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DCI Jamie Carver #1
Last Gasp
The last time DCI Jamie Carver involved a would-be victim in his hunt for a serial killer, it ended badly. Now they want him to do it again, only this time the 'victim' is a Dominatrix.
As if he hasn't enough on his plate: there's a brutal killer poised to strike again, shadows of the past that still haunt his dreams, an investigation under mounting pressure to succeed, and a beautiful woman whose bizarre lifestyle may be the key to finding the killer.
That's not counting the young girl whose life he's trying to save from ruin, or the ambitious colleague scheming to bring him down. As the kill-count mounts, signs point to a link with Carver's first serial killer case - that of the notorious Escort Killer, Edmund Hart. But Hart is dead, having hung himself in prison, so how can that be? This is just one of the mysteries Carver must solve in this gripping first outing for the detective who knows his reputation as, "The UK's Foremost Serial Sex Crime Investigator" is built on sand. And when the killer strikes at the heart of the investigation, he knows that in order to protect those closest, he must confront what he most fears - his own failings.
As if he hasn't enough on his plate: there's a brutal killer poised to strike again, shadows of the past that still haunt his dreams, an investigation under mounting pressure to succeed, and a beautiful woman whose bizarre lifestyle may be the key to finding the killer.
That's not counting the young girl whose life he's trying to save from ruin, or the ambitious colleague scheming to bring him down. As the kill-count mounts, signs point to a link with Carver's first serial killer case - that of the notorious Escort Killer, Edmund Hart. But Hart is dead, having hung himself in prison, so how can that be? This is just one of the mysteries Carver must solve in this gripping first outing for the detective who knows his reputation as, "The UK's Foremost Serial Sex Crime Investigator" is built on sand. And when the killer strikes at the heart of the investigation, he knows that in order to protect those closest, he must confront what he most fears - his own failings.
The first in the DCI Jamie Carver Series, and Book One of The Worshipper Trilogy, LAST GASP is a novel of murder, deception, sexual intrigue, and human weakness. It is a story about one man's struggle to put the past behind him, and save those he loves.
ROBERT F BARKER is a former, British Senior Police Detective. LAST GASP is the first in a series of gritty crime thrillers set mainly in and around England’s Northwest featuring his resourceful but sometimes conflicted murder detective, DCI Jamie Carver.
457 pages, ebook
First published November 23, 2015
2609 people are currently reading
1546 people want to read
About the author
Robert F. Barker
14 books61 followersRobert F Barker was born in Liverpool, England. During a thirty-year police career, he worked in and around some of the Northwest UK’s grittiest towns and cities. As a senior detective, he led investigations into all kinds of major crime including, murder, armed robbery, serious sex crime and people/drug trafficking. Whilst commanding firearms and disorder incidents, he learned what it means to have to make life-and-death decisions in the heat of live operations.
His stories are grounded in the reality of police work, but remain exciting, suspenseful, and with the sort of twists and turns crime-fiction readers love.
His stories are grounded in the reality of police work, but remain exciting, suspenseful, and with the sort of twists and turns crime-fiction readers love.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 180 reviews
December 25, 2023
Totally Addictive!
DCI Jamie Carver is on the trail of a new serial killer. The Worshipper Killer is in town and he’s going to wake up the city. DCI Carver must get himself and his team together to find the killer and make sure he is not in charge and in control of this city.
I chose to spend all night reading this book instead of sleeping. This book is so addictive that I could not wait for the ending, yet dreading it, because it is the end.
Five stars. ✨✨✨✨✨
DCI Jamie Carver is on the trail of a new serial killer. The Worshipper Killer is in town and he’s going to wake up the city. DCI Carver must get himself and his team together to find the killer and make sure he is not in charge and in control of this city.
I chose to spend all night reading this book instead of sleeping. This book is so addictive that I could not wait for the ending, yet dreading it, because it is the end.
Five stars. ✨✨✨✨✨
December 17, 2023
Last Gasp was the first book by Robert F. Barker that I have read. And it was surprisingly good.
It tells us about a very smart DCI Jamie Carver who is named in the media as the best British serial sex-crime investigator. In this book, he is investigating murders by the Worshipper serial Killer who is targeting people practising BDSM. In the beginning, I was shocked by so many details about this kind of sex preference and thought that it may be too much for me, but the plot was intense and I decided to go forward and read more. Later I understood how hard it is to investigate such types of crimes, where people are not ready to tell the police the details of their sexual lives and how the specifics of these lives can easily lead to crimes.
When I read a bit about the author himself, I understood why this book was so good. Robert F Barker was himself a lead investigator, dedicating 30 years of his life to this job. He is writing about things that he knows by heart and can show the emotions and hard work of people working on crime cases.
The book had an unexpected end that I personally didn't foresee till the last 20 % of the book.
This book fully earned its 5 stars.
It tells us about a very smart DCI Jamie Carver who is named in the media as the best British serial sex-crime investigator. In this book, he is investigating murders by the Worshipper serial Killer who is targeting people practising BDSM. In the beginning, I was shocked by so many details about this kind of sex preference and thought that it may be too much for me, but the plot was intense and I decided to go forward and read more. Later I understood how hard it is to investigate such types of crimes, where people are not ready to tell the police the details of their sexual lives and how the specifics of these lives can easily lead to crimes.
When I read a bit about the author himself, I understood why this book was so good. Robert F Barker was himself a lead investigator, dedicating 30 years of his life to this job. He is writing about things that he knows by heart and can show the emotions and hard work of people working on crime cases.
The book had an unexpected end that I personally didn't foresee till the last 20 % of the book.
This book fully earned its 5 stars.
January 5, 2018
This is a 4.5 star read.
A stunning, STUNNING debut novel. Robert F. Barker lures you into his story and then grabs you by the throat (pun intended) and pulls you along on what is a rapidly escalating, thrilling ride with enough twists and turns to make your tummy flip-flop.
DCI Jamie Carver is a man of composite personalities; a surly career detective with a personal life bricked in by a giant wall, juxtaposed against an insightful, inclusive, softer man more than eager for someone else to take the limelight from him. Although he abhors the media tag of "The UK's Foremost Serial Sex Crime Investigator", he has a haunting, deep empathy for those who inhabit the cloaked confines of sex work and an ability to understand what drives the monsters that feed within. I like the opposition of his characteristics, it makes not only for a compelling character you can feel fully invested in but also for an enticing, complex story that you can't put down.
His offsider DS Jess Greylake's character complements Carver's so that their partnership is like two halves of a whole. They are not opposites, (although she can be softer) she is just as steely, insightful and loyal as he is, with a drive and compelling sense of justice to match Jamie's own.
There's Megan Crane, a mysteriously enticing, manipulative character that flits from victim to perpetrator and back again. A perfectly imagined ideal of the BDSM scene, one that is as confusing as she is compelling.
I don't rehash the synopses of novels, so I'll say that it is one of those books that you can't put down, you not only hunger to find out who the monster within is but also the why's and the wherefores of the crime. This is why I highly, HIGHLY recommend the novel for fussy purveyors of crime and for those that want to be introduced to a stunning example of what makes an excellent thriller/crime novel.
As an aside, Robert F. Barker has already completed the second of the DCI Jamie Carver series and is looking to publish the third midyear 2018.
A stunning, STUNNING debut novel. Robert F. Barker lures you into his story and then grabs you by the throat (pun intended) and pulls you along on what is a rapidly escalating, thrilling ride with enough twists and turns to make your tummy flip-flop.
DCI Jamie Carver is a man of composite personalities; a surly career detective with a personal life bricked in by a giant wall, juxtaposed against an insightful, inclusive, softer man more than eager for someone else to take the limelight from him. Although he abhors the media tag of "The UK's Foremost Serial Sex Crime Investigator", he has a haunting, deep empathy for those who inhabit the cloaked confines of sex work and an ability to understand what drives the monsters that feed within. I like the opposition of his characteristics, it makes not only for a compelling character you can feel fully invested in but also for an enticing, complex story that you can't put down.
His offsider DS Jess Greylake's character complements Carver's so that their partnership is like two halves of a whole. They are not opposites, (although she can be softer) she is just as steely, insightful and loyal as he is, with a drive and compelling sense of justice to match Jamie's own.
There's Megan Crane, a mysteriously enticing, manipulative character that flits from victim to perpetrator and back again. A perfectly imagined ideal of the BDSM scene, one that is as confusing as she is compelling.
I don't rehash the synopses of novels, so I'll say that it is one of those books that you can't put down, you not only hunger to find out who the monster within is but also the why's and the wherefores of the crime. This is why I highly, HIGHLY recommend the novel for fussy purveyors of crime and for those that want to be introduced to a stunning example of what makes an excellent thriller/crime novel.
As an aside, Robert F. Barker has already completed the second of the DCI Jamie Carver series and is looking to publish the third midyear 2018.
April 23, 2019
DCI Jamie Carver is assigned to a case where women in bondage, complete with gear, are found strangled while in a pose of praying worship, with their hands superglued together.
A copy of the magazine DOM - a subscriber only personal ads magazine for the BDSM community -has been posted to Carver in which stars have been entered against several dominatrices, some of whom are now dead. One questions whether - in the age of the internet - such magazines are economically viable without a large snail-mail-only demand for BDSM services in the Warrington area but we'll let that pass.
Carver is a troubled man and not looking forward to interviewing women starred in the magazine, but not yet murdered.
This was a bit of a struggle to get through I am sorry to say, although it did liven up in the second half. The writing style and structure is offputting, mainly in terms of grammar and spelling. Using 'way-passed' rather than 'way past', for instance or 'principle' rather than 'principal' gives the novel a veneer of sloppiness which, despite the book's flaws, it doesn't really deserve.
Sentence structure is all over the place.
Characterisation is a bit haphazard. The main problem is Carver himself, who is intended to be one of those policemen who understands everything about his job and those he is employed to pursue, but has trouble with personal relationships.
This does not come over clearly. Indeed, one feels for most of the book that Carver has unresolved BDSM issues. He may well might, but I don't think the author intended him to. Carver is also very vexed with a reporter who wrote an article saying nice things about him. It's an unusual twist, but is badly handled, as the reader is ultimately confused as to why this article was so important, why Carver is so vexed about it and what function it carries out in the narrative.
The other characters are half formed also. One of the main characters, Megan Crane, has been wasted here. Megan is an attractive dominatrix on the list of potential victims. She is so superhumanly sexy in fact that she can make men masturbate under restaurant tables after she has left the room. In this book, that's a thing.
Unfortunately, her dialogue like much of the other characters' dialogue, is a bit dull.
We know nothing of her background or how she derives income. The police seem satisfied that she does what she does without being paid, so where does her money come from?
Carver's sidekick, Jess, is a bit confusing too. She becomes rather more fascinated with Megan than is professionally necessary (at one point Megan takes Jess into her dungeon and introduces her to her chained up slaves, Arthur and Tracy. Jess seems to treat this as an ok thing for people to do when you visit them) and we begin to think that Megan Crane has seduced her into offpage lesbian bondage. This never goes anywhere though and is never mentioned again.
No one in Carver's world has a sense of humour. either, which is a bit unfeasible considering it is set in Warrington. The funniest moment in fact is when one discovers that the slaves' names are Arthur and Tracy.
The plot doesn't make a huge amount of sense. I can't really go into detail on that without providing spoilers, but the murderer makes things far far more complicated than they need to be. Other character's actions are carried out in furtherance of the plot without any regard for whether it suits their character. Carver's colleague and rival Gary Shepherd, an apparently intelligent and ruthless younger man, does several inexplicably stupid things without any attempt to cover his tracks, and with minimal potential payout.
With some serious editing with emphasis on dialogue and grammar this would have worked but as it stands I am not inclined to read any more.
A copy of the magazine DOM - a subscriber only personal ads magazine for the BDSM community -has been posted to Carver in which stars have been entered against several dominatrices, some of whom are now dead. One questions whether - in the age of the internet - such magazines are economically viable without a large snail-mail-only demand for BDSM services in the Warrington area but we'll let that pass.
Carver is a troubled man and not looking forward to interviewing women starred in the magazine, but not yet murdered.
This was a bit of a struggle to get through I am sorry to say, although it did liven up in the second half. The writing style and structure is offputting, mainly in terms of grammar and spelling. Using 'way-passed' rather than 'way past', for instance or 'principle' rather than 'principal' gives the novel a veneer of sloppiness which, despite the book's flaws, it doesn't really deserve.
Sentence structure is all over the place.
Characterisation is a bit haphazard. The main problem is Carver himself, who is intended to be one of those policemen who understands everything about his job and those he is employed to pursue, but has trouble with personal relationships.
This does not come over clearly. Indeed, one feels for most of the book that Carver has unresolved BDSM issues. He may well might, but I don't think the author intended him to. Carver is also very vexed with a reporter who wrote an article saying nice things about him. It's an unusual twist, but is badly handled, as the reader is ultimately confused as to why this article was so important, why Carver is so vexed about it and what function it carries out in the narrative.
The other characters are half formed also. One of the main characters, Megan Crane, has been wasted here. Megan is an attractive dominatrix on the list of potential victims. She is so superhumanly sexy in fact that she can make men masturbate under restaurant tables after she has left the room. In this book, that's a thing.
Unfortunately, her dialogue like much of the other characters' dialogue, is a bit dull.
We know nothing of her background or how she derives income. The police seem satisfied that she does what she does without being paid, so where does her money come from?
Carver's sidekick, Jess, is a bit confusing too. She becomes rather more fascinated with Megan than is professionally necessary (at one point Megan takes Jess into her dungeon and introduces her to her chained up slaves, Arthur and Tracy. Jess seems to treat this as an ok thing for people to do when you visit them) and we begin to think that Megan Crane has seduced her into offpage lesbian bondage. This never goes anywhere though and is never mentioned again.
No one in Carver's world has a sense of humour. either, which is a bit unfeasible considering it is set in Warrington. The funniest moment in fact is when one discovers that the slaves' names are Arthur and Tracy.
The plot doesn't make a huge amount of sense. I can't really go into detail on that without providing spoilers, but the murderer makes things far far more complicated than they need to be. Other character's actions are carried out in furtherance of the plot without any regard for whether it suits their character. Carver's colleague and rival Gary Shepherd, an apparently intelligent and ruthless younger man, does several inexplicably stupid things without any attempt to cover his tracks, and with minimal potential payout.
With some serious editing with emphasis on dialogue and grammar this would have worked but as it stands I am not inclined to read any more.
March 19, 2018
"Didn't quite hit the spot"
I enjoy a good police procedural, even if it's detailed and heavy on dialogue, but this wore me down. It was too long, and although some characters could grow on me in time, others left me cold. I'm fed up with the dominatrix being shoe-horned into every story line possible these days, I long for a new type of villain to be conjured up. There were typos too, but I try to look beyond those for the story so I can enjoy that. This time it was the story that disappointed.
I enjoy a good police procedural, even if it's detailed and heavy on dialogue, but this wore me down. It was too long, and although some characters could grow on me in time, others left me cold. I'm fed up with the dominatrix being shoe-horned into every story line possible these days, I long for a new type of villain to be conjured up. There were typos too, but I try to look beyond those for the story so I can enjoy that. This time it was the story that disappointed.
November 29, 2017
Brilliant rollercoaster of a read. I don’t usually pick up crime, I’m very much SFF, and choosy at that, but this one kept me gripped – especially as it gears up towards the end. There were a few spelling errors that caught my eye (edited to add: these have since been rectified in the newer version) but they don’t detract from the overall story, which kept me guessing all the way through. I had a lot of ‘Dude… no…’ moments, and the villain… Hehe, well I guessed wrong a few times.
Overall, highly recommended and I’ll be watching out for more of the DCI Carver series.
Overall, highly recommended and I’ll be watching out for more of the DCI Carver series.
December 23, 2018
The story is very well plotted/constructed, something that's often a weakness in otherwise enjoyable books.
The language part of the writing seems rather sloppy, maybe something other authors get corrected by editors (but there are self publishing authors who do way better).
Sometimes prepositions are clumsy, there are missing words, wrong words (well-passed for well past [point in time]), often quotation marks aren't there and lots of commas are set annoyingly - and persistantly - wrong.
Then there is the weirdness that BDSM is regarded as such an exotic and thereby dangerous thing. Get over it. Lot's of people are into that - and in the UK rather publicly, too - and the media have been voyeuristic about it for at least 30 years. I'm not against the story as such, just all the wide-eyed shocked fascination is super weird.
I do all this nitpicking because alltogether it made a really rather good book I'd give 4 stars into a bit of a 2 star cringe fest.
The language part of the writing seems rather sloppy, maybe something other authors get corrected by editors (but there are self publishing authors who do way better).
Sometimes prepositions are clumsy, there are missing words, wrong words (well-passed for well past [point in time]), often quotation marks aren't there and lots of commas are set annoyingly - and persistantly - wrong.
Then there is the weirdness that BDSM is regarded as such an exotic and thereby dangerous thing. Get over it. Lot's of people are into that - and in the UK rather publicly, too - and the media have been voyeuristic about it for at least 30 years. I'm not against the story as such, just all the wide-eyed shocked fascination is super weird.
I do all this nitpicking because alltogether it made a really rather good book I'd give 4 stars into a bit of a 2 star cringe fest.
May 15, 2019
Deleted this at 8%. It hasn't had a whiff of any sort of proofreading nor editing process and is just atrociously presented. I found I was spending more of my time highlighting mistakes than actually reading it !
Even in the dedication at the beginning, before I'd even kicked off, he spells Old Peculiar wrong as it should be Peculier. So he gave them a backhanded nod there !! He writes phased and not fazed then discrete and not discreet. He also throws random commas into sentences as with "....just because it's, the Police" and "....about your listing in a journal called, DOM." It just makes them read wrong. There was an instance of missed-off speechmarks and then I saw the apostrophe misplaced in victim's and I just lost the will to live with it !!
Maybe it turned out to be a good story, but I'll never know now as I'm just not prepared to try and make sense of it.
Even in the dedication at the beginning, before I'd even kicked off, he spells Old Peculiar wrong as it should be Peculier. So he gave them a backhanded nod there !! He writes phased and not fazed then discrete and not discreet. He also throws random commas into sentences as with "....just because it's, the Police" and "....about your listing in a journal called, DOM." It just makes them read wrong. There was an instance of missed-off speechmarks and then I saw the apostrophe misplaced in victim's and I just lost the will to live with it !!
Maybe it turned out to be a good story, but I'll never know now as I'm just not prepared to try and make sense of it.
January 6, 2018
A well-written thriller .The subject was not what I would have chosen to read., but it was engrossing ..Difficult to put down. I can recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story. Much. of the. story is coloured by the reader's imagination.
I will certainly be reading more by this author. I do enjoy a good thriller.This one threw up a few red herrings so it kept me guessing until guitar near the end.
I will certainly be reading more by this author. I do enjoy a good thriller.This one threw up a few red herrings so it kept me guessing until guitar near the end.
December 7, 2017
Excellent character development, suspenseful story, great sense of place, and interesting twists. Minor copyrighting (just like that - should be copywriting!) errors are a bit distracting, but still a great read.
January 15, 2018
Excellent
Great plot. Believable characters and a detective with a past secret. So many twists and turns in this book that I was unable to decide who the murderer was until the reveal.
Great plot. Believable characters and a detective with a past secret. So many twists and turns in this book that I was unable to decide who the murderer was until the reveal.
April 24, 2020
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. I guessed the killer about 3/4 of the way through the book, but it built up nicely. Definitely kept my interest!
January 6, 2018
Seriously good
An absorbing novel, well written with little or no 'padding' or overly descriptive passages to make the reader skip pages. Interesting subplot too. Thoroughly enjoyable. Would recommend.
An absorbing novel, well written with little or no 'padding' or overly descriptive passages to make the reader skip pages. Interesting subplot too. Thoroughly enjoyable. Would recommend.
January 5, 2018
A storyline that grabs you and interesting characters. Alas, it is full of spelling and punctuation errors.
February 8, 2020
Hope the rest of the series is as good as I have the next one on my TBR pile.
March 26, 2020
This book was somewhat boring at times, and took a while to get the readers full on attention. The characters were somewhat like the statues in church during Holy Week covered over with a purple drape, you knew what was beneath the drape but couldn't see it. I believe the characters could have been developed more as I had no empathy for any of them, and the young rescuer was surely an enigma. There were quite a few typing errors, but one can forgive these if the book is enjoyable and gripping. I may read a follow up as it could improve with experience.
December 31, 2017
North West Noir
Well done Mr Barker, an excellent read and a great lead character in Jamie Carver. Brilliant and taciturn, he fits well into the pantheon of maverick, flawed detectives.
The book is quite a dark exploration of the Dom/Sub scene and does it very well, the research must have been quite interesting Mr Barker! Because of this the book may not be to everyone's taste, especially if you are a little less than open minded, but the content is never prurient.
I didn't quite buy into the ending which I thought a little contrived but apart that the read was excellent and I look forward to the next outing of DCI Carver.
