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Fiona Griffiths #1
Hablando con los muertos
Para la policía Fiona Griffiths, su primera gran investigación promete ser una dura iniciación en el submundo de Cardiff: una joven prostituta y su hija han sido brutalmente asesinadas en un piso. Todo apunta a que la víctima debió de topar con el cliente equivocado, pero Fiona está convencida de que el misterio es mucho más profundo. De pronto, vuelve a sentir que pertenece al mundo de los muertos, que estos le hablan... y ese punto débil, que algunos llaman síndrome de Cotard, se convierte en un don que da un giro a esta historia.
375 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
1454 people are currently reading
5571 people want to read
About the author
Harry Bingham
47 books698 followersHarry Bingham is best known for his Fiona Griffiths crime series, which has drawn rave reviews from critics, authors and readers alike.
If you've read and enjoyed one of Harry's books, make diddle-darn sure that you've signed up to the Fiona Griffiths Readers Club, by hopping right over here:
http://www.harrybingham.com/lev-in-gl...
You'll get a free, lovely welcome gift - and you'll be the very first to know when Fiona Griffiths is back with a further adventure . . .
If you've read and enjoyed one of Harry's books, make diddle-darn sure that you've signed up to the Fiona Griffiths Readers Club, by hopping right over here:
http://www.harrybingham.com/lev-in-gl...
You'll get a free, lovely welcome gift - and you'll be the very first to know when Fiona Griffiths is back with a further adventure . . .
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,001 reviews
July 13, 2019
Fiona Griffiths is a very unusual detective. The most junior of the Detective Constables in the Cardiff police station, she is given the most boring jobs. She has a Philosophy degree from Cambridge, is young, pretty and intelligent but there is something distinctly odd about her that stops her forming normal friendships with her colleagues. In her teens she had some sort of mental breakdown and, though largely recovered, constantly struggles to keep in touch with her feelings and live on what she calls "Planet Normal".
When a young prostitute and her 6 year old daughter are brutally murdered, Fiona asks her boss if she can be involved in interviewing prostitutes. There is something about the little girl that calls out to her. Despite her problems in dealing with feelings, Fiona has good instincts and is able to connect with people and drag out information from them. She is however liable to go off on her own bat when she knows her boss won't listen to her intuition and is not worried about breaking rules.
The plot is not overly original - a tale involving prostitutes, money and drugs, but Fiona is a great character and has a very distinct, quirky voice that leads to a lot of humor as she struggles to act normal, especially when trying to be a textbook girlfriend, organising a funeral crowd or taking on a gang of thugs. The final chapters supply some answers about why Fiona is the way she is and will leave her looking for more answers about herself as the series progresses. An excellent start to a new series that I know I'm going to love.
When a young prostitute and her 6 year old daughter are brutally murdered, Fiona asks her boss if she can be involved in interviewing prostitutes. There is something about the little girl that calls out to her. Despite her problems in dealing with feelings, Fiona has good instincts and is able to connect with people and drag out information from them. She is however liable to go off on her own bat when she knows her boss won't listen to her intuition and is not worried about breaking rules.
The plot is not overly original - a tale involving prostitutes, money and drugs, but Fiona is a great character and has a very distinct, quirky voice that leads to a lot of humor as she struggles to act normal, especially when trying to be a textbook girlfriend, organising a funeral crowd or taking on a gang of thugs. The final chapters supply some answers about why Fiona is the way she is and will leave her looking for more answers about herself as the series progresses. An excellent start to a new series that I know I'm going to love.
November 1, 2013
Fiona Griffiths, known as Fi, is a young woman in a Wales police department, a detective with good intuition and analytical skills. She is also harboring a dark past, which periodically clouds her sleep, emotional clarity, and her thoughts. Told in the first person, she states that her social skills are a bit off (but I don’t see that, only that she tells us), and that she struggles mightily with a challenging mental illness, which is revealed in gradual doses.
Fi is currently investigating a case involving the heinous murder of a woman and her young daughter. The bodies were found in a dicey part of town, where they were living, but the mother possessed a credit card of a wealthy businessman who died in a plane crash. Thrown in the mix are prostitutes, a dirty cop, and other typical tropes from the world of crime/police procedurals. Fi is also grappling with reaching out to others, opening up to new friendships and romance.
As a crime thriller, this didn’t keep me interested. The events were too expository, and only occurred through Fi’s second-hand communication, but I didn’t feel inside of the action, and, to be honest, the action that did happen was derivative of hundreds of other police thrillers. The events were banal, and had a shopworn feel to it. The pace also crawled. I never felt one compelling moment in the book. Moreover, Fi’s predilection for talking to the dead, rather than stir my interest, came off as rather flat.
What did keep me reading was Fi’s voice, which was warm and intimate and sounded as if it were in the room with me. She enticed me at intervals to continue reading, if for no other reason than to learn more about her emotional history and breakdown. What I didn’t believe was how she got a job in the police department as a detective! Perhaps Wales is more lax than the US, where psychological testing is mandatory for all incoming officers to the police academy.
This is the first book in a series that will feature Fi Griffiths as the main character. Although the writing was competent and serviceable, and Fi is quite comely and, even arresting at times, I am not persuaded to continue on with the series. I wasn’t impressed by the payoff of this one, and only partially rewarded with the unveiling of Fi’s past.
Fi is currently investigating a case involving the heinous murder of a woman and her young daughter. The bodies were found in a dicey part of town, where they were living, but the mother possessed a credit card of a wealthy businessman who died in a plane crash. Thrown in the mix are prostitutes, a dirty cop, and other typical tropes from the world of crime/police procedurals. Fi is also grappling with reaching out to others, opening up to new friendships and romance.
As a crime thriller, this didn’t keep me interested. The events were too expository, and only occurred through Fi’s second-hand communication, but I didn’t feel inside of the action, and, to be honest, the action that did happen was derivative of hundreds of other police thrillers. The events were banal, and had a shopworn feel to it. The pace also crawled. I never felt one compelling moment in the book. Moreover, Fi’s predilection for talking to the dead, rather than stir my interest, came off as rather flat.
What did keep me reading was Fi’s voice, which was warm and intimate and sounded as if it were in the room with me. She enticed me at intervals to continue reading, if for no other reason than to learn more about her emotional history and breakdown. What I didn’t believe was how she got a job in the police department as a detective! Perhaps Wales is more lax than the US, where psychological testing is mandatory for all incoming officers to the police academy.
This is the first book in a series that will feature Fi Griffiths as the main character. Although the writing was competent and serviceable, and Fi is quite comely and, even arresting at times, I am not persuaded to continue on with the series. I wasn’t impressed by the payoff of this one, and only partially rewarded with the unveiling of Fi’s past.
August 13, 2017
I’m not the first, and I certainly won’t be the last to observe that Harry Bingham’s DC Fiona Griffiths is an odd duck. Was she born that way, or did something in her two-year “illness” as a teenager cause her to become different from her peers on the police force – or from her family or most other folks, for that matter? Talking to the Dead is Bingham’s first novel featuring the unusual DC Griffiths. She’s young and inexperienced, but incredibly intelligent and efficient. Until she assists on her first murder case, she has been digging through paperwork on an embezzlement case involving a former cop. Boring, but as Fi says, sometimes boring is good.
The murders being investigated involve a prostitute and her six-year-old daughter. Rather than being repulsed at the gruesome scene, Griffiths is motivated by the victims and what they have to tell her. Of special interest is the credit card that is found at the scene. It belonged to a rich businessman – a man who died in a plane crash many months earlier. Or did he?
Fiona Griffiths has so much potential, and she has difficulty living within the strict bounds of rules and regulations imposed upon her by her superior officer. So when she is told to stick to the embezzlement case, that is what she does – except that she is so capable and types her reports so fast that she has plenty of time to go off on her own investigation. She just can’t help herself! Her instincts are “spot on,” as the Brits say. She’s quite clever, too, sometimes too clever for her own good. She takes far too many liberties and could find herself in legal hot water, but if we suspend belief – remember, this is fiction – her schemes work quite well. For someone who supposedly lacks social skills, she does amazingly well when she needs to.
Where Fi really feels inadequate is in her inability to feel fully human. She isn’t sure that she has “normal” feelings. She never cries. She has had relationships but has never been in love. While there were aspects of the police work that felt rather unbelievable to me, I found myself intrigued by this quirky, insecure, hardworking young woman who, in the end, proves to herself and to others how strong and plucky she really is. I’m not just talking about her dedication to the victims of drug dealers, human trafficking, and violence against women. Fiona discovers so much about who she is, and that shows her to be brave indeed.
4.5 stars
The murders being investigated involve a prostitute and her six-year-old daughter. Rather than being repulsed at the gruesome scene, Griffiths is motivated by the victims and what they have to tell her. Of special interest is the credit card that is found at the scene. It belonged to a rich businessman – a man who died in a plane crash many months earlier. Or did he?
Fiona Griffiths has so much potential, and she has difficulty living within the strict bounds of rules and regulations imposed upon her by her superior officer. So when she is told to stick to the embezzlement case, that is what she does – except that she is so capable and types her reports so fast that she has plenty of time to go off on her own investigation. She just can’t help herself! Her instincts are “spot on,” as the Brits say. She’s quite clever, too, sometimes too clever for her own good. She takes far too many liberties and could find herself in legal hot water, but if we suspend belief – remember, this is fiction – her schemes work quite well. For someone who supposedly lacks social skills, she does amazingly well when she needs to.
Where Fi really feels inadequate is in her inability to feel fully human. She isn’t sure that she has “normal” feelings. She never cries. She has had relationships but has never been in love. While there were aspects of the police work that felt rather unbelievable to me, I found myself intrigued by this quirky, insecure, hardworking young woman who, in the end, proves to herself and to others how strong and plucky she really is. I’m not just talking about her dedication to the victims of drug dealers, human trafficking, and violence against women. Fiona discovers so much about who she is, and that shows her to be brave indeed.
4.5 stars
June 21, 2024
Although I enjoyed this book, I can't say that I would recommend it to someone looking for something conventional in the police procedural sub-genre of crime fiction.. In many respects it does fit there, but the strange creature that is Detective Constable Fiona Griffiths moves it into a more selective category. My guess is that either Fiona will draw you in as you attempt to wrap your head around who she is - or you will be completely put off by her midway through the book and just want to finish it. I fell into the first group.
A couple of weeks ago I randomly selected the fifth book in the series (The Dead House) to read and when I finished I realized I wanted more of Fiona, but with her backstory filled in. Which is: in her teens she suffered a two year mental health breakdown, the specifics of which we learn only toward the end of the book. Following her mostly-successful recuperation, she studied philosophy at Cambridge, then joined the police force in her home town, Cardiff, Wales. The methodical nature of most investigations soothes her, although she is also given to pursuing insights that seemingly come from out of nowhere.
Aside from her police colleagues, Fiona's world is populated by family and other individuals through whom we learn parts of her history. Some of these people and their responses to her I found unlikely (e.g. one of her superior officers consistently supports her even when she achieves results by acting completely outside guidelines and normal procedures).
But there is something about Fiona's desire to be "normal" that appealed to me. She knows that she interacts with the world on a different level from other people, and yearns to overcome that gap. This makes her both vulnerable - and strong. Overcoming her mental health disorder, Cotard's Syndrome, to the extent that she can function on a day to day basis has required much from her.
An end-note from the author explains that although Cotard's Syndrome is extremely rare, it is very real, devastating, and poorly understood. You can read more about it here: About Cotard's
Oh, about the police procedural story - it's well plotted and believable, a taken-from-the-headlines kind of thing. I know that eventually I'll be returning for the rest of the series.
A couple of weeks ago I randomly selected the fifth book in the series (The Dead House) to read and when I finished I realized I wanted more of Fiona, but with her backstory filled in. Which is: in her teens she suffered a two year mental health breakdown, the specifics of which we learn only toward the end of the book. Following her mostly-successful recuperation, she studied philosophy at Cambridge, then joined the police force in her home town, Cardiff, Wales. The methodical nature of most investigations soothes her, although she is also given to pursuing insights that seemingly come from out of nowhere.
Aside from her police colleagues, Fiona's world is populated by family and other individuals through whom we learn parts of her history. Some of these people and their responses to her I found unlikely (e.g. one of her superior officers consistently supports her even when she achieves results by acting completely outside guidelines and normal procedures).
But there is something about Fiona's desire to be "normal" that appealed to me. She knows that she interacts with the world on a different level from other people, and yearns to overcome that gap. This makes her both vulnerable - and strong. Overcoming her mental health disorder, Cotard's Syndrome, to the extent that she can function on a day to day basis has required much from her.
An end-note from the author explains that although Cotard's Syndrome is extremely rare, it is very real, devastating, and poorly understood. You can read more about it here: About Cotard's
Oh, about the police procedural story - it's well plotted and believable, a taken-from-the-headlines kind of thing. I know that eventually I'll be returning for the rest of the series.
April 19, 2025
I’ve always been drawn to mysteries that offer a slightly cracked leading character. Charlie Parker, Kathleen Mallory, William Monk and even Harry Bosch. Not only are those series filled with well-developed and interesting crimes that need solved and villains who need caught, but, they also feature haunting scenes leading to the hidden and painful pasts that somehow broke these characters. Sometimes their life puzzles are solved. Other times, these complicated characters with a vengeance for justice reach acceptance with their pasts.
DCI Fiona Griffiths is another character to add to my list. A young Welsh police officer with a fascinating range of emotions and instincts, who we quickly realize is more than slightly broken. In her debut, she begins to feel those puzzle pieces emerging while solving a double homicide that literally haunts her, day and night.
This very well-written mystery is set in Cardiff, Wales, which is a first for me. (The next time, I’m going to consult a map because I know so very little about the Welsh countryside and people—other than mining and British dominance of their economy.)
If you haven’t already guessed, I’m looking forward to continuing this series and getting to know Fiona and her colleagues better.
My thanks to the Goodreads reviewer who caught my attention with their review!! It’s what I love most about reading reviews— finding new gems to add to my TBR!!
(reviewed 4/16/20)
DCI Fiona Griffiths is another character to add to my list. A young Welsh police officer with a fascinating range of emotions and instincts, who we quickly realize is more than slightly broken. In her debut, she begins to feel those puzzle pieces emerging while solving a double homicide that literally haunts her, day and night.
This very well-written mystery is set in Cardiff, Wales, which is a first for me. (The next time, I’m going to consult a map because I know so very little about the Welsh countryside and people—other than mining and British dominance of their economy.)
If you haven’t already guessed, I’m looking forward to continuing this series and getting to know Fiona and her colleagues better.
My thanks to the Goodreads reviewer who caught my attention with their review!! It’s what I love most about reading reviews— finding new gems to add to my TBR!!
(reviewed 4/16/20)
March 27, 2020
Libros recomendados: ‘’Hablando con los muertos’’, de Harry Bingham. Ediciones B. Thriler, psicológica, policíaca…
En una de las franquicias de una de las grandes tiendas físicas en las que me dejé más de mil euros en libros un año récord; pero que en la que ya no he vuelto a comprar; porque me estafaron en un tema literario, y no sólo a mí…, descubrí por casualidad este título. Me hizo gracia, por original, sin serlo del todo: ¿quién no habla con los que ha perdido?; pero se nombraba el síndrome de Cotard: enfermedad mental que relacionan con la hipocondría, en la que la persona que la padece cree no existir o estar pudriéndose: muerto de toda manera… ¿Hasta dónde se acepta, en esta enfermedad de la que casi nada se sabe por no haber casi casos conocidos, el sistema anímico?, pues si una persona se vuelve nihilista; pero sigue hablando, entiende que existe de algún modo, ¿no? Aunque ahí puede entrar el tema psicológico. Duro en cualquier caso.
Leyendo reportajes, ‘me hace gracia’ ver que para ayudar a estos pacientes se les practica durante un tiempo terapia TEC, que al final consigue efectos secundarios como pérdida de memoria, lo cual me resulta algo irónico; pero yo, por desgracia, no soy médico. O por suerte: si hubiera sido una mala médico no me lo podría perdonar…
Me quedo con el consuelo de haber ayudado, hace unos años en una zapatería, a un hombre: a detectar que estaba teniendo un ataque de epilepsia (¡gracias películas!), y mantenerle la cavidad oral protegida para que no se tragara y ahogara con su propia lengua… Me quedo con el consuelo de haber conseguido después de 7 años convencer a un médico de pago, de que le hicieran pruebas a mi hermano para confirmar que no era diabético, cosa que aseguraban en la Seguridad Social (curiosamente muchos médicos trabajan en la SS y luego en sus consultas privadas…) Me quedo con el consuelo de descubrir una irregularidad respiratoria en mi hermanita de 4 patas, cosa que los veterinarios me negaron, hasta que por suerte…, al estar ingresada y monitorizada, tuvieron que acabar aceptando: tenía un edema en el pulmón. Y me quedo con el consuelo de descubrir mi propia intolerancia alimentaria y mi tendinitis crónica, después de que varios médicos me dijeran que tenía ansiedad: mal de moda, parece que todos la sufren…
Dos asesinatos, una policía con síndrome de Cotard… La compañía de los muertos, la de la familia…
No aceptada por la sociedad: esa masa que se une para desprestigiar en comunión hasta que se descubren manchas en la propia masa… Esa sociedad que necesita creerse por encima de todo y tachar al, quizás, necesitado de amor, o al menos interés.
Original, intrigante. Un libro entretenido, del que hay secuelas…
En una de las franquicias de una de las grandes tiendas físicas en las que me dejé más de mil euros en libros un año récord; pero que en la que ya no he vuelto a comprar; porque me estafaron en un tema literario, y no sólo a mí…, descubrí por casualidad este título. Me hizo gracia, por original, sin serlo del todo: ¿quién no habla con los que ha perdido?; pero se nombraba el síndrome de Cotard: enfermedad mental que relacionan con la hipocondría, en la que la persona que la padece cree no existir o estar pudriéndose: muerto de toda manera… ¿Hasta dónde se acepta, en esta enfermedad de la que casi nada se sabe por no haber casi casos conocidos, el sistema anímico?, pues si una persona se vuelve nihilista; pero sigue hablando, entiende que existe de algún modo, ¿no? Aunque ahí puede entrar el tema psicológico. Duro en cualquier caso.
Leyendo reportajes, ‘me hace gracia’ ver que para ayudar a estos pacientes se les practica durante un tiempo terapia TEC, que al final consigue efectos secundarios como pérdida de memoria, lo cual me resulta algo irónico; pero yo, por desgracia, no soy médico. O por suerte: si hubiera sido una mala médico no me lo podría perdonar…
Me quedo con el consuelo de haber ayudado, hace unos años en una zapatería, a un hombre: a detectar que estaba teniendo un ataque de epilepsia (¡gracias películas!), y mantenerle la cavidad oral protegida para que no se tragara y ahogara con su propia lengua… Me quedo con el consuelo de haber conseguido después de 7 años convencer a un médico de pago, de que le hicieran pruebas a mi hermano para confirmar que no era diabético, cosa que aseguraban en la Seguridad Social (curiosamente muchos médicos trabajan en la SS y luego en sus consultas privadas…) Me quedo con el consuelo de descubrir una irregularidad respiratoria en mi hermanita de 4 patas, cosa que los veterinarios me negaron, hasta que por suerte…, al estar ingresada y monitorizada, tuvieron que acabar aceptando: tenía un edema en el pulmón. Y me quedo con el consuelo de descubrir mi propia intolerancia alimentaria y mi tendinitis crónica, después de que varios médicos me dijeran que tenía ansiedad: mal de moda, parece que todos la sufren…
Dos asesinatos, una policía con síndrome de Cotard… La compañía de los muertos, la de la familia…
No aceptada por la sociedad: esa masa que se une para desprestigiar en comunión hasta que se descubren manchas en la propia masa… Esa sociedad que necesita creerse por encima de todo y tachar al, quizás, necesitado de amor, o al menos interés.
