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Written in Blood – Chris Carter

A serial killer will stop at nothing…

The Killer
His most valuable possession has been stolen.
Now he must retrieve it, at any cost.

The Girl
Angela Wood wanted to teach the man a lesson. It was a bag, just like all the others.
But when she opens it, the worst nightmare of her life begins.

The Detective
A journal ends up at Robert Hunter’s desk. It soon becomes clear that there is a serial killer on the loose. And if he can’t stop him in time, more people will die.

If you have read it
You must die

My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to join the Written in Blood tour. I recieved a review copy from the publisher.

I have always been a wee bit annoyed with myself that I let the first few Chris Carter books slip by when they first came out. Crime fiction has always been my favourite reading material and serial killer thrillers even more so. I love the cat and mouse element of a detective (usually) hunting down a prey. Carter’s Robert Hunter series are all dark tales consistently featuring some of the most grim crime scenes you can expect to read about. Despite being late to the series I swept up the early books and quickly caught up – over the last few years I now seek out the new Robert Hunter book as it is released…I don’t like the thought of there being a Chris Carter book I haven’t read.

When an author is assured of an immediate boost to the front of my teetering TBR pile it is a clear sign of the regard their books are held in. I read Written in Blood in two sittings over two evenings and it was everything I had hoped it would be.

Angela Wood is a pickpocket. One of the best in LA. THE best if you were to ask Angela. After a successful pre-Christmas afternoon she is over $600 to the good and decides to stop into a bar for a drink before she heads home. In the bar she overhears a big guy being extremely rude towards another patron so she decides to teach him a lesson by stealing his holdall. Angela is sucessful in securing the holdall but she has taken more than she bargained for – inside the bag is a notebook. Not the electronic kind – a large leather-bound book in which a killer has documented a number of murders he has committed. There are photographs attached to the pages to evidence his labours. Angela panics and delivers the book to the police where it soon reaches the attention of Robert Hunter.

Hunter and his partner, Carlos Garcia, determine the authenticity of the deaths described in the killers notebook and the hunt for a sadistic murderer begins. It appears he has committed multiple crimes over a prolonged period of time yet not drawn attention to himself. The manner of each murder varies and the documenation the cops are reviewing suggests the killer is being guided by voices he hears who then tell him what to do. Hunter thinks they are likely seeking someone with sever mental health issues but the more he reads into the notebook the less likely this appears.

Both Hunter and Angela have a problem though. The killer is not happy to have lost his notebook and he wants it back. He is clearly a resourceful individual as within a very short space of time he has identified the thief and established that the police have the notebook. He engages with both Angela and Hunter and demands his book be returned – there is no doubt in his mind that this is what is going to happen. A confrontation beckons and it is not clear how many lives may be lost before the killer gets his way.

Fast paced, clinical writing style and utterly engrossing. Written in Blood is easily one of my favourite books in the Robert Hunter series and without doubt one of the most enjoyable reads in 2020.

Written in Blood is published by Simon & Schuster and is available in Hardback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07XCRN85H/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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April 4

30 Days in June – Chris Westlake

On the 1st day of June 1988, the residents of south Wales were thrown into a state of panic when a married couple were brutally murdered in their own home. The killer, nicknamed Spartacus by the media, did not flee the scene immediately; instead, he stayed to carve Roman Numerals onto his victims’ chests.

This was the beginning of a month-long killing spree, each murder taking a step closer to home.

Seventeen-year-old Jeffrey Allen was to be the final victim, on the final day of the month. Instead, he became the only survivor, and the only real witness. The killings ended as suddenly as they began. Jeffrey relocated to London, changing his name, and his identity, to Marcus Clancy. His past life became merely a dark secret.

On 1st June 2018, 30 years to the day since the first killing, a mysterious figure refers to Marcus by his old name, through closing lift doors.

Is Spartacus back? If so, has he returned to finish what he failed to do thirty years ago?

