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A Wash of Black: It’S Not Life That Imitates Art … it’s Death
272 pages, Paperback
Published July 31, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 1, 2026
As a read this goes to show why Chris McDonald has become one of my favourite crime authors, Be prepared for an edge of your seat police thriller.
This is the first in a series to feature DI Erika Piper who has recently returned to work after a year off. As a character she comes across as a strong independent woman, who says it as it is, but one who values teamwork, she also commands the respect of those around her. Due to past incident whilst on the job there is a vulnerable side but one she chooses to push to one side. As a story the book is wonderfully character driven, there is a sense and believeability to each they are all fully rounded, you can form mental pictures of each.
There is a terrific sense of teamwork within the investigation
The plot is superbly layered and constructed, written with real depth and quality wonderfully structured on the page, it gets under your skin. It is a cleverly concepted plot written in a way that draw you in.You also get a real sense of place and location, the streets of Manchester come alive.
The book has that feeling of realism to it, you can believe in what you are reading, as the investigation flows in real-time. There are plenty of protagonists, the narrative weaves in a way so that there is that air of doubt.
There is a darkness to the story, It’s a hard hitting read, which has that Noir feeling to it, packed with plenty of twists and turns the narrative keeps you guessing, with plenty of dramatic action, a read which builds up the suspense and tension as you head to finale.
A pacy read with a sense of urgency to find the killer, this was an addictive read, the story grabs you and doesn’t let go, there is a high degree of attention to detail within what is a tightly knitted plot
This is a debut novel written with high intensity and a level of assuredness which shows why Chris is an author to watch out for,
Overall this is a compelling and highly engaging read which will appeal to all crime fans, highly recommend.
This is the first in a series to feature DI Erika Piper who has recently returned to work after a year off. As a character she comes across as a strong independent woman, who says it as it is, but one who values teamwork, she also commands the respect of those around her. Due to past incident whilst on the job there is a vulnerable side but one she chooses to push to one side. As a story the book is wonderfully character driven, there is a sense and believeability to each they are all fully rounded, you can form mental pictures of each.
There is a terrific sense of teamwork within the investigation
The plot is superbly layered and constructed, written with real depth and quality wonderfully structured on the page, it gets under your skin. It is a cleverly concepted plot written in a way that draw you in.You also get a real sense of place and location, the streets of Manchester come alive.
The book has that feeling of realism to it, you can believe in what you are reading, as the investigation flows in real-time. There are plenty of protagonists, the narrative weaves in a way so that there is that air of doubt.
There is a darkness to the story, It’s a hard hitting read, which has that Noir feeling to it, packed with plenty of twists and turns the narrative keeps you guessing, with plenty of dramatic action, a read which builds up the suspense and tension as you head to finale.
A pacy read with a sense of urgency to find the killer, this was an addictive read, the story grabs you and doesn’t let go, there is a high degree of attention to detail within what is a tightly knitted plot
This is a debut novel written with high intensity and a level of assuredness which shows why Chris is an author to watch out for,
Overall this is a compelling and highly engaging read which will appeal to all crime fans, highly recommend.
December 6, 2025
Chris is a new writer for me. Was drawn to the Manchester setting. This book was a good read and kept me guessing throughout. However I would've liked to get to know Erika's team more. The book only focused on a small part of the team. However I look firward to book 2 where I might learn more! I recommend this book.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews