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Mark Tartaglia #1
Die with Me
A new detective series in the style of 'Prime Suspect' from a great new talent from the UK. A series of deaths -- apparent suicides -- of vulnerable young girls is baffling police in London: the bodies are found in the naves of churches after having fallen from a great height. Thanks to a badly-handled leak, the press are all clamoring for a serial killer called The Bridegroom, and amidst the maelstrom of conflicting theories from the media, criminal profilers, politically competitive colleagues and the general circus surrounding a major murder enquiry, the chilling deaths mount up... Elena Forbes writes the kind of creepy and atmospheric crime novel that we love, populated by a cast of fresh and engaging characters: Mark Tartaglia, the Italian-Scottish detective whose good looks get him in to all sorts of trouble, and whose single status is a constant challenge for his sociable sister and extended family; his spiky yet emotionally intelligent colleague Sam Donovan; and his old boss Trevor Clarke, who tries to give Mark good advice while lying in a hospital bed . Together they are piecing together evidence that will lead them to the worst kind of serial killer, one for whom the hunt for a victim and the crime squad's hunting of him are both an equally seductive and irresistible game.
341 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
21 people are currently reading
897 people want to read
About the author
Elena Forbes
14 books54 followersElena Forbes is an English writer of crime fiction.She grew up in London. After completing a degree in French and Italian at Bristol University, she worked in portfolio management for a number of international groups before becoming a full-time writer.
She lives in central London with her husband and two children. The protagonists of her novels so far are Detective Inspector Mark Tartaglia and DS Sam Donovan of the Barnes Murder Squad. Her first novel was shortlisted for the John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger Award.
Series:
* Mark Tartaglia Mystery
She lives in central London with her husband and two children. The protagonists of her novels so far are Detective Inspector Mark Tartaglia and DS Sam Donovan of the Barnes Murder Squad. Her first novel was shortlisted for the John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger Award.
Series:
* Mark Tartaglia Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
October 12, 2018
This was a nice debut book for the series of titles with Detective Mark Tartaglia as the protagonist. The crimes to be solved were quite intriguing and original. I'd rate this a solid 3.25 stars.
I found a few of the detectives' actions to be less than believable and the romances involved, for the most part, to be gratuitous.
Still, not a bad read. I will likely follow up and read at least the second installment in this series.
I found a few of the detectives' actions to be less than believable and the romances involved, for the most part, to be gratuitous.
Still, not a bad read. I will likely follow up and read at least the second installment in this series.
March 28, 2015
Die With Me is the first novel by British author, Elena Forbes, and the first book in the Mark Tartaglia series. When an autopsy on the victim of an apparent suicide in a deserted London church raises questions about the death, DI Mark Tartaglia finds himself in charge of a murder investigation. From laborious examination of coroner’s records, it becomes clear that there are at least two, and possibly three, earlier victims. Emails, suicide notes, locks of hair, presence of GHB and other factors point to a serial killer.
With Tartaglia’s DCI in hospital following an accident, he and DS Sam Donovan are under pressure to produce results, but Tartaglia is infuriated when DCI Carolyn Steele is brought in to head the case. And even more annoyed when she brings in psychologist, Dr Patrick Kennedy as the profiler. Kennedy and Tartaglia have an adverse history on a previous case; Steele is also not as impartial about Kennedy’s role as would be wise. As more deaths occur, Tartaglia is also distracted from his work by his previous affair with pathologist, Dr Fiona Blake.
This is an excellent murder mystery that captures the feel of the west London suburbs and introduces a team of realistically flawed members of the Metropolitan Police force. While the astute reader may be able to determine the perpetrator and the source of various red herrings, this is, nonetheless, a page turner that will keep the reader enthralled to its gripping climax. Forbes leaves plenty of scope for further books in the series, and readers who enjoy this one will be pleased to know there are a further three (so far) to be savoured. An excellent debut.
With Tartaglia’s DCI in hospital following an accident, he and DS Sam Donovan are under pressure to produce results, but Tartaglia is infuriated when DCI Carolyn Steele is brought in to head the case. And even more annoyed when she brings in psychologist, Dr Patrick Kennedy as the profiler. Kennedy and Tartaglia have an adverse history on a previous case; Steele is also not as impartial about Kennedy’s role as would be wise. As more deaths occur, Tartaglia is also distracted from his work by his previous affair with pathologist, Dr Fiona Blake.
This is an excellent murder mystery that captures the feel of the west London suburbs and introduces a team of realistically flawed members of the Metropolitan Police force. While the astute reader may be able to determine the perpetrator and the source of various red herrings, this is, nonetheless, a page turner that will keep the reader enthralled to its gripping climax. Forbes leaves plenty of scope for further books in the series, and readers who enjoy this one will be pleased to know there are a further three (so far) to be savoured. An excellent debut.
April 28, 2009
This Crime Fiction book is a page turner. It is set in London and reminds me of the series "Prime Suspect".Spent my spare minutes reading this book. Recommend it to anyone who is a crime/mystery fan. I had read Elena Forbes 2nd book, Our Lady of Pain, and enjoyed it so much I decided to read her 1st book. Main characters were interesting. No romance (hate that!!, no sex ..."his pulsating..." you get the picture). Just a full of suspense that you will be suprised as "who done it"
July 31, 2015
Gave it four stars but for me it was 3.5 at the most. A good police procedural with good characters, but I did not enjoy the serial killer aspect. Not too much graphic violence at all, but I just don't enjoy stories about twisted serial killers.
September 9, 2016
There's a bit of a clue to the context for Gemma's death on the front cover of DIE WITH ME - "You could find your new best friend on the net ... or discover your worst nightmare". Oh dear, another the Internet is all bad story? Well no.
Gemma's death is written off as a suicide when she is first discovered. She seems to have jumped from high up in the church, dying on the floor of the dark church on a dark evening. But postmortem tests show a small amount of alcohol and GHB in her system, and there's the astute observation of Dr Fiona Blake who notices a small lock of Gemma's hair has been cut off. Mind you, if this isn't suicide why is Gemma's stepfather concealing a suicide note, and who was the older man that Gemma was seen kissing on the night she died? Emails on her computer reveal that she does seem to have been drawn into a suicide pact with Tom - who is Tom; where is Tom; and how many other suicide pacts have there been?
DI Mark Tartaglia is convinced there's been others and he sets the team to find out. He's in charge for a short while. DCI Trevor Clarke got a new girlfriend and a mid life crisis in the form of a motorbike at around the same time. He promptly crashed the bike putting himself into a coma, with the distinct possibility of never recovering, or of being a paraplegic. Mind you, Tartaglia's not in charge for long and Carolyn Steele takes over as his boss - although Tartaglia and the team still do most of the work. Just to make Tartaglia's life even more miserable Steele brings in a profiler that he can't stand. This profiler, Kennedy, seems to have a rather close relationship with Steele just to add to Tartaglia's sense of unease. Add to this a sister that's convinced Tartaglia shouldn't be single for too much longer, and his considerably more laid back work colleague - Sam Donovan - and you've got a well drawn cast of characters.
DIE WITH ME does a few things incredibly well (especially as this is a debut book). The characterisations of the main police team are strong - Tartaglia is a complex man, a bit of a loner who is fiercely loyal to DCI Clarke, he's equally willing to work with Sam or to go it alone if circumstances dictate. Sam Donovan is a similar character in some ways - more laid back, but as much a loner as Tartaglia. Throughout the book "Tom" is also somebody the reader gets to know a little. Slowly hints are revealed that give the reader a fair chance of working out which of the possible suspects Tom could actually be.
Fans of the pure investigation style books will probably find the failure to ask the glaringly obvious question of one participant in the investigation frustrating. It's a minor point though in a book that was populated by interesting and engaging characters. DIE WITH ME uses an unusual premise and explores that in a sympathetic manner. We also get to meet a new cast of Police characters that have some real potential to grow further as the series continues.
It seems a sequel book is planned, and I'm really looking forward to it's arrival.
Gemma's death is written off as a suicide when she is first discovered. She seems to have jumped from high up in the church, dying on the floor of the dark church on a dark evening. But postmortem tests show a small amount of alcohol and GHB in her system, and there's the astute observation of Dr Fiona Blake who notices a small lock of Gemma's hair has been cut off. Mind you, if this isn't suicide why is Gemma's stepfather concealing a suicide note, and who was the older man that Gemma was seen kissing on the night she died? Emails on her computer reveal that she does seem to have been drawn into a suicide pact with Tom - who is Tom; where is Tom; and how many other suicide pacts have there been?
DI Mark Tartaglia is convinced there's been others and he sets the team to find out. He's in charge for a short while. DCI Trevor Clarke got a new girlfriend and a mid life crisis in the form of a motorbike at around the same time. He promptly crashed the bike putting himself into a coma, with the distinct possibility of never recovering, or of being a paraplegic. Mind you, Tartaglia's not in charge for long and Carolyn Steele takes over as his boss - although Tartaglia and the team still do most of the work. Just to make Tartaglia's life even more miserable Steele brings in a profiler that he can't stand. This profiler, Kennedy, seems to have a rather close relationship with Steele just to add to Tartaglia's sense of unease. Add to this a sister that's convinced Tartaglia shouldn't be single for too much longer, and his considerably more laid back work colleague - Sam Donovan - and you've got a well drawn cast of characters.
DIE WITH ME does a few things incredibly well (especially as this is a debut book). The characterisations of the main police team are strong - Tartaglia is a complex man, a bit of a loner who is fiercely loyal to DCI Clarke, he's equally willing to work with Sam or to go it alone if circumstances dictate. Sam Donovan is a similar character in some ways - more laid back, but as much a loner as Tartaglia. Throughout the book "Tom" is also somebody the reader gets to know a little. Slowly hints are revealed that give the reader a fair chance of working out which of the possible suspects Tom could actually be.
Fans of the pure investigation style books will probably find the failure to ask the glaringly obvious question of one participant in the investigation frustrating. It's a minor point though in a book that was populated by interesting and engaging characters. DIE WITH ME uses an unusual premise and explores that in a sympathetic manner. We also get to meet a new cast of Police characters that have some real potential to grow further as the series continues.
It seems a sequel book is planned, and I'm really looking forward to it's arrival.
November 29, 2015
3.5 stars
A good police procedural with interesting characters. The 2 MC's, Tartaglia & Donovan, make a good team & there's a definite sense that we're being set up for a "will they or won't they" in the near future.
Despite spending a lot of time with the killer we are never told much about him or the motivations behind his actions so it was difficult to fully engage with his story. He'd be much creepier if we understood the significance of his little quirks but you'll have no trouble spotting him as soon as he appears on the scene.
I also thought the middle could have benefitted from a good editor as there were long passages of no consequence that wouldn't be missed & slowed the pace & intensity of the investigation. Those pages could then have been used for the ending which felt rushed & quickly wrapped up.
There was one character that all readers would like to see get the serious ass-kicking he so richly deserved after having to endure his presence for the whole book. It was a major plot line that just disappeared & I ended up feeling robbed as we're just told what happened later in a conversation between the detectives.
A good police procedural with interesting characters. The 2 MC's, Tartaglia & Donovan, make a good team & there's a definite sense that we're being set up for a "will they or won't they" in the near future.
Despite spending a lot of time with the killer we are never told much about him or the motivations behind his actions so it was difficult to fully engage with his story. He'd be much creepier if we understood the significance of his little quirks but you'll have no trouble spotting him as soon as he appears on the scene.
I also thought the middle could have benefitted from a good editor as there were long passages of no consequence that wouldn't be missed & slowed the pace & intensity of the investigation. Those pages could then have been used for the ending which felt rushed & quickly wrapped up.
There was one character that all readers would like to see get the serious ass-kicking he so richly deserved after having to endure his presence for the whole book. It was a major plot line that just disappeared & I ended up feeling robbed as we're just told what happened later in a conversation between the detectives.
July 19, 2017
This is the first book that I have read by this author. I really enjoyed it. It was easy to read and the story flowed. I did like the characters.
November 27, 2019
Excellent writing and a great start to a series. The plotting was suspenseful with a few perfect red herrings that will mislead and misdirect even the most experienced readers of British police procedurals. I liked the character of the English-Italian detective inspector, Mark Tartaglia, despite a bit of misogyny and arrogance on his part that I suspect might be put in its place by the women in his department in future books. Each member of his team was a well-developed, interesting character in his or her own right. The ending was a complete surprise and leaves the series open for future developments. It's been some time since I started a "new" British series (new to me - this was published in 2007) that kept me riveted and, at the end of the book, wanting to read more.
August 6, 2016
The debut novel "Die with me" was a pleasant surprise!
Forbes included all the elements of a mystery/psychological thriller that much more seasoned novelists sometimes have difficulty with.
The protagonist is the broodingly handsome DI Mark Tartaglia who inherits a murder case because of the fact that his mentor/DCI is in the hospital recovering from a serious accident.
A modern police procedural mystery set in West London, the crime involves the apparent suicide of a young girl.
However it soon come to light that the girl was 'assisted' in her death by a man and that this was not the first young girl to meet her end in the same manner! Someone seems to be targeting the most 'lost' girls and exploiting their vulnerability for his own sadistic pleasure.
Just when things get interesting for Tartaglia and his sergeant Samantha Donovan a new DCI is appointed to the case in a position above him... a woman, the formidable Deputy Chief Inspector Carolyn Steele. With her comes a profiler, Dr. Patrick Kennedy.
What I particularly liked about this novel was the deep characterization. I felt I knew all the characters well and the satisfactory ending left me wanting more. Since it said on the jacket flap that Forbes is now writing the sequel, I look forward to another quality series!
Forbes included all the elements of a mystery/psychological thriller that much more seasoned novelists sometimes have difficulty with.
The protagonist is the broodingly handsome DI Mark Tartaglia who inherits a murder case because of the fact that his mentor/DCI is in the hospital recovering from a serious accident.
A modern police procedural mystery set in West London, the crime involves the apparent suicide of a young girl.
However it soon come to light that the girl was 'assisted' in her death by a man and that this was not the first young girl to meet her end in the same manner! Someone seems to be targeting the most 'lost' girls and exploiting their vulnerability for his own sadistic pleasure.
Just when things get interesting for Tartaglia and his sergeant Samantha Donovan a new DCI is appointed to the case in a position above him... a woman, the formidable Deputy Chief Inspector Carolyn Steele. With her comes a profiler, Dr. Patrick Kennedy.
What I particularly liked about this novel was the deep characterization. I felt I knew all the characters well and the satisfactory ending left me wanting more. Since it said on the jacket flap that Forbes is now writing the sequel, I look forward to another quality series!
September 3, 2008
DIE WITH ME (Pol. Proc.-DI Mark Tartaglia-London-Cont) – NR
Forbes, Elena, 1st book
Quercus, 2008, UK Hardcover – ISBN: 1847241565
First Sentence: The tombstone was nearly six feet tall, weathered and mottled with lichen.
DI Mark Tartaglia has a serial killer on his hands. Someone is luring young girls to the galleries of churches and throwing them to their deaths.
This was such a miss for me. Ms. Forbes male protagonist was not convincing and none of the characters had any depth. There was a lot of detail on what the characters were eating and drinking, but little detail on little else.
For a police procedural, it included next to no procedure. I identified the killer way too early but was never given the reason why he killed. There was very little sense of place and dialogue was passable, but just.
But it was the ending of the book that made it a virtual wallbanger for me. I suggest passing this one by.
Forbes, Elena, 1st book
Quercus, 2008, UK Hardcover – ISBN: 1847241565
First Sentence: The tombstone was nearly six feet tall, weathered and mottled with lichen.
DI Mark Tartaglia has a serial killer on his hands. Someone is luring young girls to the galleries of churches and throwing them to their deaths.
This was such a miss for me. Ms. Forbes male protagonist was not convincing and none of the characters had any depth. There was a lot of detail on what the characters were eating and drinking, but little detail on little else.
For a police procedural, it included next to no procedure. I identified the killer way too early but was never given the reason why he killed. There was very little sense of place and dialogue was passable, but just.
But it was the ending of the book that made it a virtual wallbanger for me. I suggest passing this one by.
August 22, 2022
Die with Me is a decent crime thriller, the first from this author of the Tartaglia series. As serial killer themes are common in police procedural series, there’s little new for the reader in Die With Me. The plot moves along at a crisp pace and there’s some interesting qualities present in the main characters introduced in this book. Particularly with the lead character’s right hand investigator, Sam Donovan. The character of Mark Tartaglia is a bit less easy to relate too and a bit difficult to like in this first book but there is promise of interesting and engaging developments for his character in future installments. I always find it difficult to get on board with books where the serial killer shares some of the first person narrative and feel this particular voice is a shortcoming in this novel too. It’s also always disappointing when you figure out the killer’s real identity before the climax of the story which is the case here. All in all though, a good introduction to a potentially interesting new crime series. I will be trying Elena Forbes’ second book.
June 25, 2025
so langweilig geschrieben, dass ich es nicht mal zu ende geschafft hab.
January 29, 2013
Elena Forbes was a new name to me when I began this first-in-a-series police procedural, though the name Forbes had some resonance. The author managed to create a worthy group of characters that escape being mere copies of their more famous forebears by being younger and more attractive than we usually see among the British and Scottish captains of storied police forces, but just as capable and job-obsessed.
The first chapter and synopsis of this mystery were shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey [New Blood] Debut Dagger in 2005 but forgive me reading public, if I admit I put the book aside after reading that first chapter. But resist this temptation! After the creepy first chapter we are introduced to some successfully realized and interesting characters we can care about: Detective Inspector Tartaglia who doesn’t want to get involved with women who are not emotionally available; a female colleague of his, DS Donovan, who is interested in being involved with a man but doesn’t want to search for one; a police captain Steele (acting Chief Inspector) who is too attracted to an outside contractor whom she hires for more than one job. Forbes manages to land us in the characters’ lives midstream: they share a past and already have a history…we just need to get on board a ship already in motion.
The central conceit is unusual: a serial killer preys on Catholics who wish to take their own lives. To do this, they must overcome their feelings of guilt about it. [I am permitted a snicker of complicity here, as I have overcome my Catholic upbringing.] The killer enjoys their desperation and helps them accomplish their goal even if they should change their minds. The victims are mostly young women, which makes the police look into the cases more closely.
The final scene was also troublesome, but I imagine every first-time mystery writer encounters these difficulties: how to begin and how to end are both equally trying. Overall, Forbes has a strong sense of story and character, and very good potential. I look forward to seeing Our Lady of Pain (Quercus, 2008) and Evil in Return (Quercus, 2011).
The first chapter and synopsis of this mystery were shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey [New Blood] Debut Dagger in 2005 but forgive me reading public, if I admit I put the book aside after reading that first chapter. But resist this temptation! After the creepy first chapter we are introduced to some successfully realized and interesting characters we can care about: Detective Inspector Tartaglia who doesn’t want to get involved with women who are not emotionally available; a female colleague of his, DS Donovan, who is interested in being involved with a man but doesn’t want to search for one; a police captain Steele (acting Chief Inspector) who is too attracted to an outside contractor whom she hires for more than one job. Forbes manages to land us in the characters’ lives midstream: they share a past and already have a history…we just need to get on board a ship already in motion.
The central conceit is unusual: a serial killer preys on Catholics who wish to take their own lives. To do this, they must overcome their feelings of guilt about it. [I am permitted a snicker of complicity here, as I have overcome my Catholic upbringing.] The killer enjoys their desperation and helps them accomplish their goal even if they should change their minds. The victims are mostly young women, which makes the police look into the cases more closely.
The final scene was also troublesome, but I imagine every first-time mystery writer encounters these difficulties: how to begin and how to end are both equally trying. Overall, Forbes has a strong sense of story and character, and very good potential. I look forward to seeing Our Lady of Pain (Quercus, 2008) and Evil in Return (Quercus, 2011).
June 24, 2013
I downloaded this to my Kobo app well over a year ago and never got around to reading it. Ebooks are way too easy to buy, and so you accumulate a bunch and then end up forgetting about the ones not read right away.
Anyway, I began reading this on my iPod Touch when out and about and finished reading it on my Sony Reader. The two don't exactly co-ordinate -- one of these early-days problems of reading ebooks -- but at least it looked good on both platforms.
It was a decent read. It kind of followed a similar pattern to other British cop books. Lots of relationship angst, lots of swearing, lots of friction between coppers, lots of vulgar thoughts by the bad guy that repelled in a this-is-trite kind of way, and an ending that didn't surprise really. But despite the usual tropes, it was a decent story. I particularly liked the character of Sam, even if she was shoe-horned into being a bit stupid. I didn't realize it was the first in a series when I began to read it as there was an awful lot of back story that seemed like it could have appeared in previous novels. Interesting device. The device that was not interesting at all was the chapters in which the bad guy starred. You know, I see this used over and over, and I'm getting a tad tired of it. If the mystery had unfolded only through the eyes of the detectives, I think it would've been much more captivating.
Anyway, I began reading this on my iPod Touch when out and about and finished reading it on my Sony Reader. The two don't exactly co-ordinate -- one of these early-days problems of reading ebooks -- but at least it looked good on both platforms.
It was a decent read. It kind of followed a similar pattern to other British cop books. Lots of relationship angst, lots of swearing, lots of friction between coppers, lots of vulgar thoughts by the bad guy that repelled in a this-is-trite kind of way, and an ending that didn't surprise really. But despite the usual tropes, it was a decent story. I particularly liked the character of Sam, even if she was shoe-horned into being a bit stupid. I didn't realize it was the first in a series when I began to read it as there was an awful lot of back story that seemed like it could have appeared in previous novels. Interesting device. The device that was not interesting at all was the chapters in which the bad guy starred. You know, I see this used over and over, and I'm getting a tad tired of it. If the mystery had unfolded only through the eyes of the detectives, I think it would've been much more captivating.
August 10, 2020
Con esta novela nos encontramos ante un género literario de thriller/suspense y policíaco. Personalmente es un género que me gusta bastante, así que me ha sido muy fácil de leer. No es denso, ni extenso, y es de lectura fácil, así que si te estás iniciando en este tipo de lectura, creo que podría ser para ti.
Por otra parte me gustó por varias razones:
- la primera es que la historia te mantiene en constante suspense y con la mente activa intentando descubrir, junto con el detective Tartaglia, quién es el asesino.
- la segunda razón, la cual me parece aún más importante, es que toque el tema de internet, de cómo ha surgido esta nueva forma de conocer gente tras la red y no saber quién se encuentra detrás de las pantallas, algo a lo que no le damos mucha importancia algunas veces, sobretodo en los más jóvenes, los cuales no ven el peligro en estás prácticas, ya sea por desconocimiento, por inocencia, o por esa sensación de la adolescencia de creer: "a mi eso no me va a pasar". Es un tema que aunque el libro se publicó en 2009, es un tema de actualidad, ya que a través del auge de las redes sociales y del incremento del uso de esas en edades aún muy tempranas (recordemos que Instagram la edad mínima se oscila en los 16, y podemos encontrar niños/as con 9/10 años con cuentas creadas).
Me parece un tema bastante importante y que le da ese realismo a la historia, lo hace espeluznante al pensar que es algo que tenemos de forma real en nuestros días actualmente y que perfectamente nos podría pasar a cualquiera.
Por este tema lo recomiendo enormemente, ya sea la forma de la autora mejor o peor al narrar la historia, pero la haría lectura obligatoria en algunas edades y en algunos momentos de la vida.
Así que, resumidamente, totalmente recomendable!.
Por otra parte me gustó por varias razones:
- la primera es que la historia te mantiene en constante suspense y con la mente activa intentando descubrir, junto con el detective Tartaglia, quién es el asesino.
- la segunda razón, la cual me parece aún más importante, es que toque el tema de internet, de cómo ha surgido esta nueva forma de conocer gente tras la red y no saber quién se encuentra detrás de las pantallas, algo a lo que no le damos mucha importancia algunas veces, sobretodo en los más jóvenes, los cuales no ven el peligro en estás prácticas, ya sea por desconocimiento, por inocencia, o por esa sensación de la adolescencia de creer: "a mi eso no me va a pasar". Es un tema que aunque el libro se publicó en 2009, es un tema de actualidad, ya que a través del auge de las redes sociales y del incremento del uso de esas en edades aún muy tempranas (recordemos que Instagram la edad mínima se oscila en los 16, y podemos encontrar niños/as con 9/10 años con cuentas creadas).
Me parece un tema bastante importante y que le da ese realismo a la historia, lo hace espeluznante al pensar que es algo que tenemos de forma real en nuestros días actualmente y que perfectamente nos podría pasar a cualquiera.
Por este tema lo recomiendo enormemente, ya sea la forma de la autora mejor o peor al narrar la historia, pero la haría lectura obligatoria en algunas edades y en algunos momentos de la vida.
Así que, resumidamente, totalmente recomendable!.
September 12, 2020
This book hates women. From the killer to the detectives who are hunting him, everyone in this book has a low opinion of women. And that includes the female characters, who all harbor a touch of self-loathing. Also, this book is longer than it needs to be with too many points of view.
The author seems obsessed with describing what people look like, what they're wearing. And for the ladies this means commenting on their personality, their character. A dowdy woman is a scatterbrain, a woman in a suit is a bitch. If she's got a bad haircut, forget about it. The men on the other hand dress with impunity and are equally free to pass judgement, out loud or to themselves, about the women around them.
Take, for example, the main character who believes pregnant women should stop working and stay home. Who refuses to compliment his lady friend on how nice she looks because he believes she'll think he's being superficial. Everyone appreciates a compliment, dude.
And then there's the police's dedicated belief that girls only kiss boys they know very well. Was the author never young and stupid? Girls will kiss whomever they like for whatever reasons they choose. But because the cops in this book simply cannot see beyond their own puritanical noses, they manage to get in their own way and the investigation is off to a bad start.
Unless you like to read about passive sexism, I can't recommend this book.
The author seems obsessed with describing what people look like, what they're wearing. And for the ladies this means commenting on their personality, their character. A dowdy woman is a scatterbrain, a woman in a suit is a bitch. If she's got a bad haircut, forget about it. The men on the other hand dress with impunity and are equally free to pass judgement, out loud or to themselves, about the women around them.
Take, for example, the main character who believes pregnant women should stop working and stay home. Who refuses to compliment his lady friend on how nice she looks because he believes she'll think he's being superficial. Everyone appreciates a compliment, dude.
And then there's the police's dedicated belief that girls only kiss boys they know very well. Was the author never young and stupid? Girls will kiss whomever they like for whatever reasons they choose. But because the cops in this book simply cannot see beyond their own puritanical noses, they manage to get in their own way and the investigation is off to a bad start.
Unless you like to read about passive sexism, I can't recommend this book.
February 16, 2019
Setting: London, UK. This is the first in a crime series featuring Detective Inspector Mark Tartaglia. At the beginning of the book, the reader meets 'Tom' who is waiting outside an isolated church for his 'date'. It soon becomes clear that his 'date' is a teenage girl with whom he has entered into a suicide pact - but Tom has no intention of dying. Action switches to Mark and his team, called to the suspicious death of a girl in a church. As their investigation develops, Mark and his team discover that this isn't the first such suspicious death involving a teenage girl - but they find it hard to establish a link between the victims apart from their tendency towards depression and their close geographical location. Mark is dismayed when another officer is brought in over his head when the case becomes one of multiple murder. Although he tries to work with his new boss, DCI Carolyn Steele, he is even more dismayed when she brings in a psychological profiler who misled a previous investigation on which Mark was involved. Plenty of red herrings in this one and interesting that we quite often hear from the murderer himself and his warped 'take' on events. Great debut and looking forward to reading more of this series - 9/10.
