squad in London. But when the body of professional diver Jude Trellon is discovered, anchored to the rocks of a nearby cave, his investigative skills are once again needed.

At first it appears that the young woman’s death was a tragic accident, but when evidence is found that suggests otherwise, the islanders close ranks. With even those closest to the victim refusing to talk, it seems that plenty of people might have had reason to harm her. As the islanders remain guarded, Ben Kitto suspects a killer is on the loose in Tresco.

My thoughts

Around six months have passed since the events of Hell Bay. Ben Kitto has used up his compassionate leave and has made his decision, to stay put on the Scilly Isles. He has taken the post of Deputy Chief of Police, a popular appointment amongst the locals, but not universally within the service, outside appointments instead of internal promotion never are. He is starting to put the events of the past, the death of his former work partner, behind him but his adopted canine companion Shadow is a constant reminder.

A planned day helping his uncle Ray, his reliable confidant and life mentor, in the boat yard, is interrupted by fisherman Danny Cardew coming into port and reporting seeing a body on the rocks at Piper’s Hole. Duty calls, so Danny takes Ben out to investigate, a tricky and dangerous manoeuvre follows, to get the trawler close enough for Ben to disembark. He identifies the victim as Jude Trellon a local thrill seeker, but this is no accident, she is tethered to the rocks, it is murder.

Being the only officer with experience in leading murder investigations Ben becomes CIO but of course DCI Alan Madron likes to keep his beady eye on him. As he keeps reminding Ben, he is still on a probationary period and will have a final review with him in due course. They are of course like chalk and cheese, Madron is by the book man and always impeccably turned out in his uniform, whereas Ben is not. This friction is a nice counterpoint to the awestruck constable Eddie Nickell who is becoming Ben’s right hand man and developing as a character in his own right.

Greed and what drives people to it are at the heart of the story. It is a precarious existence for the residents of the island, so dependent on the vagaries of the climate and tourism. One bad season can spell financial trouble, a couple can lead to real hardship and worse, possible bankruptcy. A real dilemma for a struggling business to come across a potential windfall, what to do if it is legally not yours. Then there are those who have reputations to uphold, would they turn down a career boosting opportunity if it meant turning a blind eye to illegality.

Ben himself remains enigmatic, but we are seeing more of the man behind the façade and discover about the death of his father, which explains his closeness to Ray. Old friend Zoe is the love potential, but he promised to keep it as friends when they were youngsters. She drops a bombshell of her own. Still frustrated by her music career not taking off and feeling a lack of fulfilment, she has come up with a plan, one that surprises Ben. The easy-going chemistry between the two is such a delight I hope it continues (I’m sure it will.)

The reader only comes across Jude alive in the prologue, which is a bit of a shame as she is quite a captivating character. A former free diver, that insanely dangerous sport of descending the depths on a single breath, she gives it up when she has a child. Then she takes on the hardly less risky job of working for the family diving school and charter business and pushes herself to more and more extreme depths. So, a real adrenaline junky, someone determined to live her life in the now and to the maximum. She doesn’t so much wear her heart on her sleeve as her dives on her body, as she has the significant ones tattooed on her body as a permanent reminder. Attractive, fit and athletic with joie de vivre personality it is easy to see how men fall for her and become obsessed. Refreshing to see a victim given such a rounded portrayal in crime fiction.

The investigation this time centres on the island of Tresco and so the reader is treated to a rich description of the geography of the place as well as the locals. The format of the investigation takes a familiar form to that in Hell Bay, individual questioning of people, holding ‘Town Hall’ meetings with the inhabitants of the island, trying and manhunt searches. This introduces the reader to the people who call Tresco home and gives a sense of the community spirit in a small place where people must rub along together and pitch in and help each other. Think of it more as familiar rather than formulaic, the setting places limits to what is possible, but the novels are quite different. A car chase can hardly be introduced on an island with no vehicles, but the sea and the elements provide plenty of danger. The story moves in tune with life on the island as Ben flounders to come up with a suspect. Later when it becomes clear what has occurred the pace really picks up as danger and jeopardy are introduced.

Ruin Beach captures the suspicion and mistrust on an island with a murderer in its midst.

Ruin Beach can be purchased via the publisher’s website here

The author

Kate Rhodes is an acclaimed crime novelist and an award-winning poet. She lives in Cambridge with her husband, the writer and film-maker Dave Pescod. She visited the Scilly Isles every year as a child which gave her the idea for this series. She is one of the founders of the Killer Women writing group.

Source: Publisher’s website

Silent Waters

By L V Matthews @LV_matthews

Narrated by Rebecca Norfolk @RebeccaNorfolk

Published by W.F. Howes Ltd (audio) https://www.wfhowes.co.uk/ @WFHowes Welbeck Publishing Group (print) https://www.welbeckpublishing.com/ @welbeckpublish

384 pages (8 hours 38 minutes) 9781004123230

Publication date 14 September 2023

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.

The cover

Perhaps missing a little of the wow factor but it fits in with the content and also stylistically follows the covers of her previous novels.

From the blurb

Is blood thicker than water?

At 5am one summer’s morning, police diver Jen Harper wakes to find herself submerged in the silt of a river with no memory of how she got there.

Forty-eight hours later, she’s called to dive in the same river in search of a missing woman, Claudia Franklin.

But for Jen, this is no ordinary job. Her and Claudia’s families were entangled for decades – there is unresolved resentment between them, unspoken secrets.

Jen hasn’t seen Claudia for twelve years now. Or has she?

The narration

I loved the narration. There were a few instances in the production where there was a scene change but an insufficient gap was included to distinguish this. That said it did not detract from an enjoyable audiobook experience.

My thoughts

A slightly odd but highly significant start as we come across Jen in the water. Rivers, pools and the water meadows become a recurring theme throughout the novel as activity or thoughts return there time after time. As the story gradually unfolds, we slowly become to appreciate the significance. That Jen is a sleepwalker is quickly established, as she finds herself in the water without any recollection of getting there. Being not uncommon amongst children, adult sleepwalking is much rarer and potentially more dangerous and significant. In adults it is brought on usually by stress or trauma, so the reader is on guard for a troubled past and blurring of reality and dreams for Jen.

Jen is a diver with the police, a demanding job but one that she loves. A single mum, son Sam is the apple of her eye. A tightknit circle of family (brother Bill) and friends (bestie Kerry) help her balance these two demands and have a fulfilling life after her dreams were snatched from her. Jen was a competitive diver, a good one, whose Olympic dreams were snatched away by illness. Her place was taken by her friend Claudia.

Claudia was the ‘uptown girl’ who went to the posh girls’ school, bright and attractive, she turned the heads of all the boys, and they all knew her name. Bill had a crush on her and one day summons the courage to invite her swimming with his friends down at the river meadows, an action that will entwine their futures together. It is Claudia’s return after many years away that cause the past to unravel.

This is a novel of many intense emotions, weaknesses, secrets and lies, but above all exploitation. There is ambition in the desire for Olympic success and all the trappings of wealth and fame that come with it, but this leads to jealousy and hate. There is desire and lust, with Bill’s crush on Claudia being the starting point, Jen’s moment of madness and an older man with great charm, who is a master of coercive control and exploiting positions of power. This character captures the zeitgeist of the 2020s perfectly as more women now are finding the strength to speak out.

The narrative of the present is peppered with memories of the past, evoked by Claudia’s disappearance. Every time the narrative seems to be heading off in a new direction, like the effects of gravity something causes it to arc back towards the black hole at the centre of the story. This epicentre is the old barn, where something happened to tie the friends together forever. Only when the secret is revealed we can see the differing perspectives of the characters.

Jen is an excellent character, the kind of modern woman we are seeing regularly in crime fiction now, strong, determined and successful on her own terms. We see she has forged a new career in a tough job that she loves and one in which she is respected by her colleagues. She manages to pull off that trick of being ‘one of the boys’ without dropping to their level, she is no uncouth ‘ladette’. It is a measure of love for her brother that she is willing to risk her career to protect him. He is a troubled man who has turned from an obsession about Claudia to an addiction that his blighting his life. He is not one of life’s sad losers, more a man who has played the cards he was deal badly and is compounding this by making bad decisions which impact on others. Once in a downward spiral it is almost impossible to recover without help, but his pride is preventing this. Claudia is the most complex character and I’m sure like me your opinion of her will vacillate as the story progresses.

The writing is a delight, and the pacing is expertly judged, moving along briskly but still finding time for a rich description life at the diving pool and Jen’s life at work. There is danger at times, but this is a novel that works by holding its suspense and not giving its secrets away too cheaply. So expect deceit and surprises as the story twists and turns. This keeps the reader/listener on edge and alert, it’s not a novel you can tune out to. The scenes where Jen is diving as part of her work are perhaps the most gripping and suspenseful, as she gropes around in the semi-dark which is life a metaphor for her sleepwalking exploits.

Silent Waters is a wonderfully suspenseful story of family ties and grave mistakes.

Silent Waters can be purchased via the Bookshop.org here

The author

For over ten years L V Matthews worked both in domestic and international sales for major UK publishing houses, before leaving to pursue a career in writing.
SILENT WATERS is her newest book (2023)
THE TWINS (Feb 2022) is a Richard and Judy Bookclub pick.
Also available, THE PRANK. All from Welbeck Publishing.

She is represented by Camilla Bolton from The Darley Anderson Agency.

Source: Goodreads profile

The Devil Stone

By Caro Ramsay https://www.caroramsay.com/ @CaroRamsayBooks

Published by Canongate Books https://canongate.co.uk/ @canongatebooks

256 pages ISBN 9781838858889

Publication date 31 August 2023

The Devil Stone is the first novel in the DCI Christine Caplan series.

I was allowed access to a pdf review copy on Net Galley https://www.netgalley.com/ @NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. I would like to thank Anne @RandomTTours at Random Things Tours for the invitation to participate in the Blog Tour and of course the Author and Publisher.

The Cover

Quite atmospheric and gives a good sense of the location of the story, the Highlands of Scotland.

From the blurb

In the village of Cronchie, a wealthy family are found brutally murdered. The Devil Stone, an heirloom rumoured to bring death if removed from their home, is the only thing stolen. The key suspects are known satanists. But when the investigating officer disappears, DCI Christine Caplan is pulled in to investigate.

Caplan knows she is being punished for a minor misdemeanour when she is seconded to the Highlands, but she’s confident she can quickly solve the murders and return home to her fractious family. But as she closes in on the truth, it is suddenly her life, not her career, that is in danger.

My thoughts

An attention-grabbing start to the story to get the reader fully engaged, as a man goes ‘flying’ from a monument on top of a hill, did he jump or was he pushed? That is only the prologue to whet our appetite.

The story starts properly nine days earlier as two neds break into ‘The Big Hoose’ Otterburn House which is owned by local land-owning gentry the McGregor family. The family is supposed to be on holiday, but their security appears lax as not even the alarm is switched on. The young men ‘Bainsy’ and ‘Scotto’ are searching for the famous Devil Stone, which was once on Antiques Roadshow, rumoured to possess great powers and to bleed when taken from the property. The lads are tempted by the dark side and practice black magic with a group of wannabe satanists, so obtaining the Devil Stone will bring great kudos. Inside the house though they come across much more than they bargained for, the stone has gone and the whole family have been slaughtered. They are startled so much they raise the alarm with local residents who call the police.

DCI Christine Caplan has had rather a bad day and hoped that a night at the ballet with Emma, her daughter, will cheer her up. Christine put her heart and soul into being a ballet dancer, but grew too tall, so Scottish Ballet’s loss became Police Scotland’s gain. It was a bad day because Christine had a disciplinary interview, a piece of evidence had been lost and so she must take responsibility and face the prospect of dropping a rank. It only gets worse as after the performance she tries to intervene with a bag snatcher on a bicycle who collapses and dies in front of her, prompting another internal investigation.

Three disparate events that are about to become intertwined. Following the disappearance of the local SIO, Christine is shunted up to the Highlands to cover the Otterburn House killings, which proves to be a demanding investigation.

The novel title The Devil Stone is certainly arresting and early references to Dennis Wheatley’s The Devil Rides Out and Aleister Crowley had me casting my mind back 40+ years. There was a shelf load of Wheatley’s books in my library, which proved popular and I remember reading 2 or 3, though now they are nowhere to be seen. It seems the modern devil worshipper is more interested in getting drunk and high then stripping off and dancing naked in the woods than summoning Satan, which explains why the lads were keen to get the stone.

Christine is interesting as a character as she battles to do the right thing against a wave of people trying to prevent her. Officers on high are undermining her and she starts to mistrust all those around her, though this is not paranoia, as there is a conspiracy against her. This means even if just for self-protection she must keep her cards close to her chest and of course not follow the rules; cops who go rogue for the right reason are so compelling. Here the author has done a wonderful job of capturing the gamut of emotions that Christine goes through, so getting the reader fully on board with the character. The choice of ballet for the backstory is canny, strip away the surface veneer of glamour and dancers are tough, physically resilient, almost battle hardened in their pursuit of excellence. Just the qualities Christine needs in her struggle against hidden forces.

Being the first in a series there is naturally some boundary setting and this is nicely handled. Her friendship with Lizzie and their connection with ‘the bastard’ John Ferguson adds complexity and texture to the storyline as does the lives of her family. Her husband Aklan was successful but is now a burnt-out shell of a man, depressed and permanently exhausted. He is like the albatross around her neck, but she still loves him dearly. Son Kenny looks like he is heading down the wrong road of self-isolation and video games like the Hikikomori in Japan, but luckily as Robert Plant sang ‘there’s still time to change the road you’re on.’ Daughter Emma is the shining light, thoughtful and caring, and a budding eco-warrior. So, a family life ripe for development in subsequent novels.

Of the police colleagues in the Highlands, Craigo and Mackie are the standout ones simply due to them being oddballs but also inscrutable with it. They provide a breath of fresh air to the procedural side and bring much amusement. The prose and dialogue are sprinkled with such typical words and phrases, this could only be a novel set in Scotland, but without becoming too extreme with the vernacular or dialect. If like me you love Scotland, this will be ideal for you. The humour throughout is perfectly pitched to balance some of the darkness.

It is giving nothing away in saying police corruption plays a part in the storyline, it is vogue in current crime novels but that is only mirroring real life. Here it is skilfully handled, having the reader guessing to the end, at times edging towards the outrageous but at the same time perfectly plausible.

After the brisk start the pace steadies but remains relentless. Even in the quiet spots Christine is picking her battles with others and at times herself. The tension and paranoia build right up to a breathtaking action set piece, one that will have thriller lovers purring with satisfaction, but even then, not all is revealed.

The Devil Stone is a masterful Scottish crime thriller, with the action peppered by deceit and rambunctious confrontations.

The Devil Stone can be purchased from the Bookshop.org here

The author

Caro Ramsay is the Glaswegian author of the critically acclaimed Anderson and Costello series, the first of which, Absolution, was shortlisted for the CWA’s New Blood Dagger for best debut of the year. The ninth book in the series, The Suffering of Strangers, was longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize 2018.

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Chasing the Dragon

By Mark Wightman https://www.markwightmanauthor.com/ @mark_wightman

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

309 pages ISBN 9781915817174

Publication date 12 September 2023

Chasing the Dragon is the second novel in the Inspector Betancourt Mysteries series.

The first novel in the series Waking the Tiger was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger 2022, finalist for the Ngaio Marsh Awards Best First Novel award 2022, longlisted for the Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Prize for for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2021 and shortlisted for the Scottish Crime Debut of the Year 2021.

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

What a beautiful and clever cover. First thing that jumps out is a magnificent Chinese-style almost snake-like dragon, then you notice the junks at the waterfront. Then finally, at least as I took it all in, you realise that the rich red colour scheme is actually a poppy, which then leaves you in no doubt regarding the title.

From the blurb

A local fisherman finds the body of a missing American archaeologist.

Detective Inspector Betancourt of the Singapore Marine Police is first on the scene. Something doesn’t quite add up. He finds out that the archaeologist, Richard Fulbright, was close to deciphering the previously untranslatable script on a pre-colonial relic known as the Singapore Stone. This was no accidental drowning.

Is there more to this case than archaeological rivalries?

Betancourt also discovers that Fulbright had been having an affair. He is sure he is onto something bigger than just academic infighting.

A government opium factory draws criminal interest.

In his investigations into the death, Betancourt finds that his own life in danger, and now he has also put himself on the wrong side of British Military Intelligence, and he is unsure which set of opponents he fears the most…

My thoughts

For me a successful historical crime needs two key elements, an interesting or exotic location and momentous timing. Chasing the Dragon has both. The novel is set in Singapore, an island city state with a rich maritime history that has been a cultural melting pot for over two hundred years. Now one the most modern of modern cities, it was under British colonial rule until the 1960s and has totally transformed itself since independence. The story itself is set in 1940 a key moment in its history, some might say a key turning point.

My father did his National Service (in the news again recently) in the jungle of Malaya and spent time off in Singapore, so I was brought up on tales of visits to the Raffles Hotel and the fading colonial splendour on offer. It was only natural that I would be drawn to the place in a novel.

The story starts with a poor subsistence fisherman partaking of an activity we all do daily (though rarely mentioned in fiction) through a hole cut in the floor of his kelong (fishing platform) when he discovers a body wrapped up in a fishing net. He does the right thing, at the risk of creating trouble for himself, by calling the police and taking the body ashore. The timing of this coincides with the unloading of the prized but foul-smelling durian crop. When the body is uncovered, they realise it is a white man so something must be done. These simple tasks capture the time, the sights, sounds and smells of the Singapore dockside perfectly. We see the native poor, the coolies, rickshaw men, labourers and former sepoy, expendable labour, expendable lives. If it had been a Malay in the net the bare minimum would be done. At the other end of the scale the white colonial powers, for whom nothing is too much and some never enough. The structural and institutional racism of the time must have been shocking compared to modern enlightened thought.

Our police inspector, Max Betancourt, is conveniently or sometimes inconveniently somewhere between the two. Betancourt is Kristang in origin, a mixed-race Portuguese-Malay people, which places him with a foot in each camp, allowing him insider and outsider perspectives, though for some people he will never be enough of one or the other. Through his dealings with and treatment of the non-Europeans we see the kindness and humanity of the man. He is also able to rub shoulders with the elite of the colony as well the fly, dodgy characters on the racecourse.

There is one black cloud over Betancourt’s life, his missing wife. His wife disappeared without a trace after a car crash which killed her driver. Initially he thought a criminal gang was involved but having heard nothing he is no longer sure. He has searched for her and is conflicted, not wanting to the abandon the search prevents him from moving on with his life, something even his daughter believes her should. She can see the chemistry between him and police surgeon Evelyn, the potential love interest, and believes in carpe diem but Evelyn might have given up waiting. This relationship is one that bubbles through the storyline, and promises to bring more joy in future instalments.

The timing is perfect in demonstrating the over confidence and sheer arrogance of the powers of the time. The Second World War is in the ‘phoney’ war period, with Germany and Japan making territorial gains but the British are convinced that Singapore will be safe. They underestimate the ‘inferior’ Japanese military and believe the garrison too strong, but when the attack came, they held out for merely a week. In just a few paragraphs this palpable contempt is laid bare, with hard lessons to be learned in the future.

From the title and cover of the novel it is obvious that opium is going to play its part and I suspect for many readers what is revealed will come as something of a shock. Some will be aware of the opium wars but regard those as the distant past, but to think that as recently as 1940, opium consumption was controlled and taxed by authorities, much as alcohol or tobacco is now, is truly mind blowing. A shameful period of our past laid bare, warts and all, well researched and convincingly covered.

The story gradually builds up, with regular injections of action and intrigue, before danger packed conclusion which will have readers enthralled. Throughout the story there are incidents revealing glimpses of ordinary life there across the class and race spectrum which add to the fascination of the place so perfectly captured in the prose.  Betancourt may ride a motorcycle, but he is not a stereotypical action man, far from it, he does place himself in risky situations, but when there is a fight, he invariably comes off second best. He is lucky to have the lovely Evelyn to minister to his needs.   

The first book in the series Waking the Tiger received multiple prize nominations and I fully expect this one to follow suit and perhaps even go one better.

Chasing the Dragon is likely to be the most enlightening, engaging and entertaining historical crime thriller I’ll read all year.

Chasing the Dragon can be purchased direct from the publisher here

The author

Mark Wightman was born in Edinburgh before growing up in the Far East, first in Hong Kong and then in Singapore. He is fascinated by exploring the elements of history that lie at the margins, where the recorded facts have either faded or been hidden. After a successful career in media technology, Mark completed master’s degrees in Creative Writing at the Universities of Edinburgh and East Anglia, where he received a distinction for his debut novel Waking the Tiger. Mark was the winner of the Pitch Perfect event at the Bloody Scotland Crime Festival, also for Waking the Tiger, and was selected to be one of the seventeen UNESCO City of Literature Story Shop emerging writers at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. He lives in Scotland.

