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DS Heckenburg #4
Dead Man Walking
Beware the stranger in the night...
Consigned to a remote valley in the Lake District, DS Mark ‘Heck’ Heckenburg is getting used to a quieter life—a far cry from the bloodbath of his former division, the Serial Crimes Unit. But wherever Heck goes, trouble is never far behind.
Unknown to Heck, ‘The Stranger’ has returned. Last seen on Dartmoor ten years earlier, this prolific serial killer has found a new home. As a dense, frozen mist descends on the Lakes, The Stranger returns to his old ways, starting with two young women lost high on the hills. Only one girl is ever found—barely alive—but able to confirm Heck’s worst fears.
As The Stranger lays siege to the remote community, Heck helplessly watches as the killer plays his cruel game, letting off his trademark call before viciously picking off his victims.
And with no way to get word out of the valley, Heck has no choice but to play ball...
Consigned to a remote valley in the Lake District, DS Mark ‘Heck’ Heckenburg is getting used to a quieter life—a far cry from the bloodbath of his former division, the Serial Crimes Unit. But wherever Heck goes, trouble is never far behind.
Unknown to Heck, ‘The Stranger’ has returned. Last seen on Dartmoor ten years earlier, this prolific serial killer has found a new home. As a dense, frozen mist descends on the Lakes, The Stranger returns to his old ways, starting with two young women lost high on the hills. Only one girl is ever found—barely alive—but able to confirm Heck’s worst fears.
As The Stranger lays siege to the remote community, Heck helplessly watches as the killer plays his cruel game, letting off his trademark call before viciously picking off his victims.
And with no way to get word out of the valley, Heck has no choice but to play ball...
434 pages, Paperback
First published November 20, 2014
105 people are currently reading
660 people want to read
About the author
Paul Finch
206 books462 followersPaul Finch is a former cop and journalist, now full-time writer. Having originally written for the television series THE BILL plus children's animation and DOCTOR WHO audio dramas, he went on to write horror, but is now best known for his crime / thriller fiction.
He won the British Fantasy Award twice and the International Horror Guild Award, but since then has written two parallel series of hard-hitting crime novels, the Heck and the Lucy Clayburn novels, of which three titles have become best-sellers.
Paul lives in Wigan, Lancashire, UK with his wife and children.
He won the British Fantasy Award twice and the International Horror Guild Award, but since then has written two parallel series of hard-hitting crime novels, the Heck and the Lucy Clayburn novels, of which three titles have become best-sellers.
Paul lives in Wigan, Lancashire, UK with his wife and children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
April 27, 2025
This book kicked off with a very promising couple of chapters as we were given a glimpse into an exciting undercover operation to catch the vicious serial killer known as "The Stranger" currently enjoying killing couples who are partaking in "dogging" activities in isolated places. Great! I was really into it but then.....
It all started to go horribly wrong for me. This is the second Paul Finch novel I could not take to, or believe for that matter, more on that in a moment. But first, the synopsis to put you in the picture.
Beware the stranger in the night…
Consigned to a remote valley in the Lake District, DS Mark ‘Heck’ Heckenburg is getting used to a quieter life – a far cry from the bloodbath of his former division, the Serial Crimes Unit. But wherever Heck goes, trouble is never far behind.
Unknown to Heck, ‘The Stranger’ has returned. Last seen on Dartmoor ten years earlier, this prolific serial killer has found a new home. As a dense, frozen mist descends on the Lakes, The Stranger returns to his old ways, starting with two young women lost high on the hills. Only one girl is ever found – barely alive – but able to confirm Heck’s worst fears.
As The Stranger lays siege to the remote community, Heck helplessly watches as the killer plays his cruel game, letting off his trademark call before viciously picking off his victims.
So Heck is in this small town, like the type of town where everybody knows everybody, with one tiny police station and a couple of coppers including Heck present. It's the back of beyond. I suffered through chapter after chapter of descriptions at minute level of scenery (boring), people, who they were, what they looked like (boring) and their activities (boring). There is a theme here. Welcome to Boredom, a small place on the edge of Dartmoor.
I hung in there, hoping for something good to happen soon. When two lost hikers, young women are lost on the moors in a pea-souper of fog where they can't see their own hands in front of their faces and "The Stranger" is after them I was getting excited. And it was good for a while but then again it fizzled.
This book is waaaay too long in my opinion, it's filled with words and paragraphs that don't enhance the plot but divert you away from it almost as you struggle to retain all the information of what is going on. Sure there are a few more gory and horrific kill scenes but there was so much other stuff that was just not even realistic.
By a third of the book I was so shocked at how unrealistic the plot was getting, it was off on a tangent and very difficult to believe, we were off in fantasy land somewhere. Scenes that just made me frustrated as no sane person would do the things the plot told them to do. So many out there incidents that really took a lot of credibility away.
By the time the whole little village was under siege I was over this book, it went from really good to totally ridiculous from start to finish. Why? Why they choice of plot line? By the time "The Stranger" was revealed I was just at my wits end, what a stupid person to be the killer, it just didn't shock me or sit right at all. It was just weird.
I read crime a lot, I have read great crime fiction this year, I think the imagination of the author ran off in uncontrolled directions with this one. TOO many scenes that are drawn out beyond belief so it doesn't have the tension it needs. TOO many unrealistic scenes and characters doing things that make no sense. So much promise, what a waste. Again, I am in the minority, other have loved this book. But I know my crime genre and there are MUCH better books to read this year.
As I said this is my second Paul Finch book read, that's two novels I have not liked, one short story read that I found average, I won't be revisiting this author in my lifetime. Sorry. 2 stars, it was okay, very okay. That's all I can say really.
I received a copy of this novel thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks so much for taking a moment of your time to read my review!
I do hope you enjoyed it, if you did I’d be delighted if you leave me a “like” and I love to read your comments, let’s talk books!
If you’d like to connect with me you can follow me or please do send me a friend request. I love to see what others are reading and reviewing too! Feel free to browse my shelves for your next great read!
You can also find me on Amazon U.K. where I am a Top 500 Reviewer.
If you are an Author or Publisher and you’d like me to consider reading and reviewing your book(s) please just message me.
It all started to go horribly wrong for me. This is the second Paul Finch novel I could not take to, or believe for that matter, more on that in a moment. But first, the synopsis to put you in the picture.
Beware the stranger in the night…
Consigned to a remote valley in the Lake District, DS Mark ‘Heck’ Heckenburg is getting used to a quieter life – a far cry from the bloodbath of his former division, the Serial Crimes Unit. But wherever Heck goes, trouble is never far behind.
Unknown to Heck, ‘The Stranger’ has returned. Last seen on Dartmoor ten years earlier, this prolific serial killer has found a new home. As a dense, frozen mist descends on the Lakes, The Stranger returns to his old ways, starting with two young women lost high on the hills. Only one girl is ever found – barely alive – but able to confirm Heck’s worst fears.
As The Stranger lays siege to the remote community, Heck helplessly watches as the killer plays his cruel game, letting off his trademark call before viciously picking off his victims.
So Heck is in this small town, like the type of town where everybody knows everybody, with one tiny police station and a couple of coppers including Heck present. It's the back of beyond. I suffered through chapter after chapter of descriptions at minute level of scenery (boring), people, who they were, what they looked like (boring) and their activities (boring). There is a theme here. Welcome to Boredom, a small place on the edge of Dartmoor.
