City on Fire #GrahamBartlett #CityOnFire

By Graham Bartlett https://policeadvisor.co.uk/ @gbpoliceadvisor

Published by Allison & Busby https://www.allisonandbusby.com/ @AllisonandBusby

350 pages ISBN 9780749030513 (HB)

Publication date 21 March 2024

City on Fire is the third novel in the Chief Superintendent Jo Howe series. Click on the link to read my review of the second book in the series Force of Hate.

I was allowed access to a pdf review copy on Net Galley.  Thanks to Josie at Allison & Busby for the invitation to join the blog tour and of course the Author.

The cover

A curious but quite striking cover. A picture of the Brighton sea-front but the title font picked out in flames, for reasons which will become clear.

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My review

Chief Superintendent Jo Howe is determined to tackle the scourge of drugs on the streets of Brighton, a city that is turning into the drugs capital of England. Jo is only too aware that drug habits fuel crime, as addicts need easy cash to feed their addiction, and it destroys lives. This she knows from bitter experience as her sister Caroline succumbed to heroin, a life in dirty squats and on the streets, which led ultimately to her death. This death is still raw to Jo, she feels she let Caroline down, that she could have done more to help her. She now cannot atone for this sense of guilt to Caroline, but she is determined to help as many as she can who are in this predicament. She is the driving force behind Operation Eradicate, a two-pronged attack at the problem. Not only is there a concerted effort to reduce supply but also to get users into rehabilitation programs, and a new pharmaceutical heroin substitute being trialled is having a positive result. A somewhat controversial approach that needs time to mature, but not everyone is so positive.

The new drug is made by Respite Pharmaceuticals a company owned by Sir Ben Parsons, a formidable self-made millionaire with a vast web of useful contacts, people in high places. Respite has obviously invested millions is developing and patenting the drug, money that Sir Ben needs to earn back. However, in his eyes Operation Eradicate is proving to be too successful, curing addicts reduces his customer base which is bad for business. He wants complacent addicts hooked for the long term on the substitute. He needs to stop Howe and her scheme, and he thinks he knows how to do it.

Dark days ahead for Jo in a city about to explode.

One thing guaranteed from the author is authenticity, the policing, their actions and communications feel right, but without being dragged down by an obsession with procedure. The action is given every chance to develop and flow. Its not just the policing though, where he writes about the inter-agency work, the voluntary sector NGOs and prisons it comes over as though from experience rather than research. What a great asset when a writing a novel such as this.

If you have read the earlier novels in the series, you will know Jo is a strong and determined woman who is respected and admired by her peers. In this story she is really put through the wringer, dropped into heaps of jeopardy both personal and reputational, such that it almost brings about her complete mental destruction. A woman who is schemed against but also making poor judgement calls when under extreme pressure, which is both understandable and realistic. Stress effects people in different ways but we can all get to the point that Jo does where every step, every choice makes the situation worse.

It starts with a betrayal, from her loving and understanding journalist husband of all people. It is a professional one, forced to do it by editor, rather than a relationship betrayal with another woman. Once under the media microscope the pressure starts to mount, and Jo’s professionalism comes into doubt. That is merely the start as officers face threats and personal attacks causing support for Jo to dwindle and an increase of sick leave. When the supply of the synthetic drug dries up (thanks to carefully planning by Sir Ben) the streets boil over.

A fabulous description of a cold and calculating plan being executed step by step. Sir Ben has the contacts, the wealth and he also has the dirt on people and is not averse to a spot of blackmail to get his way. There is a suspicion amongst the public that some within the establishment can orchestrate cover ups, but here we can see such power wielded to destroy an individual. Something truly chilling to read.

It is the motivation of Sir Ben that interested me. Here we have a hugely successful businessman, one who enjoys the trappings of success, who is willing to destroy lives just to earn his drug development costs back. Apparently heartless, but then we learn of his poor mother, suffering from early onset dementia, whom he cares dearly for and lives at his house. There are some very touching scenes where he is comforting her which I am sure some carers will recognise. A real dichotomy of a man. I would have liked the relationship with his mother developed more, as we never discover how the dynamics were forged. Was she domineering, was he repressed, there is no mention of a love life for Sir Ben.

