The Cardiff City Murders: A gripping crime thriller full of twists

by Stephen Puleston

317 pages, Paperback

First published September 17, 2013

About the author

I write mysteries and thrillers.

I have published the first novel in a series featuring Inspector Drake based in North Wales and also the first in a series with Inspector John Marco based in Cardiff. The first Drake mystery is called BRASS IN POCKET and the second WORSE THAN DEAD. The third, AGAINST THE TIDE.

My second detective is Inspector Marco who comes from an Italian/Welsh background and he lives in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The first Inspector Marco novel SPEECHLESS has been published on Amazon and the second and third in the series will be published in 2015.

Before turning to crime fiction I had written three other unpublished novels and you can read about my writing and about Wales, one of the most beautiful countries in the world, on my website http://www.stephenpuleston.co.uk/

I was brought up on the Isle of Anglesey, off the North Wales coast and went to school in Holyhead. After a degree in Theology from London University I decided to train as a lawyer and returned to work in the practice run by my father on Anglesey. For many years I worked as a lawyer in a small practice representing clients in the criminal courts and doing divorce work all of which has given me valuable raw material for my novels.

I still live and work in North Wales where the Inspector Drake novels are set.
You can contact me on twitter @stephenpuleston or @inspector_marco
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/17G6iIA

Reviews

[Idamus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't like the MC, won't continue the series.

[Janejellyroll · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dull crimes, a dull investigation, and a dull detective.

[J Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good police procedural with a few rules broken.
I'm a fan of Stephen Puleston's books, but I'd missed this one; I'm very pleased I've corrected that.
DI John Marco has a new Sergeant, and they go straight into an investigation into the death of a banker. They find that there have been questionable financial deals and that someone is out for revenge. The victim's family are not forthcoming g with information.
Marco has his own personal difficulties with his own demons to deal with and this is complicated when he receives a call from his ex wife telling him about his sons serious accident. Marco also has to cope with pressures from senior officers.
The whole thing mov3s along at a rapid pace throughout and has everything a reader could want from a whodunit.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was hard to read. I liked the story but there were too many parts that dragged on and really had nothing to do with the story. The story is about a series of murders in Cardiff and dealt with the cop investigating the murders of Polish people and the Russian Mafia is involved. The people are not only murdered but have their tongue cut out. This might be for some people but not for me.

[Rhys · Rating 4 out of 5]

First dip into the Inspector Marco series and was great to envision the areas and streets of Cardiff in this series. Plot was easy to follow and will likely read the next ones too.

[Susie G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gritty thriller. I liked the policemen in the story. Marco is a bit of a flawed guy.

[Bill Mcarthur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good characters and descriptions of Cardiff

[Susan Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great beginning to the Inspector Marco series. I received this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cardiff City Murders - a review by Rosemary Kenny.

DS John Marco has many stresses in his life at the moment, both at work and in his family, after the violent eponymous murders in the capital, and after his young son Dean is involved in a life-threatening accident.
Lack of sleep, long hours on the job and health issues, that are all worsened by pressure from his superiors and the press alike, intensify his stress levels greatly.
Who's responsible for the wide-spread videos and is the killer someone separate?
Stephen Puleston's spectacular storyline, with its believable engaging characters, dramatic all-action scenes and panoramic settings, bring this exciting story to the eager murder mystery-thriller fan in a 5-star drama.
Get your copy of The Cardiff City Murders while you can - they're sure to sell like hot cakes!