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DI Murphy and DS Rossi #2
The Dying Place
“No one believes you. Nothing you say is the truth.”
DI Murphy and DS Rossi discover the body of known troublemaker Dean Hughes, dumped on the steps of St Mary’s Church in West Derby, Liverpool. His body is covered with the unmistakable marks of torture.
As they hunt for the killer, they discover a worrying pattern. Other teenagers, all young delinquents, have been disappearing without a trace.
Who is clearing the streets of Liverpool?
Where are the other missing boys being held?
And can Murphy and Rossi find them before they meet the same fate as Dean?
DI Murphy and DS Rossi discover the body of known troublemaker Dean Hughes, dumped on the steps of St Mary’s Church in West Derby, Liverpool. His body is covered with the unmistakable marks of torture.
As they hunt for the killer, they discover a worrying pattern. Other teenagers, all young delinquents, have been disappearing without a trace.
Who is clearing the streets of Liverpool?
Where are the other missing boys being held?
And can Murphy and Rossi find them before they meet the same fate as Dean?
383 pages, Paperback
First published October 23, 2014
About the author
Luca Veste
25 books516 followersLuca Veste is a writer of Italian and Liverpudlian heritage, married with two young daughters, and one of nine children. He studied psychology and criminology at university in Liverpool. He is the author of the Murphy and Rossi series, which includes DEAD GONE, THE DYING PLACE, BLOODSTREAM, and THEN SHE WAS GONE.
Part psychological thriller, part police procedural, his books follow the detective pairing of DI David Murphy and DS Laura Rossi. The novels are set in Liverpool, bringing the city to life in a dark and terrifying manner...with just a splash of Scouse humour.
"Astringent and artfully constructed." The Financial Times
"A darkly impressive novel... disturbing and intelligent." The Times
"A chilling début from a writer to watch..." Mark Billingham
"Gripping, unpredictable, genuinely shocking and impossible to put down, Dead Gone is a remarkable début." Steve Mosby
"A twisty, psychological crime debut in a gritty setting: a new favourite for police procedural lovers" Clare Mackintosh
"Tense and darkly playful." Chris Ewan
"A major new talent on the crime scene." Eva Dolan
"Fresh...original." Mel Sherratt
"Original and terrifying." Stav Sherez
He is also the editor of the Spinetingler Award nominated charity anthology 'Off The Record', and co-editor of 'True Brit Grit', also an anthology of short stories for charity.
He is a former civil servant, actor, singer and guitarist (although he still picks it up now and again), and now a full-time writer.
He can be found at www.lucaveste.com and on twitter @LucaVeste
Part psychological thriller, part police procedural, his books follow the detective pairing of DI David Murphy and DS Laura Rossi. The novels are set in Liverpool, bringing the city to life in a dark and terrifying manner...with just a splash of Scouse humour.
"Astringent and artfully constructed." The Financial Times
"A darkly impressive novel... disturbing and intelligent." The Times
"A chilling début from a writer to watch..." Mark Billingham
"Gripping, unpredictable, genuinely shocking and impossible to put down, Dead Gone is a remarkable début." Steve Mosby
"A twisty, psychological crime debut in a gritty setting: a new favourite for police procedural lovers" Clare Mackintosh
"Tense and darkly playful." Chris Ewan
"A major new talent on the crime scene." Eva Dolan
"Fresh...original." Mel Sherratt
"Original and terrifying." Stav Sherez
He is also the editor of the Spinetingler Award nominated charity anthology 'Off The Record', and co-editor of 'True Brit Grit', also an anthology of short stories for charity.
He is a former civil servant, actor, singer and guitarist (although he still picks it up now and again), and now a full-time writer.
He can be found at www.lucaveste.com and on twitter @LucaVeste
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
November 17, 2015
The Dying Place by Luca Veste was brilliant i loved everything about the book it was DARK CHILLING & uncomfortable at times for me as there was a lot of torture in this read.
just a note on this the book goes back & forth & tells the story of dean hughes & his friends what they had done to them was terrifying so if you have a weak stomach give this a miss.
Dean Hughes was found outside a church badly beaten & tortured in West Derby Liverpool DI David Murphy & DS Laura Rossi are sent in to investigate as they delve deeper into the investigation a worrying pattern emerges other teenagers all young delinquents have been disappearing .
WHO IS CLEARING THE STREETS OF LIVERPOOL!!!
& WHERE ARE THEY BEING HELD!!
This is a must read for fans of dark Crime thrillers
just a note on this the book goes back & forth & tells the story of dean hughes & his friends what they had done to them was terrifying so if you have a weak stomach give this a miss.
Dean Hughes was found outside a church badly beaten & tortured in West Derby Liverpool DI David Murphy & DS Laura Rossi are sent in to investigate as they delve deeper into the investigation a worrying pattern emerges other teenagers all young delinquents have been disappearing .
WHO IS CLEARING THE STREETS OF LIVERPOOL!!!
& WHERE ARE THEY BEING HELD!!
This is a must read for fans of dark Crime thrillers
November 7, 2014
I think it was Karin Slaughter who said that to really tap into the sociological fears and concerns of any community that the perfect conduit for this is crime fiction. In The Dying Place- the follow up to his debut novel Dead Gone- Veste proves the point admirably. Focusing on a band of older vigilantes, swiping errant youths off the streets of Liverpool, and incarcerating them to undergo a form of behavioural re-programming, Veste uses the plot to provide a thoughtful and balanced examination of how these youths, that are such a thorn in the side of their local community, should be dealt with, and if meeting violence with violence is really the right way to address the problem. Do these youths all really fit a template because of the way they dress? Are some conditioned to be ‘bad’ by the very unstable nature of their upbringings, and detrimental familial influences? As the vigilante’s leader becomes more unhinged, scarred by the actions of youths such as these in his personal life, Veste ramps up the tension and the police themselves come into the firing line too.
Cleverly, our empathy is roundly manipulated, as we see how the actions of this vigilante band spirals out of control, and the implications for not only their detainees, but also bringing into play their family backgrounds, and the effects of the investigation on the police protagonists- most notably DI David Murphy, and his feisty DS Scouse/Italian sidekick Laura Rossi. I was most impressed with this detective duo in the debut, Dead Gone, and love the balance between the stoical and world weary Murphy, set against the hot temper and really quite enjoyable colourful swearing of his police partner Rossi. What I also enjoy about Veste’s characterisation is the way that he roundly avoids the typical stereotypes of many crime fiction novels, giving a realistic feel to the personal lives of both, and how the very nature of their jobs, and this investigation in particular, impinge on their personal relationships- or lack of. They form a solid partnership that is providing a real backbone to the continuation of the series, and with the shocking denouement affecting Murphy on an incredibly personal level, I will be interested to see the repercussions of this in the next book. Within the framework of this crime novel, Veste balances perfectly the larger sociological issues, with a pacey plot, and a solid cast of characters that proves itself an eminently enjoyable read. More please…
Cleverly, our empathy is roundly manipulated, as we see how the actions of this vigilante band spirals out of control, and the implications for not only their detainees, but also bringing into play their family backgrounds, and the effects of the investigation on the police protagonists- most notably DI David Murphy, and his feisty DS Scouse/Italian sidekick Laura Rossi. I was most impressed with this detective duo in the debut, Dead Gone, and love the balance between the stoical and world weary Murphy, set against the hot temper and really quite enjoyable colourful swearing of his police partner Rossi. What I also enjoy about Veste’s characterisation is the way that he roundly avoids the typical stereotypes of many crime fiction novels, giving a realistic feel to the personal lives of both, and how the very nature of their jobs, and this investigation in particular, impinge on their personal relationships- or lack of. They form a solid partnership that is providing a real backbone to the continuation of the series, and with the shocking denouement affecting Murphy on an incredibly personal level, I will be interested to see the repercussions of this in the next book. Within the framework of this crime novel, Veste balances perfectly the larger sociological issues, with a pacey plot, and a solid cast of characters that proves itself an eminently enjoyable read. More please…
July 4, 2016
This was my first read of Luca Veste and given the plaudits that his debut novel attracted I was looking forward to meeting the North Liverpool CID duo of DI David Murphy and DS Laura Rossi. The Dying Place is the second in the series and in my opinion was a remarkably mediocre crime thriller. Admittedly the premise for this novel is a topic that has been extensively covered (vigilante crusaders), yet this did have potential. The Dying Place begins with the discovery of a dead teen with a chequered past left on the steps of a local church and follows the police operation whilst also catching up with events at The Farm, as a group vigilantes run their own version of a Borstal.