Original, intrigante. Un libro entretenido, del que hay secuelas…
May 14, 2020
Me ha gustado mucho. Me ha gustado la trama del libro, me ha gustado la detective Fiona Griffiths, me han gustado varios de los personajes retratados en la novela y sobre todo, me ha gustado como escribe Harry Bingham. De todos modos, reconozco que a mucha gente es muy probable que no les guste. Esto de hablar con muertos a veces es bastante escabroso para alguna gente. En mi opinión, recomendable.
October 26, 2016
Meet Detective Constable Fiona "Fi" Griffiths of the South Wales Police.. An acknowledged work in progress according to her ex-clinical psychologist and the most endearing loose cannon readers will ever meet! A nightmare to manage for her superiors but primed with an inquisitiveness which make her a risk worth having on any team. Four years after joining the police force and now amongst the ranks of CID, DC Fi Griffiths is no more predictable and bemuses and exacerbates most of her colleagues in equal measure. Lacking in social skills and all at sea when it comes to pinpointing her emotions, her often awkward and misguided instincts also make her utterly heartwarming. A prize-winning philosophy graduate from Cambridge on the one hand, but disarmingly naive when it comes to tact, intuition and popular culture. If you asked Fi why she joined the force then her reply would probably focus on her insatiable need to make sense of things, from inane idioms to life's bigger dilemmas. Fi is packed top to toe with quirks, idiosyncrasies and self-doubts; she questions herself more fiercely than any of her superiors and she is a stubbornly driven investigator when she gets a sniff of something that unsettles her. However, Fi's continued questioning and unorthodox methods can reap rewards, and when something gets under her skin she is a woman possessed, and the scene of a horrific murder at 86 Allison Street, coined Operation Lohan, leaves her on the warpath.
Operation Lohan.. A dead mother and her six-year-old child amid a filthy squat in Allison Street, Butetown and the young girls life terminated in an utterly brutal way are identified as occasional prostitute, Janet Manzini, and daughter April. Only six weeks previously Janet was on the straight and narrow, making a home for her daughter, off the drugs and with things looking positive, so why has she ended up sleeping on a soiled mattress amid the detritus of a squat? Finding the platinum Visa debit card of the deceased steel and shipping magnate Brendan Rattigan, amid the squalor at the location seems a bizarre coincidence. A dead card, reported lost and more than likely picked up by one of those that frequented the squat leaves a distinctly bad taste in the mouth when you consider than Rattigan and Manzini would hardly be frequenting the same circles or even sides of town. So, how exactly this has come to pass nags at Fi and her unsettled feelings in connection with the young April impel her to look further. Besides, Fi is bored with poring over the financial irregularities of ex-copper and embezzler, Brian Penry, and Fi doesn't do bored well! Fi's solution? Work like a crack accountant to get on top of Penry's unearned monies to free up precious time and do her own digging into the squat where Janet and April's lives were eradicated. When she manages to find a connection between Penry and Rattigan this sets her onto the trail of various nefarious characters of the local underworld, from small time drug pushers to violent hard men and pimps who make the lives of the prostitutes intolerable. But the more she learns, the more sinister it all begins to look and finally climaxes in a grandstand finale!
DCI Dennis Jackson is the officer in charge of handling Operation Lohan and attempting to keep Fi in check. Frequently irreverent, lacking in any kind of feminine wiles, Jackson's eyebrows are on overdrive when he is listening to Fi and her latest endeavour. Much of the added amusement is in seeing the reactions that Fi elicits from those that cross her path. Nothing in beyond Fi in pursuit of the truth, from fabricating evidence to putting words into witnesses mouths and readers will vie for her all the way. The first person narrative delivered by Fi is what sets this crime debut apart and elevates if from the mediocre to an exceptional piece of literary crime fiction. Through the eyes of Fiona, Bingham delivers a suitably acerbic view of colleagues and police culture alike and the narrative fizzes with energy and wit. As Bingham allows Fi to drip feed readers choice extracts from her chequered history and introduces her family and characters from her past by the end of Talking to the Dead you start to realise that Fi isn't so much an oddball as a wonderfully conflicted modern heroine. DC Fi Griffiths takes readers on a 101 emotions class as she uses her bodies reactions and physical occurrences to extrapolate her feelings... Racing pulse and shallow breathing might just be fear and watching Fi respond to her signals is inspired. When Bingham reveals the actual extent of Fi's dissociative disorder in the later stages of the novel it feels much less of an issue and meeting the character beforehand leaves the label feeling superfluous. Meet Fi Griffiths the cop, not Fi Griffith the delusional freak! I am glad I didn't know full extent of her condition at first as the experience is far richer for seeing how she works round the issues she faces. By the end of Fiona's first murder she has broken every rule in the book, notched up a romance and discovered a hell of a lot about herself!
As a Detective Constable, Fi is at the lowest grade of CID ranking and it is more common for authors to follow a character operating at a higher level and readers gain a real insight into much of the routine work which is essential to every investigation. Seeing things through the eyes of Fi allows readers to appreciate how a police investigation is a sum of all the smaller endeavours by each of the team, and conveys the camaraderie that this fosters. I also rather admired Fi's willingness to do the legwork that her role demanded as so often authors resort to the stereotype of portraying an academic entrant to the force as a jumped up and arrogant character who thinks the day to day jobs are well beneath them.
Talking to the Dead has a wonderful sense of place and Bingham delivers a tribute to the lowlights of the city of Cardiff as Fi flits from one to the other and her investigative work takes her into some increasingly dangerous situations. Cardiff is a city where squalor lives side by side with the upwardly mobile, as evidenced when Fi scoots between the two and the flees for the sanctuary and security of her parental home and distinctly roguish father. Bingham provides an excellent ensemble cast, both colleagues, family and those on the dodgier fringes of society and it was wonderful to see the Fi's obvious ease with her family which was brilliantly touching. Despite her lack of the requisite alcohol and cocaine addictions that seem to proliferate so many crime fiction protagonists, Bingham has however given Fi one suitably tongue in cheek vice - a reliance on dope! In the words of Fi, "F**k feelings, trust reason". I, for one, am with her all the way!
It is with thanks to my friends on Goodreads for introducing me to this series and recommending a meeting with the brilliant DC Fiona Griffiths!
Operation Lohan.. A dead mother and her six-year-old child amid a filthy squat in Allison Street, Butetown and the young girls life terminated in an utterly brutal way are identified as occasional prostitute, Janet Manzini, and daughter April. Only six weeks previously Janet was on the straight and narrow, making a home for her daughter, off the drugs and with things looking positive, so why has she ended up sleeping on a soiled mattress amid the detritus of a squat? Finding the platinum Visa debit card of the deceased steel and shipping magnate Brendan Rattigan, amid the squalor at the location seems a bizarre coincidence. A dead card, reported lost and more than likely picked up by one of those that frequented the squat leaves a distinctly bad taste in the mouth when you consider than Rattigan and Manzini would hardly be frequenting the same circles or even sides of town. So, how exactly this has come to pass nags at Fi and her unsettled feelings in connection with the young April impel her to look further. Besides, Fi is bored with poring over the financial irregularities of ex-copper and embezzler, Brian Penry, and Fi doesn't do bored well! Fi's solution? Work like a crack accountant to get on top of Penry's unearned monies to free up precious time and do her own digging into the squat where Janet and April's lives were eradicated. When she manages to find a connection between Penry and Rattigan this sets her onto the trail of various nefarious characters of the local underworld, from small time drug pushers to violent hard men and pimps who make the lives of the prostitutes intolerable. But the more she learns, the more sinister it all begins to look and finally climaxes in a grandstand finale!
DCI Dennis Jackson is the officer in charge of handling Operation Lohan and attempting to keep Fi in check. Frequently irreverent, lacking in any kind of feminine wiles, Jackson's eyebrows are on overdrive when he is listening to Fi and her latest endeavour. Much of the added amusement is in seeing the reactions that Fi elicits from those that cross her path. Nothing in beyond Fi in pursuit of the truth, from fabricating evidence to putting words into witnesses mouths and readers will vie for her all the way. The first person narrative delivered by Fi is what sets this crime debut apart and elevates if from the mediocre to an exceptional piece of literary crime fiction. Through the eyes of Fiona, Bingham delivers a suitably acerbic view of colleagues and police culture alike and the narrative fizzes with energy and wit. As Bingham allows Fi to drip feed readers choice extracts from her chequered history and introduces her family and characters from her past by the end of Talking to the Dead you start to realise that Fi isn't so much an oddball as a wonderfully conflicted modern heroine. DC Fi Griffiths takes readers on a 101 emotions class as she uses her bodies reactions and physical occurrences to extrapolate her feelings... Racing pulse and shallow breathing might just be fear and watching Fi respond to her signals is inspired. When Bingham reveals the actual extent of Fi's dissociative disorder in the later stages of the novel it feels much less of an issue and meeting the character beforehand leaves the label feeling superfluous. Meet Fi Griffiths the cop, not Fi Griffith the delusional freak! I am glad I didn't know full extent of her condition at first as the experience is far richer for seeing how she works round the issues she faces. By the end of Fiona's first murder she has broken every rule in the book, notched up a romance and discovered a hell of a lot about herself!
As a Detective Constable, Fi is at the lowest grade of CID ranking and it is more common for authors to follow a character operating at a higher level and readers gain a real insight into much of the routine work which is essential to every investigation. Seeing things through the eyes of Fi allows readers to appreciate how a police investigation is a sum of all the smaller endeavours by each of the team, and conveys the camaraderie that this fosters. I also rather admired Fi's willingness to do the legwork that her role demanded as so often authors resort to the stereotype of portraying an academic entrant to the force as a jumped up and arrogant character who thinks the day to day jobs are well beneath them.
Talking to the Dead has a wonderful sense of place and Bingham delivers a tribute to the lowlights of the city of Cardiff as Fi flits from one to the other and her investigative work takes her into some increasingly dangerous situations. Cardiff is a city where squalor lives side by side with the upwardly mobile, as evidenced when Fi scoots between the two and the flees for the sanctuary and security of her parental home and distinctly roguish father. Bingham provides an excellent ensemble cast, both colleagues, family and those on the dodgier fringes of society and it was wonderful to see the Fi's obvious ease with her family which was brilliantly touching. Despite her lack of the requisite alcohol and cocaine addictions that seem to proliferate so many crime fiction protagonists, Bingham has however given Fi one suitably tongue in cheek vice - a reliance on dope! In the words of Fi, "F**k feelings, trust reason". I, for one, am with her all the way!
It is with thanks to my friends on Goodreads for introducing me to this series and recommending a meeting with the brilliant DC Fiona Griffiths!
April 3, 2017
Since this has been out for awhile, I'll just leave a few quick words. I loved this book and I hope the rest of the series continues as it has begun. Clever plot, highly original character, and great secondary characters too. What more can you wish for? Now if only I could learn to pronounce the names and place names of Wales.
December 9, 2018
This was the second book I have read by author Harry Bingham and to be honest I read it straight after enjoying another of his books. However I found this novel very disappointing and I am glad I had already enjoyed the other book or I might not have read anymore of his books. The first book was a prelude to the Fiona Griffiths series so when I read that this was also part of the series I was full of hope but the book focused on another character that I never really got to grips with.
To be fair it was a freebie so perhaps I shouldn't complain so will just put it down to personal taste. That said I already have another of his books to read, so hopefully that will be more to my liking.
Merged review:
The 1st book in the Detective Fiona Griffiths series by author Harry Bingham.
I have read a few of this series but not in any particular order which to be honest hasn't made any difference to my enjoyment of the series.
Fiona Griffiths is an interesting complex character, haunted by a dark past, lots there for any author writing a series to develop. This book serves as an introduction the both the character and the series which promises to be a very good one. A detective with a dark past and not the standard detective by any stretch of the imagination. Fiona is very good at what she does but not one who follows the rules and not worried about bending or even breaking rules to get results.
Working her first case, a prostitute and her young daughter are murdered and a credit card belonging to a man who died 12 months earlier is found under the bodies. Fiona although lacking experience is determined to dig deeper to find out more where others are willing to ignore.
Solid start to the series that promises a lot.
To be fair it was a freebie so perhaps I shouldn't complain so will just put it down to personal taste. That said I already have another of his books to read, so hopefully that will be more to my liking.
Merged review:
The 1st book in the Detective Fiona Griffiths series by author Harry Bingham.
I have read a few of this series but not in any particular order which to be honest hasn't made any difference to my enjoyment of the series.
Fiona Griffiths is an interesting complex character, haunted by a dark past, lots there for any author writing a series to develop. This book serves as an introduction the both the character and the series which promises to be a very good one. A detective with a dark past and not the standard detective by any stretch of the imagination. Fiona is very good at what she does but not one who follows the rules and not worried about bending or even breaking rules to get results.
Working her first case, a prostitute and her young daughter are murdered and a credit card belonging to a man who died 12 months earlier is found under the bodies. Fiona although lacking experience is determined to dig deeper to find out more where others are willing to ignore.
Solid start to the series that promises a lot.
September 23, 2017
Rather late coming to this series, but I won't let that stop me.
I like Fiona Griffiths, an irreverent, cheeky DC in Cardiff, who is also a little bit mutinous, with a more-than-healthy-helping of self-doubt. She fades in and out of Planet Normal, as Bingham describes it, wrestling with a haunted past that had her institutionalized in a mental healthcare facility for two years when she was a a teen. At the same time, she is also fearless, in contradiction to her insecurities, allowing her to achieve much, and get justice for the victims, in spectacular fashion. This all rather sounds like "girl super hero" but there is nothing cartoonish about this novel at all. Well written and fast paced, it is an excellent police procedural which leads you quickly and deftly through the crime, with no gaps, no dropped threads and a satisfying conclusion, all things which a good detective novel should be.
===========
It's funny how seemingly-throw-away lines from an innocuous little detective novel can worm its way into the unconscious. Here I am, two days later, and I woke up at 3 a.m. thinking about a scene that occurs quite early in the novel:
"I used to draw a lot as a kid. I probably did flowers like you."
No comment again six times over, which makes for a lot of silence in one small living room.
I don't know if I did draw a lot as a child. Because of the illness in my teens, my childhood seems like something viewed over the other side of a hill. Little snippets come back to me, but I don't know where they've come from of if they're true. I've got a story about my past more than actual functional memories of it, but for all I know, everyone is in the same position. Maybe childhoods are things we live through once, then reconstruct in fantasy. Maybe no one has the childhood they think they've had.
It must have come to mind because I fell asleep reading Proust, he also worming his way into my subconscious, in the hazy droning of things past, ... or things lost?
I was also affected deeply by yet-another-seemingly-innocent scene:
At the victims' funeral, Fi reflects on their lives:
Janet and Stacey both ended up in care because their parents were crazy, sick, violent or useless. In effect, they never knew their parents. The state took over. ... That's part of what hooks me about The Janet and April Show. Janet had a crap life and she fought to give her kid a better one. She failed and yet it's not her failure that captures me but the depth of her trying.
What matters is the depth of her trying.
I like Fiona Griffiths, an irreverent, cheeky DC in Cardiff, who is also a little bit mutinous, with a more-than-healthy-helping of self-doubt. She fades in and out of Planet Normal, as Bingham describes it, wrestling with a haunted past that had her institutionalized in a mental healthcare facility for two years when she was a a teen. At the same time, she is also fearless, in contradiction to her insecurities, allowing her to achieve much, and get justice for the victims, in spectacular fashion. This all rather sounds like "girl super hero" but there is nothing cartoonish about this novel at all. Well written and fast paced, it is an excellent police procedural which leads you quickly and deftly through the crime, with no gaps, no dropped threads and a satisfying conclusion, all things which a good detective novel should be.
===========
It's funny how seemingly-throw-away lines from an innocuous little detective novel can worm its way into the unconscious. Here I am, two days later, and I woke up at 3 a.m. thinking about a scene that occurs quite early in the novel:
"I used to draw a lot as a kid. I probably did flowers like you."
No comment again six times over, which makes for a lot of silence in one small living room.
I don't know if I did draw a lot as a child. Because of the illness in my teens, my childhood seems like something viewed over the other side of a hill. Little snippets come back to me, but I don't know where they've come from of if they're true. I've got a story about my past more than actual functional memories of it, but for all I know, everyone is in the same position. Maybe childhoods are things we live through once, then reconstruct in fantasy. Maybe no one has the childhood they think they've had.
It must have come to mind because I fell asleep reading Proust, he also worming his way into my subconscious, in the hazy droning of things past, ... or things lost?
I was also affected deeply by yet-another-seemingly-innocent scene:
At the victims' funeral, Fi reflects on their lives:
Janet and Stacey both ended up in care because their parents were crazy, sick, violent or useless. In effect, they never knew their parents. The state took over. ... That's part of what hooks me about The Janet and April Show. Janet had a crap life and she fought to give her kid a better one. She failed and yet it's not her failure that captures me but the depth of her trying.
What matters is the depth of her trying.
January 20, 2015
Another new author for me ... another author I know I will keep reading.
Talking to the Deadis all about introducing Detective Constable Fiona Griffiths who is a mystery herself. Fiona is known for her spurts of genius ... and for her need at times to not follow the rules. She is definitely a young woman of contrasts.
She is working her first case ... a prostitute and her young daughter are murdered. Found under the bodies is a credit card belonging to a man who died a year ago.
The book is full of action ... murders, secrets, lies. Has a bit of everything from drug dealers to human trafficking.
I enjoyed the book as it kept me interested, but its the last chapter that riveted me. No spoilers... but it did answer the burning question of who is Fiona Griffiths and what makes her the way she is.
I will definitely be reading the next in the series ... I need to know how her life will proceed from here.
Talking to the Deadis all about introducing Detective Constable Fiona Griffiths who is a mystery herself. Fiona is known for her spurts of genius ... and for her need at times to not follow the rules. She is definitely a young woman of contrasts.
She is working her first case ... a prostitute and her young daughter are murdered. Found under the bodies is a credit card belonging to a man who died a year ago.
The book is full of action ... murders, secrets, lies. Has a bit of everything from drug dealers to human trafficking.
I enjoyed the book as it kept me interested, but its the last chapter that riveted me. No spoilers... but it did answer the burning question of who is Fiona Griffiths and what makes her the way she is.
I will definitely be reading the next in the series ... I need to know how her life will proceed from here.
September 26, 2012
You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2012/09/...
Fiona Griffiths is bored of the case she’s working on, going over the financial records of an ex-cop turned thief, when another case comes up, and it’s about much more than theft. A prostitute and her young daughter are found in a squalid house, and the manner of murder of the little girl is horrendous. Something about the case captures Fi’s attention, and she begins to insert herself into the investigation any way she can. Focused, intense, and a little strange, Fi is determined to find out who killed this little girl, and the killer may be connected to her current case. A credit card belonging to a very wealthy man, who supposedly died in a plane crash, is found at the crime scene and it turns out Fiona’s thief may have more to do with this case than she initially thought, but he’s keeping things close to the vest. Unfortunately, Fi has a tendency to go off on her own, at the consternation of her boss. As she follows the clues and turns up evidence of abuse and victimization of the most horrifying kind, she also has to confront her own mysterious past.
Talking to the Dead is told in Fiona’s voice, and what a voice! Brilliant, odd, and very self-aware, Fiona is as fascinating, maybe even more so, then the actual case she’s working. Yes, this has all the hallmarks of a procedural, and the desire to see justice done for these women, and especially for the little girl, April, is strong. However, it’s also a study of a young woman still finding her way after a horrible experience with mental illness as a teenager. For Fiona, every emotion, every feeling is a gift, because she went so long without feeling anything. Her struggle to live a normal life (or be a part of Planet Normal, as she puts it) is poignant and bittersweet, and the author keeps you guessing about the origins of her illness until the end. The author navigates Fiona and her world with a deft touch, and yet doesn’t shy away from her willingness to see justice done and go to nearly any lengths to do just that. Talking to the Dead reminded me quite a bit of Sara Gran’s Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead, mainly because of the protagonists, but also in how Harry Bingham uses the Welsh setting to contribute much of the mood and heft to the story, while brilliantly profiling a driven woman that is so often at odds with herself and her world. I’m officially a Bingham fan, and will eagerly look forward to his next novel.
Fiona Griffiths is bored of the case she’s working on, going over the financial records of an ex-cop turned thief, when another case comes up, and it’s about much more than theft. A prostitute and her young daughter are found in a squalid house, and the manner of murder of the little girl is horrendous. Something about the case captures Fi’s attention, and she begins to insert herself into the investigation any way she can. Focused, intense, and a little strange, Fi is determined to find out who killed this little girl, and the killer may be connected to her current case. A credit card belonging to a very wealthy man, who supposedly died in a plane crash, is found at the crime scene and it turns out Fiona’s thief may have more to do with this case than she initially thought, but he’s keeping things close to the vest. Unfortunately, Fi has a tendency to go off on her own, at the consternation of her boss. As she follows the clues and turns up evidence of abuse and victimization of the most horrifying kind, she also has to confront her own mysterious past.
Talking to the Dead is told in Fiona’s voice, and what a voice! Brilliant, odd, and very self-aware, Fiona is as fascinating, maybe even more so, then the actual case she’s working. Yes, this has all the hallmarks of a procedural, and the desire to see justice done for these women, and especially for the little girl, April, is strong. However, it’s also a study of a young woman still finding her way after a horrible experience with mental illness as a teenager. For Fiona, every emotion, every feeling is a gift, because she went so long without feeling anything. Her struggle to live a normal life (or be a part of Planet Normal, as she puts it) is poignant and bittersweet, and the author keeps you guessing about the origins of her illness until the end. The author navigates Fiona and her world with a deft touch, and yet doesn’t shy away from her willingness to see justice done and go to nearly any lengths to do just that. Talking to the Dead reminded me quite a bit of Sara Gran’s Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead, mainly because of the protagonists, but also in how Harry Bingham uses the Welsh setting to contribute much of the mood and heft to the story, while brilliantly profiling a driven woman that is so often at odds with herself and her world. I’m officially a Bingham fan, and will eagerly look forward to his next novel.
November 16, 2013
I loved this book. As I closed the cover, I was sure I'd give it my first five, but after thinking about it, I realized there was one thing that didn't quite work for me. It didn't make sense that the clearly loving parents of troubled Welsh police detective Fiona Griffith didn't tell her a family secret until she guessed it in her mid-20s. They thought she hadn't been ready for it, and she agreed, but I can't believe that during the two teenage years when Fiona suffered a dramatic puzzling breakdown, they never even told her therapists.
This detective novel starts off with a mystery about a mother and child murder, and as Fiona pursues her quixotic hunches in her quixotic way, asking questions the handbook says she mustn't ask, the isolated murders grow into a huge ring of evil.
Probably because she is so different from other people, Fiona puts two and two together in ways no "normal" person would consider. A boring investigation into embezzling -- and unaccounted-for cash in the embezzler's bank -- leads to clues that guide Fiona to someone connected with the murders.
I love the author's style. He is funny and serious. He only reveals what he has to as he peels back the onion, but you quickly get the sense that you are in good hands and that inexplicable remarks will be explained to you on a satisfying need-to-know basis.
There is a lot of grisly business, which I don't love, but all along I felt that the book would end on a hopeful note for victims.
Can't wait to read more in this series. Fiona is super.
This detective novel starts off with a mystery about a mother and child murder, and as Fiona pursues her quixotic hunches in her quixotic way, asking questions the handbook says she mustn't ask, the isolated murders grow into a huge ring of evil.
Probably because she is so different from other people, Fiona puts two and two together in ways no "normal" person would consider. A boring investigation into embezzling -- and unaccounted-for cash in the embezzler's bank -- leads to clues that guide Fiona to someone connected with the murders.
I love the author's style. He is funny and serious. He only reveals what he has to as he peels back the onion, but you quickly get the sense that you are in good hands and that inexplicable remarks will be explained to you on a satisfying need-to-know basis.
There is a lot of grisly business, which I don't love, but all along I felt that the book would end on a hopeful note for victims.
Can't wait to read more in this series. Fiona is super.
May 8, 2022
I got within sixty pages of the end and I’m bagging this. I don’t think it’s the book’s fault. It just isn’t gelling with my mood, most of the time. And there is no audio version at the library. A double whammy, in my world. Would I pick this up again? Most likely. Would I try the rest of the series? In the right mood, most definitely. I like the quirky detective. She apparently suffers from Cotard’s Syndrome, which makes her, in large part, who she is. It’s just not working for me at this moment and I need to get it back to the library. 😬
September 22, 2013
Oh, I like this Fiona Griffiths character. The most junior on the investigative team of a Welsh detective unit, she became a copper because she wanted to make sense of things. Fiona is blitzkrieg fast on a keyboard, 'a one-woman work monster', and she thinks a civil question deserves a civil answer.
The murder mystery is okay, but far more intriguing is learning what it is that makes Fiona tick. She becomes numb at times, she cannot cry, her habitual default attitude is prickly - she refers to it as her cactus-like charm. Her oddball ease with the dead is disconcerting, but we learn why before the end of the tale. Comparisons are being made between Fiona and Stieg Larsson's Lisbeth Salander; Fiona is not as out of hand, not as noticeable. What we are told at the outset is that she experienced some sort of a breakdown in her teen years that left her with a disconnect from emotions and a decidedly awkward way with social situations. The parallel with Salander comes in with the damage she has suffered, her predilection for bucking the rules, and her out and out gutsiness.
The writing is wonderful, the pacing is just right. Well done! This was a first-reads giveaway, thank you.
The murder mystery is okay, but far more intriguing is learning what it is that makes Fiona tick. She becomes numb at times, she cannot cry, her habitual default attitude is prickly - she refers to it as her cactus-like charm. Her oddball ease with the dead is disconcerting, but we learn why before the end of the tale. Comparisons are being made between Fiona and Stieg Larsson's Lisbeth Salander; Fiona is not as out of hand, not as noticeable. What we are told at the outset is that she experienced some sort of a breakdown in her teen years that left her with a disconnect from emotions and a decidedly awkward way with social situations. The parallel with Salander comes in with the damage she has suffered, her predilection for bucking the rules, and her out and out gutsiness.
The writing is wonderful, the pacing is just right. Well done! This was a first-reads giveaway, thank you.
September 1, 2021
Fiona'nın hayatı polisiye kısımdan daha çok ilgimi çekti.
February 20, 2014
Time taken to read - 9 days
Publisher - Orion
Pages - 384
Blurb from Goodreads
The first novel in a powerfully original new crime series featuring a young policewoman haunted by her own dark past.
It's DC Fiona Griffiths' first murder case - and she's in at the deep end. A woman and her six-year-old daughter killed with chilling brutality in a dingy flat. The only clue: the platinum bank card of a long-dead tycoon, found amidst the squalor.
DC Griffiths has already proved herself dedicated to the job, but there's another side to her she is less keen to reveal. Something to do with a mysterious two-year gap in her CV, her strange inability to cry - and a disconcerting familiarity with corpses.
Fiona is desperate to put the past behind her but as more gruesome killings follow, the case leads her inexorably back into those dark places in her own mind where another dead girl is waiting to be found..
My Review
This is the first book in what I assume will be a series, if it isn't already, and this is our introduction to DC Fiona Griffiths. A young girl and her mother have been murdered, the young girl brutally so with a credit card found at the scene of a millionaire who previously died in a car crash. This is Fiona's first case and she is determined to unearth the killer. The case has lots of dangerous links and skulduggery which Fiona will go to any length to uncover, including putting herself in great danger.
Fiona is a complex character, there is a 2 year gap from her life and CV that she won't talk about. She is a quirky character who is at ease more around corpses than she is living people. At first I felt the book was hinting that she was in some way able to talk to the dead due to some of the things she says and does however, sadly that is not the case. It is more linked to this mysterious two year gap and it takes forever, I felt, for us to get it that.
She is a loose canon to be honest her behavior, for the most part, is dangerous and chaotic. The story is mostly about Fiona, her issues with people, her past and the case I felt, took a back seat to it all. When the murder inquiry is the topic in the book, it is long drawn out, very procedural and almost boring for large parts. I don't think the story is badly written, on the contrary and when you finally discover what Fiona is hiding, a lot of her behavior makes sense, although still a tad weird.
I have to mention the cover, I am not normally one to comment on them but this is what drew me to the book, the inlay is a vibrant shade of green as is the writing and it is cut to emphasize this. I honestly don't think this series is for me, unless now we have the back story the future books will be more focused on the case. When the investigation comes to a head, it did pick up in pace but by that point I was 9 days in and just happy for it to finish and get find out what Fiona was hiding more than who was the killer to be honest.
This is my first dance with this author and whilst I won't be rushing to buy his next I wouldn't rule out reading him again. I must also point out that lots of people loved this book, it isn't a gore fest, it is centrally focused on the main character and building her up which people do love so give it a chance. For me though, it is a 2/5 this time.
Publisher - Orion
Pages - 384
Blurb from Goodreads
The first novel in a powerfully original new crime series featuring a young policewoman haunted by her own dark past.
It's DC Fiona Griffiths' first murder case - and she's in at the deep end. A woman and her six-year-old daughter killed with chilling brutality in a dingy flat. The only clue: the platinum bank card of a long-dead tycoon, found amidst the squalor.
DC Griffiths has already proved herself dedicated to the job, but there's another side to her she is less keen to reveal. Something to do with a mysterious two-year gap in her CV, her strange inability to cry - and a disconcerting familiarity with corpses.
Fiona is desperate to put the past behind her but as more gruesome killings follow, the case leads her inexorably back into those dark places in her own mind where another dead girl is waiting to be found..
My Review
This is the first book in what I assume will be a series, if it isn't already, and this is our introduction to DC Fiona Griffiths. A young girl and her mother have been murdered, the young girl brutally so with a credit card found at the scene of a millionaire who previously died in a car crash. This is Fiona's first case and she is determined to unearth the killer. The case has lots of dangerous links and skulduggery which Fiona will go to any length to uncover, including putting herself in great danger.
Fiona is a complex character, there is a 2 year gap from her life and CV that she won't talk about. She is a quirky character who is at ease more around corpses than she is living people. At first I felt the book was hinting that she was in some way able to talk to the dead due to some of the things she says and does however, sadly that is not the case. It is more linked to this mysterious two year gap and it takes forever, I felt, for us to get it that.
She is a loose canon to be honest her behavior, for the most part, is dangerous and chaotic. The story is mostly about Fiona, her issues with people, her past and the case I felt, took a back seat to it all. When the murder inquiry is the topic in the book, it is long drawn out, very procedural and almost boring for large parts. I don't think the story is badly written, on the contrary and when you finally discover what Fiona is hiding, a lot of her behavior makes sense, although still a tad weird.
I have to mention the cover, I am not normally one to comment on them but this is what drew me to the book, the inlay is a vibrant shade of green as is the writing and it is cut to emphasize this. I honestly don't think this series is for me, unless now we have the back story the future books will be more focused on the case. When the investigation comes to a head, it did pick up in pace but by that point I was 9 days in and just happy for it to finish and get find out what Fiona was hiding more than who was the killer to be honest.
This is my first dance with this author and whilst I won't be rushing to buy his next I wouldn't rule out reading him again. I must also point out that lots of people loved this book, it isn't a gore fest, it is centrally focused on the main character and building her up which people do love so give it a chance. For me though, it is a 2/5 this time.
May 29, 2013
I just could not get into this book. I would find myself reading a part and not understanding at all how I got there so I would go back and re-read sections to see if I missed something. I almost stopped reading because it seemed to be so disjointed and the main character, Fiona Griffiths, seemed to be so erratic. At the very end, the author presents the why's and what-for's that help to better understand Fiona but by then it was too late. I did not care and was glad to have the book done.
April 30, 2019
3.5 Stars rounded up to 4
What can I say about Fi? Det. Constable Fiona Griffiths has social awkwardness and intensity that makes her unpopular among her fellow officers in Cardiff, Wales. She's a few steps beyond quirky ... make that a few leaps! Yet, she fascinated me. This book is more than a crime thriller. Talking to the Dead is first and foremost the tale of a courageous, vulnerable, compassionate, and intelligent young woman who is trying to succeed in a procedure-dominated police force. For much of the book we are told Fi suffered from an unspecified illness for two years while a teenager. As a result, she finds following procedure to be a challenge. I held my breath every time Fi ignored procedure and stepped out on her own, totally driven to figure out the true story behind the investigation. There were times she was so brilliant that it astonished me. Other times she was so odd that I felt uncomfortable reading it.
Toward the end of the book there is some insight into Fi's illness, which I found to be very interesting. The author's notes at the end of the book made Fi's illness even clearer. I can't wait to read the next book!
What can I say about Fi? Det. Constable Fiona Griffiths has social awkwardness and intensity that makes her unpopular among her fellow officers in Cardiff, Wales. She's a few steps beyond quirky ... make that a few leaps! Yet, she fascinated me. This book is more than a crime thriller. Talking to the Dead is first and foremost the tale of a courageous, vulnerable, compassionate, and intelligent young woman who is trying to succeed in a procedure-dominated police force. For much of the book we are told Fi suffered from an unspecified illness for two years while a teenager. As a result, she finds following procedure to be a challenge. I held my breath every time Fi ignored procedure and stepped out on her own, totally driven to figure out the true story behind the investigation. There were times she was so brilliant that it astonished me. Other times she was so odd that I felt uncomfortable reading it.
Toward the end of the book there is some insight into Fi's illness, which I found to be very interesting. The author's notes at the end of the book made Fi's illness even clearer. I can't wait to read the next book!
July 17, 2016
DNF @ 21%
This is definitely a case of it's me not you. It's okay, but I'm soooo bored. I just can't bear to read the rest. And Fiona creeps me out since she is very comfortable around dead bodies.
This is definitely a case of it's me not you. It's okay, but I'm soooo bored. I just can't bear to read the rest. And Fiona creeps me out since she is very comfortable around dead bodies.
August 12, 2023
2.5 if I could. This was ok. I was not engaged enough to want to continue with the series.
October 19, 2015
I have mixed feelings about this book, so 3 stars is about right. DC Fiona Griffiths is being hailed as the next edgy, outsider crime novel protagonist. Fi, as she's called, is odd, isn't understood by her co-workers, is constantly questioned by her boss and hints at some sort of break with reality in her teenage years. She's a rogue cop, striking out on her own in the cases she's working on. She is on an embezzlement case and works her way into a case of murdered prostitutes. One of the murder victims is a 6-year-old daughter of one of the prostitutes and Fi develops a passion for solving this crime for her sake.
What I liked: I liked that the story was told in Fiona's voice. First person doesn't always work, but for this one I thought it was effective. Her mental illness gives her insights the average person would not have and creates an obsessiveness and laser focus that are the key to solving the cases she's on. The solving of the crime, her family situation and her psychological back story are well-told over the course of the book, which kept my interest. I was rooting for her much of the book in her quest to protect these disadvantaged women. And the setting, Wales, is a character in and of itself.
What I didn't like: The things she does on her own are definitely edgy and help her solve the crimes, but to me are not credible. I think she would have been fired from the police force long before the things she works on in this book. Like Stieg Larsson, Tana French, John Burdett and Lee Child - the authors of edgy crime novels - the crimes are gruesome and hard to read/hear about. The crime was solved well before the book was over and the rest of the book explained her mental illness. I wish they had culminated at the same time . . . I lost interest after the crime was solved. The afterword where the author explains that her mental illness is real, although rare, seemed defensive vs. explanatory.
I think I've developed edgy, gruesome crime novel fatigue. I'm starting on Maisie Dobb's 4th book in the series. More my speed right now.
What I liked: I liked that the story was told in Fiona's voice. First person doesn't always work, but for this one I thought it was effective. Her mental illness gives her insights the average person would not have and creates an obsessiveness and laser focus that are the key to solving the cases she's on. The solving of the crime, her family situation and her psychological back story are well-told over the course of the book, which kept my interest. I was rooting for her much of the book in her quest to protect these disadvantaged women. And the setting, Wales, is a character in and of itself.
What I didn't like: The things she does on her own are definitely edgy and help her solve the crimes, but to me are not credible. I think she would have been fired from the police force long before the things she works on in this book. Like Stieg Larsson, Tana French, John Burdett and Lee Child - the authors of edgy crime novels - the crimes are gruesome and hard to read/hear about. The crime was solved well before the book was over and the rest of the book explained her mental illness. I wish they had culminated at the same time . . . I lost interest after the crime was solved. The afterword where the author explains that her mental illness is real, although rare, seemed defensive vs. explanatory.
I think I've developed edgy, gruesome crime novel fatigue. I'm starting on Maisie Dobb's 4th book in the series. More my speed right now.
December 25, 2012
What an astonishing book. I absolutely loved it. Fiona Griffiths is a complex, amazing character. Her voice, characterized by her dry, and irreverent humor, is also removed. I guess what I mean by that is that the author tells us this story through Fi's voice, but although it is told in first person, and there is still a distinct feeling of separation. Bingham has done an utterly brilliant job of immersing the reader into a character almost impossible for average people to immerse in. What feels, and from a literary, and writing standpoint like too much telling and not enough showing, is actually a faithful representation of a character with Cotard's Syndrome: a condition marked by a severe level of depersonalization and dissociation. I am extremely impressed by the author's ability to pull this off convincingly, and to create such a likeable heroine in the process. And even though the average reader likely cannot relate to some of the distressing symptoms that Fi experiences, the average reader can find common ground in the mundane parts. This is 2 big thumbs up from me.
