Speechless

Inspector Marco #1

by Stephen Puleston

The body of a young Pole working in Cardiff is pulled from the River Taff. His tongue has been amputated in some sort of ritual.

More murders in the Polish community take Inspector John Marco and his team into the East European immigrant community and the murky world of people trafficking.

But what is it that links all the deaths together?

When the evidence points to one of the city’s criminal and the involvement of a gangster from Poland Marco faces the challenge of gathering evidence from a close knit and secretive community.

And why do the Polish Secret Service seem to be interested?

When Marco finds himself entangled emotionally its impossible for him to think clearly. In search of an answer Marco travels to Poland only to find himself implicated in a murder and hoping he can avoid another.

Racing back to Cardiff he hopes he has enough to unravel the case and arrest the perpetrators.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Ebooks, Contemporary

297 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 17, 2013

About the author

I write mysteries and thrillers.

I have published the first novel in a series featuring Inspector Drake based in North Wales and also the first in a series with Inspector John Marco based in Cardiff. The first Drake mystery is called BRASS IN POCKET and the second WORSE THAN DEAD. The third, AGAINST THE TIDE.

My second detective is Inspector Marco who comes from an Italian/Welsh background and he lives in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The first Inspector Marco novel SPEECHLESS has been published on Amazon and the second and third in the series will be published in 2015.

Before turning to crime fiction I had written three other unpublished novels and you can read about my writing and about Wales, one of the most beautiful countries in the world, on my website http://www.stephenpuleston.co.uk/

I was brought up on the Isle of Anglesey, off the North Wales coast and went to school in Holyhead. After a degree in Theology from London University I decided to train as a lawyer and returned to work in the practice run by my father on Anglesey. For many years I worked as a lawyer in a small practice representing clients in the criminal courts and doing divorce work all of which has given me valuable raw material for my novels.

I still live and work in North Wales where the Inspector Drake novels are set.
You can contact me on twitter @stephenpuleston or @inspector_marco
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/17G6iIA

Reviews

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a body is found floating in the river, DI John Marco is called upon to investigate. This should have been an ordinary undertaking, but when the man's tongue has been amputated and put in his pocket, Marco finds this is anything but ordinary.

The man is identified as a Polish immigrant. He's not the only member in the Polish community to be found murdered. The two dead men lead Marco to one of the city's most notorious criminals and to the possibility of human trafficking.

No one is talking. With the threat of severed tongues hanging over them, residents in the Polish community are afraid to speak.

Marco and his team will have to dig deep to get through the lies and the secrets . He's making progress until the Polish Secret Service gets involved and he finds himself the prime suspect in yet another murder when he travels to Poland.

There is non-stop action involving human trafficking, blackmail, murder, money laundering, and the Polish Mafia. Marco is not what I'd call an extremely likable character .. but I do like him.. maybe in spite of himself. He's dedicated to his job, and wants justice for his victims. An alcoholic, he's been dry over a year. And he loves the old Elvis songs ... I like him for that alone.

This is the first book in a series featuring DI Marco and his team. I'm looking forward to following him in his next adventures.

Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Books n All Promotions / Jill Burkinshaw for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

[Susan Hampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the body of a man is found floating in the river D.I. Marco is called to the scene. The gruesome sight that awaits them is far too much of a young officer to take in as it is soon discovered that the man’s tongue has been cut out. Someone is sending a message to others, a clear message to keep your mouths shut or else….
It is soon discovered that the dead man is Polish but no-one is prepared to come forward with the why and who is responsible. The whole community becomes one jittery silent mass. Who ever is behind the killings is definitely a force to be reckoned with. Now what I already knew about Marco was that he was one determined bloke that will go to any length for justice and his digging does bring a lead.
I had read a novella about D.I. Marco previously so felt that I already had a little info about him and how he worked but in this story he really is pushed to the limits and manages to bring the hackles up on a few of the good guys backs too. Marco is not a man easily put off but it does have consequences that just can’t be mended.
There are a number of side stories going on but I never really felt distracted from the main event. I have really taken to Marco, who faces his own personal challenges of control in his life on a daily basis. This story has a pretty fast pace from the opening pages and stays a busy book right to the end. There are some descriptive scenes, a few raised adrenaline chapters and plenty of shocks that I really didn’t see coming. So looking forward to reading the rest of this series.

[Pam G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Speechless is the first book in the Inspector Marco series by Stephen Puleston. It deals with the very current storyline of people trafficking, this time underage girls from Eastern Europe. Marco and his sergeant, Boyd, also have to deal with murder victims from the Welsh Polish community found with their tongues cut out.
The writing is very good, as with all Stephen’s work, but this series seems more hard hitting than the Inspector Drake series. It is written in the first person, which took some getting used to and the story is very complex with many characters which demanded a high degree of concentration.
I listened to the audiobook of this book. The narration was superb and most certainly added to the enjoyment of the story.I look forward to reading more in this series and finding out more about Marco and Boyd.

[Joanna Larum · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first in a series of books based on Detective Inspector John Marco. The story starts with the discovery of a body in the river Taff in Cardiff but, unusually, this isn't a suicide or an accident, it is murder as the man has had his tongue removed. John Marco is called in to investigate and he and his sidekick Detective Sergeant Boyd Pierce begin a very involved case. The victim is from the Polish community in Cardiff and the plot moves from purely murder into people trafficking and organised crime, with a bit of Russian Mafia-style killings thrown in, all helped by some rather old-fashioned social climbers.
We are also given a peep into John Marco's character as we discover the difficulties he has had with his marriage and parenthood, with alcoholism and with his work colleagues. It is rather difficult to like a character who has quite so many failings and, as it is written in the first person, he begins to sound more like a spoilt brat than an adult detective. That aside, I found the story eye-opening and thrilling and look forward to reading more in this series. I have given a four star review purely because I got confused with so many characters and I hope that the later books in the series will help to iron this out. A good all-round crime thriller.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

AUDIOBOOK

Wow this was an exciting audio and the fact it’s set down the road from me made it so exciting as I can see all the locations in my head. This was a really complex murder case and I loved the start to this new series and can’t wait for the next one. Great story and great narration what more can you ask for

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed the Inspector Drake series so I thought I'd give Inspector Marco a go. It has an exciting plot - the murder of Poles in Cardiff linked to people trafficking and organised crime - and plenty of action with the bodies piling up and Marco facing death on more than one occasion. I don't particularly like comparisons between an author's novels as I think they should all stand individually but in this case it is irresistible because I only read this book because I had read and loved the other series.
The first big difference is that this novel is written in the first person which is not my preference. The second is that I don't feel the characterisation is as strong, but as Speechless is more action based maybe it isn't as important. Thirdly, I don't think it is as tightly plotted and seems a bit sprawling in places. Despite these reservations I think Speechless is a good read and don't hesitate to recommend it.

[Alcornell · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is plotted well and involves a complex investigation which involves the murders of a group of Polish workers; there are links to Warsaw, the Polish underworld, human trafficking, and the Russian mafia. It is however overcomplicated by sub plots re: local burglaries, an unexplained rivalry within the local police and political interference. To add to the clutter there were also references to the detective's messy personal life. All of this made it difficult to follow in places..though the story was overall a strong one. I thought it was good stuff for a movie, which I might have had an easier time following.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Stephen’s books since I was invited to take part in the blog tour for one of his books last year. I have been trying to play catch up on his other books, starting with ‘Speechless’, which is the first full length book in the Detective John Marco series. My oh my I absolutely loved reading ‘Speechless’ but more about that in a bit.
I absolutely loved Detective John Marco and took to him from the start. He is one hard working detective and he puts in far more hours than he is paid for. Once he starts a case, he is determined to see it through to the end and he doesn’t like anybody trying to muscle in on his investigation. Marco likes to get a result in all his cases and on more than one occasion he has slightly bent the rules to get the results that he is after. Marco has a small team but they work really well together. Marco is the sort of boss that you would want to work for. He is caring, dedicated, hard working, he takes an equal share of the workload and wouldn’t ask you to do anything that he wouldn’t do himself. Marco is supportive of his team and each person has each other’s backs. That said he has had his problems with alcoholism, family problems and the break up of his marriage but this just makes him seem more real and human. He has also had his problems with some of his colleagues, which you learn about as the book continues. Marco has his problems with his parents and his mother sounds rather overpowering. At times Marco did come across as a bit spoiled and only thinks of himself. For example. initially he is reluctant to take the murder case because he has tickets for Cardiff City’s first game in the Premiership!
As with Stephen’s other books that I have read, I was hooked on ‘Speechless’ from the moment I picked up the book and began to read. The story hits the ground running and maintains the pace throughout. I binge read the book over the space of a couple of days which really worked because it gave me a sense of the intensity of a police investigation. The author’s writing is so good that I really did feel as though I was a member of the police, investigating the case. I even found myself trying to interact with the book and throw out suggestions of my own on how to find the killer but then I had to remind myself that it was a work of fiction and the characters are not real. I find that if I really get into a book, I tend to live and breathe the story. That was certainly the case for me. When I put the book down, I was looking forward to the moment I could pick the book back up again. I even begrudged having to take my two Labradors out for their walks and I begrudged having to put the book down so I could sleep. I’ve decided that sleep is for wimps. Ha ha. Reading this book was much like riding on an unpredictable and rather scary rollercoaster ride with many twists, turns and stomach churning moments. There are certain details of the case, which made my stomach flip and I will certainly not look at ‘tongue meat’ in the same light again.
In conclusion, Stephen Puleston certainly has a winner on his hands with ‘Speechless’. I loved everything about this book and I can honestly say that there was nothing that I didn’t like. I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I can’t wait to read what fate has in store for Detective John Marco but in the meantime I will be digging out Stephen’s other books from my ever increasing ‘TBR’ (to be read) pike and making reading them one of my top reading priorities. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Speechless - a review by Rosemary Kenny

This, the first in the Detective John Marco series, was a revelation to me as it explores the very modern issues of sex trafficking across continents, money-laundering, murder and gangland/ Mafia coalitions in Wales and right across the Baltic Sea to Russia and Eastern European countries. Stephen Puleston, Maestro of the Welsh-based Police Procedural, has an unfailing nose for a rip-roaring investigation into the underworld that thankfully, most readers can only imagine. He leaves one breathless at the callous and unscrupulous behaviour shown by the antagonists and feeling extremely grateful for the integrity and dedication of the forces of Law and Order that work on our behalf behind the scenes.

Marco and partner Detective Terry Boyd must put aside their natural scruples when investigating the gruesome murder of a Polish national, Michal Dabek, found
in a Cardiff river, with his tongue cut out and put into his pocket along with identifying documents. Their investigation turns up the local gangster Frankie Prince who owned the restaurant where Michal and his (self-proclaimed) lover Kamil Hotter worked. Prince has connections with the Russian Mafia, making the search for witnesses willing to risk their lives, more and more difficult.

Who is Dagmara Sobzek and what is her connection to the case? Does she help Marco with relevant information? Who else is she concerned about?
How did she know three of the victims? Who wants Dagmara to make a public statement and what does she say to this? What happens to Maria and Anna Best?
What is Lech Balinski's part in the case? Who is Alvine Dix - and what does she tell Marco about the nature of the tongues?
Who are Jackie and Dean - what is their relationship to Marco? Why does Marco feel guilty about the latter?

Speechless is a sharp, cleverly-named thriller, which will keep the fan of psychological murder-mysteries eminently entertained, from the first line of the first page to the last word on its final one. Grab your copy today and tell all your friends about it!

[Bethany Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This first in the series (except for the prequel) this audiobook develops the characters of Inspector Marco and takes him into the murky world of organised crime. A body discovered in the river in Cardiff with its tongue cut out is the start of a fast paced thriller with shady characters that takes Marco from Cardiff to Poland in search of the truth. With the bodies mounting up he struggles to find the link between them especially with a community too scared to talk. The narration was excellent and this was an interesting start to a new series.

[Books 'n' All Promotions · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review will be posted on 6th when it is my stop on the Blog Tour

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent. Having read the prequel Dead Smart I was really looking forward to reading book one in the series and it doesn’t disappoint. I think Marco is going to be around for a long time.

[Donna Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...

I have read a few books by this author now and he produces well written stories and this one was no exception. Speechless is his first full length novel in the Inspector Marco series and it is a cracking start to the series!

There are quite a few sub plots in this one which did detract slightly at times from the main plot but that is only a minor criticism from me, it did still flow very well.

The characters are definitely growing one me and can't wait to see how they develop as the series progresses. I loved the setting and found it very easy to read.

Four stars from me for this one - very much looking forward to the next in the series!!

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a competent police procedural set in modern day Cardiff told in the first person by DI John Marco.
It is plotted well and has a complex investigation which involves the murder of a group of Polish workers and appears to have links back to Warsaw, the Polish underworld and the Russian mafia. It is perhaps overcomplicated by sub plots around people trafficking and local burglaries but it does aid the story in part regarding a rivalry within the local police and political interference. Indeed many references are about the newly formed South Wales Police indepently set up and answerable to the Welsh Assembly.
I enjoyed the writing and unpacking of the detailed investigation but much of the elements within the story are familiar and better done elsewhere. I felt overall it lacked some originality; it was predicable in part and the thrills were less thrilling and the mystery less intriging. Basically we have the reformed lead officer after a failed marriage; little work life balance to the point he has forgotten how to interact with his son and of course he is a recovering alcoholic.
Although the range of characters introduced all have a function and will enable a series to develop around them it seemed heavy at times and blurred the drive of the story. Indeed I wasn't caught up in the story to the point of becoming anxious over the lesser players, whether they lived or died. Infact almost like a James Bond novel who immediately felt certain relationships were doomed and lives destroyed due to association with the protagonist, DI John Marco.
In short I enjoyed the story sufficiently to want to read more of this author's writing. In a more focused narrative and straightforward plotline his writing skills would be better represented in my opinion. I would look for more originality but one has to admit in this crowded genre there will be some overlap of creativity and a sense of familiarity in any crime novel.

[Carol Butler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite Good

Took a bit of time to get to but after the slow start I seemed connect better although I thought the end was a bit strange. Here you have a D I in direct trouble already has requested ARU and along comes the Polish Special Ops they kill all the bad guys and disappear just as the ARU turn up and the D I explains it away, so the ending is not quite right in my mind, author must do better if he wants more stars

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished this book. Near the beginning I considered not doing this. The plot was interesting enough; underaged Polish girls being trafficked into Wales. However, the way the plot unfolded was pretty boring. I'm sure a lot of real police work is boring. I couldn't take an interest in the characters as they did not seem real to me, rather undefined.

[Theweebarrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and so annoyed I didn't discover Stephen puleston sooner. Look forward to reading other books by him

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspector Marco may not be the hero I want, but he’s the hero we get. And he does indeed get the job done, mostly. A football fan and someone who likes his Top Gear tv and Elvis (not my things at all) is still a formidable protagonist. Once he gets a case between the teeth, he won’t let go. And since so many bodies have turned up missing their tongues, keeping one’s teeth clamped seems to be good advice.

I love Puleston’s other series, Inspector Drake, but it’s taking me some time to warm up to this series. I want to like it because I already know Puleston writes quality police procedurals but I’m having a hard time with Marco. He’s pretty self-involved (which is a polite way to say he’s selfish) and he doesn’t really treat the important people in his life with true respect (girlfriend, son, mom, coworker, new love interest, etc.). However, he makes some Lord of the Rings references, so there’s hope.

It was the plot that pulled me along. Right off the bat, it engaged me. A body missing a tongue – never a good sign. And of course we got some organized crime (Polish Mafia) involved with some human trafficking. But the Polish community doesn’t want to talk, for several reasons. One of our victims was gay, or perhaps bisexual, and that’s still a pretty taboo thing among the Polish, especially the parents of the victim. But one lady, Dagmara, thinks maybe this will finally bring the spotlight to the human trafficking of East Europeans into Wales. Marco is certainly interested in solving the murders even if he’s not convinced that the human trafficking is really a big deal. He comes off rather flippant about it at first.

Anyhoo, Marco really starts digging into it and then the management wants him to pull back a bit. There’s another official party interested in this case, the Polish Secret Service, and they don’t really want to play with others. And that’s what seems to kick Marco into high gear. I’m starting to think the man is addicted to conflict, and oddly, this is where I started to like him a bit.

The plot is paced well, giving up leads (such as more dead bodies… or even a few unattached tongues) to keep us riveted to the story. Things are also getting messy with Marco’s personal life. His mom has a big party planned. His long-term girlfriend is trying to keep him interested in life outside of work in general, encouraging him to spend more time with his son Dean. Yet there’s this new, mysterious, strong-willed woman who has caught his eye. Honestly, I think part of it was a fear-boner for Marco. After all, these two spend some dangerous moments together and that is thrilling, and apparently for both of them, seductive. Since we’re talking about women, sort of, there aren’t that many in this book and I only recall 2 lovers, 2 mothers, and perhaps a few abused minor characters.

For the most part, the story takes place in Wales (Marco doesn’t speak Welsh but his police partner D.S. Boyd Pierce does) in Cardiff. It’s a very big city feel to it compared to the more urban and sometimes rural feel of Inspector Drake series. This tale does take us briefly to Poland where another body hits the floor. The mystery wraps up on a low note, leaving Marco in a dark place. I expect his drinking to increase but I look forward to seeing if he pulls out of it in book 2 or falls deeper into the hole. 4/5 stars.

The Narration: Joseph Tweedale is still a great pick for this series. I like his sometimes arrogant voice for Marco (suits the character perfectly). He also pulled off a few different accents nicely (Polish, Welsh). There’s not that many ladies in this story, but his female voices were feminine. The pacing was good and there were no tech issues with this recording. 5/5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are 100% my own.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The intrigue and deception in this story kept me turning the pages. DI Marco works overtime to find the murder in this story and to save the Poles in his community. He doesn’t care who was murdered, his job is to find the murder and put them behind bars, he has no prejudices against the murder or the victims. His only goal is to find the bad guy and make them pay for their crimes.

I love DI Marco and enjoy reading these stories. It’s kind of funny, when I was reading this story, I felt as if I was listening to the detective in the old Dragnet series from the 60’s and 70’s. Some of the dialogue and writing made me think of it. I liked it and found it to be an interesting way of reading the story. I find DI Marco and Boyd to be a great team and like how Marco knows when he is doing something he should not be and Boyd will mention it to him, but he is always respectful in his approach to Marco. You can feel the respect between the two men and that is why they work so well together.

I look forward to reading more of the DI Marco stories in the near future. I kept waiting for trouble to be in store for Terry. The same as I did for Dead Smart. It seems he gets put into some very dangerous situations, but he still does it. I give this story a 4 star review and highly recommend it to anyone who likes detective or crime stories.

[Simon Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love being given the opportunity to start a series at the first book, which rarely happens with blog tours, so I was very excited that Stephen asked Jill from Books n All to help re-launch his series.

I have read the novella previously, which is a prelude to this series, so felt I knew a bit about our main man, Inspector Marco, but this books adds so much depth to his character and makes him a more rounded person.

The book starts off with someone finding a man floating in the river and Inspector Marco investigating it, with other murders along the way involving the Polish Community. I think adding the Polish element made it a much better story as it meant that he could travel further to investigate and it shows how well communities can hide things when they are so close knit and protective of their own, be it through fear of the murderers or of the local people.

The book pretty much flew along at a great pace and I really liked the way the book is written where we learn everything at the same time as Inspector Marco, which makes it really hard to work out who the murderer is until the big reveal.

Overall it was a great read and can’t wait to read the rest of the series

[Book Monitor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to an audio version of this book.
This is a police Procedural/thriller set in Cardiff.
DI Marco is a recovering alcoholic with a divorce behind him, a son he rarely sees and struggles to engage with, and a current relationship that feels fragile, if not unsustainable. He is also investigating a murder, the victim had had their tongue removed, and it soon becomes apparent he is not the only one.
As the body count grows, there is increasing pressure from local media, dignitaries, politicians and the Polish community to find the killer.
This is a gripping story and I liked the characterisation, the fleshing out of Marco and Boyd, the family scenes and the life outside of work, which give a sense of who these men are. The plot for me was unnecessarily over-complicated at times, and there are elements that are a bit cliched as well. I also felt the posh/poor element was over stated. The pace the style and the narration was good though and I will be looking for other books by this author.
Overall 4 stars
Performance 4 stars
Story 4 stars.

[Stephen A. Matthews · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Cardiff Bay Murders is book is unevenly paced and complex. I read a lot of police procedure and murder mysteries and DI Marco is easily my least favorite investigator. It is not even close. He is flawed in his personal and work life to such an extreme it is laughable. I have invested in other DI Marco books in the series but I hold out few hopes that the character traits will change. The murder(s) are part of a complex story involving Polish immigrants and sex trafficking. The web includes a wide range of characters from both Poland and the UK. The setting is Cardiff, a city I lived in for four years and love, so I welcomed that and personal reflections of place. But had it not been set in the Cardiff area I would have got very little out of this book. I understand that as the series opener the main character is slowly unveiled as are his friends/partner, workplace peers and superiors, and local big wigs. There was so little to like in the man himself. Not sure when I will get to Book 2.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Stephen Puleston's Di Drake thrillers set in North Wales and so was delighted to have the opportunity to review Speechless in exchange for an honest review. I also lived in Cardiff for many years so was interested to read a book set in an area I knew well.

the story revolves arround Di John Marco and his attempts to solve a string of murders within the Polish comunity.

I did enjoy this faced paced thrillel, the mystery was satisfyingly complex with an exciting conclution. I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the DI Drake novels and must admit i didn't find Marco particularly likable but I think that was the point and there is certainly room for the character to develop in future books which I look forward to reading.

lastly, i listened to this book on audio and the narration of Joseph Tweedale was excellent. he had a lot of different accents to pull off in this book and did a great job. I'll be looking out the next books in this series for sure.

[Carol Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have read this back in 2018 but this time I listen still feel the same as I did before, I have given an extra star as the narrator bought it more to life, Joseph Tweedle good clear voice, the story is DI John Marco a reformed alcoholic and is investigating a death of a Polish citizen and with his tongue cut out. A few more murders all with the same amputations and so the case takes him to Poland and here he seems to get into more trouble with the Polish mafia, and he just about makes it back here in Cardiff for the final showdown, and with the ARU all booked to get there just in time the story comes to a complete halt and ends abruptly. The story was perhaps a little far fetched for me and the finishing could have been better thought out, and although it's the same author of the brilliant Drake series I could not like this man at all, nothing about him seems fit well.

[Sandra Leivesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this first full length DI John Marco book, having read the prequel a few weeks ago. Marco has to investigate when the body of a young Pole is pulled from the river minus his tongue (hence the title!). What follows is a complex, high octane investigation which takes Marco from Cardiff to Poland, and he finds himself in mortal danger more than once!

I have to admit that I didn't enjoy this as much as Puleston's DI Drake series, but that's just my personal preference. I'm not sure why, but perhaps because this one is written in the first person, which I'm not keen on. Also I haven't quite got the measure of John Marco yet. But the writing is superb and the story whizzed along and I look forward to the next in the series.

The narration by Joseph Tweedale was excellent.

[Nicola Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to this on BookFunnel. The narrator, Joseph Tweedale was good. However, it’s difficult to bring life to a character who is a bit one dimensional.
I follow the Inspector Drake series by the same author and love that protagonist and his adventures. He has his flaws but they are part of his character and add depth to it. John Marco, this book’s main character, falls short for me. He has too many flaws that I can’t really get past. His five a day habit was a keen focus of the story line too. Not sure why…
The story line was interesting but not as pacy as I usually like, although, it was enjoyable enough.

[James Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book started off a bit slow but it just kept building and building as a good police procedural probably should. This book is about many things and it might even get you worked up a bit as it did Inspector Marco. Things build and my thought was that this story needs a good assassin to show up and clean up. Then the last person you would expect appears, mind you with a bit of help and does just that leaving Inspector Marco to try and explain what just happened. He is also grateful that they did.

[Dawn Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Speechless by Stephen Puleston

334 Pages
Publisher: Stephen Puleston, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members’ Titles
Release Date: October 31, 2014

Fiction (Adult), General Fiction (Adult), Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Wales, Poland, Trafficking, Police Procedural

The body of a man is found in the Taff River in Cardiff, Wales. When the forensic team is collecting evidence, they find his tongue has been removed. More bizarre is a tongue is in his pocket. This is just the beginning. It seems someone is attacking the Eastern European workers but more specifically, the Polish workers. During the investigation, Detective Inspector John Marco along with his partner, Detective Sergeant Boyd Pierce find themselves looking at a sex trafficking operation. The detectives think Frankie Prince, the local thug, is behind everything but they have no proof.

The book has a steady pace, the characters are somewhat developed, and it is written in the first-person point of view. John is a flawed individual. He wants/needs to please so many people that he fails in every relationship. If you like police procedurals, you will enjoy this one.

[Julie Angstadt · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting Story of

Inspector Marco is an English detective. There has been an influx of young girls from Poland and Romania. He realizes that it is a human trafficking case—the young girls are working as prostitutes. They’re sending money back to their homeland. Then, there are some murders where the deceased’s tongue was cut out. What is going on? Why are these people here, and for what reason. The further he works on the crimes, the more complicated it seems. How can he make an arrest? He needs to find the killers, and stop this, but how? Interesting story

[S McK · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great new series!

I like getting to know Marco and Boyd, in this first book of a new series. I thoroughly enjoyed the prequel, Dead Smart, and this book didn't disappoint!
Lots of characters that had some tenuous links but were all from parts of Eastern Europe. Marco was certain about who was responsible but how would he get the proof?
Explosive climax that has a twist, which I'm sure will carry over to other books in this series.