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London in the early nineties is a hotbed of political activism and intrigue, prey and predator, and times are changing fast - too fast for DCI Rick Bailey, who is starting to think he cannot keep up. But then a young woman goes missing in the run-up to Christmas, and he's convinced Alice's disappearance is related to an unsolved murder that has haunted him for the last three years.
He stumbles upon a suspect connected to all the clues, among them a care worker facing betrayal and abuse, a cemetery worker hearing music that does not play, an activist running from himself and a blind man who sees more than anyone else.
Who will lead them to Alice before the church bells ring?
_____
Praise for S. J.
'S.J. Butler writes like a dream and tells tales from the stuff of nightmares . . . This is high-octane crime fiction' TONY PARSONS
'Class warfare in all its glory or goriness' TONY MILLINGTON
'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ This story gets hold of you and makes you shudder. Five stars'
'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ An extraordinarily fantastic literary thriller. A huge five star read for me'
'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Plenty of twists to keep you guessing! Just brilliant'
'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Gritty, well written, a real page turner'
'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Gem of a debut'
'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Great twists and turns . . . Can't wait to read more of S. J Butlers books!!'
An addictive and nail-biting crime thriller from the author of Between the Lines and Deadly Lesson. Perfect for fans of Biba Pearce, Robert Bryndza and Patricia Gibney.
He stumbles upon a suspect connected to all the clues, among them a care worker facing betrayal and abuse, a cemetery worker hearing music that does not play, an activist running from himself and a blind man who sees more than anyone else.
Who will lead them to Alice before the church bells ring?
_____
Praise for S. J.
'S.J. Butler writes like a dream and tells tales from the stuff of nightmares . . . This is high-octane crime fiction' TONY PARSONS
'Class warfare in all its glory or goriness' TONY MILLINGTON
'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ This story gets hold of you and makes you shudder. Five stars'
'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ An extraordinarily fantastic literary thriller. A huge five star read for me'
'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Plenty of twists to keep you guessing! Just brilliant'
'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Gritty, well written, a real page turner'
'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Gem of a debut'
'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Great twists and turns . . . Can't wait to read more of S. J Butlers books!!'
An addictive and nail-biting crime thriller from the author of Between the Lines and Deadly Lesson. Perfect for fans of Biba Pearce, Robert Bryndza and Patricia Gibney.
400 pages, Paperback
Published September 10, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 11, 2025
An unusual book, written largely in the setting of the local pub, where a group of people regularly meet. Nearby, there is a park and a hospital which seems, from the story, to contain around half who are in community care and also inhabit the pub quite a lot.
A local woman goes missing from the park and DCI Rick Bailey tries to find her, and the culprit. He doesn't really get a good look-in though and most of the narrative surrounds Mary and her psychological issues, such as the repetitive use of 'so, so good'.
It's messy, strangely emotionally remote and particularly off-putting, when a serial attacker turns out to be a serial LIMB REMOVER (don't worry, that's not a spoiler!).
I never really connected with any of the characters, the humour fell short and there was no real political atmosphere - this is set in the early 1990s at the time of the UK poll tax (I remember it and the book could have made MUCH more of that).
It is DEFINITELY NOT 'high-octane crime fiction' - at times feeling like a contemporary Alice In Wonderland.
I will not be reading any more of S J Butler's offerings, unfortunately.
A local woman goes missing from the park and DCI Rick Bailey tries to find her, and the culprit. He doesn't really get a good look-in though and most of the narrative surrounds Mary and her psychological issues, such as the repetitive use of 'so, so good'.
It's messy, strangely emotionally remote and particularly off-putting, when a serial attacker turns out to be a serial LIMB REMOVER (don't worry, that's not a spoiler!).
I never really connected with any of the characters, the humour fell short and there was no real political atmosphere - this is set in the early 1990s at the time of the UK poll tax (I remember it and the book could have made MUCH more of that).
It is DEFINITELY NOT 'high-octane crime fiction' - at times feeling like a contemporary Alice In Wonderland.
I will not be reading any more of S J Butler's offerings, unfortunately.
May 18, 2025
A solid UK mystery novel. I couldn't put it down and finished it in a day. The characters all come alive. Officer prostate issues and Chris who may or may not have any issues. Overall a very good read!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews