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DI Paolo Storey #4
Looking for a Reason
They won't talk... Someone is subjecting men to systematic rape and torture, but who? More to the point - why? After three days of cruelty, starvation and water deprivation, they are released.
Detective Inspector Paolo Storey has many questions, but the biggest one of all is this: why, to a man, do they refuse even to admit they were held captive?
As if the hunt for the elusive abductor wasn't enough, Paolo has to spend time finding out if money has been pilfered from public funds poured into a new youth centre. He upsets a few local bigwigs in the process, but ruffling feathers is the least of his worries.
His most important task is to work out why the attacks take place. If he can do that, he'll be a step closer to knowing who is behind them; but can he uncover the answers in time to save someone close to him?
It isn't easy Looking for a Reason. Looking for a Reason is the fourth in the crime series featuring Detective Inspector Paolo Storey.
Detective Inspector Paolo Storey has many questions, but the biggest one of all is this: why, to a man, do they refuse even to admit they were held captive?
As if the hunt for the elusive abductor wasn't enough, Paolo has to spend time finding out if money has been pilfered from public funds poured into a new youth centre. He upsets a few local bigwigs in the process, but ruffling feathers is the least of his worries.
His most important task is to work out why the attacks take place. If he can do that, he'll be a step closer to knowing who is behind them; but can he uncover the answers in time to save someone close to him?
It isn't easy Looking for a Reason. Looking for a Reason is the fourth in the crime series featuring Detective Inspector Paolo Storey.
286 pages, Paperback
First published October 7, 2014
20 people want to read
About the author
Frances di Plino
5 books74 followersFrances di Plino (author of the D.I. Paolo Storey crime series: Bad Moon Rising, Someday Never Comes, Call it Pretending and Looking for a Reason) is the pseudonym of columnist, editor, children's author, non-fiction author and writing tutor, Lorraine Mace. Writing as Frances di Plino gives her the opportunity to allow the dark side of her personality to surface and take control.
As Lorraine Mace, she is a gentler creature, being humour columnist for Writing Magazine and writing agony aunt for Words with JAM. She writes fiction for the women’s magazine market, features and photo-features for monthly glossy magazines and is a writing competition judge for Writers’ Forum.
Winner of a Petra Kenney International Poetry Award, she has won and been placed in numerous creative writing and poetry competitions. From the other side of the writing fence, she runs the international flash fiction and humour verse competitions at Flash 500.
She is a former fiction and non-fiction tutor for the Writers Bureau, and is the author of the Writers Bureau course, Marketing Your Book. She is also co-author, with Maureen Vincent-Northam of The Writer's ABC Checklist (Accent Press).
As Lorraine Mace, she is a gentler creature, being humour columnist for Writing Magazine and writing agony aunt for Words with JAM. She writes fiction for the women’s magazine market, features and photo-features for monthly glossy magazines and is a writing competition judge for Writers’ Forum.
Winner of a Petra Kenney International Poetry Award, she has won and been placed in numerous creative writing and poetry competitions. From the other side of the writing fence, she runs the international flash fiction and humour verse competitions at Flash 500.
She is a former fiction and non-fiction tutor for the Writers Bureau, and is the author of the Writers Bureau course, Marketing Your Book. She is also co-author, with Maureen Vincent-Northam of The Writer's ABC Checklist (Accent Press).
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 28, 2014
I have thoroughly enjoyed all three of Frances di Plino’s dark psychological thrillers starring Detective Inspector Paolo Storey: Bad Moon Rising, Someday Never Comes, and Call It Pretending, but I must say that this fourth in the series––Looking For a Reason––surpasses them all.
DI Storey investigates a particularly depraved series of male rape and torture victims. To make things even more difficult, the victims refuse to admit they were imprisoned and treated with such cruelty. Storey knows that if he can uncover the reason these attacks are taking place, he’ll be closer to discovering the perpetrator. But can he do this in time to save someone close to him?