His obsession with finding a cure for his mother leads to a magnificently dramatic confrontation, one that has building up from the start. Action fans you are well catered for too, with bursts of aggression, bloodshed and personal jeopardy as momentum and tension are skilfully built up and released throughout, and at times you have to catch your breath.

At the core of the story is the notion that drugs companies just want to treat patients, to alleviate their symptoms rather than cure them. For them it’s a high stakes gamble to develop a drug, but being corporations, they want to earn profits and not just benefit mankind. What begins as an unlikely concept becomes a chilling possibility the more you think about it. There is a huge health and charity sector dedicated to developing and curing a vast array of diseases form cancer to Alzheimer’s, yet any success is a threat to their existence. A moral conundrum which we can only hope is addressed in an ethical way.

City on Fire is a convincing police procedural where a chilling businessman is determined to destroy the lives of those who get in his way.

City on Fire can be purchased via the publisher’s website here

The author

Graham Bartlett rose to become chief superintendent and the divisional commander of Brighton and Hove police. His first non-fiction book Death Comes Knocking was a Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller, which he then followed with Babes in the Wood. He co-wrote these books with bestselling author, Peter James, and has since published Bad for Good and Force of Hate starring Chief Superintendent Jo Howe. Bartlett is also a police procedural and crime advisor helping scores of authors and TV writers inject authenticity into their work.

Source: Publisher’s website

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

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Unholy Murder #TEAMTENNISON #LyndaLaPlante #UnholyMurder

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

Narrated by Rachel Atkins

Published by Bonnier Audio, Zaffre (an imprint of Bonnier Books UK) https://www.bonnierbooks.co.uk/imprints/zaffre/ @ZaffreBooks

416 pages (12 hours 4 minutes) ISBN 9781785765445 (PB)

Publication date 18 August 2021

Unholy Murder is the seventh novel the Jane Tennison Thriller Series.

I reviewed the audiobook purchased from audible https://www.audible.co.uk/ @audibleuk. I would like to thank Tracy @Tr4cyF3nt0n Fenton from Compulsive Readers for the opportunity to take part in the #TEAMTENNISON review project. Click on the links to read my reviews of Tennison, Hidden Killers, Good Friday, Murder Mile, The Dirty Dozen and Blunt Force. My review of Dark Rooms the eighth novel in the series will be posted on this blog in the first week in April.

The Cover

A nice atmospheric cover with all the key constituents of the storyline, whilst in keeping with the style of the series.

The narration

Great that they have stuck with Rachel Atkins, who does a fantastic job considering the range of emotions and large number of different voices, male and female.

My review

A JCB digger operator digging footings for a new development hits an obstruction. On inspection the workers are shocked to discover a coffin, but no ordinary one, this one is metal. The development is at the site of a former convent, so perhaps it is connected, the only problem being the site has been deconsecrated, so it should not be there. The construction workers are wanting to continue but the site is closed down whilst the coffin is investigated.

At the mortuary the coffin is opened, revealing the partially mummified body of a nun, protected by the formation of adipocere (grave wax). What was going to be treated as routine death takes on a sinister edge as the ever-observant Jane notices an anomaly, there are indications of foul play. Also despite the construction workers being instructed to leave the coffin alone, it appears that it has been opened and a crucifix removed from the body. This may prove to be vital evidence.

There is no real indication as to how old the body may be, so the nun needs to be identified before any murder investigation can take place. Jane’s superiors don’t want to waste vital resources on a case that may be fifty or even a hundred years old; the church seem surprisingly uninterested, and they too want to shut down an investigation.

Here we have Jane Tennison at her dogged best, only this time she is not alone with her obsession.

The odd situation of a cold case that has never been investigated, so there are no earlier leads for Jane to follow. Add to this the fact that it is 1982 (as set by the visit of Pope John Paul II to England) and so many of the modern techniques used on cold cases simply do not exist. With no DNA analysis they are going to rely on old fashioned policing skills, but not entirely. The first task is to identify the victim, the crucifix may hold clues, but perhaps the body may be able to ‘talk to them’. A local university professor is doing pioneering work on forensic facial reconstruction and offers to help. We’ve all seen it on the television, but we get an appreciation of how ground-breaking this would have been for detectives in the field, to have a likeness more convincing that any photofit or artist’s sketch.

Jane’s life has naturally moved on and now she is stationed at Bromley, though there is a familiar face around, the now promoted DI Stanley. He continues to give Jane advice that she doesn’t heed, and she finally discovers why he goes by just ‘Stanley’ which is entirely understandable. Her new boss is DCS Barnes, who it appears already has her card marked, but turns out to be an expected ally.

For once Jane’s family play no part in the storyline, which is understandable as there is so much else packed in. There’s a developing friendship with the pathologist Samantha Pullen, new DC Simon Boon to ‘break in’, a house move to Chislehurst and a new love interest. All of these are given space to be developed and I loved the interaction between Boon and Jane, where he is initially regarded as something of a clown but proves himself very able.

As might be expected with a dead nun, the catholic church is central to the plot. In the forty years since the story was set the role of the church in past abuses and their cover ups has been opened like a can of worms. Back then the clergy were respected and considered by many beyond reproach. The church was also part of the ‘establishment’ and other prominent figures colluded with any cover ups. We discover that DCS Barnes has history with the now Archbishop Malone and discover why he is determined that his team succeed. The author does a brilliant job in capturing the frustrations of the investigating officers seeking justice and the mendacity of those standing in their way. It is not all negatively portrayed though, there is a sympathetic Father, and the core of the plot is sad and quite touching.

This being a Tennison novel she makes her usual headstrong blunders, though there is a sense of a new maturity developing and even a bit of wisdom. She mentors Boon and even counsels him, telling him that sometimes you must let things go and step away, knowing that you have done your best and can do no more. Words of wisdom from a woman who has learned the hard way both in her personal and professional life. This is probably the most emotionally charged novel of the series to date and has been handled to perfection throughout.

Unholy Murder is an emotive tale of love and betrayal, buried under a barricade of lies, and an officer’s obsession with uncovering the truth.  

Unholy Murder can be purchased from the Bookshop.org here

The author

Lynda La Plante (born Lynda Titchmarsh) is a British author, screenwriter, and erstwhile actress (her performances in Rentaghost and other programmes were under her stage name of Lynda Marchal), best known for writing the Prime Suspect television crime series.

Her first TV series as a scriptwriter was the six part robbery series Widows, in 1983, in which the widows of four armed robbers carry out a heist planned by their deceased husbands.

In 1991 ITV released Prime Suspect which has now run to seven series and stars Helen Mirren as DCI Jane Tennison. (In the United States Prime Suspect airs on PBS as part of the anthology program Mystery!) In 1993 La Plante won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for her work on the series. In 1992 she wrote at TV movie called Seekers, starring Brenda Fricker and Josette Simon, produced by Sarah Lawson.

She formed her own television production company, La Plante Productions, in 1994 and as La Plante Productions she wrote and produced the sequel to Widows, the equally gutsy She’s Out (ITV, 1995). The name “La Plante” comes from her marriage to writer Richard La Plante, author of the book Mantis and Hog Fever. La Plante divorced Lynda in the early 1990s.

Her output continued with The Governor (ITV 1995-96), a series focusing on the female governor of a high security prison, and was followed by a string of ratings pulling miniseries: the psycho killer nightmare events of Trial & Retribution (ITV 1997-), the widows’ revenge of the murders of their husbands & children Bella Mafia (1997) (starring Vanessa Redgrave), the undercover police unit operations of Supply and Demand (ITV 1998), videogame/internet murder mystery Killer Net (Channel 4 1998) and the female criminal profiler cases of Mind Games (ITV 2001).

Two additions to the Trial and Retribution miniseries were broadcast during 2006.

Source: Goodreads profile

The narrator

RACHEL ATKINS trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. She has performed onstage in Romeo and Juliet, Blithe Spirit, and The School for Scandal, among others. Her television and radio credits include Midwinter of the Spirit, Law & Order, and The Archers, and she is also a regular voice for BBC Radio Drama and BBC Radio Comedy.

Source: Goodreads profile

A Deadly Promise #RachelAmphlett #ADeadlyPromise

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

Published by Saxon Publishing

319 pages ISBN 9781915231925

Publication date 6 February 2024

A Deadly Promise is the 13th book in the DI Kay Hunter series.

I was sent an electronic version 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.

The Cover

A well lit up park bench at night. Fine if a little generic.

My review

An affluent couple are returning home after a wonderful driving holiday in France. Unable to book a nice hotel to break up the final leg of journey in the UK, they settle for a one-night rental of a house. This is no Air BnB, but rather a big house set in large gardens down a remote lane. How wonderful, well it does cost £600 for the night! On arrival they notice an odd odour. In the master bedroom they find a woman’s mutilated body, evidence of torture and with a savage cut to the throat. They say that once you smell death you never forget it.

So, we start with a killing that really grabs the attention, one that is going to prove challenging for DI Kay Hunter and her team. The victim is quickly discovered to be the household cleaner, who was employed through an agency, and was preparing for the guests (the householders are in USA.) There is nothing in the victim’s past to suggest a reason for her murder. She is clearly struggling to make ends meet, she is painfully thin, had few possessions and was withdrawn from any meaningful social life. Kay’s team diligently work away but to no avail, with no clear motive and few clues they struggle to identify a suspect.

A second body turns up at a storage depot when a brother and sister are sorting through their late father’s possessions. The reveal here is a masterful handling of a comedy/horror staple which I won’t spoil. The body has cuts like the first victim and the same evidence of torture, suggesting the same killer. A third body suggests an escalation, but this is no ordinary serial killer, and they are scrambling to discover a connection to link the three victims. The break when it comes is certainly serendipitous.

A lot of bloodshed, but this is very much a traditional old-school police procedural, true to the genre and honest with it. Its light on thrills and spills, there is some danger, but it is the story of an investigation largely as seen by the investigating officers.

Kay Hunter is dedicated and determined investigator, and rarely for crime fiction well adjusted. She rides her team hard but is fair and generous, so they respond in kind. Their camaraderie shines through whether their enthusiasm is realistic or not doesn’t matter it provides touches of normal life, preventing the story becoming too dark.

The plot is detailed rather than complex, but played out gradually so the reader can never get ahead of themselves, here it is cleverly constructed. Halfway through you might think, as I did, that doesn’t make sense that would be the last thing the killer would do. Then Kay Hunter points out this logical fallacy, so there must be more to it. The answer is as brilliant as it is simple.

The writing is perfectly judged, it moves along at pleasingly rapid pace, such that you are just digesting that last small revelation when the next one arrives. It never falls into the trap of becoming dull, the form filling authenticity that some authors love (and write so well) is omitted and the little details of the investigation are introduced within the regular team briefings. There are no brilliant deductions appearing to come from nowhere, but solid hard graft and teamwork, reviewing CCTV footage, trawling the internet and archives.

There is a nice down-to-earth feeling to the story telling style. An early description of a street with its pavement a patchwork of holes left by utility companies and covered in dog faeces, then later a man urinating in bus shelters gives it a sense of honesty. Then there is the desperation of the victims, that of the poor, those disadvantaged of society, suffering from sheer bad luck or addiction. A sense of desperation is there throughout as the police struggle for a lead and even the rich have their own self-created problems. It’s not all dour though, a series of light-hearted interludes are introduced by a litter of baby hedgehogs (hoglets) who are rescued by Kay’s husband. These short scenes adding sights, sounds, smells and a little mirth to the story.

If you are a fan of police procedurals, A Deadly Promise delivers  just what you are looking for, a difficult investigation, a tightly constructed plot and a tense ending.

A Deadly Promise can be purchased direct from the author here

The author

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 as a presenter and freelance producer for the BBC, 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 on this website.

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

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

Source: Author’s website

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