Storms

DSI Jeff Barton Investigation #3

by David Menon

Librarian's note: An alternate cover edition can be found here

Members of a notorious gang of teenage boys on an estate in east Manchester are being murdered in a particularly gruesome manner. Is it some kind of vendetta? The list of potential suspects would be long if it was but Detective Superintendent Jeff Barton and his team have to contend with a hostile neighbourhood that won't co-operate with them and the death of an elderly woman on the estate who was prevented from getting to hospital on time. A white girl associated with the gang has gone to ground but why? The body count rises and Jeff is suspicious of certain individuals not directly involved with the estate but who may hold vital information, including his sister who comes back into his life following an incident between her employer and Jeff's nephew. Difficult and uncomfortable questions about race relations and the nature of sexual abuse can't be ignored as Jeff and his team try to find their way through a case that isn't quite as simple as just murder.

182 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 24, 2014

About the author

David was born of an English mother and an Indian father, neither of whom brought him up. He spent his childhood in Derby but has since lived all over the UK, and also for several very happy years he lived in Paris. He loves to travel, loves Indian food closely followed by French, he’s into politics and current affairs and all the arts – books, films, TV, theatre, and music. He’s a seriously devoted fan of Stevie Nicks who he calls ‘the voice of my interior world’. When he’s not writing he teaches English to Russian students for a school in St. Petersburg.

Reviews

[Milena · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main storyline are the repeated acts of horrid and brutal murders committed out of vengeance. The author included also the themes of racial tensions, intolerance and social exclusions. I like the fact that David Menon uses a crime story as an opportunity to comment on the contemporary social problems. However his style of writing is rather discouraging. Sometimes the moralizing tone pervading the story is quite irritating and sounds fake and insincere. For me especially the dialogues are the weakest part of this book – these conversations just seem to be unnatural. I regret that there are too many scenes that are somehow connected to the main story but they are only the mere emotional talking between the characters. Instead of these not really engaging parts I would prefer to provide more space for the process of investigation itself – deductions, visiting suspects, putting together a jigsaw puzzle without spending so much time on rather uninteresting and moralizing comments made by the main characters.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say other than another great read.

[Alan O'Boyle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I lived in Manchester for 6 years, Manchester City Centre and North East / East Manchester, I know Gorton, I like crime stories but this is badly written, badly edited. Couldn't believe that the third book in the series could be as bad as the first. Add to my previous comments re the author fixating on issues. Add Gay !!