Source: Amazon profile

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Murder at the Residence #StellaBlómkvist #MurderAtTheResidence

By Stella Blómkvist

Translated by Quentin Bates https://graskeggur.com/ @graskeggur

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

278 pages ISBN 9781739298920

Publication date 28 August 2023

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

The Cover

The monochrome version is stark and moody, with a church and up-market residence which are significant to the plot. Fits the story rather well.

From the blurb

It’s New Year and Iceland is still reeling from the effects of the financial crash when a notorious financier is found beaten to death after a high-profile reception at the President’s residence. The police are certain they have the killer – or do they? Determined to get to the truth, maverick lawyer Stella Blómkvist isn’t so sure.

A stripper disappears from one of the city’s seediest nightspots, and nobody but Stella seems interested in finding her. A drug mule cooling his heels in a prison cell refuses to speak to anyone but Stella – although she has never heard of him. An old man makes a deathbed confession and request for Stella to find the family he lost long ago.

With a sharp tongue and a moral compass all of her own, Stella Blómkvist has a talent for attracting trouble and she’s as at home in the corridors of power as in the dark corners of ’s underworld.

My thoughts

The starting point is not so much whodunnit but who wrote it, and it sure wasn’t Jessica Fletcher. The novel is credited to Stella Blómkvist, which appears to be a nom de plume, whose identity has not been cracked yet, so doing a much better job than Robert Galbraith then. The name of the novel’s central character is also Stella Blómkvist, which poses the question are they one and the same, is it wholly fiction or is it partly autobiographical? I guess the reader must wait and decide when they’ve finished.

The novel is set in 2009 and Iceland’s economic miracle, which had foundations on the quicksand of speculative investment banking, has crashed. Bankruptcy and financial pain abound for the general population but not those directly and indirectly responsible, the bankers, fat cats and politicians, who appear impervious to losses and lack even the honour to resign. The us and them continues even though the have tanked the country and recovery will be a painful rocky road ahead.

Stella Blómkvist is a needle-sharp lawyer with a tongue to match and an attitude more in keeping with Sam Spade than Rumpole of The Bailey. She seems to be the go-to lawyer for the Icelandic lower order as we see her pick up several clients in the first few chapters. There’s a death bed request from a man to find and deliver a message to the woman who is his daughter, one he has lost track of and could even be dead. Then there is a request from a Latvian ‘dancer’ to find her friend who has been missing since New Year’s Eve, when she performed at a ‘special’ gig. A man charged with smuggling drugs in a car he was delivering contacts her after hearing about her on the ferry from Denmark. Not forgetting a young drug addict who surfaces from stupor to find the police in his room and himself in serious trouble, which really is the cherry on the top of Stella’s Bakewell Tart. Clients that have the accountant in me shouting are they going to pay! A strange assortment but Stella can manage their conflicting demands which she does with some aplomb.

It isn’t so much a storyline as a puzzle to be solved. It’s like a fifteen puzzle, one of those with fifteen tiles set into a four-by-four square, with one free square to slide pieces into. To get the answers she is looking for Stella must slide the facts she discovers about her cases around until the picture is clear and that only happens when they are in the right places. Unconventional work for a lawyer, becoming part private investigator and part investigative journalist helping an old friend, to add to a useful book of contacts. Stella proves to be a real thorn in the side of the police and her interactions with them add much to the story which doesn’t hold much in the way of danger and jeopardy.

There are several coincidences and seemingly improbable connections, but then when you think about it, Iceland is a country but one where when it comes to population size it would only be the size of a medium city elsewhere. As ever it is a magnificent setting for crime fiction.

It’s a slim novel and thanks to the fantastic work of translator Quentin Bates (a good novelist himself) there is plenty of vim to vigor to the prose. The dialogue has plenty of snap, crackle and pop as Stella is a woman who shoots from the lip and cuts down with insults, though not all vocalised (wankstain, shitbag.)  Stella also employs several nicknames for people and objects which adds wit to the overall texture and often finishes a chapter with a maxim passed down from her mother to reflect upon.

The themes of guilt and remorse are explored throughout the storyline as miscreants refuse to take responsibility for their actions, except for one hypocritical but ultimately remorseful man. Most significantly relating to events from the past as the secrets that some hopes were buried resurface, but also currently as the guilty greedy are rewarded for failure. sadly this seems all too common in the twenty-first century.

Stella is a wonderful heroine and has been added to my list of great female characters. Thoroughly modern in outlook she is strong, determined, resourceful and focussed on what she wants. She is insultingly compared to Messalina, the wife of Claudius, which is a little unfair, let’s just say she’s a woman with desires who knows what she likes. I for one hope there is much more of Stella to come.

Death at the Residence is classic Nordic Noir with compelling and risk taking modern heroine it its heart.

Murder at the Residence can be purchased via the publisher’s web site here

The author

Stella Blómkvist has been a bestselling series in Iceland since the first book appeared in the 1990s and has attracted an international audience since the TV series starring Heiða Reed aired. This series features tough, razor-tongued Reykjavík lawyer Stella Blómkvist, with her taste for neat whiskey, a liking for easy money and a moral compass all of her own – and who is at home in the corridors of power as in the city’s darkest nightspots.

The books have been published under a pseudonym that still hasn’t been cracked. The question of Stella Blómkvist’s identity is one that crops up regularly, but it looks like it’s going to remain a mystery…

The Translator

Quentin Bates is a writer, translator and journalist. He has professional and personal roots in Iceland that run very deep. He worked as a seaman before turning to maritime journalism. He is an author of a series of nine crime novels and novellas featuring the Reykjavik detective Gunnhildur (Gunna) Gísladóttir. In addition to writing his own fiction, he has translated books by Guðlaugur Arason, Einar Kárason, and crème de la crème of the Icelandic crime fiction authors Lilja Sigurðardóttir, Óskar Guðmundsson, Jónína Leósdóttir, Sólveig Pálsdóttir and Ragnar Jónasson. Quentin was instrumental in launching IcelandNoir, the crime fiction festival in Reykjavik.

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The Murder Wall #TEAMDANIELS #MariHannah #TheMurderWall

By Mari Hannah https://www.marihannah.com/ @mariwriter

Published by Pan Macmillan https://www.panmacmillan.com/ @panmacmillan

480 pages ISBN 9781529091687

Publication date 12 April 2012

The Murder Wall is the first book in the Kate Daniels @DCIKateDaniels Mysteries series.

I reviewed an electronic copy via Net Galley https://www.netgalley.com/ @NetGalley. I would like to thank Tracy @Tr4cyF3nt0n from Compulsive Readers #CompulsiveReaders for the opportunity to take part in the #TEAMDANIELS review project. My review of Settled Blood the second novel in the series will be posted on this blog later in September.

The Cover

Female and male officers standing in the early morning mist at a moody parkland location, fairly standard, though I do like the addition of the flapping blue and white police tape. The strap line ‘where you stare death in the face…’ is an interesting addition and puts me in mind of the Nietzsche quote ‘when you stare into the abyss…’ I guess a murder wall is a constant reminder of death.

From the blurb

Eleven months after discovering a brutal double murder in a sleepy Northumbrian town, Detective Chief Inspector Kate Daniels is still haunted by her failure to solve the case. Then the brutal killing of a man on Newcastle’s quayside gives Daniels another chance to get it right – in her first case as Senior Investigating Officer.

When Daniels recognizes the corpse but fails to disclose the fact, her personal life swerves dangerously into her professional life. But much worse, she is now being watched.

As Daniels steps closer to finding a killer, a killer is only a breath away from claiming his next victim …

My thoughts

A grizzly start to proceedings in the prologue as DCI Kate Daniels stumbles upon a double murder in a church. A case that remains unsolved but through her connection one that Kate is determined to keep open and solve, if just for the sake of the girl’s parents.

Eleven months later Kate and colleague Hank Gormley are called to a murder scene, a woman returns to her upmarket apartment to find her husband murdered. There is a flicker of recognition for Kate, she recognises the victim, and this puts her in an awkward position, one which means she should recuse herself from the case. The victim is confirmed as Alan James Stephens, the ex-husband of Jo Soulsby. Jo is known to most officers because she has worked closely with the police providing psychological profiling expertise.