Paolo Storey is, as always, a flawed and empathetic character with whom we can readily identify in his personal, as well as his working life. The supporting characters too, as well as the perpetrator, are masterfully-evoked.
With its many plot twists and turns, Looking For a Reason had me guessing right up to the end. Another brilliantly plotted and engaging crime story to add to this excellent series, I would highly recommend it for readers who love dark, psychological crime fiction, and staying up all night reading.
DI Storey investigates a particularly depraved series of male rape and torture victims. To make things even more difficult, the victims refuse to admit they were imprisoned and treated with such cruelty. Storey knows that if he can uncover the reason these attacks are taking place, he’ll be closer to discovering the perpetrator. But can he do this in time to save someone close to him?
Paolo Storey is, as always, a flawed and empathetic character with whom we can readily identify in his personal, as well as his working life. The supporting characters too, as well as the perpetrator, are masterfully-evoked.
With its many plot twists and turns, Looking For a Reason had me guessing right up to the end. Another brilliantly plotted and engaging crime story to add to this excellent series, I would highly recommend it for readers who love dark, psychological crime fiction, and staying up all night reading.
April 11, 2019
This is a good step up from previous book in the series.
December 29, 2023
This starts off seeming like a cosy crime but the presence of the vengeful Nemesis immediately makes it more sinister.
We are kept guessing right until the end about the identity of Nemesis. There is some good storytelling here.
It took me a while to get to know the characters but in the end I felt empathy for them, particularly the main players.
We are kept guessing right until the end about the identity of Nemesis. There is some good storytelling here.
It took me a while to get to know the characters but in the end I felt empathy for them, particularly the main players.
October 28, 2014
I have thoroughly enjoyed all three of Frances di Plino’s dark psychological thrillers starring Detective Inspector Paolo Storey: Bad Moon Rising, Someday Never Comes, and Call It Pretending, but I must say that this fourth in the series––Looking For a Reason––surpasses them all.
DI Storey investigates a particularly depraved series of male rape and torture victims. To make things even more difficult, the victims refuse to admit they were imprisoned and treated with such cruelty. Storey knows that if he can uncover the reason these attacks are taking place, he’ll be closer to discovering the perpetrator. But can he do this in time to save someone close to him?
Paolo Storey is, as always, a flawed and empathetic character with whom we can readily identify in his personal, as well as his working life. The supporting characters too, as well as the perpetrator, are masterfully-evoked.
With its many plot twists and turns, Looking For a Reason had me guessing right up to the end. Another brilliantly plotted and engaging crime story to add to this excellent series, I would highly recommend it for readers who love dark, psychological crime fiction, and staying up all night reading.
DI Storey investigates a particularly depraved series of male rape and torture victims. To make things even more difficult, the victims refuse to admit they were imprisoned and treated with such cruelty. Storey knows that if he can uncover the reason these attacks are taking place, he’ll be closer to discovering the perpetrator. But can he do this in time to save someone close to him?
Paolo Storey is, as always, a flawed and empathetic character with whom we can readily identify in his personal, as well as his working life. The supporting characters too, as well as the perpetrator, are masterfully-evoked.
With its many plot twists and turns, Looking For a Reason had me guessing right up to the end. Another brilliantly plotted and engaging crime story to add to this excellent series, I would highly recommend it for readers who love dark, psychological crime fiction, and staying up all night reading.
November 5, 2014
It's always good to read a new Paolo Storey novel and this latest one is no disappointment. This time the victims are men - a neat reversal of the usual helpless female trope. Men are being kidnapped, raped and tortured. The question is - why? And why will they not talk about it afterwards?
As usual, Frances di Plino pulls no punches when it comes to describing unpleasant activities; the opening chapter is not for the faint-hearted. We are in a world of extreme pain and humiliation. When the latest victim is released, he is unconscious and in a very bad way.