Veste makes his intention very clear from the start with his portrayal of the repetitive cycle of high crime rates, absent fathers, overcrowded council estate housing, huge unemployment and low wages. This is a portrait of life in any large city, be it Liverpool, London or Manchester. Disenfranchised youths facing little hope of ever escaping their circumstances and turning into the "scallies" who terrorise the streets drinking, drug taking, committing petty thefts and vandalism and generally make the lives of ordinary folk a living hell. That the motive for the crimes is revealed in the opening pages and that the identity of one of the chief crusaders leading the reform at The Farm is swiftly revealed kills any mounting suspense. The reader is privy to information ahead of the detectives and this leaves them playing catch up and makes for a frustrating read.
The action taking place at The Farm was largely well done, and conveyed a sense of the very real threat being held over the boys they took and was undoubtedly superior to seeing the farcical activity at the police station. The detective team are a strange pairing led by DI David Murphy who is clearly slapdash and devoid of any policing instinct. He and Rossi make an ineffectual team, spending the first half of this novel treading water and looking at the messages posted on the Facebook wall of the victim, all of which is already in the public domain. When one of the vigilantes gets cold feet and makes contact with the police of his own free will it still doesn't make things any easier for this inept duo. DS Laura Rossi is practically a carbon copy of DS Mel Ferreira in the Zigic and Ferreira novels of Eva Dolan. Replace Mel's Portuguese origins with those of Italy and you have Rossi with her sassy attitude and strong family ties. Sadly I wasn't convinced by either Rossi or Murphy and the contrived swearing in Italian which Laura often descends into made me cringe.
Whilst I waded through this novel it was not a particularly enjoyable or entertaining experience and I will not be seeking out either this series or the work of Veste again. That during the course of this novel the incompetence of Murphy adds another two to the body count as he wilfully ignores clues summed up this whole novel for me. The Dying Place descended into a drawn out and repetitive polemic on the failings on modern day society. Much has been made of the sociological aspects of Luca Veste's writing yet nothing above a laymans understanding is evident throughout. Approaching four hundred pages this was both overly lengthy and a boring read.
Veste makes his intention very clear from the start with his portrayal of the repetitive cycle of high crime rates, absent fathers, overcrowded council estate housing, huge unemployment and low wages. This is a portrait of life in any large city, be it Liverpool, London or Manchester. Disenfranchised youths facing little hope of ever escaping their circumstances and turning into the "scallies" who terrorise the streets drinking, drug taking, committing petty thefts and vandalism and generally make the lives of ordinary folk a living hell. That the motive for the crimes is revealed in the opening pages and that the identity of one of the chief crusaders leading the reform at The Farm is swiftly revealed kills any mounting suspense. The reader is privy to information ahead of the detectives and this leaves them playing catch up and makes for a frustrating read.
The action taking place at The Farm was largely well done, and conveyed a sense of the very real threat being held over the boys they took and was undoubtedly superior to seeing the farcical activity at the police station. The detective team are a strange pairing led by DI David Murphy who is clearly slapdash and devoid of any policing instinct. He and Rossi make an ineffectual team, spending the first half of this novel treading water and looking at the messages posted on the Facebook wall of the victim, all of which is already in the public domain. When one of the vigilantes gets cold feet and makes contact with the police of his own free will it still doesn't make things any easier for this inept duo. DS Laura Rossi is practically a carbon copy of DS Mel Ferreira in the Zigic and Ferreira novels of Eva Dolan. Replace Mel's Portuguese origins with those of Italy and you have Rossi with her sassy attitude and strong family ties. Sadly I wasn't convinced by either Rossi or Murphy and the contrived swearing in Italian which Laura often descends into made me cringe.
Whilst I waded through this novel it was not a particularly enjoyable or entertaining experience and I will not be seeking out either this series or the work of Veste again. That during the course of this novel the incompetence of Murphy adds another two to the body count as he wilfully ignores clues summed up this whole novel for me. The Dying Place descended into a drawn out and repetitive polemic on the failings on modern day society. Much has been made of the sociological aspects of Luca Veste's writing yet nothing above a laymans understanding is evident throughout. Approaching four hundred pages this was both overly lengthy and a boring read.
February 25, 2016
Published: 04/12/2014
Author: Luca Veste
As soon as I started to read this book I was immediately hooked on it. I found it to be powerful, addictive, smart and very well written. This is the first book I have read by this author but it will definitely not be the last! The book features the wonderful detectives DI Murphy and DS Rossi, who are trying to uncover the mystery of who is taking all the young boys, when they find the body of Dean Hughes on a church step with clear torture marks on him, it is a race to find out who did it before there are more victims.
This book was extremely well written and flowed nicely throughout the whole novel, meaning there wasn't a dull or boring part to read. The fast pace of the novel makes you want to keep reading it and want to get to the end of it to uncover the secret. The people who are holding them hostage are unknown to the reader, they just go by letter of the Greek Alphabet, this was an aspect of the book that I really liked as it felt like I was part of the detectives team.
I would definitely read another book by Luca Veste and I would recommend this book to people who enjoy thrillers.
Author: Luca Veste
As soon as I started to read this book I was immediately hooked on it. I found it to be powerful, addictive, smart and very well written. This is the first book I have read by this author but it will definitely not be the last! The book features the wonderful detectives DI Murphy and DS Rossi, who are trying to uncover the mystery of who is taking all the young boys, when they find the body of Dean Hughes on a church step with clear torture marks on him, it is a race to find out who did it before there are more victims.
This book was extremely well written and flowed nicely throughout the whole novel, meaning there wasn't a dull or boring part to read. The fast pace of the novel makes you want to keep reading it and want to get to the end of it to uncover the secret. The people who are holding them hostage are unknown to the reader, they just go by letter of the Greek Alphabet, this was an aspect of the book that I really liked as it felt like I was part of the detectives team.
I would definitely read another book by Luca Veste and I would recommend this book to people who enjoy thrillers.
December 5, 2014
The Dying Place – Brilliant
Unlike muscians who struggle with their second album Luca Veste with his follow up to the debut outing in Dead Gone has scored a winning goal with The Dying Place. There are no Stevie Gerrard slips ups here for us Mancunians to take the mickey out of him. This is a brilliant return for Detective Inspector David Murphy and his side kick Detective Sergant Laura Rossi.
One again Luce Veste has written a crime thriller with the emphasis on thriller wonderfully dark and intense with a nod to crime sprees that have happened around the North West. Veste delves in to the depths of the criminal psyche and gives us something that is original, shocking, at times terrifying but not forgetting wonderfully twisted.