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March 14, 2024Für die vierzehnjährige Gemma Kramer ist er die erste große Liebe: ein Mann, der all ihre Nöte und Sehnsüchte zu verstehen scheint. Er umwirbt das schüchterne Mädchen mit Liebesgedichten und Zuwendung und bittet schließlich um ein Treffen, das ihre Liebe besiegeln soll. Eine Liebe, die der Ewigkeit geweiht ist: Gemma, so ist es zwischen den beiden beschlossen, wird mit ihrem geheimnisvollen Verehrer in den Tod gehen, um das gemeinsame Glück Zeit und Raum zu entreißen. In einer kaum besuchten Londoner Kirche wollen sie ihre Verbindung in einer heimlichen Trauungszeremonie besiegeln, bevor sie sich gemeinsam das Leben nehmen. Doch am Ende liegt nur Gemma tot auf dem kalten Steinboden des Kirchenschiffs. Detective Inspector Mark Tartaglia und seine Kollegin Sam Donovan stehen vor einem Rätsel, bis sie die Botschaften finden, die „Tom“ dem Mädchen geschrieben hatte. Aus ihnen wird klar, wie er Gemma in eine tödliche Falle gelockt hat. Und Gemma ist nicht das einzige Opfer des unbekannten Verführers. Zuvor hatten bereits zwei andere Mädchen in Kirchen vermeintlich Selbstmord begangen. Mark Tartaglia und Sam Donovan haben es mit einem eiskalten Serienkiller zu tun …
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October 8, 2018
Disappointing Ending. I love mystery novels and this one is well written. It took me a while to get through it because it drags on a bit through the early stages. It is the first novel I have read by this author and so the characters were new to me. The first few pages did their job and drew me in quickly but then it bogged down and trudged along for quite a while. It wasn't until the last third of the story that I truly felt compelled to read on and then, three chapters from the end, it lost me. I thought I had the villain identified and I was right. I had two to choose from. Sadly the author seemed rushed to finish and the ending, for me, fell flat. Three stars. I wanted to give it more but the last three chapters disappointed me.
May 19, 2018
That was an interesting read. The plot flows nicely, the riddle itself is good, even though I much prefer more... mundane murders. The characters are quite nice, even though it seems that in this book women are incapable of doing anything else than thinking about relationship drama.
The ending is a bit anticlimatic to be honest, but I can see where the author was going with it. All in all, quite a nice beginning to a new crime series.
The ending is a bit anticlimatic to be honest, but I can see where the author was going with it. All in all, quite a nice beginning to a new crime series.
June 24, 2019
A bit grim and do not recommend if you cannot stand reading about sadistic serial killers and children. Set in London with main characters that you somehow don't care that much about. It doesn't seem like that much detecting happens, more of psychological profiling and guesswork, which ironically is what the main character is so vehemently opposed to. Still, a good time-pass read.
July 9, 2021
In my quest to read books titled The Jigsaw Man, I stumbled upon this series. I always like to start at the beginning of a series if possible which lead me to this book. Pretty mundane. Complete with the obligatory lame relationship side stories. Not sure I’ll continue long enough to get to The Jigsaw Man, which is #4 in this series. Plenty of others to read first.
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June 4, 2023Someone is contacting suicidal young women and making arrangements for a joint suicide pact. But when each woman turns up she dies alone, even if she's changed her mind and wants to live. The media have labelled the serial killer "the bridegroom" and the pressure is on. Can Tartaglia find out who is doing this and stop him.
May 7, 2017
Enjoyed the first in this new to be mystery series. Looking forward to reading the next one.
It's set in London, England and it's a good police/crime mystery with lots of interesting characters and lots of possible suspects.
It's set in London, England and it's a good police/crime mystery with lots of interesting characters and lots of possible suspects.
June 25, 2017
A British police procedural linking the murders of women to one murderer. The characters are likable and the book is well written. I felt that the ending was a bit rushed but it did wrap up loose ends. The book hints on a perpetrator for a future book.
January 28, 2024
Picked this up in a hostel in Thailand, not expecting much - really enjoyed it in the end. Very gripping, although I guessed who the killer was quite early on (which isn't like me usually) so might be considered a bit predictable? Easy 4* either way.
August 10, 2017
A good procedural. Not as much atmosphere as Tana French but the characters hold promise.
September 20, 2018
Creepy And Spooky ! Loved it 💗
December 5, 2018
Een heel goed eerste deel van deze serie. Gelijk verder in het tweede deel….
December 25, 2018
An enjoyable read. I really liked the characters, not as simple as it first appeared
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