I hung in there, hoping for something good to happen soon. When two lost hikers, young women are lost on the moors in a pea-souper of fog where they can't see their own hands in front of their faces and "The Stranger" is after them I was getting excited. And it was good for a while but then again it fizzled.
This book is waaaay too long in my opinion, it's filled with words and paragraphs that don't enhance the plot but divert you away from it almost as you struggle to retain all the information of what is going on. Sure there are a few more gory and horrific kill scenes but there was so much other stuff that was just not even realistic.
By a third of the book I was so shocked at how unrealistic the plot was getting, it was off on a tangent and very difficult to believe, we were off in fantasy land somewhere. Scenes that just made me frustrated as no sane person would do the things the plot told them to do. So many out there incidents that really took a lot of credibility away.
By the time the whole little village was under siege I was over this book, it went from really good to totally ridiculous from start to finish. Why? Why they choice of plot line? By the time "The Stranger" was revealed I was just at my wits end, what a stupid person to be the killer, it just didn't shock me or sit right at all. It was just weird.
I read crime a lot, I have read great crime fiction this year, I think the imagination of the author ran off in uncontrolled directions with this one. TOO many scenes that are drawn out beyond belief so it doesn't have the tension it needs. TOO many unrealistic scenes and characters doing things that make no sense. So much promise, what a waste. Again, I am in the minority, other have loved this book. But I know my crime genre and there are MUCH better books to read this year.
As I said this is my second Paul Finch book read, that's two novels I have not liked, one short story read that I found average, I won't be revisiting this author in my lifetime. Sorry. 2 stars, it was okay, very okay. That's all I can say really.
I received a copy of this novel thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks so much for taking a moment of your time to read my review!
I do hope you enjoyed it, if you did I’d be delighted if you leave me a “like” and I love to read your comments, let’s talk books!
If you’d like to connect with me you can follow me or please do send me a friend request. I love to see what others are reading and reviewing too! Feel free to browse my shelves for your next great read!
You can also find me on Amazon U.K. where I am a Top 500 Reviewer.
If you are an Author or Publisher and you’d like me to consider reading and reviewing your book(s) please just message me.
November 18, 2014
This is probably one of the scariest crime thrillers I have read in a long while. Set in the Lake District, DS Mark (Heck) Heckenburg is living the quiet life, that is until “The Stranger” returns. But that can’t be possible, because 10 years ago “The Stranger” was supposedly shot and killed, although no body was ever found. Did he survive a shot in the chest or is this a copycat killer?
I loved the setting of November in the Lakes. What is beautiful in the summer can be challenging in the winter and when the weather turns to dense fog, deadly if you don’t know what you are doing. I loved the way the author brought his setting to life – his descriptions of the weather and fells really gave me a feeling of claustrophobia and just felt so eerie and creepy – the thought of not being able to see more than a foot in front of your face because of the fog, in dangerous walking conditions with the added burden of a serial killer on the loose just made me shudder.
The killings themselves are savage and brutal and I really liked the way that we got to know the victims before they died. It made the victims feel more “real” to read about. In general, I liked most of the characters. They seemed to behave in a believable way and the dialogue between them all felt natural.
Can Mark, with his limited manpower and resources, keep the community safe as well as hunt the killer down? It is a story that twists and turns, which constantly keeps you guessing as to who the killer is and what the killer is up to. I was gripped by the read and found it really hard to put down. Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
I loved the setting of November in the Lakes. What is beautiful in the summer can be challenging in the winter and when the weather turns to dense fog, deadly if you don’t know what you are doing. I loved the way the author brought his setting to life – his descriptions of the weather and fells really gave me a feeling of claustrophobia and just felt so eerie and creepy – the thought of not being able to see more than a foot in front of your face because of the fog, in dangerous walking conditions with the added burden of a serial killer on the loose just made me shudder.
The killings themselves are savage and brutal and I really liked the way that we got to know the victims before they died. It made the victims feel more “real” to read about. In general, I liked most of the characters. They seemed to behave in a believable way and the dialogue between them all felt natural.
Can Mark, with his limited manpower and resources, keep the community safe as well as hunt the killer down? It is a story that twists and turns, which constantly keeps you guessing as to who the killer is and what the killer is up to. I was gripped by the read and found it really hard to put down. Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
June 10, 2019
Uá 🙈 Tohle bylo něco! 🙈 Jak jsem před pár dny říkala, doufala jsem v akčňák, ale tedy netušila jsem, že to může být takhle zběsilé. Knihy Paula Finche jsou fakt jako akční filmy zabalený do knížky. Příběh vás naprosto pohltí, nevnímáte svět okolo vás, cejtíte ledovou řeku, kterou plave hlavní hrdina, ruce máte rozedřený od skal, po kterejch šplhá, třesou se vám nohy na starým zrezivělým mostě, přes kterej utíká... Tohle prostě prožijete.
Jo, uznávám, Mark Heckenburg je evidentně Iron Man 💪, nesmrtelná mýtická bytost, ale mě přesně tohle baví. U Paula Finche prostě víte, co dostanete, když se do jeho knih pustíte.
Mrtvý muž přichází pro mě představuje jakousi esenci Marka Heckenburga a celkově autorského stylu pana Finche. To nej ze všech předchozích knih, zabaleno do jednoho příběhu.
Neskutečně mě to bavilo, a věřím, že pro milovníky drsnějších příběhů a pro čtenáře, kterým nevadí zuřivé tempo, spousta rvaček, množství zvratů a překvapení a především explicitní popisy násilí, je tohle super čtení 👌📖
A za pár dní vyjde Kořist! Těším se neskutečně!!
Jo, uznávám, Mark Heckenburg je evidentně Iron Man 💪, nesmrtelná mýtická bytost, ale mě přesně tohle baví. U Paula Finche prostě víte, co dostanete, když se do jeho knih pustíte.
Mrtvý muž přichází pro mě představuje jakousi esenci Marka Heckenburga a celkově autorského stylu pana Finche. To nej ze všech předchozích knih, zabaleno do jednoho příběhu.
Neskutečně mě to bavilo, a věřím, že pro milovníky drsnějších příběhů a pro čtenáře, kterým nevadí zuřivé tempo, spousta rvaček, množství zvratů a překvapení a především explicitní popisy násilí, je tohle super čtení 👌📖
A za pár dní vyjde Kořist! Těším se neskutečně!!
November 23, 2014
Dead Man Walking - #HookedonHeck
DS Mark Heckenburg is back again in exile from London and the Met to the sleepy backwaters of Cumbria and the village police station. Nothing exciting here no murders no violent offenders to worry about other than what to do all day a real change from London. In Dead Man Walking Heck is back as lovable as ever, attracting trouble like a fly round s*~t he is still a born survive with the capacity to out live whatever the job throws at him.
Paul Finch never holds back with the violence or the twists in his previous writings and once again he delivers all but hellfire up on Heck but I am sure that will appear eventually. Dead Man Walking sees the bodies pile up in the fog but does it a breathtaking pace ticking all the boxes you want from a thriller. At no point is the perpetrator of mayhem and murder telegraphed so you can work it out from early in the novel you only find out at the end and then it is through a twist. Once again with Dead Man Walking Paul Finch has delivered another absolute stunning thriller proving that he is up with the best of British crime writing.
DS Mark Heckenburg is up in Cumbria having transfer out of the Met after a bust up the Detective Superintendant Gemma Piper, his one time love and his line manager. He is up in the Langdale Pikes protecting the people of the hamlets of Cragwood Keld and Cragwood Ho the only detective for miles around along with PC Mary-Ellen O’Rourke.
Two city girls get lost on the Tors in the fog as they go hiking Heck and M-E get the police launch out to search the outer banks of the lake when they discover one of the girls a live if only just. The fog is down and around the whole of the area and the recovery and transfer has to be done by road to hospital. When Heck is able to interview the surviving girl she tells him what happened but for Heck it had reminders of an unsolved case from ten years prior that made Gemma Piper’s career The Stranger murders. Heck informs Piper there may be links to that old case and she makes her way north.
With the hamlets in lockdown the murderer is out in the fog having their fun at the expense of the villagers. As Heck and Piper tramp over hill and dale in the desperate attempt to bring the offender to justice they become targets too. They are getting shot at every move they make is being anticipated and as they move from a farm towards the hamlets they find dead villagers who have met a very grisley end.
Heck and Piper are up beat at first in their belief that other officers will come to their aid as they have asked for back up and it is not until the discovery of dead colleagues they understand that they really are on their own. Somehow they need to evacuate the remaining residents keeping them alive while trying to find and arrest the person responsible for all the mayhem and death around them.
Dead Man Walking is a brilliant addition to the DS Heckenburg series of thrillers and the more you read the more you want from the books. Heck is our very own superhero who seems to survive whatever is thrown at him. You will not be able to put this book down and once finished you will want the sequel now not next year. Paul Finch’s writing draws you in like heroin and gets you hooked on Heck and you will want that next fix.
DS Mark Heckenburg is back again in exile from London and the Met to the sleepy backwaters of Cumbria and the village police station. Nothing exciting here no murders no violent offenders to worry about other than what to do all day a real change from London. In Dead Man Walking Heck is back as lovable as ever, attracting trouble like a fly round s*~t he is still a born survive with the capacity to out live whatever the job throws at him.
Paul Finch never holds back with the violence or the twists in his previous writings and once again he delivers all but hellfire up on Heck but I am sure that will appear eventually. Dead Man Walking sees the bodies pile up in the fog but does it a breathtaking pace ticking all the boxes you want from a thriller. At no point is the perpetrator of mayhem and murder telegraphed so you can work it out from early in the novel you only find out at the end and then it is through a twist. Once again with Dead Man Walking Paul Finch has delivered another absolute stunning thriller proving that he is up with the best of British crime writing.
DS Mark Heckenburg is up in Cumbria having transfer out of the Met after a bust up the Detective Superintendant Gemma Piper, his one time love and his line manager. He is up in the Langdale Pikes protecting the people of the hamlets of Cragwood Keld and Cragwood Ho the only detective for miles around along with PC Mary-Ellen O’Rourke.
Two city girls get lost on the Tors in the fog as they go hiking Heck and M-E get the police launch out to search the outer banks of the lake when they discover one of the girls a live if only just. The fog is down and around the whole of the area and the recovery and transfer has to be done by road to hospital. When Heck is able to interview the surviving girl she tells him what happened but for Heck it had reminders of an unsolved case from ten years prior that made Gemma Piper’s career The Stranger murders. Heck informs Piper there may be links to that old case and she makes her way north.
With the hamlets in lockdown the murderer is out in the fog having their fun at the expense of the villagers. As Heck and Piper tramp over hill and dale in the desperate attempt to bring the offender to justice they become targets too. They are getting shot at every move they make is being anticipated and as they move from a farm towards the hamlets they find dead villagers who have met a very grisley end.
Heck and Piper are up beat at first in their belief that other officers will come to their aid as they have asked for back up and it is not until the discovery of dead colleagues they understand that they really are on their own. Somehow they need to evacuate the remaining residents keeping them alive while trying to find and arrest the person responsible for all the mayhem and death around them.
Dead Man Walking is a brilliant addition to the DS Heckenburg series of thrillers and the more you read the more you want from the books. Heck is our very own superhero who seems to survive whatever is thrown at him. You will not be able to put this book down and once finished you will want the sequel now not next year. Paul Finch’s writing draws you in like heroin and gets you hooked on Heck and you will want that next fix.
October 22, 2014
I was feeling rather lucky as I got started on the new Heck more than 2 months before publication, however after a few chapters I put it down. What was going on? Heck had relocated to the arse end of nowhere and frankly I was bored. I felt like I had so much description with regards to the area of Cragwood Vale and the local villagers I wondered if the book was even written by Finch! However, it appears Mr Finch had his reasons for this, and as usual they were absolutely correct...more on that later!
Heck seems to be on some sort of mission to extract himself from his friends and colleagues so has taken himself to a very remote village in the Lake District. You almost get the feeling that Heck doesn’t quite know what to do with himself. He has now distanced himself from his old boss Gemma Piper and other colleagues and instead has a new partner Mary-Ellen O’Rourke. There is also the landlady of the local village pub Hazel as well as some other locals who start to make an appearance.
The prologue was an insight into an old case where a killer known as The Stranger appears and it involved Gemma Piper back when she was starting out her career. Before long we realise that there is a killer on the loose who seems remarkably like The Stranger and it gives Heck enough leverage place a to call to Gemma. I was thankful; she re-appeared as I felt like Heck needed her back in his life as he seemed so off kilter.
As usual with a Finch novel, as soon as Gemma re-appears the story starts to ratchet up in tension. With two young girls out hiking and lost, anything could have happened. As soon as Heck, Gemma and Mary-Ellen start to investigate it seems like all hell breaks loose. The second half of the book is where all the action happens and if you heart can take it the last quarter is positively heart stopping.
Depending on the type of reader you are, if you are like me and absorb everything your mind creates your own idea of a place based on the author’s description. This is where it all started to make sense. Paul Finch had spent some time detailing the area and the sheer beauty of it. However throw in some bad weather and you have the perfect setting (in my head) for a fantastic horror movie. Because of this, the last section of the book had me bloody petrified as we see Heck do his usual ‘playing with death’.
I was really unsure at the start of this book, however after the halfway point I didn’t want to put it down and had to keep reading. It was also a book that had my nerves shot to hell! I thoroughly enjoyed it, but sincerely hope we see Heck move away from this area as I don’t think it suits him. This latest book had a different feel to it compared to the others, but certainly didn’t make it any less enjoyable. As always I am left waiting with baited breath to see what is next for Heck and cannot wait!
Heck seems to be on some sort of mission to extract himself from his friends and colleagues so has taken himself to a very remote village in the Lake District. You almost get the feeling that Heck doesn’t quite know what to do with himself. He has now distanced himself from his old boss Gemma Piper and other colleagues and instead has a new partner Mary-Ellen O’Rourke. There is also the landlady of the local village pub Hazel as well as some other locals who start to make an appearance.
The prologue was an insight into an old case where a killer known as The Stranger appears and it involved Gemma Piper back when she was starting out her career. Before long we realise that there is a killer on the loose who seems remarkably like The Stranger and it gives Heck enough leverage place a to call to Gemma. I was thankful; she re-appeared as I felt like Heck needed her back in his life as he seemed so off kilter.
As usual with a Finch novel, as soon as Gemma re-appears the story starts to ratchet up in tension. With two young girls out hiking and lost, anything could have happened. As soon as Heck, Gemma and Mary-Ellen start to investigate it seems like all hell breaks loose. The second half of the book is where all the action happens and if you heart can take it the last quarter is positively heart stopping.
Depending on the type of reader you are, if you are like me and absorb everything your mind creates your own idea of a place based on the author’s description. This is where it all started to make sense. Paul Finch had spent some time detailing the area and the sheer beauty of it. However throw in some bad weather and you have the perfect setting (in my head) for a fantastic horror movie. Because of this, the last section of the book had me bloody petrified as we see Heck do his usual ‘playing with death’.
I was really unsure at the start of this book, however after the halfway point I didn’t want to put it down and had to keep reading. It was also a book that had my nerves shot to hell! I thoroughly enjoyed it, but sincerely hope we see Heck move away from this area as I don’t think it suits him. This latest book had a different feel to it compared to the others, but certainly didn’t make it any less enjoyable. As always I am left waiting with baited breath to see what is next for Heck and cannot wait!
October 6, 2019
Good start to book 4 in the series but then became disappointing, the murder rate increased with the foggy spooky Cumbiran hills settling in for the weekend. A besieged small village with a sadistic killer - oh err sounds good, but didn't quiet hit it of for me, felt like more of a horror book than crime thriller. The suspense in the fog was well written but a few obvious bloopers dampened it for me such as such a thick fog that caused you to walk into a shed then you manage to see a colleague get shot in the head from 30 feet away - nope. As I have enjoyed the previous books I will certainly carry on with the next ones.
March 28, 2024
Veoma dobra knjiga sto se mene tice, u jednom dijelu je postigla nesto za sto sam sigurna da do sad ni jedna knjiga nije: spooked me out
Tako je
Citam u vecer i samo vidim vani mrak kroz prozor i nije mi bilo svejedno pa ostavim knjigu na tren
Tek sam kasnje shvatila kako je ova knjiga dio serije i ajme meni, morat cu se samo nadat da cu naletjeti na ostale nastavke negdje
Dobar dio knjige mi je bio bas napet
Solidan storytelling i stil pisanja
Lik je posvetio ovu knjigu svojoj djeci sto mi je bas random za zamislit "hej moja djeco procitajte ovu knjigu koju sam vam napisao"
Also
Ovo mi je deseta knjiga koju sam procitala ove godine🗣‼️🎉
Sve u svemu dobra knjiga👍🤌
Tako je
Citam u vecer i samo vidim vani mrak kroz prozor i nije mi bilo svejedno pa ostavim knjigu na tren
Tek sam kasnje shvatila kako je ova knjiga dio serije i ajme meni, morat cu se samo nadat da cu naletjeti na ostale nastavke negdje
Dobar dio knjige mi je bio bas napet
Solidan storytelling i stil pisanja
Lik je posvetio ovu knjigu svojoj djeci sto mi je bas random za zamislit "hej moja djeco procitajte ovu knjigu koju sam vam napisao"
Also
Ovo mi je deseta knjiga koju sam procitala ove godine🗣‼️🎉
Sve u svemu dobra knjiga👍🤌
April 24, 2018
Book 4 in the DS Mark Heckenburg series. I hadn't actually realised that I was so far behind with this series. After finishing this book I also realised I hadn't read books 1 & 2. That said, it didn't take away any enjoyment I had of the book. So i would say it can be read as a stand alone. I just don't think books should be read out of order, and i'm annoyed with myself.
Heck is working as part of a village police force, a small village in Cumbria. It's a big change to his days in The Met, in London. A lot quieter of a life.
That is until two back packers go missing. When Heck gets involved he can see similarities to another case he worked. Is it his mind working overtime or could there be a link.
This was an enjoyable read. I look forward to reading many more.
Heck is working as part of a village police force, a small village in Cumbria. It's a big change to his days in The Met, in London. A lot quieter of a life.
That is until two back packers go missing. When Heck gets involved he can see similarities to another case he worked. Is it his mind working overtime or could there be a link.
This was an enjoyable read. I look forward to reading many more.
February 17, 2022
Inace i nisam neki ljubitelj trilera, no ovaj mi se svidio! Prezanimljiva knjiga. A i ubojica je klasicno prikazan. Kada zrtve cuju legendarnu muziku Stranac u noci, znaci da je ubojica vec stigao i nemaju kad pobjeci.
November 5, 2014
(May contain spoilers)
This book should come with a caution: In case of pre-existing heart condition, please check with your physician before opening.
Heck is back. That would be DS Mark "Heck" Heckenburg, a man with a gift for attracting trouble even when posted to a sleepy rural village. After the fallout from his last case ("The Killing Club"), Heck was banished to the Lake District. Ostensibly it's as part of Scotland Yard's Antil Rural crime Initiative. In reality, it's punishment meted out by Superintendent Gemma Piper, his old boss. They have a long history but Piper has finally had it with his tendency to colour outside the lines.
Now stationed in Craigwood Keld, Heck's days are spent covering miles of sparsely populated fens & mountains. The one bonus is the Witch's Kettle, a local pub popular for 2 reasons. It's the only one in town & it's run by the lovely Hazel Carter.
His "staff" consists of PC Mary-Ellen (ME) O'Rourke, a feisty young woman with limitless energy. She's eager to learn but with most calls being of the search & rescue variety, Heck fears for her education. That's about to change.
It begins with 2 missing hikers. The weather in early November is unpredictable & a thick fog has descended, reducing visibility to zero. Heck & ME's search is hampered by treacherous conditions but they find one of the young women, battered & barely alive.
She tells a chilling story of being stalked & attacked by a faceless stranger. One detail stands out...he was whistling "Strangers in the Night".
This gets Heck's attention. Ten years ago, Piper was part of a team that trapped a sadistic killer known as the Stranger. She shot him & barely escaped but his body was never found.
Heck hasn't spoken to Piper since his transfer & she's reluctant to believe there's a connection. It was the case that started her meteoric rise through the ranks. It was also the beginning of the end of her relationship with Heck. But privately she has always wondered if the Stranger is still out there.
It's an old ghost she can't shake & Piper surprises Heck by travelling to the area. She'll be one of the last to make it as the weather settles in, cutting off cell service & closing the roads.
What happens next makes for a full on thriller.The tiny hamlet is soon at the mercy of a killer who is smart, cruel & always one step ahead. Heck & Co. have few resources & their isolation creates a plot similar to a closed room mystery.
This is a creepy, atmospheric read. The author's descriptions of rugged landscape shrouded in fog lend a claustrophobic feel to the setting. The sense of menace is pervasive & it's easy to relate to the paralyzing fear of the villagers. They're an odd assortment but the story belongs to Heck, ME & Piper.
This is book #4 & Heck is a well established character. He's a conscientious, likeable guy whose laid back manner belies a keen mind that never truly shuts down. His obsessive focus has led to great success professionally. His personal life is another matter. The lonely cop who bends the rules is hardly a revelation but in this case makes for an intriguing character. His blue collar background has left him grounded & comfortable in his skin with no aspirations to leave the street & become a paper pusher.
Just a heads up. The author spares no adjective describing the gory crime scenes & the killer's MO had me feeling a tad squeably. But by then I was hooked & had to know how he was going to extract his characters from this seemingly hopeless situation.
It's a scary, fast paced read that keeps you turning the pages. If you're a fan of Stuart MacBride, Lee Child or Steve Berry, this is for you.
This book should come with a caution: In case of pre-existing heart condition, please check with your physician before opening.
Heck is back. That would be DS Mark "Heck" Heckenburg, a man with a gift for attracting trouble even when posted to a sleepy rural village. After the fallout from his last case ("The Killing Club"), Heck was banished to the Lake District. Ostensibly it's as part of Scotland Yard's Antil Rural crime Initiative. In reality, it's punishment meted out by Superintendent Gemma Piper, his old boss. They have a long history but Piper has finally had it with his tendency to colour outside the lines.
Now stationed in Craigwood Keld, Heck's days are spent covering miles of sparsely populated fens & mountains. The one bonus is the Witch's Kettle, a local pub popular for 2 reasons. It's the only one in town & it's run by the lovely Hazel Carter.
His "staff" consists of PC Mary-Ellen (ME) O'Rourke, a feisty young woman with limitless energy. She's eager to learn but with most calls being of the search & rescue variety, Heck fears for her education. That's about to change.
It begins with 2 missing hikers. The weather in early November is unpredictable & a thick fog has descended, reducing visibility to zero. Heck & ME's search is hampered by treacherous conditions but they find one of the young women, battered & barely alive.
She tells a chilling story of being stalked & attacked by a faceless stranger. One detail stands out...he was whistling "Strangers in the Night".
This gets Heck's attention. Ten years ago, Piper was part of a team that trapped a sadistic killer known as the Stranger. She shot him & barely escaped but his body was never found.
Heck hasn't spoken to Piper since his transfer & she's reluctant to believe there's a connection. It was the case that started her meteoric rise through the ranks. It was also the beginning of the end of her relationship with Heck. But privately she has always wondered if the Stranger is still out there.
It's an old ghost she can't shake & Piper surprises Heck by travelling to the area. She'll be one of the last to make it as the weather settles in, cutting off cell service & closing the roads.
What happens next makes for a full on thriller.The tiny hamlet is soon at the mercy of a killer who is smart, cruel & always one step ahead. Heck & Co. have few resources & their isolation creates a plot similar to a closed room mystery.
This is a creepy, atmospheric read. The author's descriptions of rugged landscape shrouded in fog lend a claustrophobic feel to the setting. The sense of menace is pervasive & it's easy to relate to the paralyzing fear of the villagers. They're an odd assortment but the story belongs to Heck, ME & Piper.
This is book #4 & Heck is a well established character. He's a conscientious, likeable guy whose laid back manner belies a keen mind that never truly shuts down. His obsessive focus has led to great success professionally. His personal life is another matter. The lonely cop who bends the rules is hardly a revelation but in this case makes for an intriguing character. His blue collar background has left him grounded & comfortable in his skin with no aspirations to leave the street & become a paper pusher.
Just a heads up. The author spares no adjective describing the gory crime scenes & the killer's MO had me feeling a tad squeably. But by then I was hooked & had to know how he was going to extract his characters from this seemingly hopeless situation.
It's a scary, fast paced read that keeps you turning the pages. If you're a fan of Stuart MacBride, Lee Child or Steve Berry, this is for you.
November 13, 2014
4.5
I cannot tell you how excited I was to start this book, especially after receiving a proof copy in the most ingenious way. I held off on getting a NetGalley copy for weeks because I knew a very exciting parcel was coming. After finishing The Killing Club in May, Paul Finch shot right into my top five crime authors, it was just a fantastic book. Expectations were insanely high for Dead Man Walking then, and despite two books in one year being something of a treat, does the quality suffer because of it? Dead Man Walking is marginally different to Paul's previous work, and I can definitely see it being a bit of a Marmite book amongst crime fans. For those new to his work, I'd start at the beginning with Stalkers and work through the series. I was thrilled to be back in the company of DS Mark 'Heck' Heckenburg, one of my favourite fictional detectives. His recent relocation to Cumbria has found him out of his comfort zone, his only excitement coming from attempting to apprehend some small-time thieves, not the sort of criminals he is usually tasked with capturing.
The book's opening felt very much like a horror story, and played out like a horror film in my head, and this is something Paul does incredibly well. An author who can make you feel genuine terror just from words on a page is very exciting indeed. The opening was haunting, with its eery setting as we are taken back ten years to learn more about The Stranger, who is described as a weird sex-murderer, who started off attacking people after dark before targeting lovers' lanes and dogging spots across Devon, leaving no living witnesses. Two young police officers set out to apprehend The Stranger and almost succeed as the female officer puts a bullet into him before he vanishes, presumed dead. The female officer is none other than Heck's ex-boss and former lover, Gemma Piper who after all her comments about Heck's impulsiveness and insubordination, comes across a little bit like a female Heck in these opening scenes. Back in the present day and The Stranger appears to be back and killing again, striking terror into a quiet and isolated community.
I found the opening of the book to be a little slow, and description heavy. Paul usually delivers an exciting, fast paced opening to his books getting you straight into the action but here, given the change in setting there was an awful lot of scene building and at times unnecessary description, it was only later in the novel I fully appreciated the time Paul spent doing this. It's clear that he knows the setting he's talking about, and has researched it really well, it was just that I wanted the story to pick up quicker than it did. That said though the latter half of the book was the Paul that I know and love and the book very quickly becomes hard to put down as The Stranger picks up the pace and the killings escalate, and the villagers soon find themselves in mortal danger. Paul never fails to come up with some absolutely gruesome and brutal descriptions for the crimes that his villains commit, and the villains themselves are always brilliantly evil and at times terrifying, and this is something that I really love. To compare I would say his scenes are at times reminiscent of Chris Carter, probably the best crime author writing today. I want my crime fiction to be as bloody and brutal as possible, and we definitely get that here.
The atmosphere created by Paul is some of the best I've read in crime fiction this year. The setting is only terrifying because of the time of year and the terrible weather, this is a place that in Summer would be beautiful and full of holidaymakers and walkers, but which in off season is almost perfect for what has been created here. Given this change in setting, and the danger that the residents face the book is very unpredictable, I had no idea for the most part where the story was going to go, or who the next victim was going to be and it made the book more thrilling. In terms of twists there's plenty in this book, not least the revelations surrounding The Stranger. I'm still not sure how I feel about these revelations, whether it was silly or pure brilliance. As I said this is going to be a Marmite book and what some people love, others won't. That said though I didn't see the plot twists coming so that's testament to Paul's ability to keep his readers on their toes.
Gemma Piper plays a little bit of a starring role in this book as Heck contacts her about the return of The Stranger and she makes her way to Cumbria. The tension and chemistry between the two is electric, and it makes for fantastic reading. Both are such well developed, interesting and realistic characters and they are two of my favourites in crime fiction. I would love for Paul to write a story about their earlier days, so we can learn more about them with more detailed information than the brief flashbacks we've been given so far. The change in setting also allowed for a change in how the police act and behave. Given that there's no police station as such, or even many police for that matter, most of the action takes place in the field, away from the office environment you usually get where teams can analyse and plan the investigation, Heck has to think on his feet, sometimes acting first and thinking later, having to make instant decisions and this makes for a more exciting read than your everyday police procedural does.
Overall then a fairly solid read which held my interest throughout, in places gripping, in others a little slow but for the most part a very enjoyable story which has left me wanting more. Taking Heck out of his comfort zone was a nice change, and made for a very atmospheric and at times scary read but next time around I'd love to see Heck back where he belongs and for his relationship, both work and personal, with Gemma to be explored further. Both are brilliant characters who those yet to discover must do so right away. I definitely reccommend this book to crime fans.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy and the incredibly exciting package it came in!
I cannot tell you how excited I was to start this book, especially after receiving a proof copy in the most ingenious way. I held off on getting a NetGalley copy for weeks because I knew a very exciting parcel was coming. After finishing The Killing Club in May, Paul Finch shot right into my top five crime authors, it was just a fantastic book. Expectations were insanely high for Dead Man Walking then, and despite two books in one year being something of a treat, does the quality suffer because of it? Dead Man Walking is marginally different to Paul's previous work, and I can definitely see it being a bit of a Marmite book amongst crime fans. For those new to his work, I'd start at the beginning with Stalkers and work through the series. I was thrilled to be back in the company of DS Mark 'Heck' Heckenburg, one of my favourite fictional detectives. His recent relocation to Cumbria has found him out of his comfort zone, his only excitement coming from attempting to apprehend some small-time thieves, not the sort of criminals he is usually tasked with capturing.
The book's opening felt very much like a horror story, and played out like a horror film in my head, and this is something Paul does incredibly well. An author who can make you feel genuine terror just from words on a page is very exciting indeed. The opening was haunting, with its eery setting as we are taken back ten years to learn more about The Stranger, who is described as a weird sex-murderer, who started off attacking people after dark before targeting lovers' lanes and dogging spots across Devon, leaving no living witnesses. Two young police officers set out to apprehend The Stranger and almost succeed as the female officer puts a bullet into him before he vanishes, presumed dead. The female officer is none other than Heck's ex-boss and former lover, Gemma Piper who after all her comments about Heck's impulsiveness and insubordination, comes across a little bit like a female Heck in these opening scenes. Back in the present day and The Stranger appears to be back and killing again, striking terror into a quiet and isolated community.
I found the opening of the book to be a little slow, and description heavy. Paul usually delivers an exciting, fast paced opening to his books getting you straight into the action but here, given the change in setting there was an awful lot of scene building and at times unnecessary description, it was only later in the novel I fully appreciated the time Paul spent doing this. It's clear that he knows the setting he's talking about, and has researched it really well, it was just that I wanted the story to pick up quicker than it did. That said though the latter half of the book was the Paul that I know and love and the book very quickly becomes hard to put down as The Stranger picks up the pace and the killings escalate, and the villagers soon find themselves in mortal danger. Paul never fails to come up with some absolutely gruesome and brutal descriptions for the crimes that his villains commit, and the villains themselves are always brilliantly evil and at times terrifying, and this is something that I really love. To compare I would say his scenes are at times reminiscent of Chris Carter, probably the best crime author writing today. I want my crime fiction to be as bloody and brutal as possible, and we definitely get that here.
The atmosphere created by Paul is some of the best I've read in crime fiction this year. The setting is only terrifying because of the time of year and the terrible weather, this is a place that in Summer would be beautiful and full of holidaymakers and walkers, but which in off season is almost perfect for what has been created here. Given this change in setting, and the danger that the residents face the book is very unpredictable, I had no idea for the most part where the story was going to go, or who the next victim was going to be and it made the book more thrilling. In terms of twists there's plenty in this book, not least the revelations surrounding The Stranger. I'm still not sure how I feel about these revelations, whether it was silly or pure brilliance. As I said this is going to be a Marmite book and what some people love, others won't. That said though I didn't see the plot twists coming so that's testament to Paul's ability to keep his readers on their toes.
Gemma Piper plays a little bit of a starring role in this book as Heck contacts her about the return of The Stranger and she makes her way to Cumbria. The tension and chemistry between the two is electric, and it makes for fantastic reading. Both are such well developed, interesting and realistic characters and they are two of my favourites in crime fiction. I would love for Paul to write a story about their earlier days, so we can learn more about them with more detailed information than the brief flashbacks we've been given so far. The change in setting also allowed for a change in how the police act and behave. Given that there's no police station as such, or even many police for that matter, most of the action takes place in the field, away from the office environment you usually get where teams can analyse and plan the investigation, Heck has to think on his feet, sometimes acting first and thinking later, having to make instant decisions and this makes for a more exciting read than your everyday police procedural does.
Overall then a fairly solid read which held my interest throughout, in places gripping, in others a little slow but for the most part a very enjoyable story which has left me wanting more. Taking Heck out of his comfort zone was a nice change, and made for a very atmospheric and at times scary read but next time around I'd love to see Heck back where he belongs and for his relationship, both work and personal, with Gemma to be explored further. Both are brilliant characters who those yet to discover must do so right away. I definitely reccommend this book to crime fans.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy and the incredibly exciting package it came in!
April 11, 2017
Two young girls get lost and then attacked in the Lake District. One survives and mentions the attacker whistles Strangers In The Night. This leads Heck, who has transferred to the Lake District, to contact Gemma Piper, who shot a serial predator known as The Stranger 10 years ago in a sting operation. The case was closed as he was believed to be dead but no body was found and now he's back. That's the basic plot but as series will know this is only the beginning as the bodies pile up and Heck and Gemma get involved in some serious action. Initially I thought Mr Finch was going for a change of direction with more psychological than physical action as his descriptions of the the Lakelands in the deep fog are genuinely scary - I lived every minute of their walk with Jane and Tara (the 2 missing girls) and then with the others as they faced the fog alone. Brilliant, just amazing - but you can't keep a good man down so, soon enough, Heck is back in full Boy's Own mode - dicing with death, saving lives and capturing the perpetrator. Obviously, the plot is ludicrous but it's a very good, high octane read which kept me on tenterhooks the whole way through. I think this is the best book in the series so far as Mr Finch has added an extra dimension with the foggy atmosphere - you really feel it and the characters's fear. This is one of the best books I have read this year for thrills and spills and I wholeheartedly recommend it as great escapist fun.
May 20, 2018
One of the creepiest books I’ve read in quite a while. However, it was a bit too obvious to me which character the writer wants you to think is the bad guy, which meant that I knew it had to be someone else. As such, I’m not sure what to think of the ending. Maybe I was expecting more of a surprise there, although in a way, it was a surprise. That said, it’s definitely worth reading for anyone who likes thrillers.
September 28, 2018
Uz dobre horror elemente Finch je napravio sjajan ritam koji ne dozvoljava da knjigu ostavite na polovici. Ipak nije izdržao do kraja.
December 18, 2020
Predvidljivo, previše nepotrebnog nasilja...
February 4, 2024
The second that I have read by this author, and again it is full of action and pace throughout. Set in a very atmospheric foggy Lake District , a perfect read for dark winters nights. I would definitely recommend.
April 8, 2015
Another masterpiece by Paul Finch. By the fourth book in the series we all know and love Heck, the rogue detective who solves crimes by all means necessery. He's human. He'll stumble, he'll make mistakes, he'll get hurt. But he loves what he does. He lives for it. He can't do it any other way. And that's what we so love about him. He's flawed, but he's brilliant. And a good man.
In this book Heck has been transferred to the back of beyond, to no-mans-land, somewhere in the country, up in the hills. Bad weather sets in, night is approaching, everything is shrouded in fog. It's creepy, it's eery, it's totally isolated. And of course this is when the sh@t hits the fan. From the first pages things go wrong. And it just gets worse. Heck is chasing his tail, chasing an enemy in the gloom, while trying to protect the villagers. It is nailbiting stuff. Creepy as hell, mainly because of the scenery. The gruesome acts of the Stranger are shocking but in this tale, the main focus is on the foggy courtyside.
The writing is brilliant, the characters are well developed, the clues are expertly laid out, the misdirection is so well done, that when the truth is revealed you're left dumbstruck. At least I was. But I so like to be dumbstruck. I get so wrapped up in the story that usually even the most obvious eludes me. :) But seriously. This one really threw me.
Can't wait for Heck's next adventure. I'm officially now a big fan of this series. :)
Highly recommend it.
In this book Heck has been transferred to the back of beyond, to no-mans-land, somewhere in the country, up in the hills. Bad weather sets in, night is approaching, everything is shrouded in fog. It's creepy, it's eery, it's totally isolated. And of course this is when the sh@t hits the fan. From the first pages things go wrong. And it just gets worse. Heck is chasing his tail, chasing an enemy in the gloom, while trying to protect the villagers. It is nailbiting stuff. Creepy as hell, mainly because of the scenery. The gruesome acts of the Stranger are shocking but in this tale, the main focus is on the foggy courtyside.
The writing is brilliant, the characters are well developed, the clues are expertly laid out, the misdirection is so well done, that when the truth is revealed you're left dumbstruck. At least I was. But I so like to be dumbstruck. I get so wrapped up in the story that usually even the most obvious eludes me. :) But seriously. This one really threw me.
Can't wait for Heck's next adventure. I'm officially now a big fan of this series. :)
Highly recommend it.
July 18, 2015
This started off absolutely fantastically. It was very, very scary indeed and at times I was sat with my hand over my mouth, with my heart racing, but (and its a big but) the whole thing became totally implausible.
I had spotted the perpetrator from quite early on and couldn't understand why Heck couldn't see what was before his eyes. From the middle of the book and the siege, I had to speed read. It was absolutely ridiculous and the reasons why the perp did what they did were totally beyond belief. There had been plenty of occasions to take out the victim/victims from early on, which sort of sent the whole plot into a massive free fall for me I am afraid to say.
The first two books by Paul Finch will stay in my memory forever but the last two I had read, which involve my hero, DS Mark Heckenburg (Heck), have been less than satisfactory, in my humble opinion.
I am just about to read the fifth in the series, Hunted, and do hope Paul is back on form with this one. I am also quite bored of Heck getting into ridiculous cat and mouse situations where it seems to go on forever, and would much rather Heck get back to real policing, which he does best, instead of him always being chased or doing the chasing.
Disappointing, and average thriller.
I had spotted the perpetrator from quite early on and couldn't understand why Heck couldn't see what was before his eyes. From the middle of the book and the siege, I had to speed read. It was absolutely ridiculous and the reasons why the perp did what they did were totally beyond belief. There had been plenty of occasions to take out the victim/victims from early on, which sort of sent the whole plot into a massive free fall for me I am afraid to say.
The first two books by Paul Finch will stay in my memory forever but the last two I had read, which involve my hero, DS Mark Heckenburg (Heck), have been less than satisfactory, in my humble opinion.
I am just about to read the fifth in the series, Hunted, and do hope Paul is back on form with this one. I am also quite bored of Heck getting into ridiculous cat and mouse situations where it seems to go on forever, and would much rather Heck get back to real policing, which he does best, instead of him always being chased or doing the chasing.
Disappointing, and average thriller.
January 7, 2016
This is the fourth book in the series for the main character, DS Mark “Heck” Heckenberg.
It is an action book - Lots of hiding, chasing, etc I'm really not "into" that kind of book - but it is a well written book (although I could have done with a lot less chase and hiding scenes)
DS Heck has transferred to a remote and small village to get away from his ex-boss and ex-girlfriend, Gemma Piper. Right away a crime occurs that remind Heck of a crime that was connected to Gemma - in fact she was almost killed in attempting to apprehend the serial killer - called The Stranger. ( ( a serial killer who whistles "Stranger in the Night") So Heck calls Gemma to inform her of the connection
Then many gruesome murders occur - as Heck and his assistant in the small town, Mary Ellen, and Gemma (yes, she comes to the town to see if there is a connection to the told case.)
It is an action book - Lots of hiding, chasing, etc I'm really not "into" that kind of book - but it is a well written book (although I could have done with a lot less chase and hiding scenes)
DS Heck has transferred to a remote and small village to get away from his ex-boss and ex-girlfriend, Gemma Piper. Right away a crime occurs that remind Heck of a crime that was connected to Gemma - in fact she was almost killed in attempting to apprehend the serial killer - called The Stranger. ( ( a serial killer who whistles "Stranger in the Night") So Heck calls Gemma to inform her of the connection
Then many gruesome murders occur - as Heck and his assistant in the small town, Mary Ellen, and Gemma (yes, she comes to the town to see if there is a connection to the told case.)
September 6, 2016
Another breakneck paced thriller by Paul Finch. I could identify with the landscape which is a major player in this book having had some experience of the English Lakeland fells in fairly dangerous conditions. The only downside to the book is that I'd identified the wrong 'un midway through the book. It rattles along at a cracking pace though and it's well worth giving a go!
December 27, 2015
Heck is a force of nature. Closer to a thriller than a police procedural, once again Finch manages to deliver the goods, a great, fast paced run through the Lake District.
December 23, 2017
Pretty unbelievable and I guessed who the baddie was quite early on. But an enjoyable, easy read
January 25, 2021
This book opens with a prologue citing events from 10 years ago in which the police tried ...& failed...to trap a serial killer known as "The Stranger"
Move up-to-date & Heck has moved his way up north & is working in the Lake District. After an attack on two young women, Heck has his suspicions that "The Stranger" is back & seems to have the remote village under siege & picking off it's residents one by one. It's left to Heck, local PC Mary-Ellen & Gemma to save the day...oh, & the villagers of course ;o)
After a slow start (a little too much scenic description for my liking but it did help with the atmosphere for what followed later), things soon ramped up a notch. Now recently I've watched a few home invasion horror films where people were hunted down but this was way more scary, with the tension really racking up - I have to say I was impressed! As one of the characters entered a building alone, I felt a great sense of unease gathering & I really wanted to rush ahead, skipping paragraphs to see if he/she would be alright (but I didn't!)
As the villagers are picked off, there are some good chilling moments & as I've said, the tension builds well, but as things went on...& on...they got harder to believe in, culminating in a less than convincing reveal of the killer's motives. The killer was no surprise as one sentence had as good as told me who it was but as a motive completely eluded me there was still plenty to discover.
Although I was tiring of the chase by the end - a few less pages wouldn't have hurt! - & credibility slipped as the outcome approached, I had found some moments genuinely unnerving & overall it was a gripping read with good characters & well worth reading.
Move up-to-date & Heck has moved his way up north & is working in the Lake District. After an attack on two young women, Heck has his suspicions that "The Stranger" is back & seems to have the remote village under siege & picking off it's residents one by one. It's left to Heck, local PC Mary-Ellen & Gemma to save the day...oh, & the villagers of course ;o)
After a slow start (a little too much scenic description for my liking but it did help with the atmosphere for what followed later), things soon ramped up a notch. Now recently I've watched a few home invasion horror films where people were hunted down but this was way more scary, with the tension really racking up - I have to say I was impressed! As one of the characters entered a building alone, I felt a great sense of unease gathering & I really wanted to rush ahead, skipping paragraphs to see if he/she would be alright (but I didn't!)
As the villagers are picked off, there are some good chilling moments & as I've said, the tension builds well, but as things went on...& on...they got harder to believe in, culminating in a less than convincing reveal of the killer's motives. The killer was no surprise as one sentence had as good as told me who it was but as a motive completely eluded me there was still plenty to discover.
Although I was tiring of the chase by the end - a few less pages wouldn't have hurt! - & credibility slipped as the outcome approached, I had found some moments genuinely unnerving & overall it was a gripping read with good characters & well worth reading.
February 14, 2019
This is a good solid crime novel from Paul Finch, the fourth in the DS Heckenburg series but the first of those that I've read. However, it works as a standalone book and I didn't feel as though I was missing anything from not having read those previous in the series. The characters are strongly drawn and the plot works to its internal logic. Plus it's gripping - a genuine page-turner that was difficult to put down.
If I have any reservations it's that I guessed the identity of the 'Stranger' about eighty pages off the end and - without any spoilers - really hoped that I wasn't correct. Whilst the reveal does conform to the book's logic, I also felt it real-world unlikely - a plot device rather than something which would genuinely have happened. It wasn't leftfield, though, everything dovetailed well, and the plotting was as breathless as the Stranger's itinerary.
I don't tend to read many books which aren't described as 'literary' and certainly Finch's eye is on the mass-market audience here, but that's not to say that the book isn't well-written when it comes to the language used and certainly there's a lot of research into location and police procedure. Although it might not stay with me, I'd be interested in visiting Heck again.
If I have any reservations it's that I guessed the identity of the 'Stranger' about eighty pages off the end and - without any spoilers - really hoped that I wasn't correct. Whilst the reveal does conform to the book's logic, I also felt it real-world unlikely - a plot device rather than something which would genuinely have happened. It wasn't leftfield, though, everything dovetailed well, and the plotting was as breathless as the Stranger's itinerary.
I don't tend to read many books which aren't described as 'literary' and certainly Finch's eye is on the mass-market audience here, but that's not to say that the book isn't well-written when it comes to the language used and certainly there's a lot of research into location and police procedure. Although it might not stay with me, I'd be interested in visiting Heck again.
February 19, 2021
Very dynamic and tense read packed with lot of violent action scenes and a myriad of twists and turns, with fairly interesting and layered characters.
What knocks one star off for me, is that I think it was too suggestive at times, so managed to see through the final plot 'who-done-it' pretty early on, way far from the point than the main exposition made it fully explicit. So it did diminish the experience as in not being able to fully surprise me - as well made it unbelievable for me that top notch detective like Heckenburg could not see things sooner for what they are. Would be interested to see if it is just me sharing that impression, being conditioned by much of crime mystery novels I read by now, or other readers also found the same sentiments to hold true.
That being said, it is well written piece of work with believable and mostly enjoyable dialogues, top notch action writing as well a myriad of quick, but interesting psychological insights - so would surely recommend to those with a knack for decent and somewhat quirky mystery thrillers, which at the same time do not lack really good amount of body count, frequently accompanied by very graphic violence descriptions.
What knocks one star off for me, is that I think it was too suggestive at times, so managed to see through the final plot 'who-done-it' pretty early on, way far from the point than the main exposition made it fully explicit. So it did diminish the experience as in not being able to fully surprise me - as well made it unbelievable for me that top notch detective like Heckenburg could not see things sooner for what they are. Would be interested to see if it is just me sharing that impression, being conditioned by much of crime mystery novels I read by now, or other readers also found the same sentiments to hold true.
That being said, it is well written piece of work with believable and mostly enjoyable dialogues, top notch action writing as well a myriad of quick, but interesting psychological insights - so would surely recommend to those with a knack for decent and somewhat quirky mystery thrillers, which at the same time do not lack really good amount of body count, frequently accompanied by very graphic violence descriptions.
July 17, 2021
Buying books on a holiday will often drop you in the middle of a series but the real beauty of crime and mystery series is that you won't feel a thing.
At least, that's what happened with my discovery of Dead Man Walking while I was on a holiday last year. The setting and events were so creepy and chilling that Lana of 2020 had to drop the book. Turns out, I was nearly done with it (still unsure what made me put it off); when I grabbed it randomly off the shelf yesterday, after a whole year had passed, I finished it in one sitting.
Like I said, the atmosphere is chilling and thrilling, and the mystery is pretty good. I don't think I'll be able to hear Strangers in the Night ever again with the same connotation, even though I think it's the perfect hotel bar song. What can ya do!
The main con were the characters I couldn't really conenct with, but you just can't beat the small town setting in a mystery novel. There's something delightful and creepy about things that go bump in the town (and the night), just when you thought you knew all your neighbors so well.
All in all, I'd recommend Dead Man Walking if you're looking for a casual (but chilling) mystery read.
At least, that's what happened with my discovery of Dead Man Walking while I was on a holiday last year. The setting and events were so creepy and chilling that Lana of 2020 had to drop the book. Turns out, I was nearly done with it (still unsure what made me put it off); when I grabbed it randomly off the shelf yesterday, after a whole year had passed, I finished it in one sitting.
Like I said, the atmosphere is chilling and thrilling, and the mystery is pretty good. I don't think I'll be able to hear Strangers in the Night ever again with the same connotation, even though I think it's the perfect hotel bar song. What can ya do!
The main con were the characters I couldn't really conenct with, but you just can't beat the small town setting in a mystery novel. There's something delightful and creepy about things that go bump in the town (and the night), just when you thought you knew all your neighbors so well.
All in all, I'd recommend Dead Man Walking if you're looking for a casual (but chilling) mystery read.
December 7, 2022
This is a very subjective rating, and it's based entirely on the fact that I figured out very early on who the killer was, not because I'm particularly clever but because the new formula for thrillers seems to be "include a ridiculous plot twist and have everyone react as though it was completely unforeseeable rather than obvious from the outset." It's become a cliché, and as a reader I'm tired of it, especially when, as with this book, the twist is more important than the actual plot, which makes no sense at all once you stop to think about it. It's too bad because the writing was good, and I enjoy the characters, I just wish the author would take more care with crafting a story. If your story is solid, you don't need the plot-twisty gimmicks.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2017
The well-worn plot of a cop who leaves the big city and winds up up in a usually rural community with a killer on the loose. A killer who is not so much a mastermind as smarter than a rather stupid group of people. A plotline of whether said villain has blown themselves up and nearly killed themselves as a red herring...
One of those books where you get to the end and think "Oooh I can read the first chapter from the next book in the series. Best not'.
One of those books where you get to the end and think "Oooh I can read the first chapter from the next book in the series. Best not'.
February 1, 2021
I was hooked from the prologue! The focus started with Gemma Piper, Heck’s ex girlfriend and leader of the Serial Crimes Unit. Interesting getting more background on the main characters. A great follow up to the previous book. A fast paced story with lots of action. It lost a star because I thought it was fairly obvious who the perpetrator was. Nonetheless a great read and I look forward to more Heck escapades.
November 15, 2017
I love suspense thrillers and the fact that it takes place in a small town is another plus for me. While I've not read the earlier books in this series, I had no problem what's ever getting dragged in on what was a fabulous murder mystery. One of those that keeps you up all night reading but then wish you hadn't cause you can't turn it off once you do go to bed.
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