At the outset one could sympathise with the criminals at first, doing the work that the police cannot really do to the local estate scallies other than hand out ASBOs. Every town and city has the identikit scally, tracksuit bottoms, hoodie, trainers, smoking weed and drinking cheap cider, even though the dress could be called standard for a scouser!
DI Murphy has been back at work for a while since being on the sick since the ending in Dead Gone and his CID team have had very little to do in the way of work. Which when covering the northern areas of Liverpool, including West Derby and Norris Green both great places in their day going down hill due to lack of investment and in some instances lack of care. The death of one of the local scallies with his body dumped on the doorstep of a church is not as straightforward as it may seem. As they investigate the death of Goldie they find he has been missing for several months and over that time his body is showing the effects of abuse, which give them a number of lines of enquiry but seemingly nowhere to go.
As they investigate they are led to a farm where there are a number of dead bodies all over the place which really is a honey hole of death and destruction. It dawns on the police that a number of male youths known to the police have been taken from the streets and something unspeakable has happened to them.
The big question is will Murphy and Rossi be able to find the people responsible for what has been going on and whether they will be able to stop them. They need to figure out what they end game could possibly be as the bodies start to pile up dead and injured. Murphy has to move quickly even if he does not know that things will be a lot closer to home than he already knows. Ending with a couple of twists Murphy and Rossi come out on top but this will come at a cost to them both.
The Dying Place is a brilliant follow up to Dead Gone really hits the thriller button as you turn the pages urging Murphy and Rossi on. The only thing that would finish this Scouse Noir Thriller off is for a Mancunian Manchester United fan (rarer than rocking horse shit) to be the baddie! This really is an excellent example of the new Scouse Noir Thriller that grabs you by the throat holds you tight all the way to the end and leaves you at the end gasping for breath. Luca Veste has so much talent with plenty more to come, cannot wait just hope he allows me to recover first!
Unlike muscians who struggle with their second album Luca Veste with his follow up to the debut outing in Dead Gone has scored a winning goal with The Dying Place. There are no Stevie Gerrard slips ups here for us Mancunians to take the mickey out of him. This is a brilliant return for Detective Inspector David Murphy and his side kick Detective Sergant Laura Rossi.
One again Luce Veste has written a crime thriller with the emphasis on thriller wonderfully dark and intense with a nod to crime sprees that have happened around the North West. Veste delves in to the depths of the criminal psyche and gives us something that is original, shocking, at times terrifying but not forgetting wonderfully twisted.
At the outset one could sympathise with the criminals at first, doing the work that the police cannot really do to the local estate scallies other than hand out ASBOs. Every town and city has the identikit scally, tracksuit bottoms, hoodie, trainers, smoking weed and drinking cheap cider, even though the dress could be called standard for a scouser!
DI Murphy has been back at work for a while since being on the sick since the ending in Dead Gone and his CID team have had very little to do in the way of work. Which when covering the northern areas of Liverpool, including West Derby and Norris Green both great places in their day going down hill due to lack of investment and in some instances lack of care. The death of one of the local scallies with his body dumped on the doorstep of a church is not as straightforward as it may seem. As they investigate the death of Goldie they find he has been missing for several months and over that time his body is showing the effects of abuse, which give them a number of lines of enquiry but seemingly nowhere to go.
As they investigate they are led to a farm where there are a number of dead bodies all over the place which really is a honey hole of death and destruction. It dawns on the police that a number of male youths known to the police have been taken from the streets and something unspeakable has happened to them.
The big question is will Murphy and Rossi be able to find the people responsible for what has been going on and whether they will be able to stop them. They need to figure out what they end game could possibly be as the bodies start to pile up dead and injured. Murphy has to move quickly even if he does not know that things will be a lot closer to home than he already knows. Ending with a couple of twists Murphy and Rossi come out on top but this will come at a cost to them both.
The Dying Place is a brilliant follow up to Dead Gone really hits the thriller button as you turn the pages urging Murphy and Rossi on. The only thing that would finish this Scouse Noir Thriller off is for a Mancunian Manchester United fan (rarer than rocking horse shit) to be the baddie! This really is an excellent example of the new Scouse Noir Thriller that grabs you by the throat holds you tight all the way to the end and leaves you at the end gasping for breath. Luca Veste has so much talent with plenty more to come, cannot wait just hope he allows me to recover first!
January 20, 2015
A different case for Murphy and Rossi this time, a dark and disturbing tale but brilliantly written and very addictive, taking on themes of the breaks in our society and turning them into a haunting tale which is also endlessly fascinating.
I’m a fan of Murphy and Rossi as a duo – they are a great “crime fiction” pairing, I find one of the strengths of these tales is how Luca gives focus not only to them but to the people they get involved with in each case, we as readers see both sides of the story, even as identities are hidden to allow for some terrific mystery elements.
In the case of “The Dying Place” I was not only enthralled and often disturbed by the tale unfolding but it also gave me pause for thought, to consider the heart of Justice and how that can mean different things to different people. At turns terrifying and emotional this really was a wonderfully constructed thriller with hugely appealing characters, both those we know and those we don’t.
A very emotional ending with an excellent lead in to book 3, which I can’t wait for, made this one of my top crime reads of last year. Excellent stuff.
I’m a fan of Murphy and Rossi as a duo – they are a great “crime fiction” pairing, I find one of the strengths of these tales is how Luca gives focus not only to them but to the people they get involved with in each case, we as readers see both sides of the story, even as identities are hidden to allow for some terrific mystery elements.
In the case of “The Dying Place” I was not only enthralled and often disturbed by the tale unfolding but it also gave me pause for thought, to consider the heart of Justice and how that can mean different things to different people. At turns terrifying and emotional this really was a wonderfully constructed thriller with hugely appealing characters, both those we know and those we don’t.
A very emotional ending with an excellent lead in to book 3, which I can’t wait for, made this one of my top crime reads of last year. Excellent stuff.
October 22, 2014
Take note of the name Luca Veste, as he is going to be massive in crime fiction if his first two books are anything to go by. Reading his biography he almost fell into writing yet reading Dead Gone and The Dying Place, he is a born storyteller. With a move to Simon & Schuster imminent, I'm very excited about future books from Luca. Liverpool is a city with so much potential for a crime fiction novel, you only have to read the Liverpool Echo or walk around the city to see that, so I'm constantly disappointed to never find any decent crime fiction set in the city. Luca appears to be writing the books I wish I could write myself, and that as a crime fiction reader from Liverpool, the books I've waited years to be written.
The book opens with a very hard hitting, emotional and realistic Prologue of a single mother who's child has gone missing. Nobody cares. The mum is on benefits, the son a troublemaker. Probably turn up after a few days. When he turns up dead however, his mutilated and tortured body dumped on the steps of a West Derby church, it's a whole other story. We go back in time to discover how her son ended up dead. A gang of men kidnap another boy, Goldie, and take him out to a Farm, dumping him into the 'Dorm' where he meets Dean. Subjecting the boys to torture, and trying to 'fix' them it is almost like a modern day National Service and the idea is quite horrifying because it feels all too real, like it could actually happen. I had an idea of where the book would go, yet I couldn't have been more wrong. Luca took the book down a completely different path and I didn't see it coming.
