Jack-Knifed

DCI Martin Phelps #1

by Wonny Lea

'Jack-Knifed' is the first novel featuring DCI Martin Phelps and his team, based in the world-famous and vibrant Cardiff Bay. Mark Wilson, a decent, well-liked gay man, lives alone in a beautiful house in Cardiff. One Saturday evening, his closest friends go to his house for an evening of drinks and catching-up. Finding no answer, the concerned friends break in - to a horrific murder scene. For Mark Wilson has been brutally, sadistically murdered in his own home. As DCI Phelps investigates, Mark's traumatic early life is revealed. Was his killer someone from his past? Was his sexuality a motive? What about his violent, homophobic father - a man who has already killed more than once ... Meanwhile, Mark's estranged sister Amy broods on the hatred she has for her brother, blaming him for turning their father into a killer. As she sinks further in to the depths of drug addiction, who's to say what her next move will be? As the body count rises, Phelps and his sergeant, Matt Pryor, soon realise they are on the trail of a serial killer ...

Genres: Mystery, Thriller

Paperback

First published December 23, 2011

Reviews

[Vicky Thomasson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I initially bought this book because the author was signing them at my local bookshop. Living quite close to Cardiff, this book appealed to me. I think it started off quite stiff and the need to constantly go over the facts irritated me slightly but all in all a very good read. I guessed the little twist at the end but I've read countless murder mysteries so that's probably the reason for that. I found the book quite scary but I think that's because it's based near to where I live and I had to keep reminding myself it was fiction. I look forward to reading the next one.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drawn to this because it was set locally in Cardiff, Newport and Bristol. Another free download from Amazon that has proved worthwhile.

[Simon Fenwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first in the DCI Phelps series set in and around Cardiff. I enjoyed this which is a fairly standard police procedural however, there is a very large 'but'.

For me there was little wrong with the story itself, hence my four stars. However, I was reading the Kindle edition and this was frankly awful with horrendous layout issues. I did wonder whether there was an issue with my device but then tried it on another one and it was the same. Page turns happened all over the place, on several occasions with just a couple of lines or so to a page and on one occasion just a single word. I haven't marked the book itself down for this but if Goodreads offered a rating for the publisher, it would get a big fat zero!

[Yves Lefevre · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather good story, with interesting characters. A good police procedural mixed with a serial killer, a romance, and a dash of sociology and politics.
But the plot is a little too simple, and the culprit easy to guess, especially when you look at the title.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic who dunnit! I certainly look forward to reading more by this author.

[Siân · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered this series during Lockdown, and as a South Walian I loved the fact that the area was familiar to me. I have read all of the series, and just wish there was more!

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had never heard of this author but saw a review for it on Facebook & liked the sound of the book so decided to download it, at the time it was only 37p wow that was a brilliant spend as this book is so enthralling I just wanted to keep reading.

Mark Wilson has overcome so much in his life he can't believe he's where he is now the beloved adopted son of Norman & Sandy, living in his own beautiful home, a small circle of good friends & is enjoying life. After the way his childhood went just because he was gay & his father was homophobic wasn't Mark's fault but thanks to his domineering father his whole family was subjected to his fathers drunken anger & prejudices. His Mum & eldest sister, Sarah, defended Mark as much as they could against his father's anger but there was that fateful day when Jack returned home after a rugby match & very drunk as well as angry at something Mark did & in the kitchen he threw a punch at his wife but this time Sarah had had enough of her father's behaviour & stepped in to try to protect her Mum & the punch knocked her sideways & she hit her head & died. Jack is arrested for her death & goes to prison & this is when it appears that his other sister Amy really starts to hate Mark & in her head blames him for everything that has gone wrong in their family, blaming him being gay for their father being a drunk, angry man who killed his sister, then their mother & her new lover after he was released from prison. After this Amy was taken into care & possibly suffered the various forms of abuse Mark had endured for years until Norman & Sandy came along & saved him, she is now a drug addict & heading down a road where there is little chance of things turning out well for her.

No way could Mark or his friends have known that fateful day when he was happily cooking & getting ready for an evening watching the Eurovision Song Contest with his 3 closest friends, like they did every year taking it in turns to host the evening, that something more horrible & vicious than you can ever imagine was going to happen that night & throw the lives of the people he loved into utter turmoil. Can DCI Phelps & Sgt Pryor ever come to terms with what they see, let alone solve this horrific murder, will what they find out about Mark's previous horrible life help them solve his murder. Why would anybody do that to such a well liked man?

Now planning to read the rest of the series & look forward to reading more of this author.

[NoirBlogger · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fortunately I got this as a freebie download. The book takes forever to get underway and then when it finally does if you've got two neurons and a synapse you'll spot the killer from a mile off- he/she will be the one with big arrow saying KILLER over their head. It really is too blindingly obvious for enjoyment. I always try not to guess the ending/killer because it spoils it-in this book the signpost is enormous. A weak book

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book. It is an excellent plot with a good ending. I did find the constant references to Cardiff somewhat irritating despite coming from Cardiff myself. On times it felt like a promo for the City. Will now go to the next in the series.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bloody beginning to the series. I kept asking myself why Phelps and team were so lackadaisical about looking at an obvious suspect, but the answer obviously is the "twist" that the author wanted to introduce.

[Jack · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good plot, but I did not enjoy the cumbersome narrative style with tortuous sentences. It needs editing and proofreading.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable read from an author previously unknown to me before, well written and set at a perfect pace - not too slow or too fast. Will definitely be reading more from this author

[Jane Wye · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of British (and American) Police detectives I really enjoyed this book. I will definitely read more of this author.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story with an unexpected twist. I enjoyed the characters and the way they interact with each other. Look forward to reading more from this author.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great series of books