“Boss, we’ve got a body”.

Detective Sergeant Vicky Hardacre, greets him at the scene, but what awaits them behind the blood red door of Colonial House is undoubtedly a murder. The approach identifies several prime suspects. But who is telling the truth; and who is lying?

Before the killer can be caught, another body is discovered, this time in a putrefying mixture of mud and slime, lain among the remnants of decaying food within a waste-bin shelter. Now it’s the task of the man in charge to make the call.

Are the two murders connected?

There’s only one way to find out, and that’s by working long hours, within strict budgets, and the usual pressure from above to obtain quick results.

However, Dylan is distracted by personal matters, with Jen being keen to seal the deal on a renovation project. He suggests they delay finalising the purchase; until he discovers the significance of the house, and that it’s about to be demolished.

In his absence, Jen’s pleas for help from his estranged siblings are answered, resulting in hidden secrets coming to light, as Dylan continues, through a twisting and turning plot, to ensure justice is done in respect of the murder victims, whose bright hopes for the future were cruelly snatched away.

My thanks to Darren at Caffeine Nights for my review copy and the opportunity to join the tour.

The 8th DI Dylan novel from husband/wife writing team RC Bridgestock and it seems they are building a strong case to support the theory that two heads may indeed be better than one. This was my first RC Bridgestock novel and it will not be my last – huge enjoyment reading When a Killer Strikes.

My books of preference are crime thrillers, I particularly like when a book I have enjoyed becomes part of a series. I love to see characters developed over a number of books, relationships develop and the players come and go as the different stories dictate.  To learn that When A Killer Strikes was the 8th in a series was such a thrill as I have some serious catching up to do and I cannot wait to get started!

I found When A Killer Strikes to be a very powerful read and quite unsettling too. A young girl has been murdered in her own home. There seems no obvious suspect and the police will have their work cut out to identify a suspect pool and then narrow down their investigations.

That investigation is very much the key to the story (no lone detective wandering round chatting to suspects and making a grand reveal) this is a real police procedural where the reader gets to feel that they are part of the squad, uncovering clues and discovering who has been telling lies. It felt like a “proper” crime novel and I thought it had a very authentic voice. NB, I subsequently discovered that Bob Bridgestock had served in the police for many years…no hiding that realistic edge to the story!

Running alongside the murder story was the brilliant cast of characters. Arriving late to a series is never ideal but I loved the interplay between the members of the investigative team – a camaraderie and bond was clear to see and their personal lives crept into the book to give them depth and presence away from their day job.  When you can believe in characters and relate to their experiences it lets me become more involved in their stories.

I thoroughly enjoyed When A Killer Strikes – entertaining, cleverly worked and with characters I wanted to read about. More like these please…

When A Killer Strikes is published by Caffeine Nights and you can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/When-Killer-Strikes-Dylan-novel-ebook/dp/B075FXLK6Q/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8