When the body of the first boy is found the attitude of one of the officers is quite shocking, yet scarily probably not that far from the truth. DI Murphy however, growing up on an estate himself and very nearly choosing the wrong path in life, knows all too well how easy it is to end up in that life and actually, seeing the boys locked up we see a different side to them ourselves and your emotions are torn over whether they deserve what is happening to them, or whether we should feel sorry for them. Not everything can be blamed on their upbringing and where they live, but there is a vulnerability to them that shows they aren't the men they think they are. With not all the kidnappers being 100% committed to the cause it isn't long until things get very interesting. I was gobsmacked at some of the developments in the book. I guess I felt more an emotional impact as this was all happening in the city I was born and live in. It was almost frightening at times imagining some of these scenes playing out not too far from where I live.
I could talk about the story all day but it would of course ruin the reading experience. Despite this only being Luca's second book he has written something completely different to Dead Gone, it is refreshing and makes a change from a similar story just written differently by other crime authors. An author that can change the story each book rather than relying on more of the same is very exciting for me, and I can't wait for book three to see what Luca does next. With only a vague idea of who is behind the killings and why (for the most part) it makes for a very gripping read, one chapter ends and you just have to read the next ten. With some jaw dropping developments halfway through, this is a book you'll be reading long into the night. It's bloody, gritty and in places extremely gruesome which is just how I like my crime fiction. I hope the gore level is turned up to the max with book three.
The book feels very authentic, written by somebody with a love for the city, and a knowledge of its areas and not just the city centre. As Luca says in his author Q&A and guest post here, Liverpool is a city of disparity. Walking around it at times you could almost be in another city the differences are that big. Luca clearly has a vested (no pun intended) interest in discussing these aspects of life in the city and that really comes across here, making the book infinitely more enjoyable than if it was written by someone who didn't share those interests. He has captured the setting really well, using his knowledge of the area to create believable, realistic characters. Perhaps my love for Liverpool has me biased, I love recognising the areas he is talking about but I firmly believe it is an excellent city to base a book, and so enjoyment will be found by all crime fiction fans.
Murphy and Rossi, our main characters are now some of my favourites in crime fiction. I just love them as a duo. There's a lot of cynicism and humour throughout the book which lightens the mood, and I love their scenes together. Using his Italian heritage Luca has created a character in Rossi that feels genuine and real, and the same with Murphy. Unique and interesting detectives in crime fiction are what I want, and I got that here. In the background Murphy's relationship with Sarah develops, and not always in a good way. The same is true of his best friend Jess. Admittedly I saw the story regarding Jess coming a mile away, yet it still shocked me and left me speechless. A certain development in this book had me on the edge of my seat, about to abandon the book and shout at Luca via Twitter, luckily I didn't need to but I was scared for a while.
This book was over long before I wanted it to. I want the next book from Luca right now! As I said at the start, his is a name you will be hearing a lot of over the coming years as he climbs the ranks to sit alongside the likes of Mark Billingham and Stuart MacBride. This book is fantastic and not to be missed, and if you did somehow miss Dead Gone, then go and get that too!
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
The book opens with a very hard hitting, emotional and realistic Prologue of a single mother who's child has gone missing. Nobody cares. The mum is on benefits, the son a troublemaker. Probably turn up after a few days. When he turns up dead however, his mutilated and tortured body dumped on the steps of a West Derby church, it's a whole other story. We go back in time to discover how her son ended up dead. A gang of men kidnap another boy, Goldie, and take him out to a Farm, dumping him into the 'Dorm' where he meets Dean. Subjecting the boys to torture, and trying to 'fix' them it is almost like a modern day National Service and the idea is quite horrifying because it feels all too real, like it could actually happen. I had an idea of where the book would go, yet I couldn't have been more wrong. Luca took the book down a completely different path and I didn't see it coming.
When the body of the first boy is found the attitude of one of the officers is quite shocking, yet scarily probably not that far from the truth. DI Murphy however, growing up on an estate himself and very nearly choosing the wrong path in life, knows all too well how easy it is to end up in that life and actually, seeing the boys locked up we see a different side to them ourselves and your emotions are torn over whether they deserve what is happening to them, or whether we should feel sorry for them. Not everything can be blamed on their upbringing and where they live, but there is a vulnerability to them that shows they aren't the men they think they are. With not all the kidnappers being 100% committed to the cause it isn't long until things get very interesting. I was gobsmacked at some of the developments in the book. I guess I felt more an emotional impact as this was all happening in the city I was born and live in. It was almost frightening at times imagining some of these scenes playing out not too far from where I live.
I could talk about the story all day but it would of course ruin the reading experience. Despite this only being Luca's second book he has written something completely different to Dead Gone, it is refreshing and makes a change from a similar story just written differently by other crime authors. An author that can change the story each book rather than relying on more of the same is very exciting for me, and I can't wait for book three to see what Luca does next. With only a vague idea of who is behind the killings and why (for the most part) it makes for a very gripping read, one chapter ends and you just have to read the next ten. With some jaw dropping developments halfway through, this is a book you'll be reading long into the night. It's bloody, gritty and in places extremely gruesome which is just how I like my crime fiction. I hope the gore level is turned up to the max with book three.
The book feels very authentic, written by somebody with a love for the city, and a knowledge of its areas and not just the city centre. As Luca says in his author Q&A and guest post here, Liverpool is a city of disparity. Walking around it at times you could almost be in another city the differences are that big. Luca clearly has a vested (no pun intended) interest in discussing these aspects of life in the city and that really comes across here, making the book infinitely more enjoyable than if it was written by someone who didn't share those interests. He has captured the setting really well, using his knowledge of the area to create believable, realistic characters. Perhaps my love for Liverpool has me biased, I love recognising the areas he is talking about but I firmly believe it is an excellent city to base a book, and so enjoyment will be found by all crime fiction fans.
Murphy and Rossi, our main characters are now some of my favourites in crime fiction. I just love them as a duo. There's a lot of cynicism and humour throughout the book which lightens the mood, and I love their scenes together. Using his Italian heritage Luca has created a character in Rossi that feels genuine and real, and the same with Murphy. Unique and interesting detectives in crime fiction are what I want, and I got that here. In the background Murphy's relationship with Sarah develops, and not always in a good way. The same is true of his best friend Jess. Admittedly I saw the story regarding Jess coming a mile away, yet it still shocked me and left me speechless. A certain development in this book had me on the edge of my seat, about to abandon the book and shout at Luca via Twitter, luckily I didn't need to but I was scared for a while.
This book was over long before I wanted it to. I want the next book from Luca right now! As I said at the start, his is a name you will be hearing a lot of over the coming years as he climbs the ranks to sit alongside the likes of Mark Billingham and Stuart MacBride. This book is fantastic and not to be missed, and if you did somehow miss Dead Gone, then go and get that too!
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
October 1, 2018
This one kind of reminded me of a sick twist on the Clint Eastwood movie, Gran Torino. Where the old man sees how these kids are all losing sense or what’s right and wrong in the world. But these guys in this book tried to change their ways. I liked the plot but it seemed like it took a lot of extra filler to get to the point is why only 3 stars. I do like this series tho and am onto the next.
December 29, 2014
The body of a known teenage troublemaker, Dean Hughes, is found dead on the steps of a church in a run down part of Liverpool. But this is no ordinary death, his corpse is covered with signs of torture, some of them months old. As DI David Murphy and DS Laura Rossi dig further into the crime they discover Hughes has been missing for months. And he’s not the only absentee. It seems other teens, all delinquents and all local, have disappeared without trace. Murphy and Rossi believe someone is clearing the streets of problem teenagers.
Goldie is one of these problems. He’s being held at a remote location called The Farm. His jailers are anonymous, they wear balaclavas and go by pseudonyms, all letters of the Greek alphabet. The most vicious of them all is the leader, called Alpha.
Teaching at The Farm is engineered to turn the teens from reprobates who leech off their neighbours and the state into viable citizens who instead contribute to society. When the inmates stray from the course they are punished with beatings and, worst of all, The Rack. But when one of the beatings goes too far and an inmate dies the others realise their time is probably short. Goldie in particular is convinced there’s only one way off The Farm, and that’s in a coffin. He’s determined it’s not going to happen to him and begins to plan his escape. But there’s Alpha in the way, a man who’s slowly going off the rails. Can Murphy and Rossi find the boys before another is murdered?
Luca Veste, once a reviewer here at Crime Fiction Lover, made his debut with Dead Gone, a smash hit praised by the likes of Mark Billingham, no less. As the first book, Murphy is still suffering the after effects of a huge personal loss, rebuilding a shattered marriage which teeters on a knife edge. Rossi lives a solitary life. All she has besides the job are her close knit Italian family. Unlike Murphy she has commitment issues. Once a relationship moves beyond the initial stages and looks like it may get serious, she’s off.
The Dying Place is divided into two arcs – a past and a present – which eventually collide. Murphy and Rossi exist in the present. Initially there’s barely enough to do at the station, and the narrative pacing reflects this. Goldie’s story is in the past, when he’s taken from the streets. Here the pacing is quite different, and as the young man learns what he’s got himself into the tension increases. Murphy and Rossi’s work situation alters as soon as Hughes is discovered dead. As they begin to investigate and comprehend what’s going on in the youthful underbelly of society, Goldie continues to experience life at The Farm, and in this part of the story Hughes is still alive. It’s smartly done.
Additional well constructed elements are the location; the author is Liverpudlian and clearly knows his home ground. This provides a powerful backdrop, particularly later on when events spill out onto the streets. And then there’s the psychological element. Again the author draws on his knowledge – this time his study of criminology – to add layers. It’s easy to see why Veste has recently signed a multi-book deal with a major publishing house. The only issue is that some of the editing could have been better, particularly with reference to repetitive language.
Originally reviewed for Crime Fiction Lover.
Goldie is one of these problems. He’s being held at a remote location called The Farm. His jailers are anonymous, they wear balaclavas and go by pseudonyms, all letters of the Greek alphabet. The most vicious of them all is the leader, called Alpha.
Teaching at The Farm is engineered to turn the teens from reprobates who leech off their neighbours and the state into viable citizens who instead contribute to society. When the inmates stray from the course they are punished with beatings and, worst of all, The Rack. But when one of the beatings goes too far and an inmate dies the others realise their time is probably short. Goldie in particular is convinced there’s only one way off The Farm, and that’s in a coffin. He’s determined it’s not going to happen to him and begins to plan his escape. But there’s Alpha in the way, a man who’s slowly going off the rails. Can Murphy and Rossi find the boys before another is murdered?
Luca Veste, once a reviewer here at Crime Fiction Lover, made his debut with Dead Gone, a smash hit praised by the likes of Mark Billingham, no less. As the first book, Murphy is still suffering the after effects of a huge personal loss, rebuilding a shattered marriage which teeters on a knife edge. Rossi lives a solitary life. All she has besides the job are her close knit Italian family. Unlike Murphy she has commitment issues. Once a relationship moves beyond the initial stages and looks like it may get serious, she’s off.
The Dying Place is divided into two arcs – a past and a present – which eventually collide. Murphy and Rossi exist in the present. Initially there’s barely enough to do at the station, and the narrative pacing reflects this. Goldie’s story is in the past, when he’s taken from the streets. Here the pacing is quite different, and as the young man learns what he’s got himself into the tension increases. Murphy and Rossi’s work situation alters as soon as Hughes is discovered dead. As they begin to investigate and comprehend what’s going on in the youthful underbelly of society, Goldie continues to experience life at The Farm, and in this part of the story Hughes is still alive. It’s smartly done.
Additional well constructed elements are the location; the author is Liverpudlian and clearly knows his home ground. This provides a powerful backdrop, particularly later on when events spill out onto the streets. And then there’s the psychological element. Again the author draws on his knowledge – this time his study of criminology – to add layers. It’s easy to see why Veste has recently signed a multi-book deal with a major publishing house. The only issue is that some of the editing could have been better, particularly with reference to repetitive language.
Originally reviewed for Crime Fiction Lover.
July 19, 2015
When the body of a young man is found on the steps of a church, DI Murphy and DS Rossi – returning from Dead Gone, Luca Veste‘s very enjoyable debut crime novel – are called in to investigate.
Veste’s second novel is very impressive indeed. Mature and tightly written, The Dying Place is a truly humanist piece of crime fiction. Veste smoothly moves from the POVs of the victims, perpetrators and cops, creating a gripping, chilling and very moving piece of work.
Highly recommended.
Veste’s second novel is very impressive indeed. Mature and tightly written, The Dying Place is a truly humanist piece of crime fiction. Veste smoothly moves from the POVs of the victims, perpetrators and cops, creating a gripping, chilling and very moving piece of work.
Highly recommended.
January 30, 2018
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
But at some point, they will be the last words you say to your child, and for too many parents in these pages, those words come a lot sooner than anyone expected or wanted. Which is just part of what makes this novel so effective and devastating.
So often (arguably, too often) in books about mass killers, the killers are depicted as geniuses, psychopaths, sociopaths, or a combination of thereof. The villains of this book (without giving too much away, I think) are regular people -- people you pass by every day, see in stores, say hi to walking down the hall at work, or maybe even chat with a bit by the coffee pot. They're hard-working, responsible adults -- vote, pay taxes, help their neighbors, maybe raised a few kids. But life has dealt them one too many band hands and they make some horrible choices in response. And then things spiral out of control.
The victims aren't the easiest to sympathize with -- at least on the surface -- they're young men, technically adults, but kids really. Petty criminals -- felons-in-training, on the whole -- loiterers, drug users, public drunks, vandals. Not the kind of criminal you stay awake at night worried about, but you certainly don't want your kids turning out like them or your daughters dating them. On the whole, men who could profit from a good mentor, like the folks in the previous paragraph.
That's more spoiler-y than I tend to go around here, but that's just the first 50 pages. One of these ne'er-do-wells shows up dead on the steps of a church, bringing Murphy and Rossi into the story, investigating this murder and eventually understanding that there's more going on. This particular murder victim has been missing for months, but given his frequent delinquency, no one other than his mother, took his disappearance as anything to be concerned about. The reader, by this time, knows that he'd been kidnapped by our fine, upstanding citizens for the purpose of (re)educating him and redirecting his life -- up until it was ended, and he wasn't the only one being (re)educated in this fashion. The question is, will Murphy and Rossi catch up to the reader's information in time to stop them before another young man is killed?
Pretty much at this point, the reader can plot the rest of the book and do a pretty good job of it. What the reader won't be able to do is pace it like Veste does -- it seems like he breaks several Basic Thriller 101 rules on that front. More than once I muttered, "What, he's doing that now? Already?" (and once or twice the opposite -- "he finally got around to this?"). He may have broken pacing rules, but he did so in a way that worked. Which is really all that matters, right?
It's the characterizations that bring this home -- Murphy and Rossi dealing with their demons as well as the mystery surrounding the missing and then murdered victim; the kidnapped men/boys; as well as the kidnappers. He doesn't dive too deeply into the various kidnapper's frame-of-minds, just enough that we understand what they did and why -- and how they reacted to the chain of events they set in motion. We get a little deeper when it comes to the victims -- which allows us to empathize with them.
