Follow The Leader by Mel Sherratt

"A man’s body is found on a canal towpath. In his pocket, a magnetic letter in the shape of an E.

Days later, a second victim is found, this time with the letter V tucked into her clothing.

As the body count rises, the eerie, childlike clues point to a pattern that sends DS Allie Shenton and her colleagues into full alert.

The race is on. Allie and the team must work quickly to determine where the killer will strike next. The rules are simple but deadly—to catch the killer, they must follow the leader."

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Wow. What a great read. I am unable to give this anything less than top marks … it was that good. I was not aware of Mel Sherratt before reading this but I certainly am now and I will most definitely look out for her books in the future.

This is the second in the DS Allie Shenton series but I don’t feel it essential that the first one is read - I hadn’t read it - but the author has written this so well, that I didn’t feel I was missing something and it can be read as a standalone.

I think it’s a real skill that an author is able to give away who the killer is at the beginning and keep the reader on their toes throughout. This author manages this with ease but not only that, she also gives us the “why” and the “who” as well and still makes the story full of suspense and anticipation.

The story is written from the point of view of various characters but rather than this causing confusion, it really made the book as it brought those characters to life. It is also written in the past and present with the author providing snippets of the past life of many of the characters whilst also shedding light on the motivations behind the murders.

This book is not just a great story about a serial killer or about the police investigation, it is so much more than that. It highlights the potential outcome of abuse and bullying in childhood which resulted in me jumping between abhorrence and sympathy not only for the killer but also the victims.

The ending makes you want more … I shouted out “no” after reading the final words as I didn’t want it to end and I am so looking forward to the next instalment.

I would like to thank the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in return for an honest review and for introducing me to another fabulous British author.

The Boat House by Mark Sennen

"No one’s seen him in years…

An isolated boat house. A reclusive old man. A body.

DI Charlotte Savage’s first ever case as a detective.

AN 11-PAGE SHORT STORY, INCLUDING AN EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT OF TELL TALE."

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This is a very short story which introduces Charlotte Savage. Well it does that but not much more. It starts off really well with excellent descriptions of characters and places and I certainly got the author’s attempts at building the tension but then as soon as it starts to get interesting, it ends. One minute, Savage is in a bit of strife and the next, she’s back at the Police Station. I found it very disappointing and a bit of a damp squib!

However, what this also does is provide a glimpse at Mark Sennen’s next, full length, novel “Tell Tale” and this looks like it could be something good if the first couple of chapters are anything to go by.

Overall, The Boathouse was a story without the meat on the bones but a good way to pique the interest of the reader.  I would add though that if the peek at the new book wasn't included, this short story would make me think twice about reading anything further from this author so maybe that's a warning ;)

Thank you to the publisher, HarperCollins UK Avon via www.netgalley.com for inviting me to provide an impartial review.

darkness, darkness by John Harvey

"The final DI Charlie Resnick novel, from the Cartier Diamond Dagger winner and Sunday Times bestselling author of Cold in Hand.

Thirty years ago, the Miners' Strike threatened to tear the country apart, turning neighbour against neighbour, husband against wife, father against son - enmities which smoulder still.

Resnick, recently made up to inspector, and ambivalent at best about some of the police tactics, had run an information gathering unit at the heart of the dispute.

Now, in virtual retirement, and still grieving over the violent death of his former partner, the discovery of the body of a young woman who disappeared during the Strike brings Resnick back to the front line to assist in the investigation into the woman's murder - forcing him to confront his past in what will assuredly be his last case."

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What a great book!

The storyline took me back to my early teenage years and I recall watching the news about the miners strike with my parents but, not coming from a mining community and being quite young, I never fully appreciated what was really happening. I have since seen a couple of things that have touched on the subject but I felt this book brought me new perspectives to this difficult time in British history particularly from the point of view of the striking miners, the "scabs" and the families caught on both sides. Although this is a work of fiction, I found it very believable with a feel of authenticity and I particularly enjoyed the way the author switched from the present to the past throughout which, for me, worked very well.

The book was full of interesting and colourful characters many of whom have their own demons to deal with not least Resnick himself who I felt came across as a sad and melancholic man who appears disillusioned with not only his work but also his life. Many of the characters had “issues” outside of the main focus of the book and I felt these were seamlessly woven throughout which added further dimensions to this engrossing story. This is all written at great pace which kept me engaged throughout and, to cap it all, it kept me guessing who the killer was right until the end.

Where have I been? I must have had my head in the sand for many years not to have come across John Harvey and Charlie Resnick before! This is Resnick's last case and my first foray into the world of this very interesting character ... it won't be my last and I will go back to the start of the series in order to find out how it all began.

I am grateful to the publisher, Randomhouse UK Cornerstone and www.netgalley.com for sending me a copy in return for an honest review and for introducing me to another new author to add to my ever-growing list of great writers.

The Kill by Jane Casey

The Kill (Maeve Kerrigan #5)

by Jane Casey

Maeve Kerrigan is used to investigating murders. But this time a killer has struck far too close to home...

When a police officer is found shot dead in his car, DC Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent take on the investigation. But nothing about the case prepares them for what happens next: a second policeman dies . . . and then another . . .

The Metropolitan Police struggle to carry out their usual duties, but no one knows where or how this cop killer will strike again. While London disintegrates into lawlessness Maeve's world starts to fall apart too. For if the police can't keep themselves safe, how can they protect anyone else?

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I received a copy of this book from the Dead Good Crime Book Group on www.goodreads.com and I want to thank them, once again, for introducing me to another new author that I may never have found.

I haven't read any of the preceding books in this series so started reading with no background or information on any of the characters at all.  In hindsight, I think it would have been better to have that knowledge as I did find myself wondering where some of the characters were coming from.  Having said that though, I thought it was well written with engaging and complex characters.  The storyline was great, delivered with good pace and with interesting twists.  I like the relationships between the various characters and despite Derwent being a chauvinistic pig, he was the cause of an internal battle I had with myself - one minute I liked him, the next he was a total [insert appropriate swear word].  Derwent was also the one who made me laugh out loud by his ludicrous statements and the situation he found himself in towards the end of the book.

Overall, a good read but one that would probably have been much better had I read previous books in the series.