And so begins 30 days of terror for Marcus Clancy, culminating in dramatic fashion on the final day of June.

My thanks to Emma Welton at Damppebbles Blog Tours for the chance to join the tour today.

30 Days in June is a tense serial killer thriller with a few nasty spikes along the way. Not too dark but we are a long way from cozy! Nicely balanced for this reader

30 years ago (1988) a killer dubbed Spartacus committed a month long sequence of murders. His last intended victim, Jeffrey, survived but did not come out the incident unscathed. Jeffrey moved to London and changed his name – hoping to blend into the city and gain anonymity.

In 2018 Jeffrey (now Marcus) gets spoken to by someone who knows his real name. The fears come rushing back. Has Spartacus returned to finish the murder he planned three decades ago? If not Spartacus then who recognized Marcus as Jeffrey and what do they hope to gain?

Narrative is split between two time periods and the full story is slowly revealed to the reader with everything building nicely as we approach the end of the tale.

30 Days in June builds up towarss the finale so don’t come into this book looking for a murder second chapter. It’s a slow burn tale that rewards the reader in the telling rather than trying to blow them off the page with high octane adventures.

Serial killer stories are my favourite so I enjoyed 30 Days In June. Fun was had.

30 Days in June is available in digital and paperback format and you can order your copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08283SZBZ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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February 22

Death Deserved – Jorn Lier Horst & Thomas Enger

Police officer Alexander Blix and celebrity blogger Emma Ramm join forces to track down a serial killer with a thirst for attention and high-profile murders, in the first episode of a gripping new Nordic Noir series…

Oslo, 2018. Former long-distance runner Sonja Nordstrøm never shows at the launch of her controversial autobiography, Always Number One. When celebrity blogger Emma Ramm visits Nordstrøm’s home later that day, she finds the door unlocked and signs of a struggle inside. A bib with the number ‘one’ has been pinned to the TV.

Police officer Alexander Blix is appointed to head up the missing-persons investigation, but he still bears the emotional scars of a hostage situation nineteen years earlier, when he killed the father of a five-year-old girl. Traces of Nordstrøm soon show up at different locations, but the appearance of the clues appear to be carefully calculated … evidence of a bigger picture that he’s just not seeing…

Blix and Ramm soon join forces, determined to find and stop a merciless killer with a flare for the dramatic, and thirst for attention.
Trouble is, he’s just got his first taste of it…

My thanks to Karen at Orenda Books for a review copy and to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for the opportunity to join the Death Deserved blog tour.

To borrow a line from Taffy in the Captain Caveman cartoons….Zowie! Death Deserved is more than a little bit good.

As soon I started reading Death Deserved it was the only book I wanted to be reading this week. I normally juggle three or four titles at once but Death Deserved was the book I kept coming back to – nothing else got a look-in. I make no secret of the fact I enjoy serial killer stories and that’s very much what I got from Death Deserved, even if that may not have been clear from the start.

Sonja Nordstrøm was due to publish a book. As she reached her 50th year she wanted to lift the lid on a few secrets and scandals which she experienced or encountered during her highly successful athletics career. But on publication day she failed to show for an interview, most untypical behaviour for Sonja. She is nowhere to be found and when celeb journalist Emma Ramm arrives at her home to try to speak with Sonja she finds evidence of a struggle. The police are called and this brings Emma into contact with Alexander Blix.

Unbeknownst to Emma, Blix has previously encountered her family and that encounter changed the path of Emma’s life. Although she is unaware, Blix recognises her name instantly and decides he will offer her stories and tips from inside the resulting investigation. The leads Blix feed Emma gives her the opportunity to work outside celebrity stories and interact with the crime reporters. Sonja Nordstrøm’s kidnapping is very much the starting point of a fast paced and high intensity investigation which will see several celebrities meet a nasty end. It puts the police on a manhunt and we follow the investigation as they try to figure out the motive (and next victim) of a killer. Emma contributes to this too as her background seems to give her a different focus on how to view the unfolding events and the insights she can offer become a benefit to Blix.

I really don’t want to reveal too much of the actual plot but at the same time I want to rave about how good this story was and how much I enjoyed it. The best dilemma to be honest. When I want to reveal and discuss everything I loved about the book it means the book got under my skin and into my head. I want to put copies of Death Deserved into the hands of my friends and implore them to read it and then hope that they enjoy it just as much as I did (which I am sure they will). It’s a who-dunnit, a fast paced police procedural, it has great characters and the lead players are given time to grow and develop between the many twists and shocks the authors have sneaked into the chapters. So much fun to read and wonderfully executed (no murderous puns intended).

The story has been translated from Norwegian by Anne Bruce and she has done a magnificent job, the prose flows seamlessly the whole book was very readable. Some translated texts I encounter feel laboured, jarring or the dialogue stilted but none of these issues could be raised about Death Deserved. Indeed, it was not until I read the author acknowledgements at the end of the book that I remembered that I was reading a translated novel. Oh and the acknowledgments are fabulous – do not skip them!

Death Deserved was devoured in very short time. I loved the Blix/Ramm dynamic and I sincerely hope the authors feel it is worth revisiting. Soon would be good guys! Sooner if possible?

Death Deserved is published by Orenda Books and is available in Digital, Paperback and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07XBW6SFN/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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August 27

The Alphabet Murders – Lars Schutz

FOR THIS KILLER, IT’S A GAME OF A B C

When the body of a man is found brutally murdered in a wildlife park and tattooed with a letter A, criminal profilers Jan Grall and Rabea Wyler are thrown into a deadly game of cat and mouse.

Later, two more mutilated bodies are found, again with tattoos on their skin – B and C – and it becomes clear that Grall and Wyler are dealing with a brutal serial killer. One who won’t stop until his set is complete.

When Grall’s hotel room is marked with a Z and his girlfriend kidnapped, the race is on to find out who the killer is.

Before it’s too late . .

My thanks to Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers for inviting me to join the blog tour and to the publishers who provided my review copy.

A serial killer tale from Germany which had a distinctly claustrophobic feel despite the action unfolding thick and fast.

The story opens with the reader witnessing the attack on a woman who is being held prisoner by an unknown assailant. He is tattooing something onto her skin and the violence of the “branding” lets us know this book falls firmly into the gritty classification.

Readers are then spun away from this horrific attack to a murder scene – a badly mutilated body has been found in a field of bison. The beasts are unsettled but not as much as the attending officers who cannot fail to notice a large letter A marked on the victim’s body.

Criminal profilers Jan Grall and Rabea Wyler are on the scene to assist with the inevitable investigation. The pair, despite being partners, appear mis-matched. Grall is the key figure in The Alphabet Murders and most of the story will be focused on Grall and his involvement in the case. However, this is a difficult assignment for Grall as he is returning to his home town after a number of years absence and he has to face memories he would rather forget. Events from long ago have shaped the man he became but now he has to share too much information with his partner so the pair can work to apprehend a killer. The stakes are raised even higher for Grall when it appears the murderer has targeted Grall himself as a future victim.

I referred to The Alphabet Murders as being claustrophobic, I feel this was partly down to the dark wintry setting. It gave off a distinctly Se7en vibes at times. Yet some scenes were unfolding at a rapid pace which seemed at odds with the claustrophobia so the action pinged along and the body count quickly increased.

Pacing issues aside (a minor niggle) I am a sucker for a serial killer story and this one has a good few twists which I certainly enjoyed. Definitely a story for the reader who doesn’t want their crime fiction to be sugar-coated…well worth looking out for if “nasty” floats your boat.

The Alphabet Murders is published by Zaffre in paperback and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alphabet-Murders-Lars-Schutz/dp/1785768638/ref=sr_1_2?qid=1566929609&refinements=p_27%3ALars+Schutz&s=books&sr=1-2&text=Lars+Schutz

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May 6

Hunting Evil – Chris Carter

‘Every story one day comes to an end.’
As roommates, they met for the first time in college. Two of the brightest minds ever to graduate from Stamford Psychology University.
As adversaries, they met again in Quantico, Virginia. Robert Hunter had become the head of the LAPD’s Ultra Violent Crimes Unit. Lucien Folter had become the most prolific and dangerous serial killer the FBI had ever encountered.

Now, after spending three and a half years locked in solitary confinement, Lucien has finally managed to break free. And he’s angry.

For the past three and a half years, Lucien has thought of nothing else but vengeance.
The person responsible for locking him away has to pay, he has to suffer.
That person … is Robert Hunter.
And now it is finally time to execute the plan.

The Robert Hunter series by Chris Carter has become a firm favourite of mine over the last year or two. I was typically late to discover this series so have been enjoying catching up on the earlier novels (whilst picking up the newer titles when they release). All the books have stood up well as stand-alone thrillers but Hunting Evil is a sequel to an earlier title and even Chris Carter himself (in the intro) advocated reading An Evil Mind before picking up Hunting Evil.

Just for the record – I had not read An Evil Mind before I read Hunting Evil and while there are clearly spoilers for the earlier title I still had a blast with Hunting Evil so it can be enjoyed on its own.

For the new reader to this series – Robert Hunter is introduced and described in detail early in the book. He is a Detective with LAPD’s Ultra Violent Crimes Unit and he deals with some of the most horrific murders I have read about during my blogging years. These stories are not for the faint of heart!

Hunting Evil begins with a prison breakout. Lucian Folter has managed to escape from a high security prison and is on the run. His first priority is to get to safety, his next is to get Robert Hunter. A dangerous game of cat and mouse is about to commence as Folter will stop at nothing to destroy Hunter and harm the people around him. A

Both Folter and Hunter have known each other for a long time and Hunting Evil sees each trying to outsmart/out-think the other. Folter leaves clues and messages for Hunter to decipher. If Hunter can unravel the puzzle Folter leaves for him then he will save innocent lives. If he fails then the price will be high and Hunter’s conscience may not cope the burden of responsibility. It makes for hugely engaging reading.

The whole story has a high octane, fast paced feel. The reader is caught up in the chase to bring Folter down. Hunter cannot take on the challenge alone and along with LAPD, other agencies will get involved – a large taskforce but with Hunter at the helm steering the investigations towards the clues he is left by his old friend.

Throughout the book it seems inevitable there will be a coming together of the two forces. Hunter vs Folter. With Folter holding all the aces it is hard to see how this can end well for the good guys.

This is a weighty tome – over 100 chapters and approaching the 500 page mark, yet I flew through the story as it was incredibly readable. These are the types of book I enjoy the most. A strong lead, great supporting characters, a deadly enemy and some extremely dark twists. The Robert Hunter books represent a high point in the release schedules, Hunting Evil delivered on every level.

Hunting Evil is published by Simon & Schuster and is available in Hardback, audio and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hunting-Evil-Chris-Carter/dp/1471179524/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1RJF60C1BULIG&keywords=chris+carter&qid=1557077419&s=books&sprefix=c%2Cinstant-video%2C261&sr=1-1

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September 19

The Hangman’s Hold – Michael Wood

Your life is in his hands.

In the gripping new serial killer thriller from Michael Wood, Matilda Darke faces a vicious killer pursuing his own brand of lethal justice. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons and Helen Fields.

There’s a killer in your house.
The Hangman waits in the darkness.

He knows your darkest secrets.
He’ll make you pay for all the crimes you have tried desperately to forget.

And he is closer than you think.
DCI Matilda Darke is running out of time. Fear is spreading throughout the city. As the body count rises, Matilda is targeted and her most trusted colleagues fall under suspicion. But can she keep those closest to her from harm? Or is it already too late?

Book 4 in the DCI Matilda Darke series and one of the few books I have been keeping an eye out for. Despite the volume of crime thrillers which are released each year – one or two crime series do stand out for me in the publication schedules and command urgent reading on release. Michael Wood’s Matilda Darke series is in my select band of “must read new books”.

A significant factor in my love of these stories is Darke herself. She is something of a car crash and carries more emotional baggage than most. Her back story has been well defined in the first three novels and returning readers will enjoy how the author builds on the past events to twist the knife in Matilda’s recovery progress. Fear not New Readers as everything you need to know is deftly explained by the author to ensure you can read The Hangman’s Hold as a stand-alone thriller (though you will want to go back and catch up on the earlier books).

Serial killer stories always fare well at Grab This Book as they are my favourite crime thrillers. Sit me down with a good serial killer tale and I will lose myself in a book for hours. The Hangman’s Hold is a good serial killer tale – a VERY good serial killer tale.

The clue is in the title so it is no great shock to find that the murderer leaves his victim hanging from a traditional hangman’s noose. He targets his victims to ensure the people he kills “deserve” to die – at least they do in his opinion and as the Hangman is delivering judgement on his victims there will be no leniency shown.

The reader gets a close look at the crimes and Michael Wood also ensures we see the impact the killers actions have on the families of the deceased. A very powerful and effective way of bringing us fully into Matilda’s world as she tries to find a way to prevent more deaths and catch the killer.

From very early in the story the actions of the murderer will strike close to Matilda and her friends. As events unfold Matilda becomes a target for the Hangman, he taunts her and the suggestion is made that the killer may be known to her – who can Matilda trust and could mistakes she has made in the past place her in danger today?

My anticipation for The Hangman’s Hold was entirely justified. I chewed this one up and immediately had the wistful realisation that there will not be another Matilda Darke novel for a wee while. These books are a treat – go read them.

The Hangman’s Hold is published by Killer Reads and is available in digital and paperback format. You can (and should) order a copy through this link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hangmans-Hold-gripping-thriller-Matilda-ebook/dp/B07CQ972JC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537218191&sr=8-1&keywords=the+hangmans+hold

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September 1

Blood Ribbon – Roger Bray

When Brooke Adams is found battered, bleeding, and barely conscious, the police are at a loss as to who her attacker is or why she was targeted. Then, PI Rod Morgan turns up convinced that Brooke’s attack is the latest in a string of unsolved disappearances dating back thirty-five years. The police, however, aren’t convinced, leaving Brooke and Rod to investigate the cases themselves.

As secrets from the past start unravelling it becomes a maze, deeper, darker, and far more sinister than either of them could have imagined. Will they find Brooke’s attacker before he strikes again, or will that one secret stay buried forever?

My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for my review copy and the chance to join the blog tour

After spending a short time away from reading crime thrillers it was very gratifying to settle down with Blood Ribbon and be able to get my teeth into a cracking serial killer tale.

I loved the lead character, Brooke, as Roger Bray takes time to properly introduce her and develop a strong backstory for Brooke before placing her into a perilous situation. Our killer also gets an early introduction so we know there is a bad guy lurking out there waiting to be brought back to the fore.

As the intro blurb explains, Brooke is attacked and left for dead – only just escaping a grim end on a quiet beach. While recovering from her incident she is approached by an investigator who believes that Brooke was meant to be the next victim of a Serial Killer who had been preying on women over a long number of years.

Brooke and Morgan (the investigator) start their own hunt for a killer – as you may expect uncovering dangerous secrets is a hazardous business and Brooke will be in danger again.

Two sittings was all it took to read Blood Ribbon. Not that it is a short book, it is very readable and Brooke’s story made me want to keep reading. Roger Gray has spun a great tale which readers are sure to enjoy and I am keen to read more of his work.

Blood Ribbon is exactly the kind of crime story I enjoy and I really enjoyed curling up with this book at the end of a long, busy day – perfect escapism.

Blood Ribbon is available in digital and paperback format and you can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blood-Ribbon-theres-secrets-digging/dp/0995351198/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1535793940&sr=8-1

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June 1

Thirteen – Steve Cavanagh

THE SERIAL KILLER ISN’T ON TRIAL.

HE’S ON THE JURY..

‘To your knowledge, is there anything that would preclude you from serving on this jury?’

Murder wasn’t the hard part. It was just the start of the game.

Joshua Kane has been preparing for this moment his whole life. He’s done it before. But this is the big one.

This is the murder trial of the century. And Kane has killed to get the best seat in the house.

But there’s someone on his tail. Someone who suspects that the killer isn’t the man on trial.

Kane knows time is running out – he just needs to get to the conviction without being discovered.

My thanks to Lauren at Orion for my review copy and the chance to join the blog tour.

I love a serial killer story. I love a courtroom drama. Thirteen was love squared, it was outstanding – the page turner you hope that every book will be but few actually achieve.

Thirteen is Eddie Flynn book 4. For me it was Eddie Flynn book 1 (though books 1, 2, 3 and the 0.5 novella are all on my Kindle screaming at me to read them). I can categorically state that you do not have to have read the earlier books to enjoy Thirteen.

Eddie Flynn is a former conman turned lawyer – he is headhunted by a large law firm to join the team defending a high profile Hollywood star who stands accused of murdering his wife and her lover. The actor maintains his innocence but the evidence seems beyond dispute.

The reader knows that the real killer is not on trial, he is devising a way to get onto the jury. From this position of power the killer believes he can influence how the other jurors will view the evidence and that he can ensure an innocent man is found guilty of a crime he committed. The twist is delicious and Steve Cavanagh has worked some serious magic to make this story astonishingly good.

To give away too much of the plot of Thirteen would be criminal – readers should discover the joy of this book for themselves. Eddie Flynn is a hugely likeable character and I loved the principled drive he brought to this case. The killer made for fascinating reading too – we spend quite a lot of time in their company and the lengths with are gone to for him to secure his position of control are astonishing (and kept me turning pages).

I can also add a little extra detail to my reading experience of Thirteen as before I knew I was joining the blog tour I had already started to listen to the audiobook. The book is narrated by Adam Sims who has the perfect voice for this story – a slightly gravelly American accent which I could listen to for hours (and did as it happens). As an audiobook can live or die by the skill of the narrator I was very happy to hear this wonderful tale enhanced by a skilled storyteller.

I tend not to score the books I read but Thirteen is a guaranteed five star read – one of the reading highs of the year.

Thirteen is published by Orion and can be ordered here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thirteen-serial-killer-isnt-trial-ebook/dp/B076PKVQJV/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527806735&sr=8-1&keywords=thirteen+steve+cavanagh

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April 22

Presumed Dead – Mason Cross

‘What do you know about the Devil Mountain Killer?’

THEN

Adeline Connor was the Devil Mountain Killer’s final victim. After she was gunned down, the murderer disappeared and the killing spree ended.

NOW

Carter Blake has been hired to do what he does best: to find someone. But this time he’s hunting a dead girl – Adeline Connor’s brother is convinced she’s still alive.

But this town doesn’t want an outsider digging up old business. And as Blake gets deeper into the case, it starts to become clear that the murders didn’t just stop fifteen years ago.

The killer is on the hunt again.

My thanks to Lauren at Orion for my review copy

Presumed Dead is the fifth Carter Blake novel by Mason Cross. It is also the Carter Blake novel I have enjoyed the most – no slight on the previous four books (this is a series I love) but Presumed Dead gave me everything I want from my thrillers and I virtually inhaled it.

Housekeeping first: don’t be put off by the fact it is the fifth title in the series, other than knowing it features the return of the lead character Presumed Dead can very much be enjoyed without reading the earlier books. And you *will* enjoy it, it is a cracking read!

Blake is back doing what he does best, finding someone who is missing. However, history shows that the girl he is asked to track was the last victim of a serial killer, a killer that was never caught. Adeline Connor is presumed dead, the crime scene at which the Devil Mountain Killer abruptly ended his murderous spree was soaked in her blood. Police recreated the murder scene and likely sequence of events and there was no realistic way that Adeline could have survived, yet her brother maintains that more than 10 years later he has seen his sister alive and well. Blake is asked to find her.

The challenge for Blake is to work out who is telling him the truth. If the police are sure a murder took place they will not welcome someone trying to prove they made a mistake. Is the victim’s brother a reliable witness? Does the desire for his sister to be found cloud his common sense and judgment. The residents of the town where events unfolded do not want to dwell on those past events and they certainly don’t want to consider the killer may still be around – this would be a problem should a dead body (or two) turn up after Blake starts asking questions…

Did I mention how much I loved reading Presumed Dead? Brilliant, brilliant story telling from Mason Cross. If you have not yet discovered the Carter Blake books then this is the perfect opportunity to find out why readers look forward to each new release.

Presumed Dead is published by Orion and you can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Presumed-Dead-Carter-Blake-Book-ebook/dp/B076PS8BSJ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1524388910&sr=1-1&keywords=presumed+dead+mason+cross

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April 4

Pond Scum – Michael Lilly

My name is Jeremy Thorn, and I’m a serial killer.

Jeremy ‘Remy’ Thorn is a detective from a small town in Oregon. He does his job well and keeps to himself. A past of trauma and abuse, and a compulsive need for balance have shaped him into the person he is today: a decisive, effective killer. His routine is simple but trustworthy. Step one: Find two targets. The first, an abomination of a human being whose only contribution to the world is as fertilizer. The second, a detriment to society, perhaps a sidekick or accessory. Step two: Kill the first. Frame the second. Easy.

After his latest, and most personal kill, all seems to be going well. He makes it home by morning and continues with his plan as normal, with each perfectly timed maneuver all mapped out. But to his horror, he finds that the man he was trying to frame—a hotshot detective from a major nearby city—has been called in to work the case. And what’s worse … he’s privy to the truth.

My thanks to Sarah at Vulpine Press for my review copy

Remy is a serial killer. He selects his victims carefully, identify a bad guy…kill him. Then plan evidence which will implicate a second bad guy – two birds with one stone and this leaves Remy free to repeat the process in future. Being a cop means Remy knows what the investigators will be looking for and it helps him keep one step ahead of trouble.

As we join events in Pond Scum Remy has just killed his latest victim. However, this time it has been a very personal murder as Remy has killed his own father.

The murder appears totally justified as Remy’s father subjected him to years of abuse and his crimes were not restricted to the torment of Remy. Remy’s father shared and distributed child pornography over a long number of years and was instrumental in the prolonged abuse of many innocents.

Remy frames another cop who was aiding his father, however, Remy’s plans are about to come unstuck as the cop he is trying to frame is put in charge of finding who murdered Remy’s father. It is also very apparent to Remy that he knows full well who is responsible for the murder. A high-stakes game is about to begin and neither man can afford to lose.

Pond Scum is gripping reading. Remy should not be a likeable character given his secret hobby, however, readers cannot help but root for the killer on this occasion and Michael Lilly does a brilliant job of balancing the potential ethical dilemma, we want the least bad bad guy to win. Unfortunately Remy is not going to get everything all his own way.

In a tense drama I always enjoy a few lighter scenes to lift the tension. Happily Pond Scum has the perfect sparring partner for Remy – his partner Beth…a cop who takes no nonsense and will keep Remy “honest”as he struggles to keep himself safe from unknown enemies.

Nice twist to the serial killer/cop story and Pond Scum is definitely one to look out for.

Pond Scum is published by Vulpine Press and can be ordered in paperback or digital format here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pond-Scum-Darkthorn-Book-1-ebook/dp/B0784XWXCC/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1522531696&sr=1-2

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