Jo Soulsby herself has problems as we find her in a park well after midnight, confused and dishevelled, with ripped tights and blood on her coat. She is sat there in a daze and two young women offer help that she refuses and eventually she manages to get a taxi home.

This is very much a novel of conflict and loyalties. Kate is conflicted because she wants to continue as SIO (Senior Investigating Officer) on the Stephens case, but not only does she know him but also Jo Soulsby told her of an incident in their past which may have some bearing. Kate faces a dilemma, own up to her senior officer and breach the confidence of Jo, thereby damaging their friendship possible irrecoverably. Or stay quiet, remain loyal to Jo and risk the repercussions to her career and her working relationship with Hank, her right-hand man. This case will also put the historical case into the ‘long grass’ and she promised that she would do all in her power to bring the killer to justice for the sake of the little girl’s, Sara Short, parents.

There is personal conflict too for Kate and a serious complication to matters; Kate and Jo were in a relationship. This relationship remained very private and floundered partly because Kate would not go public for fear of its effect upon her career and because Jo thought she was more committed to the job. A slightly odd position considering that the police are only too keen to display the rainbow flag, but I suppose even just 10 years ago things were very different. Kate still has strong feelings for Jo and wants a reconciliation, but it appears that whatever her course of action will prevent that.

Further murders occur and it soon becomes apparent that they are dealing with a serial killer, which is the main thrust of the storyline. For much of the novel they flounder because there are few clues to connect the murders and the motivation remains unclear. Jo believes Stephens is one of the victims but further up the chain of command there seems to be a consensus that there’s enough evidence to charge Jo. Naturally Kate is keen to prove Jo’s innocence, but the evidence stacks up, so she must find something new to introduce.

Kate is a strong and determined lead and a promising character to build a series on. We see her compassion for the Short family, her giving a promise that she may not be able to back up and of course she must pursue the case unofficially. All good detectives have an insubordinate streak! She is loyal to her team and expects it back, as best seen with Hank, which highlights one of those opposites work partnerships that work so well and proves to be the glue to hold it all together. The relationship with Jo is a complex one, previously passionate but now dying and I expect will be a thrust in future novels in the series as Kate tries to win Jo back.

The killer is clearly emotionally damaged and somewhat deranged consequently, seemingly wanting the attention or wanting to be caught, but becoming frustrated as the police are neither publicising, they have a serial killer or picking up on the clues he leaves. There are regular chapters from his viewpoint as we see him selecting his targets, who are specific and not random, and his venting of frustrations. The police struggle because his motivation is so unusual and perhaps a little bit unconvincing. A brutal murderer but one I detected a hint of hammy playfulness about, a touch over the top and attention seeking.

At nearly 500 pages it is quite a meaty novel, but it flows along nicely and picks up pace towards the final confrontation. Being the first of a series one can expect a good deal of scene setting and introduction but these are well encapsulated within the storyline, without becoming tedious. The reveal of Kate and Jo’s relationship being a perfect example of being essential to the plot but setting up a background. There’s plenty going on to hold the reader’s interest and the violence is low-key for a serial killer story. There’s some great dialogue and police banter wound around the storyline, together with a department snitch and an ACC who’s a bit of a rotter to add to the overall enjoyment.

The Murder Wall is an intense crime thriller of conflictions and strained loyalties as Kate Daniels hunts down a serial killer.

The Murder Wall can be purchased via the publisher’s website here

The author

Mari Hannah is a multi-award-winning author, whose authentic voice is no happy accident. A former probation officer, she lives in rural Northumberland with her partner, an ex-murder detective. Mari turned to script-writing when her career was cut short following an assault on duty. Her debut, The Murder Wall, (adapted from a script she developed with the BBC) won her the Polari First Book Prize. Its follow-up, Settled Blood, picked up a Northern Writers’ Award. Mari’s body of work won her the CWA Dagger in the Library 2017, an incredible honour to receive so early in her career. In 2019, she was voted DIVA Wordsmith of the Year. In 2020, she won Capital Crime International Crime Writing Festival’s Crime Book of the Year for Without a Trace. Her Kate Daniels series is in development with Stephen Fry’s production company, Sprout Pictures.

Source: Publisher’s website