Death Do Us Part – Steven Dunne
Even death cannot part these couples . . .
DI Damen Brook is on a rare period of leave and determined to make the most of it by re-connecting with his daughter Terri. But with her heavy drinking proving a challenge, Brook takes the opportunity to visit a local murder scene when his help is requested.
An elderly couple have each been executed with a single shot to the heart and the method echoes that of a middle-aged gay couple killed the previous month.
With the same killer suspected and the officer currently in charge nearing retirement, Brook knows that he has little choice but to cut short his leave when forced by his superiors to take the lead on the case.
Brook believes that he can catch this ruthless killer, but already distracted by Terri’s problems, is he about to make a fatal mistake and lead the killer right to his own door?
My thanks to Headline for a review copy which I received through Netgalley
I make no secret of the fact I love a serial killer story. Steven Dunne does them well (I am finding this out the fun way).
Death Do Us Part puts you straight into the action. A home invasion, a brutal attack and a double murder yet somehow (no spoilers) one young woman escapes the carnage and disappears into the night.
Spin forward 12 months and DI Damen Brook is on a holiday – his daughter is in town and he has been trying to spend some quality time, however their relationship is strained. Brook is in communication with a convicted killer an ongoing chess match was part of the terms of the confession. But the latest move that Brook receives contains a challenge – Brook is invited by his opponent to investigate the killings from 12 months ago, important clues were missed and justice has not been served. Brook cannot resist the challenge.
Concurrent to Brook’s private investigation is a very current double murder to be investigated. An elderly couple shot through the heart in their own home. Dressed in their best clothes and seemingly having enjoyed a final glass of champagne is this really a murder or could it be an assisted joint suicide? The police are perplexed but this is not the first double murder that they are investigating – could Brook’s cold case also be connected to the latest murders?
I will admit that Steven Dunne totally bamboozled me with this one. Bluff and double bluff and I can honestly say that I had no idea of the who, when or why. The cast of suspects were nicely pitched – each were potential murderers in my eyes. There were some brilliant scenes where Brook is having to manage his team despite some unrest in the ranks, were his personal problems clouding his judgement and impairing his ability to do his job? I will admit that I was worried – there was an air of finality over some of the scenes which made the finale all the more shocking.
But I’ve said too much.
Death Do Us Part. Absolutely one to look out for, Steven Dunne writes a wonderfully twisty whodunit, manna for crime readers.
Death Do Us Part is currently available in Hardback and Digital Format and can be ordered here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Do-Part-Damen-Brook-ebook/dp/B011IYIDQY/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1468874735&sr=8-1
Paperback due 25th August 2016.