A Strange and Murderous Air

by Nikki Copleston

423 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 5, 2023

Reviews

[Lennon Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fifth installment in the DI Jeff Lincoln series is a gripping blend of police procedural and political intrigue that keeps the reader guessing from the very first page. The story opens with the shocking murder of Ramsay Keiller, a man whose past is tangled with government work, and the simultaneous disappearance of Jill Fortune, an unassuming piano teacher whose sudden vanishing raises more questions than answers. Was Keiller still serving his country, or had he crossed to the other side? And was Jill merely collateral damage, or something more?

Author Nikki Copleston expertly layers these questions with the reappearance of Dan Swann, a faded musician whose glory days are long behind him, but who now seems determined to make himself heard in more dangerous ways. His presence adds an unexpected depth to the narrative, pulling themes of legacy, regret, and misplaced ambition into the heart of the investigation.

[Gary Dowden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book five in the excellent DI Jeff Lincoln series starts with a brutal murder and the disappearance of a woman from the farm where the murder took place. Lincoln and his new team, after being temporarily relocated, are on the case however it turns out to be the tip of a very large iceberg! Interesting characters, complex, multi-layered plots and thankfully plenty of little reminders of how everything links together, all come together for a cracking story. On occasions the reader is given more information than the police are aware of which makes for an interesting angle on things and there's some much needed light relief, largely over the quality of the coffee at Lincoln's new surroundings and the distinct lack of chairs. Set near me in Wiltshire, this is definitely one to recommend and arguably the best so far in what is a highly enjoyable series.

[Lexie Conyngham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the detective here and can feel for him as he is partly estranged from his usual team to investigate an abduction with roots in the past. We’re led up and down various red-herring trails, and nothing is quite as it seems until we reach a satisfying solution.