Well done Mr Barker, an excellent read and a great lead character in Jamie Carver. Brilliant and taciturn, he fits well into the pantheon of maverick, flawed detectives.
The book is quite a dark exploration of the Dom/Sub scene and does it very well, the research must have been quite interesting Mr Barker! Because of this the book may not be to everyone's taste, especially if you are a little less than open minded, but the content is never prurient.
I didn't quite buy into the ending which I thought a little contrived but apart that the read was excellent and I look forward to the next outing of DCI Carver.
March 8, 2018
Very well written selfpublished (?) book, available cheap as an ebook.
Some errors, but minor ones, I would guess a dozen, one sentence with "he he (in context of he is doing this or that, so two he's are certainly wrong here)", once a capital character within a sentence, so imho little things, which did not stop me from enjoying the book and did not hinder the reading flow much. Not reading this on a Kindle, I was not able to mark this errors and send them to the publisher (with a Kindle this is built in and fairly easy).
There are 3 interchanging storylines: a current serial killer, an old serial killer case where the Killer was caught and died in prison and a family-affair-project. The book takes place mostly in the UK and a short trip elsewhere. Both locations are well done, with some local dialect and I had the feeling of being there.
The descriptions of police procedure and even the stress all sound true to me, exceptionally well written, as far as I can tell.
While the MC is male, his partner is female and some scenes are from her POV. Both and the Killer and some other characters are well fleshed out.
This being a rather cheap book, with only a few reviews so far, I recommend it highly, I got it for free (informed by the daily email from Fussy Librarian), and I just looked, it is still free (at some places, maybe not all). Feel bad not having paid for it, it is worth buying.
I will certainly buy and read the next book in the series and look for other books from this author.
Trigger Warning: this goes into the BSDM-scene, so some graphic scenes should not surprise, the killings are gruesome, but the details are on a normal level for a book about a serial killer, imho, could easily have been even more gruesome, or may be I am just used to it. No sex, which is rather surprising but a little romance.
Some errors, but minor ones, I would guess a dozen, one sentence with "he he (in context of he is doing this or that, so two he's are certainly wrong here)", once a capital character within a sentence, so imho little things, which did not stop me from enjoying the book and did not hinder the reading flow much. Not reading this on a Kindle, I was not able to mark this errors and send them to the publisher (with a Kindle this is built in and fairly easy).
There are 3 interchanging storylines: a current serial killer, an old serial killer case where the Killer was caught and died in prison and a family-affair-project. The book takes place mostly in the UK and a short trip elsewhere. Both locations are well done, with some local dialect and I had the feeling of being there.
The descriptions of police procedure and even the stress all sound true to me, exceptionally well written, as far as I can tell.
While the MC is male, his partner is female and some scenes are from her POV. Both and the Killer and some other characters are well fleshed out.
This being a rather cheap book, with only a few reviews so far, I recommend it highly, I got it for free (informed by the daily email from Fussy Librarian), and I just looked, it is still free (at some places, maybe not all). Feel bad not having paid for it, it is worth buying.
I will certainly buy and read the next book in the series and look for other books from this author.
Trigger Warning: this goes into the BSDM-scene, so some graphic scenes should not surprise, the killings are gruesome, but the details are on a normal level for a book about a serial killer, imho, could easily have been even more gruesome, or may be I am just used to it. No sex, which is rather surprising but a little romance.
October 22, 2018
Last Gasp combines dominatrixes with murder. When DCI Jamie Carver is called onto the "Worshiper Murders" he finds his past clashing with future while working the world of fetishes.
The book had a lot of promise. I loved the idea and really wanted to get inside the psychological side of S&M, but the book really just manages to judge the sexual preference and creates each one who is involved in a criminal matter. There was no psychology just judgment.
I also liked none of the characters, especially Jamie. The majority of the characters were flat (especially the women and their role into propping up the men). I saw no character development and I never understood why JEss was doing what she was doing.
The writing was drawn out spending lots of time on minor things while leaving chapters and story hanging at the best parts. It seems that this was done to make twists later in the book but I would have rather read about what was going on framed in a way that didn't give away the conclusion.
Unfortunately, this book (and it's series) it not for me.
I received an ARC from the publisher; all opinions are my own.
The book had a lot of promise. I loved the idea and really wanted to get inside the psychological side of S&M, but the book really just manages to judge the sexual preference and creates each one who is involved in a criminal matter. There was no psychology just judgment.
I also liked none of the characters, especially Jamie. The majority of the characters were flat (especially the women and their role into propping up the men). I saw no character development and I never understood why JEss was doing what she was doing.
The writing was drawn out spending lots of time on minor things while leaving chapters and story hanging at the best parts. It seems that this was done to make twists later in the book but I would have rather read about what was going on framed in a way that didn't give away the conclusion.
Unfortunately, this book (and it's series) it not for me.
I received an ARC from the publisher; all opinions are my own.
October 13, 2018
Great Thriller
First Robert Barker book I have read. DCI Carver comes across as a well balanced, career copper with no time for those that use their position to better themselves and not the population in general. The complete opposite to Edmund Hart and his accomplices. Megan Crane, a dominatrix who plays the part 100%, is the key figure in this thriller. As internal rivalries prevent Carver focusing 100% on the key issues Crane does her best to muddy the waters. With all of the different women, Crane herself, Rosanna, Angie and even Jess crowding his mind Carver comes close to failing. Just how close you will see when you read this great thriller.
First Robert Barker book I have read. DCI Carver comes across as a well balanced, career copper with no time for those that use their position to better themselves and not the population in general. The complete opposite to Edmund Hart and his accomplices. Megan Crane, a dominatrix who plays the part 100%, is the key figure in this thriller. As internal rivalries prevent Carver focusing 100% on the key issues Crane does her best to muddy the waters. With all of the different women, Crane herself, Rosanna, Angie and even Jess crowding his mind Carver comes close to failing. Just how close you will see when you read this great thriller.
April 20, 2020
Didn't get on with this at all. I read the first 50 pages and felt like nothing interesting had happened. I gave up reading this for about a month but I just can't bear to not finish a book so I came back to it. There was so much backstory that I kept thinking I was reading a book in the middle of a series because of how much old stuff was referenced and explained! I think this would have been better if the Angie story had it's own book first. Then all the backstory wouldn't be so in depth and waste so much time! I think it was just way too long. Everything interesting happened in the last 10-20% which made the stuff before seem very drawn out.
November 28, 2017
A real page turner that kept me reading till 3 a.m. I loved the Jamie and Jess characters. Unlike so many police partnerships, Jamie included Jess in the case completely. The unusual antagonist created some excellent friction. The reason for the killing spree, not revealed until almost the end, took me by surprise, as did Jamie's "saviour".
I would have liked the story to go beyond the point where it finished - - - although it's a 'stand-alone' there are unanswered questions.
I enjoyed Robert F. Barker's style. Thank you.
I would have liked the story to go beyond the point where it finished - - - although it's a 'stand-alone' there are unanswered questions.
I enjoyed Robert F. Barker's style. Thank you.
April 2, 2021
Not a bad read
This is book 1 of a tri!ogy. It's quite good, really picks up at the the end. I got this free for my kindle but uncertain if I am going to continue with the series. The subject matter is dark and I don't think I'm up for reading any more of it at the moment. - I may return to the books later.
This is book 1 of a tri!ogy. It's quite good, really picks up at the the end. I got this free for my kindle but uncertain if I am going to continue with the series. The subject matter is dark and I don't think I'm up for reading any more of it at the moment. - I may return to the books later.
June 18, 2018
Meh
I could not get past the way this story was narrated.
Author wrote things like “the female” or “drummed his nails”. Everything felt as if I was reading in monotone.
I could not get past the way this story was narrated.
Author wrote things like “the female” or “drummed his nails”. Everything felt as if I was reading in monotone.
August 13, 2018
English DCI Jamie Carver, “the UK’s foremost serial sex crime investigator” (a designation he hates) is hunting a serial killer who appears to be targeting those who participate in the BDSM lifestyle. He and his team are under increasing professional and public pressure to solve the case. The current serial killer case may have ties to the case that made him famous, and might have massive impact on an area of his past he’d really prefer to keep under wraps. He’s also plagued by horrendous nightmares, a co-worker who’s out to get him, and a family rehabilitation project where the oldest child has a huge crush on him.
Minuses: Some of the chapters are in present tense, while others are written in past tense, and that annoyed me. I can’t pinpoint why, except that the shifts took me out of the story. It was almost annoying enough to make me ditch the book, but I was curious to see what happened, so I kept reading. Also, the editing could have been better – I saw misplaced apostrophes, weird use of commas, and random capitalization. I think the book could have benefitted from a competent copy editor.
Pluses: Carver is a flawed, tortured soul who simply wants to do the best job possible. He’s a rule follower, but sometimes solving a case depends on bending those rules, and he doesn’t shy away from that. He might agonize over violating procedure, but his drive is to protect people and catch criminals, so he does what he deems best and stands tall to take his lumps. Carver’s father is a famous retired DCI, and his shadow looms large over Carver. They have a complicated, real relationship. The storylines (old serial killer case, new serial killer case, and family in trouble) were all interesting, and held my attention throughout the book. The portions dealing with BDSM weren’t salacious at all, but were well-written, and germane to the plot. Carver’s team and co-workers were well-drawn, and had distinct personalities, rather than just being a backdrop for the “great detective.” And the ending – filled with tension, action, things happening all over the place, and I didn’t expect the outcome at all.
The action and office politics seemed very real to me, not like some books where I am left wondering how many hours of citizen police academy the author sat through before deciding to try and squeeze out a book. The author is a former British senior police detective, so knows what he’s talking about.
In this book, the media have dubbed the dominatrix killer “The Worshipper,” and the series is referred to as the “Worshipper Tribology,” causing me to think this is going to only be three books long. But I’ve also seen it referred to as the Carver series, implying maybe it will be longer than three books. I have a personal bias for series, because if I’m going to make an emotional investment in a character, I want that character to be around for a while. I’m hoping there will be more than three books to read because I made an emotional connection with these characters and I’d like to spend more time with them. I liked this book enough that I immediately purchased book 2 in the series when I finished this. If you are fond of dark, gritty, disturbing (but ultimately satisfying) British police procedurals, I would give this one a go.
Minuses: Some of the chapters are in present tense, while others are written in past tense, and that annoyed me. I can’t pinpoint why, except that the shifts took me out of the story. It was almost annoying enough to make me ditch the book, but I was curious to see what happened, so I kept reading. Also, the editing could have been better – I saw misplaced apostrophes, weird use of commas, and random capitalization. I think the book could have benefitted from a competent copy editor.
Pluses: Carver is a flawed, tortured soul who simply wants to do the best job possible. He’s a rule follower, but sometimes solving a case depends on bending those rules, and he doesn’t shy away from that. He might agonize over violating procedure, but his drive is to protect people and catch criminals, so he does what he deems best and stands tall to take his lumps. Carver’s father is a famous retired DCI, and his shadow looms large over Carver. They have a complicated, real relationship. The storylines (old serial killer case, new serial killer case, and family in trouble) were all interesting, and held my attention throughout the book. The portions dealing with BDSM weren’t salacious at all, but were well-written, and germane to the plot. Carver’s team and co-workers were well-drawn, and had distinct personalities, rather than just being a backdrop for the “great detective.” And the ending – filled with tension, action, things happening all over the place, and I didn’t expect the outcome at all.
The action and office politics seemed very real to me, not like some books where I am left wondering how many hours of citizen police academy the author sat through before deciding to try and squeeze out a book. The author is a former British senior police detective, so knows what he’s talking about.
In this book, the media have dubbed the dominatrix killer “The Worshipper,” and the series is referred to as the “Worshipper Tribology,” causing me to think this is going to only be three books long. But I’ve also seen it referred to as the Carver series, implying maybe it will be longer than three books. I have a personal bias for series, because if I’m going to make an emotional investment in a character, I want that character to be around for a while. I’m hoping there will be more than three books to read because I made an emotional connection with these characters and I’d like to spend more time with them. I liked this book enough that I immediately purchased book 2 in the series when I finished this. If you are fond of dark, gritty, disturbing (but ultimately satisfying) British police procedurals, I would give this one a go.
April 6, 2018
DCI Jamie Carver (Warrington PD) & DS Jess Greylake (Warrington PD) went to see Mrs. Megan Crane (40+, Edmund’s lover).
The 2 were enquiring about what she might know about Operation Kerry (The Worshipper Murders).
Corinne Anderson (44) is the Kubu’s owner which buys/sells fine porcelain.
Evelyn Merryweather (Kubu’s buyer), & James Ollerenshaw (Kubu's sales-mgr.) are her employees.
Megan’s DOM journal seemed to be a link to the serial killer’s murders.
Detective Superintendent John “The Duke” Morrison was having the daily meeting.
Dr. Ewan Cleeves (U of Manchester Professor; Forensic Psychology) gave his input.
Corinne Anderson (Dominatrix) found out she enjoyed BDSM. Something her ex-husband Michael didn’t.
DS Paul Hill (night-CID), & PC Russell Lee were at the crime scene.
Kayleigh Lee (daughter/sister) had stabbed Stuart Lee (husband/father).
Corinne was the next victim.
Howard Gladding Sr. Pathologist & Robin Knight Sr. (CSMgr./photographer) were at/on the crime scene.
The media coined the individual “Worshipper Killer.”
Operation Chaperone had gone down the garbage disposal.
DCI Gary Shepherd has disappeared.
Regina v Hart. Edmund “Eddie” Hart (aka the Worshipper) was on trial for the murder of 7 high-class Female escorts.
What happened to Tracy Redmond (Edmund’s lover) & William Cosworth (photographer)?
Warning: This book contains extremely graphic adult content, violence, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive or have potential adverse psychological effects on the reader.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written crime thriller book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great crime thriller movie, or better yet a mini TV series. To be continued. A very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; EBookStage; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
The 2 were enquiring about what she might know about Operation Kerry (The Worshipper Murders).
Corinne Anderson (44) is the Kubu’s owner which buys/sells fine porcelain.
Evelyn Merryweather (Kubu’s buyer), & James Ollerenshaw (Kubu's sales-mgr.) are her employees.
Megan’s DOM journal seemed to be a link to the serial killer’s murders.
Detective Superintendent John “The Duke” Morrison was having the daily meeting.
Dr. Ewan Cleeves (U of Manchester Professor; Forensic Psychology) gave his input.
Corinne Anderson (Dominatrix) found out she enjoyed BDSM. Something her ex-husband Michael didn’t.
DS Paul Hill (night-CID), & PC Russell Lee were at the crime scene.
Kayleigh Lee (daughter/sister) had stabbed Stuart Lee (husband/father).
Corinne was the next victim.
Howard Gladding Sr. Pathologist & Robin Knight Sr. (CSMgr./photographer) were at/on the crime scene.
The media coined the individual “Worshipper Killer.”
Operation Chaperone had gone down the garbage disposal.
DCI Gary Shepherd has disappeared.
Regina v Hart. Edmund “Eddie” Hart (aka the Worshipper) was on trial for the murder of 7 high-class Female escorts.
What happened to Tracy Redmond (Edmund’s lover) & William Cosworth (photographer)?
Warning: This book contains extremely graphic adult content, violence, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive or have potential adverse psychological effects on the reader.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written crime thriller book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great crime thriller movie, or better yet a mini TV series. To be continued. A very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; EBookStage; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2020
An obsessive read
This is the first of Robert F. Barker’s books that I have read. I saw it advertised on Facebook and the description was very enticing, so I decided to take the opportunity to read it. From the very start I found it totally absorbing. The prologue was haunting, and the theme followed throughout the story. The writer has created an extremely devious plot with lots of twists and turns throughout, making it extremely hard for the reader to work out where it is going to take them next. There are several themes, the main one being the hint at Jamie Carver’s back-story from his past, which we finally get to hear about towards the end when the plots all merge. The fact that this author is ex-police with a long background in law enforcement makes it even more realistic. There are a few terms which he uses which are a little unclear to the average reader – obviously phrases which he is familiar with – and which he sadly doesn’t explain, however apart from that and a few editing errors, the book is beautifully written. In places it is very graphic and horrifying and the ending is a race to save lives and catch the perpetrator. The final twist is huge and something that, although I had my suspicions quite early on, I had not really expected as each time I thought I knew what was going on the plot twisted once more to make me believe that I had got it totally wrong. The epilogue is a nice way to lead into the next in the series and we are even given a few chapters to wet our appetite. This is one series I will certainly being dipping into more in the future.
This is the first of Robert F. Barker’s books that I have read. I saw it advertised on Facebook and the description was very enticing, so I decided to take the opportunity to read it. From the very start I found it totally absorbing. The prologue was haunting, and the theme followed throughout the story. The writer has created an extremely devious plot with lots of twists and turns throughout, making it extremely hard for the reader to work out where it is going to take them next. There are several themes, the main one being the hint at Jamie Carver’s back-story from his past, which we finally get to hear about towards the end when the plots all merge. The fact that this author is ex-police with a long background in law enforcement makes it even more realistic. There are a few terms which he uses which are a little unclear to the average reader – obviously phrases which he is familiar with – and which he sadly doesn’t explain, however apart from that and a few editing errors, the book is beautifully written. In places it is very graphic and horrifying and the ending is a race to save lives and catch the perpetrator. The final twist is huge and something that, although I had my suspicions quite early on, I had not really expected as each time I thought I knew what was going on the plot twisted once more to make me believe that I had got it totally wrong. The epilogue is a nice way to lead into the next in the series and we are even given a few chapters to wet our appetite. This is one series I will certainly being dipping into more in the future.
March 7, 2018
An interesting read, I was initially drawn to this book due to the life of the author mirroring to a large degree to that of my father's experiences in the serious crime squad and his years of service in the CID in the north of England. The story did not disappoint at all and held great pace. Sure there was the occasional typo and a couple of points where some give away clues were obvious to me if not the investigating officers, however, the undertone of police politics, the human element and the psychology of the characters and their interplay, in my opinion at least, made up for any minor flaws. I found the UK back drop a refreshing change from the US locations and felt the inner city grittiness of Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds lend a delightfully drab-weather hand to add some realistic affect to the sometimes more far fetched elements of the book. Why didn't I score it higher than four stars? Three factors mainly, 1) Megan's world is one I am not too familiar with at all but the shock of all the seasoned police professionals I found was a bit of a stretch, 2) similarly I found the lack of ability in the CSI experts to be remarkable. 3) probably most significant to me, I found in the dénoûment, I was imagining the skills and action demonstrated by one of the characters to be of a level almost akin to a ninja, or the school uniform assassin in a Kill Bill fight scene which was out of kilter to their previously portrayed character. That said I have immediately downloaded the next book in the series.
March 28, 2023
I am hooked! Who doesn't love a perceptive, fair, and vulnerable detective with a terrible secret?
Detective Jamie Carver has a lot on his plate. He's given only a month to prepare for a promotion interview. He is dealing with a teenage crush from an impressionable young girl who is barely holding her dysfunctional family together which does not bode well for the Government's Problem Families Initiative Program he's heading up. He's working hard to have a personal relationship with his beautiful singer-girlfriend, Rosanna. And his latest interview with the bold and inscrutable Megan Crane, Dominatrix and potential target for a serial killer called the Worshipper, has brought back unwanted and upsetting memories.
Mr. Barker gives us a great lead character who is reticent, eccentric, and flawed as he dives into the dark world of BDSM while hunting a sadistic killer. Carver's partner, DS Jess Greylake, plays a big role by learning her partner's eccentricities and having his back while others' dishonorable intentions are to discredit him. Megan Crane is a force to be reckoned with when she manipulates everyone around her like chess pieces. The twists and turns build as the reader gets closer to finding out the killer who wants to bring Carver down. The reason for the killing spree is surprising as well as Jamie's "savior".
I highly recommend this gripping police procedural full of well-developed characters and an exceptional plotline. I can't wait to read the rest of this series.
Detective Jamie Carver has a lot on his plate. He's given only a month to prepare for a promotion interview. He is dealing with a teenage crush from an impressionable young girl who is barely holding her dysfunctional family together which does not bode well for the Government's Problem Families Initiative Program he's heading up. He's working hard to have a personal relationship with his beautiful singer-girlfriend, Rosanna. And his latest interview with the bold and inscrutable Megan Crane, Dominatrix and potential target for a serial killer called the Worshipper, has brought back unwanted and upsetting memories.
Mr. Barker gives us a great lead character who is reticent, eccentric, and flawed as he dives into the dark world of BDSM while hunting a sadistic killer. Carver's partner, DS Jess Greylake, plays a big role by learning her partner's eccentricities and having his back while others' dishonorable intentions are to discredit him. Megan Crane is a force to be reckoned with when she manipulates everyone around her like chess pieces. The twists and turns build as the reader gets closer to finding out the killer who wants to bring Carver down. The reason for the killing spree is surprising as well as Jamie's "savior".
I highly recommend this gripping police procedural full of well-developed characters and an exceptional plotline. I can't wait to read the rest of this series.
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