But Veste also makes us looks at what the people around these victims thought of them and their families (mostly their mothers) both before and after these boys became victims. It's at this point that society at large fails. Veste doesn't fall into the trap of trying to fix societal ills, but man, he makes you think long and hard about your attitudes about some people. The fact that he does that while telling a chilling crime story is all the better.
There's more to be said about some of this, it's a very ambitious work -- I have many more notes about things I intended to talk about, but I think I'm going to stop here so the focus stays on the vital stuff. Veste tapped into something powerful here, and that overshadows a lot of the nuances I could talk about (and outweighs the few nits I want to pick). From the wrenching opening pages to the guy-punch of a conclusion, The Dying Place is a gripping police procedural featuring characters you can't help but like and root for, even while the world around them comes apart at the seams.
---
You can't choose the last words you ever say to your child -- and that's what they are, no matter what age -- as they leave the house. Off to school, off out with friends. Off to work, or on a date. You don't think of them as last words. Just another part of the ongoing conversation, the never-ending role as a parent.
But at some point, they will be the last words you say to your child, and for too many parents in these pages, those words come a lot sooner than anyone expected or wanted. Which is just part of what makes this novel so effective and devastating.
So often (arguably, too often) in books about mass killers, the killers are depicted as geniuses, psychopaths, sociopaths, or a combination of thereof. The villains of this book (without giving too much away, I think) are regular people -- people you pass by every day, see in stores, say hi to walking down the hall at work, or maybe even chat with a bit by the coffee pot. They're hard-working, responsible adults -- vote, pay taxes, help their neighbors, maybe raised a few kids. But life has dealt them one too many band hands and they make some horrible choices in response. And then things spiral out of control.
The victims aren't the easiest to sympathize with -- at least on the surface -- they're young men, technically adults, but kids really. Petty criminals -- felons-in-training, on the whole -- loiterers, drug users, public drunks, vandals. Not the kind of criminal you stay awake at night worried about, but you certainly don't want your kids turning out like them or your daughters dating them. On the whole, men who could profit from a good mentor, like the folks in the previous paragraph.
That's more spoiler-y than I tend to go around here, but that's just the first 50 pages. One of these ne'er-do-wells shows up dead on the steps of a church, bringing Murphy and Rossi into the story, investigating this murder and eventually understanding that there's more going on. This particular murder victim has been missing for months, but given his frequent delinquency, no one other than his mother, took his disappearance as anything to be concerned about. The reader, by this time, knows that he'd been kidnapped by our fine, upstanding citizens for the purpose of (re)educating him and redirecting his life -- up until it was ended, and he wasn't the only one being (re)educated in this fashion. The question is, will Murphy and Rossi catch up to the reader's information in time to stop them before another young man is killed?
Pretty much at this point, the reader can plot the rest of the book and do a pretty good job of it. What the reader won't be able to do is pace it like Veste does -- it seems like he breaks several Basic Thriller 101 rules on that front. More than once I muttered, "What, he's doing that now? Already?" (and once or twice the opposite -- "he finally got around to this?"). He may have broken pacing rules, but he did so in a way that worked. Which is really all that matters, right?
It's the characterizations that bring this home -- Murphy and Rossi dealing with their demons as well as the mystery surrounding the missing and then murdered victim; the kidnapped men/boys; as well as the kidnappers. He doesn't dive too deeply into the various kidnapper's frame-of-minds, just enough that we understand what they did and why -- and how they reacted to the chain of events they set in motion. We get a little deeper when it comes to the victims -- which allows us to empathize with them.
But Veste also makes us looks at what the people around these victims thought of them and their families (mostly their mothers) both before and after these boys became victims. It's at this point that society at large fails. Veste doesn't fall into the trap of trying to fix societal ills, but man, he makes you think long and hard about your attitudes about some people. The fact that he does that while telling a chilling crime story is all the better.
There's more to be said about some of this, it's a very ambitious work -- I have many more notes about things I intended to talk about, but I think I'm going to stop here so the focus stays on the vital stuff. Veste tapped into something powerful here, and that overshadows a lot of the nuances I could talk about (and outweighs the few nits I want to pick). From the wrenching opening pages to the guy-punch of a conclusion, The Dying Place is a gripping police procedural featuring characters you can't help but like and root for, even while the world around them comes apart at the seams.
January 28, 2020
OMG!! I cannot believe it ended that way. Luca Veste certainly doesn't mince his words or his stories. Based on the streets of Liverpool he brings some hard-hitting stories to the reader's attention. This story is based on a vigilante who thinks he can take the "scallies" off the streets, administer his version of national service and reform them into upstanding citizens. The need for revenge, however, takes over and soon, the reason for doing what he was doing gets blurred and the demons take over. As usual for Luca Veste, this does get blood thirsty at times, but it was an addictive story that I couldn't stop listening to. Being a mum, this kind of reality scares me to death, but I could see it happening, and I'm sure on a smaller scale, it probably has.
October 1, 2017
The premise was interesting; different and something so awfully plausible in today's society. But the book itself didn't live up to the blurb. I wasn't eagerly turning the pages and skimmed large chunks. Whoops. Murphy was particularly inept; regularly missing clues that were blatantly obvious. I also guessed part of the ending pretty early on, which ruined it quite a lot. Sighhhhh. Maybe my first Luca Veste book will be my last. Sorry.
November 26, 2025
What an utterly terrifying read! As the mother of a teen boy myself I was drawn into this tale like a moth to a flame. This second book in the series takes us on an emotional rollercoaster with Murphy and Rossi. It's a know fact that the youth of today are out of control and @lucavestewriter very cleverly used this as the plot to his novel, and let me tell you it is captivating. The storyline is gripping and I could envision both sides of this coin, I could easily see how the vigilante thought he did a good thing. But then again this was totally out of control and should never happen. Incredible story a must read for crime thriller enthusiasts.
January 26, 2019
The second in this series of police procedurals set in Liverpool, with Murphy and Rossi investigating the dumped bruised body of a teenager, without realising it is part of a vigilante action.
May 17, 2019
Probably a 3 and a half star from me...a good novel for me... enjoyable.
March 28, 2015
The second book from Luca Veste. His debut 'dead gone' was brilliant and we see the DI Murphy & DS Rossi return in this book. When a boys body is found near a churh the two detectives are thrown into what first looks like a gang-related murder. But slowly they begin to notice that other kids are being taken from the liverpool streets without a trace.
I loved this story, i love reading about Murphy & Rossi in this sequal. They're a great team and the little banter between them shows how close they work. This case is crazy, Luca really gives a lot of insight to the goings on in Liverpool.
It's probably very much a book that makes you think a lot. The thing is, we see kids on the street and we do think they're nothing but pains, no gooders and set for nothing in life. But what if thats not the case for all of them. Why do we blame their parents, when they are trying their best. Some children are beyond help but others, they just need to right guidance. This book makes you think, bout how judging a book by its cover is bad. You really don't know whats going on behind the sceens.
This book wasn't as creepy as the first, so i managed to get some sleep. It's addictive, you want to know who is hiding behind the masks and secret names. Who is tourting these boys, because, they only take boys. Why has this happened, what started it all off. It's all answered. The ending, its sad. It's probably the most heartbreaking of them all.
Luca Veste is certainly one to watch in the crime fiction!
I loved this story, i love reading about Murphy & Rossi in this sequal. They're a great team and the little banter between them shows how close they work. This case is crazy, Luca really gives a lot of insight to the goings on in Liverpool.
It's probably very much a book that makes you think a lot. The thing is, we see kids on the street and we do think they're nothing but pains, no gooders and set for nothing in life. But what if thats not the case for all of them. Why do we blame their parents, when they are trying their best. Some children are beyond help but others, they just need to right guidance. This book makes you think, bout how judging a book by its cover is bad. You really don't know whats going on behind the sceens.
This book wasn't as creepy as the first, so i managed to get some sleep. It's addictive, you want to know who is hiding behind the masks and secret names. Who is tourting these boys, because, they only take boys. Why has this happened, what started it all off. It's all answered. The ending, its sad. It's probably the most heartbreaking of them all.
Luca Veste is certainly one to watch in the crime fiction!
November 16, 2014
Liverpool’s DI Murphy and DS Rossi return in this new thriller from the author of Dead Gone.
Nobody seemed concerned when a single mother’s son went missing. She’s on benefits. He’s a known troublemaker the cops assumed would turn up after a day or two. Then a body turn up, mutilated and dumped in a church yard.
A violent gang are kidnapping young tearaways, attempting to teach them a lesson.
They take another boy, Goldie, to a farm where the ‘rehabilitation’ takes place. It’s like a boot camp with torture and surveillance. Like the others he’s a bad lad, a scally, who tormented an old man, but, after time, it’s easy to feel sorry for Goldie as he actually makes positive adjustments.
The extreme gang's aims of rehabilitation and release are easier said than done. Things go drastically wrong, for both the capturered and their capturers. The gang wear masks and use code names but their hostages know enough to threaten their discovery.
Veste is a clever writer. The reader manages to see both sides as wrong but there’s enough understanding and sympathy to empathise with them both in this well paced mystery.
Do the captures deserve their fate? Can they be cured with violence? There are social issues here, with questions of upbringing and justice raised.
Gritty and original.
Nobody seemed concerned when a single mother’s son went missing. She’s on benefits. He’s a known troublemaker the cops assumed would turn up after a day or two. Then a body turn up, mutilated and dumped in a church yard.
A violent gang are kidnapping young tearaways, attempting to teach them a lesson.
They take another boy, Goldie, to a farm where the ‘rehabilitation’ takes place. It’s like a boot camp with torture and surveillance. Like the others he’s a bad lad, a scally, who tormented an old man, but, after time, it’s easy to feel sorry for Goldie as he actually makes positive adjustments.
The extreme gang's aims of rehabilitation and release are easier said than done. Things go drastically wrong, for both the capturered and their capturers. The gang wear masks and use code names but their hostages know enough to threaten their discovery.
Veste is a clever writer. The reader manages to see both sides as wrong but there’s enough understanding and sympathy to empathise with them both in this well paced mystery.
Do the captures deserve their fate? Can they be cured with violence? There are social issues here, with questions of upbringing and justice raised.
Gritty and original.
January 29, 2015
This novel is wonderfully crafted in alternating views and alternating timelines. Not a simple task to create for a writer, but it reads easily. You don’t feel as though you are being jerked out of the story at all, it flows naturally.
It starts with a missing, then dead boy and moves to the start of the ‘project’ before we are introduced to DI David Murphy and DS Laura Rossi who we know from Veste’s previous book, Dead Gone.
Murphy and Rossi are investigating the death of a boy found on the steps of the church. It’s a steady investigation, but our attention is held because of the switch to the place the boys are being held. We get to know what is happening and we get to know the why.
This makes for an interesting novel as Veste explores the subject of the trouble makers in our youth of today and how they are viewed by society.
As the police investigation progresses and the timeline of the project keep crossing, there are lots of thrills and surprises to keep you on your toes.
Veste doesn’t pull his punches either. Don’t expect a cosy police procedural. It’s a tough subject. Tightly plotted and not written to please, it’s written to keep you turning the pages and leave you gasping in shock. That’s what the crime genre is meant for and this book does it in spades. I’m now looking forward to the next Veste novel.
It starts with a missing, then dead boy and moves to the start of the ‘project’ before we are introduced to DI David Murphy and DS Laura Rossi who we know from Veste’s previous book, Dead Gone.
Murphy and Rossi are investigating the death of a boy found on the steps of the church. It’s a steady investigation, but our attention is held because of the switch to the place the boys are being held. We get to know what is happening and we get to know the why.
This makes for an interesting novel as Veste explores the subject of the trouble makers in our youth of today and how they are viewed by society.
As the police investigation progresses and the timeline of the project keep crossing, there are lots of thrills and surprises to keep you on your toes.
Veste doesn’t pull his punches either. Don’t expect a cosy police procedural. It’s a tough subject. Tightly plotted and not written to please, it’s written to keep you turning the pages and leave you gasping in shock. That’s what the crime genre is meant for and this book does it in spades. I’m now looking forward to the next Veste novel.
March 22, 2025
The body of Dean Hughes, a well-known teenage troublemaker, is discovered on the steps of a church in Liverpool, bearing signs of torture and having been missing for several months. Detectives David Murphy and Laura Rossi launch an investigation, revealing a disturbing trend of local delinquent teens disappearing, indicating that someone is specifically targeting them.
Among the missing is a teen named Goldie, who is being held captive at a location referred to as The Farm, a facility run by masked captors who go by names from the Greek alphabet. Their harsh rehabilitation program aims to correct the behavior of troubled youths, but those who do not comply face severe punishments, including a horrifying device known as the Rack. Following a fatal beating in prison, the remaining inmates come to the grim realization that their lives are in jeopardy. Goldie is determined to escape, but death may be the only escape, especially in the eyes of the leader, Alpha.
The narrative unfolds in two timelines—past and present. While Murphy deals with personal grief and a shaky marriage, Rossi, who struggles with commitment issues, finds comfort in her family. The author utilizes his expertise in Liverpool and criminology to deepen the psychological complexity and atmosphere of the tale.
Among the missing is a teen named Goldie, who is being held captive at a location referred to as The Farm, a facility run by masked captors who go by names from the Greek alphabet. Their harsh rehabilitation program aims to correct the behavior of troubled youths, but those who do not comply face severe punishments, including a horrifying device known as the Rack. Following a fatal beating in prison, the remaining inmates come to the grim realization that their lives are in jeopardy. Goldie is determined to escape, but death may be the only escape, especially in the eyes of the leader, Alpha.
The narrative unfolds in two timelines—past and present. While Murphy deals with personal grief and a shaky marriage, Rossi, who struggles with commitment issues, finds comfort in her family. The author utilizes his expertise in Liverpool and criminology to deepen the psychological complexity and atmosphere of the tale.
January 15, 2015
I absolutely loved Dead Gone, the prequel to this, and really liked DI David Murphy and his partner, DS Laura Rossi and couldn't wait to begin this.
I wasn't as hooked on this as I was the previous book albeit I still like Laura more than David, as I am finding the latter makes an awful lot of mistakes whilst hunting the perpetrator(s). Laura seems to have more about her and connects the dots, which David quickly writes off to his peril, as he did in the previous book and I found this mildly irritating about the character. I am not particularly fond of him for some reason.
David and Laura are hunting a man who kills teenage boys initially but then totally loses the plot. The story is extremely unique in that the murderer has basically nominated himself to cleanse the streets of Liverpool of teenage boys firstly by trying to educate them as to the errors of their ways.
There becomes a race against time to find the man who is quickly losing his grip on reality and no one is safe.
It is quite a gruesome book in parts but I did enjoy it.
I can't wait for David and Laura's next case in these gripping, gritty novels.
I wasn't as hooked on this as I was the previous book albeit I still like Laura more than David, as I am finding the latter makes an awful lot of mistakes whilst hunting the perpetrator(s). Laura seems to have more about her and connects the dots, which David quickly writes off to his peril, as he did in the previous book and I found this mildly irritating about the character. I am not particularly fond of him for some reason.
David and Laura are hunting a man who kills teenage boys initially but then totally loses the plot. The story is extremely unique in that the murderer has basically nominated himself to cleanse the streets of Liverpool of teenage boys firstly by trying to educate them as to the errors of their ways.
There becomes a race against time to find the man who is quickly losing his grip on reality and no one is safe.
It is quite a gruesome book in parts but I did enjoy it.
I can't wait for David and Laura's next case in these gripping, gritty novels.
December 20, 2015
Another strong crime mystery book from this author.
Not quite as good in my view as the first (although that was very very good) it is still one of the better books I have read in this genre and certainly good enough to keep me interested for the next one.
Not quite as good in my view as the first (although that was very very good) it is still one of the better books I have read in this genre and certainly good enough to keep me interested for the next one.
September 9, 2015
Another great book. Can't wait for the next one.
May 5, 2015
The central motive for the killer is based on a Daily Mail/Express editorial view of English society. People read these papers so maybe it seems plausible to some. I don't. It wasn't.
July 13, 2025
I've owned a copy of "the dying place" for some time now.
This story follows several different POVs, from a mother whose worried about her missing son, until he turns up brutally murdered. A old man whose being terrorised to near death by a young man, and two police officers.
The story alternates between third and second person.
The story opens on a way that almost everyone can related to, especially those on government benefits. We know what its like to be seen less than even though majority of us are working multiple jobs and just trying to survive life.
The first couple of chapters read quite angry, which for the way the story starts, being angry feels just right.
This story isnt for parents, let alone parents of fresh faced barely legal teenagers, especially ones who are parents of teenage boys.
This is so shocking and heartbreaking. A group of people trying to "train" young boys to be good members of society by holding the boys hostage, physically abusing them before murdering the boys when the "plan" goes wrong.
Reading the grief of these fictional parents. The fear of these fictional characters. All too much.
The closer you got to the end, the more you want to protect every damn child in the world.
This story follows several different POVs, from a mother whose worried about her missing son, until he turns up brutally murdered. A old man whose being terrorised to near death by a young man, and two police officers.
The story alternates between third and second person.
The story opens on a way that almost everyone can related to, especially those on government benefits. We know what its like to be seen less than even though majority of us are working multiple jobs and just trying to survive life.
The first couple of chapters read quite angry, which for the way the story starts, being angry feels just right.
This story isnt for parents, let alone parents of fresh faced barely legal teenagers, especially ones who are parents of teenage boys.
This is so shocking and heartbreaking. A group of people trying to "train" young boys to be good members of society by holding the boys hostage, physically abusing them before murdering the boys when the "plan" goes wrong.
Reading the grief of these fictional parents. The fear of these fictional characters. All too much.
The closer you got to the end, the more you want to protect every damn child in the world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 6, 2019
I'm only on book 2 and I'm already a huge Murphy and Rossi fan. They are a superb double act and I love their relationship, their banter and the obvious deep feelings they have for each other. The whole concept of this book is brilliant. Haven't we all at some stage, wanted to give a gang of yobs a lesson in respect and manners? A taste of National Service? I'm being very careful not to give away any spoilers here but Mr Veste takes this idea and runs with it to what I'm pretty sure would be its inevitable conclusion. Luca Veste is fast becoming one of my favourite crime writers and although I'm desperate to listen to Bloodstream, there are, so far, only 4 books in this series, so I'm eking them out as they are books to save for special occasions. Jonathan Keeble does his usual fabulous job narrating, (although if you listen to too many books by the same narrator it can get confusing. I did keep wondering what DCI Ryan was doing in a Murphy and Rossi book!!). This is a superb series that's compelling and captivating in equal measure. Treat yourself to it today. You can always thank me later.
August 9, 2017
This is a British author that I discovered at a used book store. It's a little hard to find them, but I managed to luck into 2 more....
I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first one. I think this is partly due to reading it too soon after reading Mo Hayder's "Ritual". While the plots are different, they are both police stories searching for some heinous bad people, set in England, with a male lead detective and a female officer in tow.
For this particular episosde, the bored teens are bothering the elders, being rowdy and rambunctious and maybe partial to crimes....The elders are fed up. They commiserate on how youths used to be raised to be respectful humans.
Another track of the book is some group of people are grabbing youths off the street and trying to reform them. Who are these people? Does it work? Are the kids reformed? Did the released guy succeed?
I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first one. I think this is partly due to reading it too soon after reading Mo Hayder's "Ritual". While the plots are different, they are both police stories searching for some heinous bad people, set in England, with a male lead detective and a female officer in tow.
For this particular episosde, the bored teens are bothering the elders, being rowdy and rambunctious and maybe partial to crimes....The elders are fed up. They commiserate on how youths used to be raised to be respectful humans.
Another track of the book is some group of people are grabbing youths off the street and trying to reform them. Who are these people? Does it work? Are the kids reformed? Did the released guy succeed?
October 13, 2021
I can't really remember the first book in this series, so I doubt it was that memorable. There is a plethora of 'In this city' police thrillers but Liverpool deserves better than this. It starts off fairly well but soon just dissolves until finally it becomes dull. It's also dishonest: it presents the nastiness of the 'scallies on the street' encouraging anger at their behaviour, then it switches to trying to win the reader's sympathy by presenting 'mitigating factors'. Neither is very convincing. The two lead detectives are painted with very broad strokes and there's nothing particularly interesting about either. (Rossi especially is very bland.)
There are much better series than this on the market and I won't be revisiting Murphy and Rossi again.
There are much better series than this on the market and I won't be revisiting Murphy and Rossi again.
April 7, 2019
The second instalment in Luca Veste’s scouse-noir series. This was a much more interesting read than its predecessor, ‘Dead Gone’. Rather than profiling a serial killer, this book focuses on the repercussions when people take justice into their own hands, and the danger of demonising the young and impoverished.
The plot starts off slow, but soon picks up as the villain’s plan begins to unravel. As with the best crime novels, by the end, I couldn’t put it down, and was genuinely waiting with baited breath for the conclusion. It more than delivered. The next installment will make great holiday reading!
The plot starts off slow, but soon picks up as the villain’s plan begins to unravel. As with the best crime novels, by the end, I couldn’t put it down, and was genuinely waiting with baited breath for the conclusion. It more than delivered. The next installment will make great holiday reading!
May 16, 2021
I honestly dont have too much to say about this book. It was, well it was fine. A few interesting moments that peaked my interest but they were gone as quickly as they came.
The 2 main characters, the detectives in charge of the case, were utterly hopeless. If they'd followed basic protocol and actually listened to others advice without thinking they're better than everyone the book would be half as long.
It wasn't an overall bad book but it certainly isn't anything special. If basic run of the mill crime writing and lacklustre characters with little development is something you enjoy (no judgements here we all need a way to relax!) then this is a book you will enjoy.
The 2 main characters, the detectives in charge of the case, were utterly hopeless. If they'd followed basic protocol and actually listened to others advice without thinking they're better than everyone the book would be half as long.
It wasn't an overall bad book but it certainly isn't anything special. If basic run of the mill crime writing and lacklustre characters with little development is something you enjoy (no judgements here we all need a way to relax!) then this is a book you will enjoy.
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