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DS Stella Mooney #2
Nothing Like the Night
Once she had been beautiful. Now she was eight days dead, her body slashed with more than fifty cuts.
Janis Parker - young, successful and glamorous - had shared her modern Notting Hill apartment with flatmate Stephanie James. But now Janis is dead - and Stephanie has disappeared.
Heading up the investigation, Detective Stella Mooney soon has her first suspect, in the shape of Mark Ross - Stephanie's boyfriend and Janis's secret lover . . .
But then another body is discovered - slashed fifty times.
Clearly these are no domestic killings. It seems Stella and her team are looking for that most dangerous of creatures: a killer who hunts to feed a terrible appetite.
But the truth is they are up against something even more terrifying. . .
Janis Parker - young, successful and glamorous - had shared her modern Notting Hill apartment with flatmate Stephanie James. But now Janis is dead - and Stephanie has disappeared.
Heading up the investigation, Detective Stella Mooney soon has her first suspect, in the shape of Mark Ross - Stephanie's boyfriend and Janis's secret lover . . .
But then another body is discovered - slashed fifty times.
Clearly these are no domestic killings. It seems Stella and her team are looking for that most dangerous of creatures: a killer who hunts to feed a terrible appetite.
But the truth is they are up against something even more terrifying. . .
336 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2004
1 person is currently reading
57 people want to read
About the author
David Lawrence
7 books14 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Pseudonym for author David Harsent.
Pseudonym for author David Harsent.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 16, 2017
2.5 stars!
Der Geruch des Todes is unfortunately one of these thrillers that are read and forgotten. The main characters didn't manage to leave a footprint in my mind; the plot was nothing special; the very same goes for the writing. I might still try another book by David Lawrence just to see whether he is able to do a better job.
Der Geruch des Todes is unfortunately one of these thrillers that are read and forgotten. The main characters didn't manage to leave a footprint in my mind; the plot was nothing special; the very same goes for the writing. I might still try another book by David Lawrence just to see whether he is able to do a better job.
September 8, 2015
Ok. I picked this book up at a library sale because the cover looked interesting and it was, like, 2 bucks. That was over 2 years ago. It sat in boxes and on my bookcase forever while I read other books in which I was more interested. I finally decided to give it a go, feeling like it had sat neglected long enough.
Well... it started out rough and I began to wonder if maybe I should have just left it on the shelf. I think I just had to adjust to the author's writing style and his tendency to talk about traffic in London all. the. time. I had to check a number of times to make sure I was, in fact, reading a murder mystery and not a reference book about traffic patterns in London. We get it. It's congested. Stop mentioning it.
When it got into the meat of the story, though, it became for more interesting and engaging. I'm going to admit up front that I watch a TON of ID Channel (more than a normal, healthy adult should, really), so this book was really right up my alley. Serial killers? The inner workings of the police department? Yes, please! Side story about (spoiler alert?) the main character super cheating on her main squeeze of, like, six years with some other dude? Less intriguing, but whatevs. I feel like I probably would have cared more about that storyline if I had read the previous Stella Mooney book, but as I had no idea that existed (random library sale buy, remember?), it just kind of fell flat for me.
And then. Then we arrive at the end. I went in not really caring for this book, got sucked into the drama.... and then it totally crapped out on me. I became suspicious that I wasn't going to be too thrilled with the ending when I realized I had, maybe, three pages left, and nothing had been resolved. Oh, that suspicion was soooo right. The end felt like the author had run out of steam and just finished it as quickly, conveniently, and ridiculously as possible. Such a freakin' cop-out.
...No pun intended.
So, overall, I liked the book, but I left it feeling dissatisfied.
Well... it started out rough and I began to wonder if maybe I should have just left it on the shelf. I think I just had to adjust to the author's writing style and his tendency to talk about traffic in London all. the. time. I had to check a number of times to make sure I was, in fact, reading a murder mystery and not a reference book about traffic patterns in London. We get it. It's congested. Stop mentioning it.
When it got into the meat of the story, though, it became for more interesting and engaging. I'm going to admit up front that I watch a TON of ID Channel (more than a normal, healthy adult should, really), so this book was really right up my alley. Serial killers? The inner workings of the police department? Yes, please! Side story about (spoiler alert?) the main character super cheating on her main squeeze of, like, six years with some other dude? Less intriguing, but whatevs. I feel like I probably would have cared more about that storyline if I had read the previous Stella Mooney book, but as I had no idea that existed (random library sale buy, remember?), it just kind of fell flat for me.
And then. Then we arrive at the end. I went in not really caring for this book, got sucked into the drama.... and then it totally crapped out on me. I became suspicious that I wasn't going to be too thrilled with the ending when I realized I had, maybe, three pages left, and nothing had been resolved. Oh, that suspicion was soooo right. The end felt like the author had run out of steam and just finished it as quickly, conveniently, and ridiculously as possible. Such a freakin' cop-out.
...No pun intended.
So, overall, I liked the book, but I left it feeling dissatisfied.
February 28, 2020
I wish I had something positive to say about this book. Wait- it accurately portrays how abuse can be cyclical, I guess that’s good.
Everything else about it was trash. The writing, the depthless characters, the plot.
*spoilers*_ basically a team of serial killers are brutally slashing people to death, just a lot of torturous cuts before one to the throat ends it. Our protagonist is the investigating hard-drinking female cop who, in the midst of the story, decides to leave her husband for a fellow cop without any real explanation. Like, the author literally dodged the rationale, basically saying “one had better qualities here, the other there, no use comparing, just a feeling, etc.”- maybe that’s realistic, but it makes for shit reading. Like, she seems completely disconnected from the decision, so if she doesn’t seem to know/care then what are we readers supposed to do? Anyways, moving on-
It’s slowly revealed that the killers are a couple, their backgrounds largely blank. The guy is kinda easily ignored. The girl was slashed/abused by her mother, and that’s what she’s recreating. Which, sure, that’s realistic, but why’d the mom do it? Who was the mom, what happened to her? And also- why do we care? Like, this isn’t really a thriller, it moves rather slowly. It offers no real depth of character, no development, no social or psychological themes besides “London is shit and filled with shit people.” Thanks mate, good read that one. Seriously, I don’t understand why this book exists- it just kinda revels in the reality of broken people, cyclical abuse, but doesn’t actually SAY anything, and it certainly fails to entertain, so.. why? Watch yourself any given episode of Dexter, much more entertaining and, sadly, likely a bit deeper as well.
Everything else about it was trash. The writing, the depthless characters, the plot.
*spoilers*_ basically a team of serial killers are brutally slashing people to death, just a lot of torturous cuts before one to the throat ends it. Our protagonist is the investigating hard-drinking female cop who, in the midst of the story, decides to leave her husband for a fellow cop without any real explanation. Like, the author literally dodged the rationale, basically saying “one had better qualities here, the other there, no use comparing, just a feeling, etc.”- maybe that’s realistic, but it makes for shit reading. Like, she seems completely disconnected from the decision, so if she doesn’t seem to know/care then what are we readers supposed to do? Anyways, moving on-
It’s slowly revealed that the killers are a couple, their backgrounds largely blank. The guy is kinda easily ignored. The girl was slashed/abused by her mother, and that’s what she’s recreating. Which, sure, that’s realistic, but why’d the mom do it? Who was the mom, what happened to her? And also- why do we care? Like, this isn’t really a thriller, it moves rather slowly. It offers no real depth of character, no development, no social or psychological themes besides “London is shit and filled with shit people.” Thanks mate, good read that one. Seriously, I don’t understand why this book exists- it just kinda revels in the reality of broken people, cyclical abuse, but doesn’t actually SAY anything, and it certainly fails to entertain, so.. why? Watch yourself any given episode of Dexter, much more entertaining and, sadly, likely a bit deeper as well.
March 20, 2011
Second in the DS Stella Mooney mystery series set in modern-day London, Mooney has her work cut out for her with what turns into a serial murder case. The circumstances are bizarre and cause Stella to bring Dr. Anne Beaumont onto the case to create a profile. Poor Anne. Stella is, as usual, obsessed with the case and doesn’t consider night from day and badgers Dr. Beaumont at all hours. Nor does Anne know when Stella will be discussing her own personal issues or the case’s.
Things are also heating up between Stella and Delaney while George gets a nasty revelation leading to a trip around Cape Horn. Additional subplots include background on how a serial murderer is created (a positive reason for instituting a program requiring that parents be licensed to have children!); Dogboy with his pack; Delaney’s investigation into a previous suspect’s beating at the hands of the police; and, Stella’s evolving dreams.
It’s easy to be pulled into Stella’s life, both at the station and at home, as Lawrence writes with a passion that clearly creates the surroundings in which she operates. You can feel her terror when she is betrayed in the bull-ring at Harefield. The stench and heaviness of the cigarette smoke at the station mixed in with the Kit-Kats and crisps which both calms and fuels her fellow coppers. Her confusion as to what is happening in her personal life.
Lord, I can't wait to see what happens next in Cold Kill.
Things are also heating up between Stella and Delaney while George gets a nasty revelation leading to a trip around Cape Horn. Additional subplots include background on how a serial murderer is created (a positive reason for instituting a program requiring that parents be licensed to have children!); Dogboy with his pack; Delaney’s investigation into a previous suspect’s beating at the hands of the police; and, Stella’s evolving dreams.
It’s easy to be pulled into Stella’s life, both at the station and at home, as Lawrence writes with a passion that clearly creates the surroundings in which she operates. You can feel her terror when she is betrayed in the bull-ring at Harefield. The stench and heaviness of the cigarette smoke at the station mixed in with the Kit-Kats and crisps which both calms and fuels her fellow coppers. Her confusion as to what is happening in her personal life.
Lord, I can't wait to see what happens next in Cold Kill.
March 14, 2021
Ook al heb ik dit boek nu al een tijdje uit, ik weet nog steeds niet goed wat er over te zeggen. Ik probeer een woord te zoeken en vind het maar niet.
Het verhaal is op zich goed. Zit leuk in elkaar. Genoeg spanning en net niet genoeg clues. Missschien iets teveel geweld.
En dan de karakters. Op hen haak ik af. Ze blijven zo vlak. Zo eendimensionaal. Zo gevoelloos. Zo onpersoonlijk.
Vooral de hoofdpersoon. Ik moest de hele tijd denken aan tweets over beschrijvingen van vrouwelijk gedrag door mannelijke schrijvers. En dat heb ik hier ook. De schrijver probeert haar vrouwelijk te laten denken en mannelijk te laten handelen. En dat werkt niet. Dat klopt niet. Het wordt gevoelloos. Afgestompt. Erg jammer. Het heeft me hierdoor veel moeite gekost om het boek uit te lezen.
Misschien zijn dit wel de woorden die ik tot nu toe niet heb kunnen vinden. Onpersoonlijk. Gevoelloos. Afgestompt.
Het verhaal is op zich goed. Zit leuk in elkaar. Genoeg spanning en net niet genoeg clues. Missschien iets teveel geweld.
En dan de karakters. Op hen haak ik af. Ze blijven zo vlak. Zo eendimensionaal. Zo gevoelloos. Zo onpersoonlijk.
Vooral de hoofdpersoon. Ik moest de hele tijd denken aan tweets over beschrijvingen van vrouwelijk gedrag door mannelijke schrijvers. En dat heb ik hier ook. De schrijver probeert haar vrouwelijk te laten denken en mannelijk te laten handelen. En dat werkt niet. Dat klopt niet. Het wordt gevoelloos. Afgestompt. Erg jammer. Het heeft me hierdoor veel moeite gekost om het boek uit te lezen.
Misschien zijn dit wel de woorden die ik tot nu toe niet heb kunnen vinden. Onpersoonlijk. Gevoelloos. Afgestompt.
June 23, 2024
My notes:
- love the story as it was a throat- grabbing ploy
- just couldn't stop reading as i got so interested in the story
Summary:
Janis Parker - young, successful and glamorous- had shared her modern Notting hill apartment with flatmate Stephanie James..But now Janis is dead- And Stephanie has disappeared. Heating up the investigation, DS Stella Mooney soon has her first suspect in the shape of Mark Ross- Stephanie's boyfriend and Janis's secret lover. But then another body is discovered - sladhed fifty times .
Clearly these are no domestic killings. It seem Stella and her team are looking for that most dangerous of creatures
- love the story as it was a throat- grabbing ploy
- just couldn't stop reading as i got so interested in the story
Summary:
Janis Parker - young, successful and glamorous- had shared her modern Notting hill apartment with flatmate Stephanie James..But now Janis is dead- And Stephanie has disappeared. Heating up the investigation, DS Stella Mooney soon has her first suspect in the shape of Mark Ross- Stephanie's boyfriend and Janis's secret lover. But then another body is discovered - sladhed fifty times .
Clearly these are no domestic killings. It seem Stella and her team are looking for that most dangerous of creatures
April 11, 2010
I really did enjoy this book. There were some parts that freaked me out with regards to what one of the killers did/said. I'll never forget it, because it was linked to a harrowing past, which made it sadder/sicker. I love books about killers, and although the author's voice took me a few pages to adjust to, once I got into it, I LOVED it!
October 23, 2018
Didn't like the heroine and found the plot slow.
April 12, 2023
The violence ott and the plot too convoluted, to be convincing. Lacking in tension as a result.
August 18, 2023
I like the character Stella.
November 13, 2011
I really like the Stella Mooney series, police procedurals with a quirky London detective who grew up in project housing. Lawrence's portrayal of criminal London after dark must be somewhat exaggerated, but is nevertheless a fascinating look at the underground. DS Mooney is a complex character, somewhat angst ridden but neevertheless likeable. The other characters are well drawn, too.
August 24, 2013
I stumbled across this book in my mum's library and decided to give it a go. I was impressed by the story, as well as the credible characters and London scenery. The pace of the story is spot on and Stella Mooney is a relief from the naive sleuth some series feature. I'll be reading more of this series!
June 23, 2008
Wow, do I love this series!! Intense and gripping. Why is it I feel like drinking vodka while reading??!!
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July 29, 2009Click here to find it in the catalogue.
June 23, 2011
Grusame but a good crime story.Believeable characters en very good writing as crime novels go. Enjoyed it. Looking forward to more.
December 28, 2016
In Nederlands gelezen : zwarter dan de nacht ( categorie : lees een boek met een kleur in de titel )
Hebban Challenge 2016
Hebban Challenge 2016
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews