This is 14th in the series featuring detectives David Brock and Kathy Kolla and the first that I have read. It was easy to pick up the story and follow along without reading the previous books. Brock and Kolla have their own mysteries to solve – Brock, apparent suicides and art fraud and Kolla a corruption charge against her. An enjoyable read.
And now I’m caught up. I started with the third book and went back for the first and second; it worked, though I wouldn’t choose it again as the books do have significant character development for Cormac Reilly and his partner, Emma, who becomes seriously involved in Cormac’s case in this book. Irish setting (and accent if you listen to the audio as I have), interesting and compelling characters, and a satisfying mystery.
The second book in Ann Cleeves’ latest series, set in North Devon. Detective Matthew Venn and his husband Jonathon, again find themselves caught up in a series of baffling murders, very close to home. Atmospheric as always, it is set during a heatwave, and is full of twists and turns, engaging characters, and a satisfying mystery.
This is the second book in the Detective Albert Lincoln trilogy. Once again the Scotland Yard detective is sent to the country to solve a crime a year after the plot of the first book. Albert is still dealing with those events while being thrust into a new mystery. Once again I did not guess the culprit until the end. I am interested to see how it all ends for the detective in book 3.
A solid mystery with a good twist at the end. The story is set just after World War I, when Inspector Lincoln from Scotland Yard is sent out to investigate a series of murders. How the war, its death and injuries, has affected people is a big focus of the story, and one which I found interesting.
The atmosphere of 60s Melbourne is wonderfully created in this story. Police were tough and were not afraid to throw their weight around (both the good guys and the corrupt). Policeman Charlie Berlin is asked to do a parallel investigation into a series of missing girls. Not only is he running out of time to find the last missing girl, but he has to deal a police corruption commission and the ghosts of his past. It was compelling to read the development of the killer alongside the investigation – he was a nasty fellow. This story was not only about solving the mystery but also how Charlie was still haunted by his WWII past and dealing with family life and tragedy, which added extra layers to the story.
I kind of went off crime novels for a while, perhaps because I needed a bit of sunshine in my life during this dreary time. But then I’m always a sucker for a Scottish writer and along came Gillian Galbraith.
Anthony Sparrow describes himself as a bookworm and a burrower. He is an undertaker who also clears deceased estates and when he uncovers rare publications in old Scottish mansions it satisfies his love of books. Retired Professor of Haematology, Alexander Anstruther is a bit of a cranky old hermit who is stressed and jumbled due to his age and the pressure of a public enquiry into the deaths of patients during the aids pandemic in the 1980s. His carers may or may not be abusing him and he employs a new assistant to help him in sort his papers. This new carer becomes a favourite and things progress well until Anstruther is found dead. Anthony Sparrow’s burrowing uncovers some family facts and information that keep you reading. Just when you’ve figured it out, there’s a twist in the tail.
There are odd Scottish/ British references so I hope that doesn’t put people off. For instance, do Australians call psychiatrists, Trick cyclists and do you know what a sexton beetle is? This book was more psychological than blood and guts which suited me quite well in the end!
This is the third book in the series featuring Detective Cormac Reilly. It was a wonderfully paced story, and if you have read the first two you will happy with the outcome of The good turn. We are introduced to several story threads, a kidnapping, police corruption and a child who will not speak, and I couldn’t stop reading to see how they all combined. Loved it!
A year ago a teenaged boy was found dead on the grounds of a fancy girls’ school, and now, a girl turns up at the police station with a card that says someone knew who killed him. I love the main detectives in this book; young Stephen, desperate for a shot at the Murder Squad, and Conway, who was so frustrated a year ago. The many teenaged girls are well drawn, the atmosphere both real, and eerie, and the mystery satisfyingly convoluted. It took me longer to read this than others in the series, perhaps because I have enough teenaged girl drama in real life, or perhaps because the otherworldly parts of the story were a little much at times, but I still enjoyed it very much.
The scenery isn’t quite as good as when you read (listen to the eAudiobook) rather than watch it, but the accents are as good, thanks to the narrator. An environmental survey starts off badly, and gets worse for the three women up on the lonely hill, who are conducting it. A very satisfying murder mystery, told from four different perspectives, the final one being Vera’s.
rrlreads 