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Anna Travis #7
Blood Line
Under the watchful eye of DCS James Langton, DCI Anna Travis takes charge of an investigation for the first time. But is it purely a missing person's case - or a full blown murder enquiry? An ominous pool of blood and no victim lead Anna on a desperate hunt for a man who has disappeared without trace. As Anna becomes obsessed with seemingly irrelevant details, Langton fears that she is losing control. They still have no body and Anna is under increasing pressure to make an arrest...
496 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2011
349 people are currently reading
1852 people want to read
About the author
Lynda La Plante
123 books1,825 followersLynda La Plante, CBE (born Lynda Titchmarsh) is a British author, screenwriter, and erstwhile actress (her performances in Rentaghost and other programmes were under her stage name of Lynda Marchal), best known for writing the Prime Suspect television crime series.
Her first TV series as a scriptwriter was the six part robbery series Widows, in 1983, in which the widows of four armed robbers carry out a heist planned by their deceased husbands.
In 1991 ITV released Prime Suspect which has now run to seven series and stars Helen Mirren as DCI Jane Tennison. (In the United States Prime Suspect airs on PBS as part of the anthology program Mystery!) In 1993 La Plante won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for her work on the series. In 1992 she wrote at TV movie called Seekers, starring Brenda Fricker and Josette Simon, produced by Sarah Lawson.
She formed her own television production company, La Plante Productions, in 1994 and as La Plante Productions she wrote and produced the sequel to Widows, the equally gutsy She's Out (ITV, 1995). The name "La Plante" comes from her marriage to writer Richard La Plante, author of the book Mantis and Hog Fever. La Plante divorced Lynda in the early 1990s.
Her output continued with The Governor (ITV 1995-96), a series focusing on the female governor of a high security prison, and was followed by a string of ratings pulling miniseries: the psycho killer nightmare events of Trial & Retribution (ITV 1997-), the widows' revenge of the murders of their husbands & children Bella Mafia (1997) (starring Vanessa Redgrave), the undercover police unit operations of Supply and Demand (ITV 1998), videogame/internet murder mystery Killer Net (Channel 4 1998) and the female criminal profiler cases of Mind Games (ITV 2001).
Two additions to the Trial and Retribution miniseries were broadcast during 2006.
Her first TV series as a scriptwriter was the six part robbery series Widows, in 1983, in which the widows of four armed robbers carry out a heist planned by their deceased husbands.
In 1991 ITV released Prime Suspect which has now run to seven series and stars Helen Mirren as DCI Jane Tennison. (In the United States Prime Suspect airs on PBS as part of the anthology program Mystery!) In 1993 La Plante won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for her work on the series. In 1992 she wrote at TV movie called Seekers, starring Brenda Fricker and Josette Simon, produced by Sarah Lawson.
She formed her own television production company, La Plante Productions, in 1994 and as La Plante Productions she wrote and produced the sequel to Widows, the equally gutsy She's Out (ITV, 1995). The name "La Plante" comes from her marriage to writer Richard La Plante, author of the book Mantis and Hog Fever. La Plante divorced Lynda in the early 1990s.
Her output continued with The Governor (ITV 1995-96), a series focusing on the female governor of a high security prison, and was followed by a string of ratings pulling miniseries: the psycho killer nightmare events of Trial & Retribution (ITV 1997-), the widows' revenge of the murders of their husbands & children Bella Mafia (1997) (starring Vanessa Redgrave), the undercover police unit operations of Supply and Demand (ITV 1998), videogame/internet murder mystery Killer Net (Channel 4 1998) and the female criminal profiler cases of Mind Games (ITV 2001).
Two additions to the Trial and Retribution miniseries were broadcast during 2006.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 252 reviews
October 1, 2017
This is the 7th book in the Anna Travis series by author Lynda La Plante.
After reading the last 6 books in the series and thoroughly enjoying them I have to admit I was a little disappointed by this one. It almost felt like it was written by a different author all together, all the characters were there etc. but something did not read quite right. That said I did like big chunks of it and been already very familiar with the characters and sub plots still found it an enjoyable read.
In this novel Anna takes on a high profile missing person investigation which shows signs that it might develop into a murder hunt when pools of blood are discovered but no body.
Not to be put off by this slight blip, straight onto number 8 in the series.
After reading the last 6 books in the series and thoroughly enjoying them I have to admit I was a little disappointed by this one. It almost felt like it was written by a different author all together, all the characters were there etc. but something did not read quite right. That said I did like big chunks of it and been already very familiar with the characters and sub plots still found it an enjoyable read.
In this novel Anna takes on a high profile missing person investigation which shows signs that it might develop into a murder hunt when pools of blood are discovered but no body.
Not to be put off by this slight blip, straight onto number 8 in the series.
July 23, 2015
Disappointing. I was in the mood for a good murder mystery when I picked it up, and the premise of a murder without a body sounded pretty fascinating. But the entire book is just the characters endlessly having the same conversation over and over and over again. How many times did Travis talk to Tina in this book, never really learning anything new? How many times is her boss/former lover going to ask her to dinner? This book could have been half the length it actually is and lose nothing.
September 24, 2012
I'm not sure which of the following things is true.
1) I did not read an uncorrected proof, but instead read an uncorrected first draft;
2) I read an uncorrected proof, and there is an editor who should be deeply, deeply ashamed; or
3) I read an uncorrected proof, of which the first draft was so dreadful an editor managed to improve it to the version I read. If that's the case, I would like to nominate the editor for sainthood, because I can't imagine anything much worse than the book I just finished.
I edit cheesy novels. That's my job, even though I make almost no money doing it. And I never would have let something like this ride. (Even under my editing pseudonym.)
Allow me to start with what I liked.
1) Ciaran Hinds was mentioned in the Acknowledgements. I love Ciaran Hinds!
2) ...Nope, that's all I've got.
The book varies point of view so often that I became seasick. We couldn't stay in anyone's head long enough to care about the character (although briefly I liked Detective Sergeant Simms), and the main character is so disagreeable I found myself hoping she'd be murdered during the course of the book. I think I was supposed to feel sorry for her because in a previous work, her fiance had died.
Yeah. I didn't.
Interiority was abysmally written. Here's an example (page 211 of the ARC):
**
"Get that bitch out! Get her out of here!" Tina screamed.
As Anna passed between the two women, Tina fell to her knees sobbing, with Donna trying to comfort her.
"Have they found him?" Felicity asked nervously.
"No. Excuse me." Anna left hurriedly. She had considered arresting Tina for assault, but thought better of it as she had caused the aggression.
**
Did you miss it? If you blinked, you might have. And that is pretty much how interiority works for every one of the viewpoint characters, which, at one time or another, encompasses everyone in the book, including the murder victim. And the janitor of the building the victim lived in.
The. Freaking. Janitor. No, it doesn't serve the plot. That might be because the plot doesn't really get going until around page 250, though.
I would like to give this book 1.5 stars, because I usually reserve one star ratings for books that are so bad I can't finish them. But I can't bring myself to round up to two. Not for the absurd number of POV errors. Not for continuity errors. Not for shifting viewpoints -- sometimes from one paragraph to the next.
I used to wonder why it was I loved British police procedurals -- from the good (Morse) to the campy (Midsomer Murders) to the historical (Foyle's War)-- but never liked the Prime Suspect shows, even though I'm a Helen Mirren fan. Now I suspect it's the fault of the source material.
All I can say is it must be nice to have a CBE and be paid to write like this. Just...wow.
1) I did not read an uncorrected proof, but instead read an uncorrected first draft;
2) I read an uncorrected proof, and there is an editor who should be deeply, deeply ashamed; or
3) I read an uncorrected proof, of which the first draft was so dreadful an editor managed to improve it to the version I read. If that's the case, I would like to nominate the editor for sainthood, because I can't imagine anything much worse than the book I just finished.
I edit cheesy novels. That's my job, even though I make almost no money doing it. And I never would have let something like this ride. (Even under my editing pseudonym.)
Allow me to start with what I liked.
1) Ciaran Hinds was mentioned in the Acknowledgements. I love Ciaran Hinds!
2) ...Nope, that's all I've got.
The book varies point of view so often that I became seasick. We couldn't stay in anyone's head long enough to care about the character (although briefly I liked Detective Sergeant Simms), and the main character is so disagreeable I found myself hoping she'd be murdered during the course of the book. I think I was supposed to feel sorry for her because in a previous work, her fiance had died.
Yeah. I didn't.
Interiority was abysmally written. Here's an example (page 211 of the ARC):
**
"Get that bitch out! Get her out of here!" Tina screamed.
As Anna passed between the two women, Tina fell to her knees sobbing, with Donna trying to comfort her.
"Have they found him?" Felicity asked nervously.
"No. Excuse me." Anna left hurriedly. She had considered arresting Tina for assault, but thought better of it as she had caused the aggression.
**
Did you miss it? If you blinked, you might have. And that is pretty much how interiority works for every one of the viewpoint characters, which, at one time or another, encompasses everyone in the book, including the murder victim. And the janitor of the building the victim lived in.
The. Freaking. Janitor. No, it doesn't serve the plot. That might be because the plot doesn't really get going until around page 250, though.
I would like to give this book 1.5 stars, because I usually reserve one star ratings for books that are so bad I can't finish them. But I can't bring myself to round up to two. Not for the absurd number of POV errors. Not for continuity errors. Not for shifting viewpoints -- sometimes from one paragraph to the next.
I used to wonder why it was I loved British police procedurals -- from the good (Morse) to the campy (Midsomer Murders) to the historical (Foyle's War)-- but never liked the Prime Suspect shows, even though I'm a Helen Mirren fan. Now I suspect it's the fault of the source material.
All I can say is it must be nice to have a CBE and be paid to write like this. Just...wow.
August 19, 2013
I felt the book had a slow start, it didn't really draw me in I only really kept reading because I hate not finishing a book. However i'm glad I did because the story did pick itself up and the pace fastened. Once they realised that somebody had been murdered in Alan Rawlins' flat it then began to get exciting. I thought the book was written really well and the author threw in some interesting parts to the story line, I didn't suspect Alan Rawlins to be gay and was surprised when it turned out he was later in the book. I also thought that Alan not being the biological son of his father was a nice little unexpected twist.
Although the book started to pick up during the middle part it as science dictates what goes up most come down and this book certainly did come back down. By the end I have to admit that I was bored, I kept reading due to the fact that I felt that if i'd come so far there was no point giving up yet.
An enjoyable read although I'm not sure i'd read it again.
Although the book started to pick up during the middle part it as science dictates what goes up most come down and this book certainly did come back down. By the end I have to admit that I was bored, I kept reading due to the fact that I felt that if i'd come so far there was no point giving up yet.
An enjoyable read although I'm not sure i'd read it again.
February 26, 2016
This is my 3rd novel by this author and in some ways it was my favorite one so far. I liked the opening hook. It had me. There were also some unexpected shifts in the plot that felt nicely done. I also liked the MC. I felt like she was relate-able. So there were definitely things I liked.
However, some of this felt kind of sluggish. I mean, how many times do you need to show the same pictures around just to get the same story. That type of thing felt tedious and there seemed to be more of that than I care for. So 3 stars.
However, some of this felt kind of sluggish. I mean, how many times do you need to show the same pictures around just to get the same story. That type of thing felt tedious and there seemed to be more of that than I care for. So 3 stars.
January 9, 2013
I didn't enjoy this as much as all the others. In fact in parts I found Anna's character annoying. So closed off and emotionless.
The plot wasn't as interesting but I still read it in record time. She does have a knack of making you always want to read another page!
The plot wasn't as interesting but I still read it in record time. She does have a knack of making you always want to read another page!
May 19, 2020
Slow as balls
January 3, 2023
I really liked this one the story starts off with a missing persons case but it then develops into something darker.
December 6, 2018
Lynda La Plante, author of Prime Suspect, is a brilliant crime writer. Having said that, this wasn't one of her best. I think sometimes writers must get a little weary of their characters (this is the seventh in a series featuring Detective Anna Travis). Although expertly crafted, the book just felt flat and I was unable to summon any empathy for the detective, who is going through a rough patch in her life personally (aren't they always?) nor for the murder victim himself. Reading this book just seemed like a drudge.
May 1, 2023
Blood Line was just okay for me. The writing fluctuated between striking dialogue and unnecessary descriptions about the main character’s actions and thoughts. I think this mystery could have been a lot shorter than it was. The story itself was interesting enough to keep going, with lots of plot twists towards the ending. I personally am probably not going to read other books by the same author.
December 1, 2018
This book (the seventh installment in the series) kind of felt like a reset, which I guess is inevitable when you get seven books into a series.
As always, Anna proves her abilities as a detective as James Langton watches from afar. Romantically, I feel La Plante laying the groundwork for a renewed relationship between the two characters.
As the series goes, this one was kind of boring. Nothing amazing happened. I also felt heaping of twists at the end went to far. One good twist is enough. Two can be nice. But three or four start to get annoying.
4 stars because I appreciate La Plante's efforts to keep this series going. Not the best of the seven, but probably a necessary one given the previous storyline.
As always, Anna proves her abilities as a detective as James Langton watches from afar. Romantically, I feel La Plante laying the groundwork for a renewed relationship between the two characters.
As the series goes, this one was kind of boring. Nothing amazing happened. I also felt heaping of twists at the end went to far. One good twist is enough. Two can be nice. But three or four start to get annoying.
4 stars because I appreciate La Plante's efforts to keep this series going. Not the best of the seven, but probably a necessary one given the previous storyline.
February 10, 2013
I was going to give this book three stars but as Goodreads ratings system for four stars is 'really liked it' and that is how I felt about the book, that's the rating I will give it.
It took me ages to get into this book, and probably only after about 200 pages did I get into the story and actually care about what was going on. The only thing that kept me going past the 200 pages was the fact that this is the seventh book in the Anna Travis series and I enjoy them and want to read them all so I persevered with it and luckily halfway through the book definitely picked up and I couldn't read the rest of the book quick enough in my desire to reach its conclusion. And what a conclusion it was.
As I said in a previous review, these novels are basic police procedurals and they don't rely on over the top/unrealistic storylines or sensationalism instead La Plante just tells a story and tells it very well. This time we see Anna taking on her very first case as DCI and unfortunately this is without the fantastic characters from other books, namely Barolli, Mike, Barbara and Joan and initially I was disappointed at this as I wanted to see how they would react now Anna was the boss but I think Mike is the same rank. However we met Paul, a gay officer, Helen and Brian who I didn't really like that much but it was interesting to see how Anna interacted with them as the boss.
In this book we also saw the POV of other characters rather than just mostly Anna and I think that this was because as DCI she had to delegate jobs to the other officers that she would have done herself in previous books when she was a lower rank. I thought she was great as DCI and as I have read the other books in the series she has improved, grown up and matured so much from the Anna we read about way back in the first books! I love Anna and think she's such a great character. In this book we find her still getting over the death of her fiance in the previous book which I said I felt was a rushed relationship for the sake of the storyline.
Langton also featured heavily in this book and I just don't know where La Plante is going with this. I know he is her boss and so is going to feature but it's just the scenes where they discuss personal things that confuse me. Anna appears to be over Langton however he doesn't appear to be over her and I just wonder whether their relationship is ever going to be revisited...
Overall the story was fantastic once it picked up after those 200 pages. It read like a TV show which isn't surprising given La Plante's history and the fact that this book will be a TV show in a few years if the (fantastic) TV adaptation of Above Suspicion continues which I really hope it does. It makes the books more enjoyable being able to put a face to the characters. I didn't really guess the ending but it wasn't an OMG moment where you didn't see it coming. I can't wait to get started with the next Travis novel though as as I said previously I think Anna is such a great character. I did read a few negative reviews for this book however I would have to disagree and say that whilst this might not be the best in the series, it is certainly not a one star book and is a very enjoyable read. For me it was at least anyway.
It took me ages to get into this book, and probably only after about 200 pages did I get into the story and actually care about what was going on. The only thing that kept me going past the 200 pages was the fact that this is the seventh book in the Anna Travis series and I enjoy them and want to read them all so I persevered with it and luckily halfway through the book definitely picked up and I couldn't read the rest of the book quick enough in my desire to reach its conclusion. And what a conclusion it was.
As I said in a previous review, these novels are basic police procedurals and they don't rely on over the top/unrealistic storylines or sensationalism instead La Plante just tells a story and tells it very well. This time we see Anna taking on her very first case as DCI and unfortunately this is without the fantastic characters from other books, namely Barolli, Mike, Barbara and Joan and initially I was disappointed at this as I wanted to see how they would react now Anna was the boss but I think Mike is the same rank. However we met Paul, a gay officer, Helen and Brian who I didn't really like that much but it was interesting to see how Anna interacted with them as the boss.
In this book we also saw the POV of other characters rather than just mostly Anna and I think that this was because as DCI she had to delegate jobs to the other officers that she would have done herself in previous books when she was a lower rank. I thought she was great as DCI and as I have read the other books in the series she has improved, grown up and matured so much from the Anna we read about way back in the first books! I love Anna and think she's such a great character. In this book we find her still getting over the death of her fiance in the previous book which I said I felt was a rushed relationship for the sake of the storyline.
Langton also featured heavily in this book and I just don't know where La Plante is going with this. I know he is her boss and so is going to feature but it's just the scenes where they discuss personal things that confuse me. Anna appears to be over Langton however he doesn't appear to be over her and I just wonder whether their relationship is ever going to be revisited...
Overall the story was fantastic once it picked up after those 200 pages. It read like a TV show which isn't surprising given La Plante's history and the fact that this book will be a TV show in a few years if the (fantastic) TV adaptation of Above Suspicion continues which I really hope it does. It makes the books more enjoyable being able to put a face to the characters. I didn't really guess the ending but it wasn't an OMG moment where you didn't see it coming. I can't wait to get started with the next Travis novel though as as I said previously I think Anna is such a great character. I did read a few negative reviews for this book however I would have to disagree and say that whilst this might not be the best in the series, it is certainly not a one star book and is a very enjoyable read. For me it was at least anyway.
Read
November 7, 2012DCI Anna Travis has a lot to prove. To Detective Chief Superintendent James Langton, her boss and former lover, she has to prove she’s up to the job of being a Detective Chief Inspector for the Murder Squad. To herself, she has to prove that she can still function after the murder of her fiancé.When Anna is given the task of tracking down the whereabouts of Alan Rawlins, the adult son of a court employee, she’s suspicious that she’s been demoted. “Check it out for me,” Langton says. In spite of her feelings that the case should go to Missing Persons, she gives in with grace.
Anna and her team work through the steps. They interview the parents, the fiancée, the co-workers, and the neighbors, and quickly find that there are two major problems. One, Alan was an all-around good guy and there seems to be no reason whatsoever for anyone to kill him. Two, there’s no body, or even any evidence of a body.
But it becomes increasingly clear that something is amiss. Blood is found in the apartment that Alan shared with his fiancée, too much blood for a person to have lost and survived. Though the team shares a surge of excitement, the lead takes them nowhere.
The only solution is to keep digging.
It soon appears that little about Alan is as it seems, but the accumulating evidence can be interpreted different ways. Tension builds as Anna determinedly heads down one path, while Superintendent Langton is pushing her toward another. Has Alan Rawlins been murdered? Or did he simply make himself disappear from a life that he couldn’t live with any longer?
This police procedural details the inner workings of an investigation from before its beginning through to its bitter end. Anna’s need for an arrest trumps everything, but close behind are the realities of budgets, staff relations, and the grind of a trail going cold. International bestselling author Lynda La Plante has written another novel that’s sure to please.
Reviewed by Laura Alden, author of “Plotting at the PTA” for Suspense Magazine
Anna and her team work through the steps. They interview the parents, the fiancée, the co-workers, and the neighbors, and quickly find that there are two major problems. One, Alan was an all-around good guy and there seems to be no reason whatsoever for anyone to kill him. Two, there’s no body, or even any evidence of a body.
But it becomes increasingly clear that something is amiss. Blood is found in the apartment that Alan shared with his fiancée, too much blood for a person to have lost and survived. Though the team shares a surge of excitement, the lead takes them nowhere.
The only solution is to keep digging.
It soon appears that little about Alan is as it seems, but the accumulating evidence can be interpreted different ways. Tension builds as Anna determinedly heads down one path, while Superintendent Langton is pushing her toward another. Has Alan Rawlins been murdered? Or did he simply make himself disappear from a life that he couldn’t live with any longer?
This police procedural details the inner workings of an investigation from before its beginning through to its bitter end. Anna’s need for an arrest trumps everything, but close behind are the realities of budgets, staff relations, and the grind of a trail going cold. International bestselling author Lynda La Plante has written another novel that’s sure to please.
Reviewed by Laura Alden, author of “Plotting at the PTA” for Suspense Magazine
May 21, 2013
I read this book in two days, comfortably. No staying up until 3AM (although it was tempting as i had the next day off) but nevertheless in two days because it had me hooked. Granted, it was quite detailed, however i don't think it was too much.
The story follows DCI Anna Travis who is given a missing persons case (of which department she is not a part of) and in her inquiries discovers that it is actually a murder case. However one that is not clear cut as there is no body and no evidence of who the actual victim was. Throughout you are taken on twists and turns, liking and disliking characters and wanting to get to the bottom of it.
I really enjoyed the book however i think the ending was wrapped up too quickly. It wasn't how the story ended, it was more that the book was quite detailed yet the ending was very quick - almost a summary.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes a good murder mystery. Obviously there was a little bit of blood etc. in it because it involves a murder however i didn't find it too much to handle.
www.readingforthemasses.wordpress.com
The story follows DCI Anna Travis who is given a missing persons case (of which department she is not a part of) and in her inquiries discovers that it is actually a murder case. However one that is not clear cut as there is no body and no evidence of who the actual victim was. Throughout you are taken on twists and turns, liking and disliking characters and wanting to get to the bottom of it.
I really enjoyed the book however i think the ending was wrapped up too quickly. It wasn't how the story ended, it was more that the book was quite detailed yet the ending was very quick - almost a summary.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes a good murder mystery. Obviously there was a little bit of blood etc. in it because it involves a murder however i didn't find it too much to handle.
www.readingforthemasses.wordpress.com
June 10, 2013
As mysterious and a page flipping book like Zoe Letting Go, the author of this novel, Lynda La Plante crafts out a crime scene in Britain . In Blood Line, our protagonist Anna Travis, a London Detective Chief Inspector has just returned to work from the death of her fiancé. When she just returns, Edward Rawlins, comes to report that his son, Alan has been missing for two weeks. Langston, her former lover tries to help her, but Anna tries not to ask because she does not want him to pity her due to her lost.
Alan Rawlins' wife, Tina, becomes Anna's prime suspect. Tina did not even report to the police that Alan was missing. She said she assumed that he ran off with some other women, even though she had no reason why. With no body or slight trace of Alan, Anna and her crew tries to find out as much information as possible. After a few inspection, Anna finds blood in their apartment that someone tried to cover up. As little clues and details pop up, Anna gets more into the crime and believes that Alan is murdered.
Alan Rawlins' wife, Tina, becomes Anna's prime suspect. Tina did not even report to the police that Alan was missing. She said she assumed that he ran off with some other women, even though she had no reason why. With no body or slight trace of Alan, Anna and her crew tries to find out as much information as possible. After a few inspection, Anna finds blood in their apartment that someone tried to cover up. As little clues and details pop up, Anna gets more into the crime and believes that Alan is murdered.
April 27, 2021
I have to agree with many of the other reviewers that Lynda La Plante's Blood Line lacked spirit and was a bit tedious at times, though that is how real police work often is. But, as a detective-novel addict, I enjoyed reading as Anna Travis and her team tracked down the clues to solve the disappearance of a young man in London. I often wondered, however, if I would have been frustrated with the novel if it weren't for the prologue, which tells you just enough about the fate of the man to keep reading on.
La Plante's two television series, Prime Suspect and Above Suspicion, are more fun to watch and I assume Blood Line may have been the basis for one of the episodes of Above Suspicion with Anna Travis as the red-haired detective. Based on the other reviewers' comments, I think I will look for an earlier book in the Anna Travis series....
La Plante's two television series, Prime Suspect and Above Suspicion, are more fun to watch and I assume Blood Line may have been the basis for one of the episodes of Above Suspicion with Anna Travis as the red-haired detective. Based on the other reviewers' comments, I think I will look for an earlier book in the Anna Travis series....
November 13, 2014
This is the first book I've read by Ms. La Plante. I found the detective work to be interesting for the most part but could not really warm up to either Anna Travis or her boss Langdon. The pacing was a bit slow at the beginning of the book but last section of the book picked up the pace considerably and was, for me, the most interesting part of the novel.
One nit picky point - since I did listen to this as a book on tape I began to notice that the characters never seemed to speak to one another but it was always a case of "he/she snapped at..." and it tended to become repetitive after awhile.
I may pick up another novel by Ms. La Plante to compare with this one but am rather lukewarm on the writing in this story
One nit picky point - since I did listen to this as a book on tape I began to notice that the characters never seemed to speak to one another but it was always a case of "he/she snapped at..." and it tended to become repetitive after awhile.
I may pick up another novel by Ms. La Plante to compare with this one but am rather lukewarm on the writing in this story
December 19, 2012
Darn. I have read other novels by her that I liked alot. Linda La PLante wrote the first few series of Prime Suspect for BBC which were terrific. I have read other novels by her that were very interesting ( the one with the twins was quite chilling) but I have to say this one was quite boring. It features a female CSI who is so much like Helen Mirren that it is difficult to imagine anyone else playing that role. Still she is in her 40's and has red hair. Hmmm. still hard. The first 2 pages feature a murder, subject unknown, from the subjects's POV. Then she spends 420 pages doing interviews to figure out the crime and suspects. Sorry, it just didn't work for me...
February 5, 2014
I was hooked on this book almost immediately and couldn't put it down. It was a considerable inconvenience having to go to work this morning with only a handful of pages left. I managed to finish the book by hiding an on-line version behind a couple spreadsheets and pretending I was analysing numbers.
The uncertainty of not having a body when investigation a murder provided an interesting twist to the story. Not only was I wondering 'who dunnit' I was also wondering if anybody actually 'dunnit' in the first place.
The uncertainty of not having a body when investigation a murder provided an interesting twist to the story. Not only was I wondering 'who dunnit' I was also wondering if anybody actually 'dunnit' in the first place.
May 12, 2016
This was a very long book at points. Wishing that it would end. It seemed like they were going in circles the whole time. DCI Travis continued a repetitive investigation to Alans' disappearance without seeming to getting anywhere new.
In the end everything came together and as I thought in the beginning it was Tina Brooks who had alot to do with it more then she was willing to admit to.
I would like to read another one of your stories and hope to enjoy that as well.
In the end everything came together and as I thought in the beginning it was Tina Brooks who had alot to do with it more then she was willing to admit to.
I would like to read another one of your stories and hope to enjoy that as well.
April 12, 2021
This police detective story begins with a missing person and ends up with murder, drug smuggling, and betrayal. La Plante is very good at describing detailed police procedure. The story develops at a good pace with new information found leaving the reader wondering what's going on and wanting to know more. I really enjoyed this book. Lynda La Plante is a very skillful writer who while providing a mystery, also develops the characters so the reader gets to understand their motivations.
July 4, 2017
Poorly edited.
October 26, 2019
I enjoyed this book, but I’d like to know why Alan lives with / was engaged to Tina at all? I couldn’t see the point of that relationship!
March 12, 2022
Whose Blood is It?
Alan Rawlins has disappeared! His father believes that he has been murdered, but the police say that he is only a missing person. The elder Rawlins approaches Detective Chief Investigator Anna Travis, and asks for her help, but there is no body found that might indicate that foul play has occurred.
Alan lives with his fiancée, Tina Brooks, and the two of them are engaged to soon be married. Miss Brooks, however, does not report her fiancée missing for a full two weeks after his disappearance. With the consent and direction of Detective Chief Superintendent James Langton, a search of the flat where the love birds lives is conducted, and it is noticed that a portion of carpet has been removed from the bedroom and replace with a piece cut from a different room. A search warrant reveals a lot of blood that has pooled beneath the floorboards in the bedroom, and additional signs of blood are found in the bathroom and bathtub. But just whose blood is it, anyway?
Police are unable to obtain any DNA from the missing man. He has left nothing that would provide a source of a DNA sample. Police now believe that somebody probably died in that bathroom and bedroom, but they are not sure just who it was.
Alan Rawlins is an avid surfer, and he travels frequently to Cornwall to enjoy his surfing. Anna wants to travel to Cornwall to investigate the missing man's activities while he is away on surfing trips, but DCS Langton is opposed. Eventually, she is able to travel to Cornwall with another detective, and there they discover that Alan Rawlins has been leading a double life.
Has Rawlins gone on the run . . . or is he dead? Anna Travis will eventually learn the truth, and while she is doing it, she will entertain those of us who will be reading this novel, which is well-written, and free of editing errors. I liked this story and I recommend it to readers of the Anna Travis series by this author. I award all five of the available five stars. Read it and enjoy!
Alan Rawlins has disappeared! His father believes that he has been murdered, but the police say that he is only a missing person. The elder Rawlins approaches Detective Chief Investigator Anna Travis, and asks for her help, but there is no body found that might indicate that foul play has occurred.
Alan lives with his fiancée, Tina Brooks, and the two of them are engaged to soon be married. Miss Brooks, however, does not report her fiancée missing for a full two weeks after his disappearance. With the consent and direction of Detective Chief Superintendent James Langton, a search of the flat where the love birds lives is conducted, and it is noticed that a portion of carpet has been removed from the bedroom and replace with a piece cut from a different room. A search warrant reveals a lot of blood that has pooled beneath the floorboards in the bedroom, and additional signs of blood are found in the bathroom and bathtub. But just whose blood is it, anyway?
Police are unable to obtain any DNA from the missing man. He has left nothing that would provide a source of a DNA sample. Police now believe that somebody probably died in that bathroom and bedroom, but they are not sure just who it was.
Alan Rawlins is an avid surfer, and he travels frequently to Cornwall to enjoy his surfing. Anna wants to travel to Cornwall to investigate the missing man's activities while he is away on surfing trips, but DCS Langton is opposed. Eventually, she is able to travel to Cornwall with another detective, and there they discover that Alan Rawlins has been leading a double life.
Has Rawlins gone on the run . . . or is he dead? Anna Travis will eventually learn the truth, and while she is doing it, she will entertain those of us who will be reading this novel, which is well-written, and free of editing errors. I liked this story and I recommend it to readers of the Anna Travis series by this author. I award all five of the available five stars. Read it and enjoy!
December 31, 2019
I picked up a thriller after a very long time, and have to say that I'm fairly disappointed. As far as the plot is concerned, I liked how the story was built. It progresses gradually at the beginning but later on, picks up the pace. Apart from this positive trait, the story is riddled with problematic elements.
***Spoilers***
1) I didn't like how the LGBTQA+ community was represented in this book. Not only has the author used the victim's sexuality as a plot device (which I really don't appreciate), every other character in the story except the main character (MC) and her partner are portrayed to be borderline homophobic! In that too, the MC makes a derogatory remark while questioning one of the individuals. At one point, I got so tired of the characters making demeaning comments about gays that I slammed my book shut!
2) The MC gets insecure the moment someone gets a positive lead in her case other than her. As a DCI, her priority should be catching the murderer rather than fretting over who gets to lead the case. Neither does it help the readers to resonate with her character nor does it give her more depth. In fact, this pulled me out of the story quite frequently.
3) Langdon kept checking out the prime suspect's body WHILE he was questioning her. It kind of reinforces the FALSE belief that men can't keep it in their pants.
***Spoilers***
Other than these, there were a few plot holes that were never addressed by the end. The final reveal was meh...and the story was forgettable.
Go for this title only if you're diving into murder mysteries and have not tried out the genre before..
***Spoilers***
1) I didn't like how the LGBTQA+ community was represented in this book. Not only has the author used the victim's sexuality as a plot device (which I really don't appreciate), every other character in the story except the main character (MC) and her partner are portrayed to be borderline homophobic! In that too, the MC makes a derogatory remark while questioning one of the individuals. At one point, I got so tired of the characters making demeaning comments about gays that I slammed my book shut!
2) The MC gets insecure the moment someone gets a positive lead in her case other than her. As a DCI, her priority should be catching the murderer rather than fretting over who gets to lead the case. Neither does it help the readers to resonate with her character nor does it give her more depth. In fact, this pulled me out of the story quite frequently.
3) Langdon kept checking out the prime suspect's body WHILE he was questioning her. It kind of reinforces the FALSE belief that men can't keep it in their pants.
***Spoilers***
Other than these, there were a few plot holes that were never addressed by the end. The final reveal was meh...and the story was forgettable.
Go for this title only if you're diving into murder mysteries and have not tried out the genre before..
May 11, 2019
3.5 stars, 7 out of 10
E version of the CD complete and unabridged audio narrated by Kim Hicks
I really enjoyed the Anna Travis series until it was serialized for TV. The drama was good as a drama, but the characterisation, or at least how I imagined the characterisation, did not match the written page. This disinclined me to read any more. So when I saw this audio version available to download from my local library, even though I had read it previously in September 2015, I thought it would be nice to reaquaint myself. It has the same trope as other La Plante's -- female cop fighting the male hierarchy and being constantly questioned and undermined whilst battling a tragic back story. So there is nothing new. But it's a good story, with a couple of twists so that even if you work how who has dunnit you may not know why or all the wider context. I found the end a little repetitive, even with audio when I need more reminding. As with other writers I used to adore, there are so many more great books being written, La Plante used to stand out, but I think she has paved the way for others who have learnt from her and now surpassed some of her older novels. I wanted to finish it as I couldn't remember all the intrigue, but I'm not sure I'll read the next one. But if it's available to listen to, then I might just do so as I found it very comfortable listening and could follow the plot easily without it being too simplistic that I became bored.
E version of the CD complete and unabridged audio narrated by Kim Hicks
I really enjoyed the Anna Travis series until it was serialized for TV. The drama was good as a drama, but the characterisation, or at least how I imagined the characterisation, did not match the written page. This disinclined me to read any more. So when I saw this audio version available to download from my local library, even though I had read it previously in September 2015, I thought it would be nice to reaquaint myself. It has the same trope as other La Plante's -- female cop fighting the male hierarchy and being constantly questioned and undermined whilst battling a tragic back story. So there is nothing new. But it's a good story, with a couple of twists so that even if you work how who has dunnit you may not know why or all the wider context. I found the end a little repetitive, even with audio when I need more reminding. As with other writers I used to adore, there are so many more great books being written, La Plante used to stand out, but I think she has paved the way for others who have learnt from her and now surpassed some of her older novels. I wanted to finish it as I couldn't remember all the intrigue, but I'm not sure I'll read the next one. But if it's available to listen to, then I might just do so as I found it very comfortable listening and could follow the plot easily without it being too simplistic that I became bored.
April 13, 2019
Massively disappointing. This author was recommended by two friends who have very similar book tastes, and I don’t know if I’m more disappointed in La Plant or in them for my dashed hopes. Anyway.
To begin with, I found the characters quite flat, fairly boring and mostly emotionless. The dialogue was robotic - it sounded formal, characters speak in complete well formed sentences and never any hint of emotion or even a contraction, which made all conversations sound jarringly unrealistic.
In the same vein, characters, particularly suspects, offered up tangential but not completely necessary information which was also quite unbelievable. Most people don’t automatically offer clarifying or additional statements as a matter of course, particularly when they are stressed and grieving and answering police questions.
Finally, Langton. Several times while reading this I had to check the publishing date. It felt so incredibly dated - Anna’s boss Langton is such a patronizing sexist asshole. They once had a relationship and he is trying to find a way to start an affair with her again - never mind that he is married, that she is grieving her dead fiancé, that she works for him, that she might not want to sleep with him again. At the same time he is over protective and vastly oversteps, making judgments about Anna’s mental health while actually knowing nothing about her. I wanted to slap him several times over.
To begin with, I found the characters quite flat, fairly boring and mostly emotionless. The dialogue was robotic - it sounded formal, characters speak in complete well formed sentences and never any hint of emotion or even a contraction, which made all conversations sound jarringly unrealistic.
In the same vein, characters, particularly suspects, offered up tangential but not completely necessary information which was also quite unbelievable. Most people don’t automatically offer clarifying or additional statements as a matter of course, particularly when they are stressed and grieving and answering police questions.
Finally, Langton. Several times while reading this I had to check the publishing date. It felt so incredibly dated - Anna’s boss Langton is such a patronizing sexist asshole. They once had a relationship and he is trying to find a way to start an affair with her again - never mind that he is married, that she is grieving her dead fiancé, that she works for him, that she might not want to sleep with him again. At the same time he is over protective and vastly oversteps, making judgments about Anna’s mental health while actually knowing nothing about her. I wanted to slap him several times over.
August 12, 2022
This book was a slow-read. It was interesting, no doubt. One chapter was about 50 pages (not all of them, of course) and the investigation would keep on running into dead ends. Only around the end of chapter 18 (86% completed), did the detectives seem to have a breakthrough. Thanks to DCI Travis' thoroughness, Paul found a dead body in the gents toilet—which turned out to be Sammy Marsh. And finally–FINALLY–they got some DNA from Alan Rawlins to determine if he was killed in his flat. To think, at this point, they still had no body, didn't know who was killed or if Tina really was involved. Of course in the end we know Alan was indeed the real victim, but the body was never found. This book really keeps you at the edge of your seat...waiting for something new to be discovered, a shift in the investigation, a twist...and then in the next chapter they have CCTV footage of Tina buying an axe?! And then returning it two days later. However, she ends up denying ever being involved in Alan's murder but she did play her role helping Sammy and Silas with the cleaning and keeping her mouth shut about his death, hence she was charged with being an accessory to murder.
This book was intriguing and had a great storyline...it's just...it didn't have that "wow" factor at the end. Sure Silas was involved, but I wouldn't classify that as a mind-blowing plot twist. So it turned out to be a tad disappointing, but I enjoyed the story and would definitely read more from this author!!
This book was intriguing and had a great storyline...it's just...it didn't have that "wow" factor at the end. Sure Silas was involved, but I wouldn't classify that as a mind-blowing plot twist. So it turned out to be a tad disappointing, but I enjoyed the story and would definitely read more from this author!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 3, 2023
I started reading/listening after the tv shows ended.
Being totally honest .... I really HATE Anna Travis but I am a completist and had to finish the series. This was actually the last one I read as it took longer to get this one.
Out of all the books this was also another audio that took forever to finish ... again so much repetition repeated over and over again. On this on especially I wish I had kept a list of characters as in the end one of the people involved in the deed is ... WHO .... Who is that ... ??? I didnt even recall the name ..... ohhhhhh ... HIM.
But yes I gave it 4* as you did get involved and want to know how it unfolds.
SPOILER SPOOILER
The last few minutes of hte audio is just a rushed seires of events tying up the ends.
I reallly hated the outcome of the missing man's mother in this tale ... the father is ruthless and uncaring to his wife and it makes me wonder if author has a bad relationship with either of her parents.
Being totally honest .... I really HATE Anna Travis but I am a completist and had to finish the series. This was actually the last one I read as it took longer to get this one.
Out of all the books this was also another audio that took forever to finish ... again so much repetition repeated over and over again. On this on especially I wish I had kept a list of characters as in the end one of the people involved in the deed is ... WHO .... Who is that ... ??? I didnt even recall the name ..... ohhhhhh ... HIM.
But yes I gave it 4* as you did get involved and want to know how it unfolds.
SPOILER SPOOILER
The last few minutes of hte audio is just a rushed seires of events tying up the ends.
I reallly hated the outcome of the missing man's mother in this tale ... the father is ruthless and uncaring to his wife and it makes me wonder if author has a bad relationship with either of her parents.
January 26, 2018
I've not read any of the other books in this series or anything by Lynda La Plante so had no preconceptions. I found the story really interesting and was never able to second-guess the author. The characters were mostly well-written but the protagonist, Anna, seemed a very cold, emotionless woman and was therefore difficult to care about. Other characters had potential but it wasn't drawn out so I'd have liked to have seen more about Anna's team who seemed rather shadowy. The book at times seemed to be repeating itself and I did wonder if Anna was actually up to the job of running a murder investigation singlehandedly but, as this was her first such case, I assume this was intentional. On the whole, I was gripped by this audiobook and looked forward to picking it up each time. I would definitely recommend it if you want an interesting and differently-plotted police procedural.
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