January 26, 2013
My five stars are a little generous but I liked this book much better than any of my four star choices. I have been trying to find a book featuring a police detective as fascinating as Tana French's Cassie Maddox and S. J. Bolton's Lacey Flint, and Fiona Griffiths in Talking to the Dead belongs in their league. She has a most unusual back story, though I wish the author had not waited to the end to unload most of it, and a rare mental condition which enables her to communicate with dead crime victims. Just how she does that is a trifle unclear, whether "the communication of the dead" should be regarded as a paranormal experience or the after effects of mental illness. There are always some readers who have no patience with anything supernatural and you can read some of their reviews on Goodreads. Those of us who inhabit a more spacious and interesting world find Fi's gift enviable. I hope she does not lose it in sequels.
Fi is most emphatically a kick-arse chick, though if you mess with her it's not your arse that'll get kicked, but your testicles, throat, and knee caps. Before the book is over, I felt Fi was trifle over-endowed with lethal abilities. She is the only DC I've encountered with her own personal unarmed combat trainer, and she manages to obtain a firearm and learn how to use it in a very unlikely manner. (It was a serious omission that the author did not tell us the make and calibre of the weapon and Fi's references to cartridges as "bullets" was annoying). She also deals with stress by smoking, and the reader will have figured out what she smokes before the author has her tell us. And she grows the ingrediants in her garden shed.
So whilst I am not quite as attracted to Fi as I am to Cassie or Lacey, I'd certainly like to see more of her.
Fi is most emphatically a kick-arse chick, though if you mess with her it's not your arse that'll get kicked, but your testicles, throat, and knee caps. Before the book is over, I felt Fi was trifle over-endowed with lethal abilities. She is the only DC I've encountered with her own personal unarmed combat trainer, and she manages to obtain a firearm and learn how to use it in a very unlikely manner. (It was a serious omission that the author did not tell us the make and calibre of the weapon and Fi's references to cartridges as "bullets" was annoying). She also deals with stress by smoking, and the reader will have figured out what she smokes before the author has her tell us. And she grows the ingrediants in her garden shed.
So whilst I am not quite as attracted to Fi as I am to Cassie or Lacey, I'd certainly like to see more of her.
March 21, 2021
Tried a new mystery series picked at random. This intrigued me due to the title and the setting in Cardiff, Wales and a female newbie Detective Inspector. I loved the beginning and was totally drawn in even though I was a little skeptical about a male author writing a woman's viewpoint. My later disappointment may have been from my own expectations rather than a fault of the author.
The book gave me the initial impression that this new DI would be using her brains not her brawn to solve an interesting murder investigation. For the first 1/2 of this book this held true and it is a type of mystery I love--applying ones abilities of reasoning and observation to see and connect what is seen to begin to understand how or why a crime occurred. There was a bit of a cheesy type romance and a mystery around this DI's flaws (tragic personal event) that seemed to muddy the waters around the actual mystery about the crime but it did not detract from my interest at first.
Then the story did start to lose it trajectory and began to seem overlong and used violence and guns, gleefully noted by the protagonist, to solve most problems. I felt over all it was a good story of its type but a missed opportunity to do so much more. I am not sure if I will continue on with this series. Too many elements I found a little disturbing--a little too much delight in hurting others--even despicable criminal types--were described by this character, Too much resorting to violence and going rogue. A bit of arrogance that she knew better than everyone what was going on and the cheesy romance but it is a romping good story that I felt strayed away from its original premise. The wrap up and reveal at the end made up for it, taking my rating back up to 3, so i was glad I hung in and finished it.
The book gave me the initial impression that this new DI would be using her brains not her brawn to solve an interesting murder investigation. For the first 1/2 of this book this held true and it is a type of mystery I love--applying ones abilities of reasoning and observation to see and connect what is seen to begin to understand how or why a crime occurred. There was a bit of a cheesy type romance and a mystery around this DI's flaws (tragic personal event) that seemed to muddy the waters around the actual mystery about the crime but it did not detract from my interest at first.
Then the story did start to lose it trajectory and began to seem overlong and used violence and guns, gleefully noted by the protagonist, to solve most problems. I felt over all it was a good story of its type but a missed opportunity to do so much more. I am not sure if I will continue on with this series. Too many elements I found a little disturbing--a little too much delight in hurting others--even despicable criminal types--were described by this character, Too much resorting to violence and going rogue. A bit of arrogance that she knew better than everyone what was going on and the cheesy romance but it is a romping good story that I felt strayed away from its original premise. The wrap up and reveal at the end made up for it, taking my rating back up to 3, so i was glad I hung in and finished it.
September 30, 2012
Let's keep it simple - I think Fi Griffiths would appreciate that.
Fiona Griffiths is one of the most compelling investigators in recent memory, right up there with John Rebus. What makes Detective Constable Griffiths so interesting is something best left discovered, like most of what makes Talking to the Dead such a worthy novel. Suffice it to say that she's a multilayered, occasionally frustrating, often surprising, and fully realized character, and I loved reading her voice, crafted to perfection here by Harry Bingham in wry humor and staccato bursts of prose. She is revealed steadily, deliberately, layer by layer.
She's also the perfect narrator for this story. In Talking to the Dead Harry Bingham brings us gradually into the dark underbelly of Wales, through the tragic and brutal death of a mother and her young child. In discovering what brought them to the dirty flat where they were found and why they were killed, and why she feels such a connection to April, the little girl, D.C. Griffiths discovers much about herself. Even the title of the book is revealing, but you won't know what it means until the last 60 pages or so. It's a story that needed to be told, and for once it's told in just the right way.
Talking to the Dead gets to the heart of why I think we enjoy mysteries so much. The answers to the mysteries of why people do the awful things they do are keys to unlock the mysteries within ourselves. It's not an end, but a beginning.
To say more would be to give too much away, and this is a story I want you to discover for yourself. Trust me - it's well worth it. Harry Bingham has done a fine job here of telling a cracking good story, and introducing a new character. I'm looking forward to more from both.
Fiona Griffiths is one of the most compelling investigators in recent memory, right up there with John Rebus. What makes Detective Constable Griffiths so interesting is something best left discovered, like most of what makes Talking to the Dead such a worthy novel. Suffice it to say that she's a multilayered, occasionally frustrating, often surprising, and fully realized character, and I loved reading her voice, crafted to perfection here by Harry Bingham in wry humor and staccato bursts of prose. She is revealed steadily, deliberately, layer by layer.
She's also the perfect narrator for this story. In Talking to the Dead Harry Bingham brings us gradually into the dark underbelly of Wales, through the tragic and brutal death of a mother and her young child. In discovering what brought them to the dirty flat where they were found and why they were killed, and why she feels such a connection to April, the little girl, D.C. Griffiths discovers much about herself. Even the title of the book is revealing, but you won't know what it means until the last 60 pages or so. It's a story that needed to be told, and for once it's told in just the right way.
Talking to the Dead gets to the heart of why I think we enjoy mysteries so much. The answers to the mysteries of why people do the awful things they do are keys to unlock the mysteries within ourselves. It's not an end, but a beginning.
To say more would be to give too much away, and this is a story I want you to discover for yourself. Trust me - it's well worth it. Harry Bingham has done a fine job here of telling a cracking good story, and introducing a new character. I'm looking forward to more from both.
December 30, 2021
Reading this book is like reading the diary of a teenager (not that I have done it) who got involved with the wrong crowd. In short, not for me. UPDATE: This review is for Lev in Glasgow which Goodreads erased from their catalog and added this book instead.
April 16, 2022
A beautifully written, compelling page turner. A unique mystery and a likeable heroine. I will be reading book 2!!
November 26, 2012
Book Info: Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Fans of mystery/suspense/thrillers novels with great characters.
Disclosure: I received an ARC galley paperback from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: SHE KNOWS WHAT IT’S LIKE. . . .
At first, the murder scene appears sad, but not unusual: a young woman undone by drugs and prostitution, her six-year-old daughter dead alongside her. But then detectives find a strange piece of evidence in the squalid house: the platinum credit card of a very wealthy—and long dead—steel tycoon. What is a heroin-addicted hooker doing with the credit card of a well-known and powerful man who died months ago? This is the question that the most junior member of the investigative team, Detective Constable Fiona Griffiths, is assigned to answer.
But D.C. Griffiths is no ordinary cop. She’s earned a reputation at police headquarters in Cardiff, Wales, for being odd, for not picking up on social cues, for being a little overintense. And there’s that gap in her past, the two-year hiatus that everyone assumes was a breakdown. But Fiona is a crack investigator, quick and intuitive. She is immediately drawn to the crime scene, and to the tragic face of the six-year-old girl, who she is certain has something to tell her . . . something that will break the case wide open.
Ignoring orders and protocol, Fiona begins to explore far beyond the rich man’s credit card and into the secrets of her seaside city. And when she uncovers another dead prostitute, Fiona knows that she’s only begun to scratch the surface of a dark world of crime and murder. But the deeper she digs, the more danger she risks—not just from criminals and killers but from her own past . . . and the abyss that threatens to pull her back at any time.
My Thoughts: I am willing to admit that one of the reasons I chose this particular book is because it is set in Wales, a country in which I have been fascinated since I was a pre-teen reading the Chronicles of Prydain and the Dark is Rising series and learning about all sorts of interesting Welsh legends and lore. Admittedly this is a mystery thriller, not fantasy or legend, but it’s still set in that magical country, so here I am...
As I started reading it, I found I really liked Fiona, the main character. She has a wry way of looking at things that I found very appealing. She’s working on an embezzling case and has this to say about accountants:
I found this particularly amusing because I used to do this sort of thing to a particularly persnickety coworker myself, once upon a time. Then just to mess with them some more:
I tell you, I just really liked Fi – she’s my kind of lady! I also quite like her father, a delightful, happy man, whose favorite thing is whatever it is he happens to be about to get or, as Fi says, “A gift, that. To have as your favorite thing whatever it is you’re about to consume. Dad has a new favorite thing every day, often more.” Overall this author does a great job in creating memorable characters to which the reader can develop a certain attachment, be that positive or negative, so that was well-done.
Like a lot of these types of books, there is some wry humor mixed in here to help break up the tension. For instance, “It’s not much use being mostly good enough when your occasional lapses include heroin, prostitution, your child being taken into care and ultimately murdered. Whoops, April dear, sorry about that.” Or when Fi mentions to her boss that she’s just wildly speculating about something, he replies, “Wild speculation is exactly what we expect from our officers.” The pathologist “fusses over this summary. It’s all too clear and sharp for him. He starts qualifying every statement and then starts adding riders to his qualifications.” I love this sort of backhanded, dry humor. Another place that amused me was when Fi got lost in the hospital after visiting the pathologist (some details about that in the following paragraph).
This sort of dry humor keeps the tension of the overall story from growing out of hand and overwhelming the reader’s enjoyment of the story, which really is quite tense and at times almost frightening.
There were a few bits I want to call BS on. The pathologist is described as fussily pedantic, but then comes out with this beaut. “...We’ve tested urine and blood for drug use. Urine tests were negative for marijuana, cocaine, opiates, amphetamines, PCP, and various other substances. We detected low levels of alcohol and methamphetamine... A clearer positive result for heroin.” I might be completely out of my mind, but heroin is an opiate, and methamphetamine is an amphetamine, right? So, how can a “fussily pedantic” person first say the tests were negative for opiates and amphetamines and then turn around and say they were positive for methamphetamine and heroin? Then he pops out with this ridiculous theory about heroin overdose:
First of all, heroin is not toxic – any toxicity comes from whatever the seller has used to cut the heroin. The body doesn’t fight against heroin – it craves it. It becomes addicted. And this whole “being primed in a familiar environment” nonsense is just … ridiculous. Like the ritual of preparing to take the heroin wouldn’t be enough to “prime” the body? Admittedly this is an ARC copy, so maybe the final stage of editing will get rid of some of these inconsistencies, but... that bit, coming early in the story, made me feel really iffy about continuing – those sorts of inaccuracies put me off at an early stage in reading.
However, I persevered. And I’m very glad I did! The ending was wonderful – we receive tantalizing little hints about Fi throughout the book, and it’s all wrapped up nicely at the ending. Plus more amusing descriptions, like that of her friend, Lev, who she says moves like a cat only, “...I imagine that whoever first developed that queen of clichés never spent much time looking at cats, who are always licking their bits or finding new ways to scratch themselves.” At any rate, in deference to making an already long review longer, I must say the ending really made any potential problems with the beginning worth getting through. Fans of mystery/suspense thrillers will really enjoy this story, and I think it does a particularly good job of creating a likable and relatable main character. If you’ve been hesitating over this book, hesitate no longer! I recommend it.
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Fans of mystery/suspense/thrillers novels with great characters.
Disclosure: I received an ARC galley paperback from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: SHE KNOWS WHAT IT’S LIKE. . . .
At first, the murder scene appears sad, but not unusual: a young woman undone by drugs and prostitution, her six-year-old daughter dead alongside her. But then detectives find a strange piece of evidence in the squalid house: the platinum credit card of a very wealthy—and long dead—steel tycoon. What is a heroin-addicted hooker doing with the credit card of a well-known and powerful man who died months ago? This is the question that the most junior member of the investigative team, Detective Constable Fiona Griffiths, is assigned to answer.
But D.C. Griffiths is no ordinary cop. She’s earned a reputation at police headquarters in Cardiff, Wales, for being odd, for not picking up on social cues, for being a little overintense. And there’s that gap in her past, the two-year hiatus that everyone assumes was a breakdown. But Fiona is a crack investigator, quick and intuitive. She is immediately drawn to the crime scene, and to the tragic face of the six-year-old girl, who she is certain has something to tell her . . . something that will break the case wide open.
Ignoring orders and protocol, Fiona begins to explore far beyond the rich man’s credit card and into the secrets of her seaside city. And when she uncovers another dead prostitute, Fiona knows that she’s only begun to scratch the surface of a dark world of crime and murder. But the deeper she digs, the more danger she risks—not just from criminals and killers but from her own past . . . and the abyss that threatens to pull her back at any time.
My Thoughts: I am willing to admit that one of the reasons I chose this particular book is because it is set in Wales, a country in which I have been fascinated since I was a pre-teen reading the Chronicles of Prydain and the Dark is Rising series and learning about all sorts of interesting Welsh legends and lore. Admittedly this is a mystery thriller, not fantasy or legend, but it’s still set in that magical country, so here I am... As I started reading it, I found I really liked Fiona, the main character. She has a wry way of looking at things that I found very appealing. She’s working on an embezzling case and has this to say about accountants:
“Accountants come in pairs these days. A middle-aged man in a dark suit and a sheen of perspiration, plus his younger accomplice, a woman who looks like her hobbies are arranging things in rows and making right angles.... Just to make my arguments even more effective – and to annoy the female accomplice – I seize the moment to make a mess of the papers in front of me. No right angles anywhere now. No rows of anything.”
I found this particularly amusing because I used to do this sort of thing to a particularly persnickety coworker myself, once upon a time. Then just to mess with them some more:
“To celebrate, as I’m showing the accountants out of the building, I shake hands with the female accomplice very earnestly and for three seconds longer than she is comfortable with... As she’s retrieving her hand, I give her upper arm a quick squeeze and fire off a for-your-eyes-only smile at her.”
I tell you, I just really liked Fi – she’s my kind of lady! I also quite like her father, a delightful, happy man, whose favorite thing is whatever it is he happens to be about to get or, as Fi says, “A gift, that. To have as your favorite thing whatever it is you’re about to consume. Dad has a new favorite thing every day, often more.” Overall this author does a great job in creating memorable characters to which the reader can develop a certain attachment, be that positive or negative, so that was well-done.
Like a lot of these types of books, there is some wry humor mixed in here to help break up the tension. For instance, “It’s not much use being mostly good enough when your occasional lapses include heroin, prostitution, your child being taken into care and ultimately murdered. Whoops, April dear, sorry about that.” Or when Fi mentions to her boss that she’s just wildly speculating about something, he replies, “Wild speculation is exactly what we expect from our officers.” The pathologist “fusses over this summary. It’s all too clear and sharp for him. He starts qualifying every statement and then starts adding riders to his qualifications.” I love this sort of backhanded, dry humor. Another place that amused me was when Fi got lost in the hospital after visiting the pathologist (some details about that in the following paragraph).
“At one point a nurse stops me and asks me if I’m all right. I say, “Yes. Quite all right,” but I say it too loudly, and I go squeaking off down the yellow vinyl to show how all right I am... I find myself at a T-junction in the corridor, wondering how to find the exit, then realize I’m staring directly at a large black-on-metal sign which says WAY OUT →. I treat this as a clue and pursue it all the way to the main exit....”
This sort of dry humor keeps the tension of the overall story from growing out of hand and overwhelming the reader’s enjoyment of the story, which really is quite tense and at times almost frightening.
There were a few bits I want to call BS on. The pathologist is described as fussily pedantic, but then comes out with this beaut. “...We’ve tested urine and blood for drug use. Urine tests were negative for marijuana, cocaine, opiates, amphetamines, PCP, and various other substances. We detected low levels of alcohol and methamphetamine... A clearer positive result for heroin.” I might be completely out of my mind, but heroin is an opiate, and methamphetamine is an amphetamine, right? So, how can a “fussily pedantic” person first say the tests were negative for opiates and amphetamines and then turn around and say they were positive for methamphetamine and heroin? Then he pops out with this ridiculous theory about heroin overdose:
“When somebody starts taking heroin, the body does all is can to counteract the effect of the drug. When the drug is taken in a familiar environment, the body is prepared for the toxic assault and is already doing its best to counteract it.... If you pull them away from their home environment, the body’s defense mechanisms haven’t been primed to respond. Result: Even an ordinary dose – the same dose as the user was tolerating in the home environment – can become lethal.”
First of all, heroin is not toxic – any toxicity comes from whatever the seller has used to cut the heroin. The body doesn’t fight against heroin – it craves it. It becomes addicted. And this whole “being primed in a familiar environment” nonsense is just … ridiculous. Like the ritual of preparing to take the heroin wouldn’t be enough to “prime” the body? Admittedly this is an ARC copy, so maybe the final stage of editing will get rid of some of these inconsistencies, but... that bit, coming early in the story, made me feel really iffy about continuing – those sorts of inaccuracies put me off at an early stage in reading. However, I persevered. And I’m very glad I did! The ending was wonderful – we receive tantalizing little hints about Fi throughout the book, and it’s all wrapped up nicely at the ending. Plus more amusing descriptions, like that of her friend, Lev, who she says moves like a cat only, “...I imagine that whoever first developed that queen of clichés never spent much time looking at cats, who are always licking their bits or finding new ways to scratch themselves.” At any rate, in deference to making an already long review longer, I must say the ending really made any potential problems with the beginning worth getting through. Fans of mystery/suspense thrillers will really enjoy this story, and I think it does a particularly good job of creating a likable and relatable main character. If you’ve been hesitating over this book, hesitate no longer! I recommend it.
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