Paolo Storey has a lot on his plate; not only is there the torture of a man in a coma to investigate but someone is making allegations of fraud in a community project Paolo has had a hand in. In addition to this, Paolo's private life is still causing problems. His relationship with Jessica is not as straightforward as he'd hoped and his daughter wants to leave home.
We meet the usual crew from the station, including CC and Dave Johnson and there are tensions to contend with. I won't go into details but there is a very poignant scene towards the end involving one of the team.
This is a book that will keep you guessing. Just when you think you know who the perp is, they get bumped off and you have to start again.
As usual, Frances di Plino pulls no punches when it comes to describing unpleasant activities; the opening chapter is not for the faint-hearted. We are in a world of extreme pain and humiliation. When the latest victim is released, he is unconscious and in a very bad way.
Paolo Storey has a lot on his plate; not only is there the torture of a man in a coma to investigate but someone is making allegations of fraud in a community project Paolo has had a hand in. In addition to this, Paolo's private life is still causing problems. His relationship with Jessica is not as straightforward as he'd hoped and his daughter wants to leave home.
We meet the usual crew from the station, including CC and Dave Johnson and there are tensions to contend with. I won't go into details but there is a very poignant scene towards the end involving one of the team.
This is a book that will keep you guessing. Just when you think you know who the perp is, they get bumped off and you have to start again.
January 30, 2016
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Crooked Cat Publishing!
The blurb sounded fascinating: a serial rapist keeps kidnapping men and holding them for three days while subjecting them to unspeakable psychological and physical torture. That is why I was so confused when a terrifying prologue was followed by a rather bland case of vandalism. D.I. Paolo Storey is on the hunt for a vandal and the investigation keeps getting more and more complicated until... finally, it ties tangentially with the serial rapist. That is when the story really caught my interest, and it didn't let go until the end. The resolution was a little bit too obvious from the beginning, but the characters more than made up for the predictability. The internal office politics at the police station were a source of tension and the suspects were believable and sometimes heartbreaking.
The blurb sounded fascinating: a serial rapist keeps kidnapping men and holding them for three days while subjecting them to unspeakable psychological and physical torture. That is why I was so confused when a terrifying prologue was followed by a rather bland case of vandalism. D.I. Paolo Storey is on the hunt for a vandal and the investigation keeps getting more and more complicated until... finally, it ties tangentially with the serial rapist. That is when the story really caught my interest, and it didn't let go until the end. The resolution was a little bit too obvious from the beginning, but the characters more than made up for the predictability. The internal office politics at the police station were a source of tension and the suspects were believable and sometimes heartbreaking.
February 3, 2016
Detective Inspector Paolo Storey gets called in by a Doctor at the local hospital to a case of rape - a rape of a man. The man was held captive for 3 days and then released but nothing was reported - are there more cases similar to this one.
There is also the mundane case of minor vandalism at a local youth centre.
There were two points during the book when a person had information for the police but D.I. Storey just didn't have the time - of course these people turned up dead.
The guilty person became obvious as the story is told.
A NetGalley book
There is also the mundane case of minor vandalism at a local youth centre.
There were two points during the book when a person had information for the police but D.I. Storey just didn't have the time - of course these people turned up dead.
The guilty person became obvious as the story is told.
A NetGalley book
April 15, 2016
I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
This is the first Frances Di Plino book that I have read.
I cannot believe what I have been missing, with a depth and mixture of characters to keep you on your toes.
The book is violent and quite descriptive but the story just pulls you in and keeps you guessing.
I will definitely be reading more from this author.
This is the first Frances Di Plino book that I have read.
I cannot believe what I have been missing, with a depth and mixture of characters to keep you on your toes.
The book is violent and quite descriptive but the story just pulls you in and keeps you guessing.
I will definitely be reading more from this author.
January 18, 2015
Another cracking read from the computer of Francis di Plino. DI Paolo has to deal with the mundane and the horrifying, comic and tragic, as well as personal challenges, amidst a variety of interesting characters. Looking forward to the next one!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews