February 21

The Turning of Our Bones – Ed James (audiobook)

The serial killer he couldn’t catch is dead….

Can DI Rob Marshall save his last victim before she dies too?

Met cop DI Rob Marshall is hot on the trail of the serial killer known as the Chameleon, who has abducted, tortured, and killed a series of young women in Northwest London. As they close in, the Chameleon—who switches identity to get close to his victims—shoots Marshall’s partner and escapes.

But when the Chameleon’s body is found two years later, Marshall must return to his home town of Melrose in the Scottish Borders and face the tragedy that’s haunted him for 20 years and made him leave in the first place.

The Chameleon’s final victim is still missing–can Marshall unpick the Chameleon’s latest identity in time to save her from a lonely death?

 

I am grateful to Ed James for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook of The Turning of our Bones.

 

The Turning of Our Bones is the first book in a new series for Ed James. A perfect time to discover an author you may not have read in the past and for returning fans it is a chance to get to know some new characters and know this is an author who will put these characters through the emotional turmoil we seem to love to read about.

The story starts in London, a woman returning home late at night after a long shift finds her path is bloked by a large van. As she navigates her way around it she is attacked and becomes the next victim of a serial killer who has, thus far, managed to elude the police.

One of the key investigators is DI Rob Marshall. He has been working on a profile of the killer and believes he may have made a breakthrough but while a surveillance operation is underway the killer confronts Marshall and his partner. He draws a gun on the pair and opens fire. Faced with the choice of saving his partner’s life or chasing down the gunman Marshall has no real time to weigh up the options he makes his choice and has to live with the consequences of his actions.

Spin forward two years and Marshall is no longer working on apprehending killers for the Met Police. He has been moved to a role in traffic collisions and is counting down the days until he leaves the force. But an unexpected development sees Marshall leaving London to head to the Scottish Borders – the killer has been found. Despite escaping capture in London the man who haunted Marshall’s dreams has turned up in Scotland. Dead.

Marshall is heading to the Borders, he is heading home to confirm the body the police recovered is indeed that of the killer he had been hunting. When he arrives Marshall finds himself drawn into the world he thought he had left behind years ago. Old friends and family are all around him and new colleagues, challenging new colleagues, need to be won over if Marshall is to have any involvement in wrapping up the loose ends of his long-running investigation before he heads back to London.

I’d been enjoying the story while it was a London tale but when the action shifted to the Scottish Borders (a much overlooked location in crime fiction) I loved this book even more. Places I have visited but don’t really know came to life as Ed James thrust Marshall into the land of his childhood. Towns I’d considered to be part of a sleepy, rugby country suddenly took on life and a dynamic feel that I’d not associated with the area. Even better there was a frantic race against time predicament for the police to solve and a hidden enemy for the readers to puzzle over.

The crimes which are committed in The Turning of Our Bones are firmly in the dark and gritty side of crime fiction – this is the type of story I enjoy the most so it absolutely ticked all my boxes and I’ve already been recommending it to other readers.

I can’t wrap up the review without first giving the audiobook narrator, Angus King, the plaudits he deserves for his role in my enjoyment of The Turning of Our Bones. I’ve heard a fair few books which Mr King has worked on and he always delivers an enagaging performance. One of the most trusted names in my Audible Library, seeing Angus’s name on an audiobook will help sway me towards buying it. In the case of The Turning of Our Bones he has already shaped the characters for me and given them the life outwith the page, he is a joy to listen to when the action ramps up. And it ramped up to great effect in this book.

As I said at the outset of this review – a great opportunity to get into a brand new series. You can read The Turning of Our Bones and you’ll be ready for more DI Marshall stories as soon as they become available. Fabulous listening and a cracking read.

 

 

 

The Turning of Our Bones is available as an audiobook and also in digital and physical book versions. You can order a copy on your format of choice here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BKR181C3/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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July 3

Down by the Water – Elle Connel

Seven friends gather at a castle in the Scottish Borders. One last weekend before Georgie’s wedding. Near the castle, through a path in the woods, is a loch. After a few drinks, they head down to the water to take photos. The loch is wild, lonely, and stunningly beautiful. They set their camera to self-timer and take some group shots. Later, looking back at the pictures, they see something impossible.

Behind them, eyes wide, a small, drenched boy emerges from the water.

But none of them saw him, and nobody knows where he went. They’re miles from the nearest town. How did he get there? Where did he go?

As the weekend unravels and terrible secrets come to light, it soon becomes clear that their perfect weekend is turning into a perfect nightmare. They’re desperate to leave – but someone won’t let them.

 

My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to join the Down by the Water tour.  I received a review copy from the publishers, Wildfire Books.

 

A group of university friends are reuniting for a weekend away before one of their number gets married.  All the friends are to be be bridesmaids for Georgie, who is essentially the guest of honour, but the trip will bring back the girls bring the girls back to Scotland for a castle getaway and a drunken party. As you can tell from the blurb (above) things are not going to go smoothly.

The problems begin on the train North.  Although the friends all met at St Andrews University they now all live back in England and are returning to Scotland as a nod to their time together. This entails a long train journey and the drinking begins on the train.  In the night Tessa is woken from her sleep and called to help one of their number (Bea) who has taken drugs and is in a bad state.  As the only medic in their midst Tessa is called to assist.

This incident sets the scope of the characters well.  All the girls will be drinking through the story, drugs are accepted and enjoyed too and this makes some of their choices and reactions interesting as events unfold.  We also learn from an early stage that Tessa is seen as the more practical member of their number, that Bea is more vulnerable and that the friends will close ranks and try to resolve problems internally without seeking outside support.  A close group who, despite not seeing each other for a number of years, still revert back to old patterns of friendship.

Interestingly as the story plays out and the friends settle into their remote castle for their weekend retreat we see the power dynamics change.  Georgie is the bride to be and the largest personality of the group, Tessa appears the more practical and the peacemaker.  But these friends have not seen each other for a number of years and any easy companionship they may have previously had is now altered as their lives changed.  Within the group of seven there will be sniping, bitching and outright hostility.  They will try to overcome these differences for the sake of harmony over the weekend but the drink and drugs will fuel hosilities and loosen any tongues which may otherwise have been curbed.

Within their party there are secrets and old resentments.  Why has Georgie suddenly brought together the university crowd and not any of her friends from work?  Why does Bea keep disappearing and what is the book she is reading?  Why has Tessa booked such a remote place to gather?  Why does the castle’s owner act so strangely around the friends?  Then, most shockingly of all, how did none of the girls spot the young boy rising out of the loch behind them as they posed for a group selfie?  The chilling vision in their photograph gives all the events a decidely creepy feel.

Elle Connel has done a fantasic job making these “friends” a compelling read.  The Amazon listing suggests this book is for readers that enjoyed In A Dark, Dark Wood and The Hunting Party.  Having read both those books I can see why they are suggested.  The tension from In A Dark, Dark Wood is very much present. The Hunting Party brought together a group of friends who were all extremely unpleasant individuals. While Down by the Water does have a few unpleasant characters their toxicity is nowhere near as bad as The Hunting Party.  For me, this makes Down by the Water much more enjoyable to read as I could become more invested in the welfare of the characters and actually care if they were to survive to the end of the book.

Thrillers built around secrets are always a good read. When the reader is learning the secrets at the same time as the characters you can’t help but look for clues as to where the story may be heading.  Down by the Water did the slow reveals very well and (no spoilers) by the end of the book you may find your sympathies and frustrations at some of the characters have changed over the course of the story. Very nicely pitched and the pacing and reveals were spot on – I enjoyed this one.

 

Down by the Water is published by Wildfire and is available in digital format now and in hardback and audio from 8 July 2021.  You can get a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08P4DSRX8/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

 

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