Goodnight, God Bless

by Ann Bloxwich

Goodnight, God Bless. (Alex Peachey book two). DI Alex Peachey is drawn into a bizarre case. The mutilated body of a man is found in a disused aircraft hangar, and the killer has left a calling card. At the same time, abuse survivor Jean Harrison receives a card through the post, bearing the words ‘Goodnight, God Bless’. Alison Munroe runs a therapy group helping women who were abused as children to work through their experiences and fears. When former member Jean comes to her for support, Alison finds herself caught up in the middle of a murder inquiry when she realises that the killer is targeting the former abusers of her group members, murdering them in ways that are specific to each of the women’s experiences - experiences that have only ever been disclosed in the group’s sessions. Alex and his team have to tread carefully to find out not only who is torturing and killing the paedophiles, but also to protect the anonymity of the group. How is the killer getting their information? When one of Alex’s colleagues is implicated, Alex questions whether or not he knows his team as well as he should. Is the killer someone from the group’s past or does the answer lie closer to home?

338 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2023

Reviews

[Steve Garbett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic from start to finish - can't wait for book no. 3!

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 in the DI Alex Peachey Series and Alex is currently living alone after his son attacked his wife and she is in hospital with a blood clot in her brain. Alex and his team are investigating the murder of a man found in an abandoned aircraft hanger, the body brutally mutilated. But he is also being pulled in other directions, with his wife still in a coma and his son living with his brother and wife who are insisting that social services need to be involved. This is a very dark and disturbing story which centres around paedophilia so be prepared for some emotional and heart rending narrative, particularly the flashback to the victims childhoods.

Briefly, not long after the first body is found there is a second, and then a third - it appears there is a serial killer at large, and they are leaving clues! Alison Munroe, with the assistance of Jean Harrison, run a therapy meeting for survivors of childhood abuse. Alison realises that the murders are connected to her group and their experiences but she needs to maintain the anonymity of the women in the group and this also hampers the police investigation.

The author has done a good job of mixing the traumatic investigation and the worry about Alex’s wife with the lighter side of the team and their lives. It’s hard to feel sympathy for the victims in view of their terrible actions although it’s also hard to countenance the level of torture and mutilation that they are subjected to. The identity of the killer was well hidden, I didn’t guess until the reveal. A dark and emotional read. 4.5⭐️

[Jackie Hannaford · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a powerful follow up novel. I love the interweaving of the Peachey family story alongside the gruesome events of the crimes which DI Peachey needs to help solve. Lots happening during this novel in a fast paced way, but mostly easy to follow. I struggled a little with following the Then chapters at the start due to the number of different characters being introduced. Also the injuries described and the paedophile topic is not for the faint hearted. An excellent book though and one I imagine the author needed great personal courage to write.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read from this author. It certainly was an attention grabber. It was very well written, the words just flowed. It was often hard to read due to the subject matter. I enjoyed the characters, Alex's family and coworkers. Recommend reading.